remove ad

remove ad

Extras:

Fanlistings

Diaryrings

My half.com store

Links

View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook


Christian
English Major
Writer
Thinker of odd things

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Junk food is poetical [Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, 10:31 pm]

Poetry class was fun today. We had to divide into groups of three and pick the same topic, then each of us had to write a poem on the topic, one in lyrical, another in narrative, and another in dramatic style. It was hard at first, because when I write poetry I generally like to be alone, and I often have trouble sticking to a specific form if I'm not used to it. In general I think it's better to just go where my inspiration takes me, because oftentimes I will set out to write a poem about something, and have it end up totally different than I intended. But learning the different genres is good because it will give me more options to use in future.

So here's mine - supposedly it's "lyrical." Please don't make too much fun of it.

To chocolate, dark and sweet,
Flowing richly down my throat.
For all the day's despair,
Its presence is an antidote.

Beautiful in pieces,
Its purpose I truly feel
When I release my inhibitions,
And consume it for a meal.

Soft and creamy, this flavor is
The delicious essence of chocolate.
This taste is like nothing else,
And that is why I love it.

Continuing with this theme, I first need to share what I consider one of the most wonderful poems ever written, by Robert Frost. He's definitely one of my favorite poets. I said all kinds of things in my paper about it, but one was that he handles sadness so well. A lot of his poetry is lonely, but not so much that it's whiny and full of self-pity like a lot of the stuff I read today. So here is "Acquainted with the Night":

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.

It's so beautiful and visual, and flows incredibly well. There's a whole story underlying there, we just don't know quite what it is.

Anyway, I parodied that poem. Yeah, I know, why? Well - I've noticed that some people tend to view parody as a form of reverence or respect. When done right, parodies can bring out even greater appreciation for the parodied object. Although in my case, that's probably only due to the sheer annoyance of the parody. Here it is anyway.

"Acquainted with Ice Cream"

I have been one acquainted with ice cream.
I have eaten one serving and gone back for seconds.
I have been consumed by this sugary dream.

I have turned away, yet it always beckons.
I have tried in vain to give up this delight,
And I surely never will, my family reckons.

One more scoop of cookie dough tonight.
Some chocolate, then perhaps a little more.
Delicious can't be wrong, so it must be right.

Blizzards, cones, and sundaes I adore.
And this is a rather high-caloric theme,
But popsicles are always such a bore,

And frozen yogurt, not as good as it seems.
I have been one acquainted with ice cream.

As much as I destroyed the flow, I should at least note that I managed to use the same rhyme scheme as Frost did. So there's something.

So - do I have a problem, or what? No, I'm really not condoning destructive eating behaviors here. Despite my reference to frozen yogurt there, I'm actually pretty much converted to the stuff at this point, once it really hit home to me just how much fat ice cream contains. And Ben & Jerry's actually has a nice little collection of frozen yogurts - there's more than just vanilla.

I hope high-Calorie ice cream will go the way of whole milk, for me. I really can't believe I used to drink a glass of whole milk every day. Well, my mom made me until I was about 17 so I didn't have much choice, but now that I'm a skim milk drinker, I don't see how I could have tolerated that fatty-tasting stuff. I can't even put up with 2% anymore. So hopefully once I get used to frozen yogurt, I will be more turned off to the high Calorie stuff.

Ah, the good old days when I was thirteen. I could eat twice what I eat now and not gain anything. Now it catches up to me.

So I don't know why I basically just wasted a whole entry on sugar. I guess I needed some fluff after those last two entries. Or maybe it's just Valentine's Day coming up. Ugh, don't get me started...

wander -- travel

Miss anything?

Vitality - Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
Soulfest 2009 - Sunday, Aug. 02, 2009
Politics and Poverty - Friday, Jul. 24, 2009
Michael Jackson - Monday, Jun. 29, 2009
Elegy for Spotty - Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009