Universe, Do I Dare Disturb the
Oh, I think I already have,
though not for reasons epic or notable.
But what if I haven’t? Should I?
‘How should I presume?’
‘How should I begin?’
Trouble-muddle, shit-stir,
push the bruise of the universe,
question, wonder what and how and why.
Wisdom?
Be heard,
be seen,
be known,
be read.
Build a platform,
stand on your box,
bray and authentically lie.
‘There will be time, there will be time,
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet.
…And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions.’
‘Would it have been worth while’?
These stakes seem so low.
‘In the room the women come and go…’
talking of this moron, that fucking idiot, and yonder stupid ho,
conversations ‘of insidious intent’—
and I am bent on not becoming bitter or bilious; thus,
‘Let us go, then, you and I,’
to that realm above the sky
where starry bodies whirl and sing and hum,
where we can gape or hug or drum,
and watch or join the pandemonium,
dance or draw, paint or poetize the joyful scrum
in which we participate yet co-create the universe.
Photo credit: Rusty Russ via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
This post is a blend of the A to Z Blog Challenge and NaPoWriMo. To read other A to Z bloggers, click here. Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was to write a poem that begins with a line from another poem, which I obviously took a step further. God bless Prufrock.
Pushing the Bruise 
This was fun to read. And then of course I had to go back and read it aloud. Any poem which uses the word ‘bilious’ is a-okay in my universe!
Isn’t it a GREAT word? Thank you for reading it aloud! And for reading it AGAIN! And for commenting!
I love how you combined several disparate things into a meaningful whole, one lush and sensory, an anthem cry for common sense
Thank you! I hope I didn’t do too much disservice to Eliot. Oh well, he’s dead now and can tell me about it later if he hates it. It indeed IS a cry for common sense…or at least for less stupidity. It’s part and parcel of half of my motto for this year–“SUMO: Shit unfolding? Move on!” Only I hope more poetical and stuff.
What a treat to read out loud. I think I love poetry, but somehow never get around to reading it. Thank you for this opportunity. Let us go on above the sky.
Thank you so much for reading it aloud! I totally understand! I love poetry, too, but it takes a little effort to sit down and read it for fun. It’s only effort in the initial sitting down, though–once you’re in it, it’s fun. Come dance in the stars with me! 🙂
I just returned home from a … complicated … weekend in which I feel as though I have already disturbed the universe and now must figure out what pandemonium will follow. On the other hand, I could sleep until the weather decides to get above freezing. Let’s go with that. Your poem summed up my life perfectly!
Sleep! Rest up for that pandemonium. It’s quite a dance. Poke and run, then jump back in. Stay warm, my friend.
I wrote a previous comment that evaporated. Hm. You are good at pushing the bruise of the universe. And distilling the essence of your thoughts into these beautifully crafted poems.
I don’t know if I’m any good at pushing the universe’s bruises, but I’m way skilled at poking the hell out of my own. 😉 I like that, though–distilling the essence is the main poetic quest. Thank you.
I usually have music on when I read blogs, but I had to turn mine off as I read yours out loud. You made “…yonder stupid ho,” sound melodious, and you used the word, “scrum.” I loved this and how it resounded with me this week.
Thank you! Seeing “yonder stupid ho” outside of its line was so foreign that I had to go look at the poem again to see if I really wrote that. Hahaha! And I’ve always wanted to use the word “scrum” and now I’ve gotten to spend that treasure. I’m so glad you read it out loud. Thank you!
This is brilliant. I can’t even tell you which bits I love most, although “Trouble-muddle” is right up there. I heard you reading this as I read it and wish you’d record it also. I like your motto for the year too.
I’m liking this a lot. Me, who is about a hair’s breadth away from not only kicking the universe in the shins, but gathering the nerve to stick my chin out and and tell the universe to bring it and deal with the consequences later. Me, with my insatiable need to “question, wonder what and how and why” – I could feel my heart sing and shout “YES!” I agree with Debbie: I’d love it if you would record yourself reading this as well.
Thank you. Glad it resonated with you.
“bray and authentically lie” Totally! What a fun poem. I’m up for the joyful scrum!
This is great. While I enjoyed the entire works, my favorite was “paint or poetize the joyful scrum.” Even just watching it play out before turning it into an artistic capture. I enjoy reading your work and will check back often.