Tag Archives: anti-muse

To Martha’s Muse


The muse of painting, on the Opera House in Guanajuato, Mexico

 Here is Martha’ Kennedy’s, prompt that came in response to my “Demused” poem:
My muse got the word from yours that she’d like you to start at least ONE poem with, “Tell me O Muse” She just wants a little acknowledgement.”

I’ve never turned down a prompt yet, Martha’s Muse, so here is your poem of acknowledgement:

To Martha’s Muse

Tell me, O Muse, if it is you
telling my muse what to do
to spur me to get off my duff
and write lines that are good enough
to meet the current status quo,
instead of being just “so-so?”

If so, please let me know it’s me
penning the lines, and not just she.
So if she sickens, dies or just
loses her poetic thrust,
I can make it on my own
to write a poem that’s fully blown!!!!

This frees her and also me
from interdependency.
Frees her to leave me all alone
to find “amusement” on her own,
and once she’s off to do her roaming,
I’ll practice independent poeming!

Though in the past I’ve been bemused,
when on occasion I’ve been de-mused,
I’ll take my genius off the shelf
and write my poems all by myself.
(And though, dear muse, freedom is thine,
I’ll claim my credits as purely mine!!!!)

Though Martha’s muse probably ain’t
just one of words, but also paint,
I hope that she has room enough
for all my muse’s extra stuff,
for as she departed, slamming  doors,
she said she’s off to knock on yours!!!!

Imprudent.

Imprudent

An hour ’til midnight and still I’d not
written anything but rot.
The problem is, I’m not a student
of anything that smacks of “prudent.”
Especially when it comes to writing.
How can prudent be exciting?
A friend from whom I asked advice—
a guy who’s usually nice—
said, “Just write a limerick.”
“Yech!” I screamed. They make me sick!”
The problem is, time after time,
they are not funny and do not rhyme.
His advising role I here recuse,
and declare him as my anti-muse.

(This poem is based on a real conversation at the end of which I declared that I didn’t want to talk to him for 20 minutes, at the end of which I’d have a poem.  Done!!!  Not much, but better than a limerick! And I finished, proofed, tagged and posted in exactly 20 minutes.)

The prompt today is “prudent.”