Monday, July 19, 2010

No, but really, I'm sorry if this insults you.

I'm sorry to insult you,
But I will not be a Mrs. Anything, but Chapin.
And we will not be Mr. and Mrs. Man and Wife You May Now Kiss The Bride 'Till Death Do You Part, Under God.
Missus Belongs-To-Owner, what was your maiden name?

I'm sorry to insult you,
But I have a legacy myself.
I'm not an adopted dog, name changed by new master.
I've got my story, not history.
I'd like to live and be remembered, not by my husband's given name
But mine, the one my mama gave me.
See, I grew to love myself first
And I learned myself by calling myself Chapin,

Melody Chapin.

So, sorry to insult you, but I can't let a man replace what I love about me
With what I love about him.

Friday, July 16, 2010

While getting my coffee today

UPDATED Tuesday 7/20: Included is a video clip of me reading the poem. The video is awful quality; it's really just for the audio that I uploaded it. Please enjoy, and feel free with your comments.
---

Didn't you know that
You're the reason I choose cream for my coffee?
With less calories and higher fat, it keeps me full for longer.
And you're why I know the caloric content in almost everything I eat.
And you're why I stand in the mirror in the morning, bemoaning my belly which, slim now, will grow throughout the day as I put food into my body.
I even educated myself on America's exploitation of corn farmers, corn, and thus the health of American people.
All because of how you make me feel.
So that I'm aware that the foods I choose will be the best ones to keep me healthy,
But more importantly--
Looking great.
I'd even go so far as to say
That you're the reason I hate delicious foods, all foods,
So I rebel and repent like a yo-yo moves.
You starved my body by poisoning my mind
Until even my soul got weak.
And, well, that made me think of Eve, but,
You know something?
God had no say in this.
It's you who created a weaker sex--
Well, except, people like you really do have a God complex.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Welcome: An explanation

Welcome to this poetry blog. Most reading will know that I don't enjoy naming my poetry. However, in order to choose a good name for my blog and a good name for the blog's website, I chose two lines from two poems I've written--not necessarily my favorites, just two lines that caught my eye skimming through my poetry tonight. Here they are:

On days when it rains like this,
I see
The whole being of New England land
Muggy, cold rain
Rain that drops,
Drop,
Then pours and pours.
Then stops.
Then starts.

It colors that bright foliage wet,
The rain.
The sky is gray and nothing gleams
The worms wriggle on the sidewalk,
Squirming to find the earth,
Like us, wishing to be less exposed,
And safe inside the warm ground.
Yes, I see the New Englander in us today!
We trudge through with our heads down,
Walking brusquely
But resignedly, too.

On days like this—
When it rains—
We are one terrain:
New England.
And we accept this weather.
Sans complaints of the heat,
Over-reactive shivers to the cold.
Just a wade in the water,
A dismal, commiserative nod to your neighbor
A Northern, droopy face that tells your story
Of tiny hardships
The rain weighs down today

Worms grow pale,
Leaves grow dark,
Spirits droop in the
Rain that drops,
Drop,
Then pours and pours,
Then stops,
Then starts.

---

Do I send out a signal that speaks failure?
I must, to be regarded so.
Now, I won’t be taken lightly.
And I’ll take this how I felt it hit me.
Close my mouth and develop my ear.
I’m going to be sincere:

I’ll be a cocoon of energy.
Don’t assume I’ll lose.
I’ll test myself in every way.
Every day.
I don’t need your overseeing, authority,
Believe me; believe in me.

A signal that speaks failure?
Deep down,
I’m too hard on myself, I know.
Time to let that show:
This me will speak darker, clearer, unfrazzled, untied.
The inside, Oh, the inside!--

A signal of Passion
You won’t have known it until me.
[You didn’t know how passionate I was!]
Enough to speak without speaking.
To capture you without your
Undivided (recital-goer) attention!

--I’ll be beautiful in energy.
Yes, my dark eyes are alive and for once not winking.
I’ll sing each language perfectly.
It won’t be a phrase, but a burning plea.
You’ll see what you never saw in me.

But I always knew I was there.