Posts: 894
Threads: 176
Joined: Jan 2021
Papa’s got the sunset blues
Tranquillity Base, my candle’s almost gone,
So the Song begins.
But Lalan says,
“Lalan has a heart like bamboo,
Empty of love.”
Tranquillity Base,
Yes, this must be the place.
One night of absolutely untainted bliss,
of course I wanted more of this.
That said No and sent me on my woeful way,
my sin of sins was expectation.
Tranquillity Base,
I’m almost out of outer space.
“It’s all bullshit,” was all I ever heard Aphrodite say
Until I heard her sigh, “We will talk about it some day.”
Tranquillity Base,
love is all the air that’s left.
“There might be a little blood down there,”
said the Queen to the drunken fly.
Or as a rabbi’s daughter said to me,
“We probably will.”
Magayna, dark princess, called me out
into the early spring nights,
there were a few embraces, I remember no kiss,
only her laughter against my loins on the first night,
“I’m going to teach poor people to love America”,
Our first incarnation as Krishna and Radha.
But I failed as a worshipper until I sought her out a second time.
She told me of her life, of her lovers,
she wanted to live in a house on a beach in Oregon
with a man who didn’t care if she slept with other men.
I don’t think I ever heard the word love come into it.
I wrote her name in Hebrew on an Oregon beach, took a picture,
but it was too late.
Tranquillity Base,
Yes, this must be the place.
And these may be the last breaths I take
Of all the love that’s left.
*this is the title, as well as the username i chose when i first joined Pig Pen, just to prevent any confusion about that
Posts: 703
Threads: 141
Joined: Oct 2017
.
Hi TqB,
I don't understand this, which isn't necessarily a problem, but I'm having a hard time following it because of its form (or lack thereof). It reads as a song lyric (of course I'm thinking Bowie) that's freed itself from its music and singer and is wandering all over the place. I think something more formal (or just simply regular) would suit it better.
Some notes to be going on with,
don't think repeating the name works, why not
Lalan says,
“My heart is like bamboo,
Empty of love.”
One night's of absolutely untainted bliss,
of course I wanted more of this.
That said but No and sent me on my woeful way,
my sin of sins was expectation. (sins were?)
“It’s all bullshit,” was all I ever heard Aphrodite say
all then all, cut one.
“There might be a little blood down there,”
said the Queen to the drunken fly.
--------------------------------------------------------did something go missing here? If not, why the gap?
Or as a rabbi’s daughter said to me,
“We probably will.”
bullshit then loins seem like too different (clashing?) tones.
Ending on this must be the place works (I think) the current ending is a bit heavy handed.
But you could though move the final couplet up and make it the second verse, giving
Papa’s got the sunset blues
Tranquillity Base, my candle’s almost gone,
And these may be the last breaths
I take Of all the love that’s left.
So the Song begins.
Hope this helps.
Best, Knot
.
Posts: 894
Threads: 176
Joined: Jan 2021
Thanks for yet another read and your suggestions. I've implemented several. Although this poem was meant to stand alone, it's actually the beginning of a series, so the gaps are filled in as poems add up.
Papa’s got the sunset blues
Tranquillity Base, my candle’s almost gone,
and these may be the last breaths I take
of all the love that’s left.
So the Song begins.
Lalan says,
“My heart is like bamboo,
empty of love.”
Tranquillity Base,
Yes, this must be the place.
One night of untainted bliss,
of course I wanted more of this.
No sent me on my way,
my sin was expectation.
Tranquillity Base,
I’m almost out of outer space.
“It’s all bullshit,” was all I ever heard Aphrodite say
Until I heard her sigh, “We will talk about it some day.”
Tranquillity Base,
love is all the air that’s left.
“There might be a little blood down there,”
said the Queen to the drunken fly.
Or as a rabbi’s daughter once said to me,
“We probably will.”
Magayna, dark princess, called me out
into the early spring nights,
there were a few embraces, I remember no kiss,
only her laughter against my loins on the first night,
“I’m going to teach poor people to love America”,
Our first incarnation as Krishna and Radha.
But I failed as a worshipper until I sought her out a second time.
She told me of her life, of her lovers,
she wanted to live in a house on a beach in Oregon
with a man who didn’t care if she slept with other men.
I don’t think I ever heard the word love come into it.
I wrote her name in Hebrew on an Oregon beach, took a picture,
But it was too late.
Tranquillity Base,
Yes, this must be the place.
Posts: 61
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Joined: Jul 2017
(02-27-2021, 10:14 PM)TranquillityBase Wrote: Papa’s got the sunset blues
Tranquillity Base, my candle’s almost gone, This evokes the authority and presence of Dark Star
Dar
So the Song begins.
But Lalan says,
“Lalan has a heart like bamboo,
Empty of love.” An evocative and intriguing metaphor, bamboo grows everywhere, perhaps also the loveless moon
Tranquillity Base,
Yes, this must be the place. Sing Song choral phrasing is ironically self-affirming
One night of absolutely untainted bliss, The discrepancy betwixt love and sensation invites a moral critique, which you - satisfactorily end the poem with
of course I wanted more of this.
That said No and sent me on my woeful way,
my sin of sins was expectation.
Tranquillity Base,
I’m almost out of outer space.
“It’s all bullshit,” was all I ever heard Aphrodite say To hear a Divinity swearing in common utterance is refreshing
Until I heard her sigh, “We will talk about it some day.” - this is the singularly most intriguing and promising line of the poem
Tranquillity Base,
love is all the air that’s left.
“There might be a little blood down there,”
said the Queen to the drunken fly.
Or as a rabbi’s daughter said to me,
“We probably will.” The line is full of ennui, boredom, hubris, even bitterness
Magayna, dark princess, called me out
into the early spring nights, YOU SHOULD END THE STANZA HERE, THIS WOULD JUSTIFY THE BREAK IN THE NEXT STANZA, as such
there were a few embraces, I remember no kiss,
only her laughter against my loins on the first night,
“I’m going to teach poor people to love America”, All of this reminds me of Philip Roth and his affection, in American Pastoral, for the B'nai B'rith
Our first incarnation as Krishna and Radha.
But I failed as a worshipper until I sought her out a second time.
She told me of her life, of her lovers,
she wanted to live in a house on a beach in Oregon
with a man who didn’t care if she slept with other men.
I don’t think I ever heard the word love come into it.
I wrote her name in Hebrew on an Oregon beach, took a picture,
but it was too late. the poem becomes a moral tale, without hidden meaning, can you draw the poem out in order to conceal the mystery of this encounter with this "dark princess" perhaps a reference to Ryder Haggard would add another layer of mythopaeic complexity
Tranquillity Base,
Yes, this must be the place.
And these may be the last breaths I take
Of all the love that’s left. on the whole a morally challenging and edifying work and effort, regards
*this is the title, as well as the username i chose when i first joined Pig Pen, just to prevent any confusion about that
plutocratic polyphonous pandering
Posts: 257
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Joined: Dec 2016
05-07-2021, 12:42 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-07-2021, 01:12 AM by Quixilated.)
This poem is moving (with permission) to the thread “Plain Songs From Tranquility Base.” To maintain continuity and so that those who are following the poem’s progress can continue to do so, a link will be provided here to the new location.
Please post all future responses to this poem in the new location:
[/url][url=http://www.pigpenpoetry.com/thread-23403-post-252751.html#pid252751]http://www.pigpenpoetry.com/thread-23403-post-252751.html#pid252751
Thank you
—Quix
The Soufflé isn’t the soufflé; the soufflé is the recipe. --Clara
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