I haven’t been writing poetry consistently for a good long while now, it’s hard to get back into that deliberate mindset
I haven’t tried to write poetry specifically for publication in years – it’s a different process…
I am using several different methods for trying to write these poems, some of which are very new to me
I’ve also been writing a bunch of haiku as well…but that’s something different 🙂
I’ve never really thought about the ocean before. I mean…not poetically. I don’t swim (can’t) and I never really spent a lot of time at the beach or on a boat. But I do appreciate the ocean as an entity. A giver and sustainer of life.
With that being said, I wanted to come from a unique angle and I’ve had a few ideas. For instance: I noticed that when I moved to PA, something was missing. I didn’t know what it was, but I realized when I took a trip back to my hometown (Amityville NY on Long Island) that what was missing, was the presence of the ocean. I never noticed nor payed attention to the vibe you get by being close to the ocean, after all, I was born and raised close to it. Nope, didn’t notice it…until it was no longer there to feel.
I think I found something to explore in that. I recorded some audio of me talking about the experience. I’m going to use that to craft a poem or two (that was one of the new methods I’m trying :).
I’ve also had a few other ideas and have already written a few poems that I’m letting incubate…and I’m actually kind of sad that I can’t share the work with you all 🙁 I want to, but many places consider online publication (even on a personal website) to be a relinquishing of first time rights (which is what most publications buy) and sometimes, electronic rights too.
But we can talk about the ocean! And if anybody would want to share some words here in the comments – or on facebook or twitter – on the subject, then feel free.
I never send any of these bulk emails, mainly because I don’t have anything to sell. But somebody reminded me that even without trying to make some money, I should still keep in contact with the folks that choose to be fans of what I do.
I love all of y’all. Thanks for checking me out and liking me enough to want to hear more from me. I’m damn near 30 and that still warms my heart.
So, I just wanted y’all to know, I’m very active on twitter and Facebook, and you can feel free to come “like” me.
I also have a website which has a little something on there for everybody. All of my music, poetry and videos are there, and a lot of other things as well. Feel free to come take a look. Everything on there is freely available from my tracks, to my poetry chapbook, and all of my recordings. Feel free to use whatever ya want.
That’s pretty much it, just wanted to remind you all that I’m still here and still concocting creative cocktails. Any questions? Ideas, collab requests (of any sort) then feel free to drop me a line – either through my site, on twitter, or on Facebook. I’ll get back to ya
It’s the first part of a planned 3-book series collectively titled Eternal Figments of Reality. It was available to download absolutely free here on the site, but after almost 2 years and over 2,000 downloads, I decided to remove the links. You can now purchase e-book versions from various retailers, as well as print versions.
However, since the individual poems are still on the site, you can use the link above to read them all for free.
Share one man’s journey through a world of poetic verse. Start the voyage with his humble beginnings. Continue down a path of introspection. Join him as he comes to the eventual realization that everything flows ever on. Explore through stanza after stanza of unrestrained free verse. Whether rhy…
Share one man’s journey through a world of poetic verse. Start the voyage with his humble beginnings. Continue down a path of introspection. Join him as he comes to the eventual realization that everything flows ever on. Explore through stanza after stanza of unrestrained free verse. Whether rhym…
The color, the fruit
…the color of the fruit
The word, orange
It used to be called yellowred
One word not two
Things change
Her favorite color was orange
Can you guess her favorite fruit?
She mastered the fine art
Of peeling the skin
In one whole piece
Slowly she would push
Her slender fingers into
The center and divide
Sharing with me the slices
We would watch the sun set
Yellowred on the horizon
She would peel off the
Hard, uncompromising
Cynical armor
Of my outer self
Leaving me raw but whole
She carefully removes
The remaining pith
Slowly, she would push
Herself into my center
And force me to divulge
The secrets of my inner self
Wet and sticky
We share the slices
Bitter and sweet
We plant the seeds
She…squeezes
We entwine
Orange, the unrhymable word…
The subject of this post, “orange”, was suggested to me by Ivy. See this post for more details.
Over the last several years, I’ve been posting poetry here and there online. I figured that I needed to gather all this stuff up into one place. I had always toyed with the idea of getting everything I did online together and making my first book out of that.
Unfortunately, I was much too lazy to hunt it all down, let alone do any actual rewriting. Also, once you post poetry online, it’s pretty hard to sell. That’s because you already gave up first rights, which is what a lot of publishers buy.
I think I found it all and imported it into this blog. All poems that are apart of this series are marked with the Eternal Figments of Reality tag.
What About the Poetry?
I think some are really good and I won’t rewrite them any further. It must be remembered that ALL of these poems are old. A lot of them have gone through several different iterations already and are at the end of their rewrite life cycle. However, I’m the type of person that never considers anything “finished.”
These poems run the gamut of several different styles, but most are free verse. Some rhyme, some don’t. The subject matter ranges from women to relationships, from the metaphysical to the philosophical, from the personal to the political, and pretty much everything in-between. One recurring theme in my work then, and now, is the cyclical nature of all things. The inter-connectivity of everything in existence. These are ideas that scare me and at the same time fill me with wonder.
And the Title, Eternal Figments of Reality?
The title fits just what these works are. Well, maybe not the eternal part, but these are definitely my very own figments of reality. Little pieces of me and my life. I’m hoping to make them eternal by putting them together into a collection which I will give out for free.
Maybe I’ll do something where you can buy an actual book as well. But I plan on making these poems free and free to distribute and free to use as long as I am credited with at least a link. I mean the whole thing; make derivative works, make songs, do anything creative that one of these poems may inspire you to do, and let me know about it.
And Then What?
I HAVE to get this out of my system, or else I can’t move forward. I hate wasting work. I also want to do an accompanying audio format. Some I will read straight out and some will just be tracks that are inspired by the poem itself. That’s the next step after the book.
As you may know, there is already audio attached to some of these poems, and maybe I will keep some as they are. I don’t have the time, money or resources to make anything really professional out of this project. But just as the words, the tracks will be free to download and use however you may want. Remix them, cut and chop them, make songs around them or just give them melodies, turn the words to lyrics, whatever.
After Eternal Figments of Reality, I’m going to do the same thing with my old tracks, almost all rap, it’s called the DaEvolution. So look out for that too:)
Here’s some links to all of the one’s, so far, with audio. Keep in mind that some of these recordings were just sorta…done. Like I did em on my cell phone or what-have-you. Some I did on the microphone, so some will sound MUCH better than others. Don’t worry, I plan to do something about this when it comes time to record!
On a warm day in May – sun desperate To peek from behind playful clouds, Warm, but not unpleasant, And slender fingers of conversation Or music or traffic noise from in the distance Play the melody of life in my ears –
I think of you.
Not just you, but the youthful Patterns of your speech The not so subtle images That I seek before I sleep
The stance the glance what’s in those pants You smile I watch my day enhance You moan I pray I get my chance You laugh I think that you enchant
I am spelled, your magic works
I inhale your every word Exhale my love into the void And hope it reaches through the ether And to your heart right through your nerves
Ya heard?
If words could heal I’d write your health I’d pen the doctors lesson I’d prescribe the phrase to soothe your soul I’d speak your convalescence
On a warm day in May – sun desperate To peek from behind playful clouds, Warm, but not unpleasant, And slender fingers of conversation Or music or traffic noise from in the distance Play the melody of life in my ears –
![t15866-old-man-with-flowing-beard-looking-rembrandt-harmenszoon-van-rijn[1]](https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/t15866-old-man-with-flowing-beard-looking-rembrandt-harmenszoon-van-rijn1-858x400.jpg "t15866-old-man-with-flowing-beard-looking-rembrandt-harmenszoon-van-rijn[1]")
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![nothing-rhymes-with-orange-header[1]](https://i0.wp.com/silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/nothing-rhymes-with-orange-header1.png?ssl=1 "Orange, The Unrhymable Word 10")
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![reality[1]](https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/reality1-858x400.jpg "reality[1]")
![what-is-reality-600x372[1]](https://i0.wp.com/silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/what-is-reality-600x3721.jpg?ssl=1 "About Eternal Figments of Reality 14")
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![free_your_mind[1][1]](https://i0.wp.com/silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/free_your_mind11.jpg?ssl=1 "About Eternal Figments of Reality 16")
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12 Oct 2011
3 CommentsWriting About the Ocean
Recently, I’ve been trying to write poetry about the ocean for possible submission to Ocean Magazine.
http://twitter.com/#!/SilencioBarnes/status/120424335818240000
This is significant for several reasons.
I’ve also been writing a bunch of haiku as well…but that’s something different 🙂
I’ve never really thought about the ocean before. I mean…not poetically. I don’t swim (can’t) and I never really spent a lot of time at the beach or on a boat. But I do appreciate the ocean as an entity. A giver and sustainer of life.
With that being said, I wanted to come from a unique angle and I’ve had a few ideas. For instance: I noticed that when I moved to PA, something was missing. I didn’t know what it was, but I realized when I took a trip back to my hometown (Amityville NY on Long Island) that what was missing, was the presence of the ocean. I never noticed nor payed attention to the vibe you get by being close to the ocean, after all, I was born and raised close to it. Nope, didn’t notice it…until it was no longer there to feel.
I think I found something to explore in that. I recorded some audio of me talking about the experience. I’m going to use that to craft a poem or two (that was one of the new methods I’m trying :).
I’ve also had a few other ideas and have already written a few poems that I’m letting incubate…and I’m actually kind of sad that I can’t share the work with you all 🙁 I want to, but many places consider online publication (even on a personal website) to be a relinquishing of first time rights (which is what most publications buy) and sometimes, electronic rights too.
But we can talk about the ocean! And if anybody would want to share some words here in the comments – or on facebook or twitter – on the subject, then feel free.
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