02-06-2016, 12:02 AM
Well first off, I really enjoyed this piece. Here are some comments for you:
Best,
Todd
(02-05-2016, 06:02 PM)Weeded Wrote: Now,--One word lines are difficult to pull off. Now does not hold the line. It isn't a good stand alone and it isn't a thematic or interesting way to break the line. Given that you're opening with numbers your most natural break is simply: Now, I'm not one. That gives a slight splash of double meaning, ties back to the title and is immediately interesting.I hope some of that helped. I think you've got something here.
I'm not one
for numerology
but all I see is three,
an extension of six,
or nines--you may have a reason, but is plural the way to go here?
upside-down,
the time on
my cell phone
I saw a man on screen
laugh crazily then scream
"Evil! Evil! Evil!"
Or when the odometer cackles--cackles is a fantastic word here, it ties back to numerology by implying witchcraft.
the mileage or that face in the eye--good break here for the nuanced use of eye.
of that speed camera just passed by...
...irrational. It can't be a face...watch your ellipses too many detract and look self conscious.
But it is. He's laughing.
I'm alone--I think my favorite part of the poem is the voice of the speaker and the staccato delivery of some of these lines. You have a little bit of transitional fat in here "But it is." It's like when you write fictional dialogue instead of real dialogue, you need to pare down to the essence of the transition and not walk us through every step.
now,--Same note as before
I'm not one
but two mad-men running--You know in this case I'd be tempted to pull but two up to the previous line.
this circus of beast-freaks
of numbers like six, nine,
and three
and me and
I and I
in tandem
We'll form three, six and nine
wherever we'll be we'll
spread our happy cancer
with laughter, oh laughter! How the light
sound sings so loudly over the screams
or how the laughter is contagious--I like the break out epiphany feel of this all. I wonder if the third laughter is too much here. Nice strophe break on contagious.
like a virus. Or an idea.
Or a taboo action
gone mainstream.--I liked all of this.
Now,
I'm not one
but three hundred sixty--This may be a little subjective but I would combine these three lines and end the combined line on three and push the rest down.
three plus three hundred three
minus one soul but soon
there'll be
more.--This word when consider theme stands alone well and for me works as a one word line.
Best,
Todd
The secret of poetry is cruelty.--Jon Anderson
