Thursday, January 14, 2010

surface


Oscar Performance



On the surface,
your exterior is cool,
collected, refined;
everything pulled
together, as expected.
But, I'm no fool, dearest.

Your poise is a plot,
a dull noise, a fake set,
like a Hollywood backlot.
The interiors aren't empty,
they're full of trouble.
No stunt double;

you don't mind getting wet.
I've seen the outtakes,
clips on the cutting room floor;
your roar over hangers,
uneaten food,
drips down the hall.

You deserve an Oscar
for the meat fork blunder,
the blood on the wall,
the scene with the knife.

God, it's a wonder
you weren't locked up for life.



willow, 2010


This product is meant for entertainment purposes only. All characters and
events in this poem are (maybe) fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons,
living or dead, is purely coincidental. Void where prohibited. Not
recommended for children. Use only in a well-ventilated area. Keep away
from fire or flames. Shading within garment may occur. Avoid contact with
skin. Reader assumes full responsibility. You need not be present to win.

For more Theme Thursday participants click [HERE].

73 comments:

  1. My, my, that's a quirky little rhyme scheme you have going there or, should I say, a rhyme and near-rhyme scheme. To me, that's the beauty of this piece. There's tonal music springing out of the words in both expected and unexpected ways: QED, poetry. Oh yeah, the monologue is crisp and funny too! Bravo!

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  2. Wow, this is good, willow. There is something quite haunting about this piece. Even though you say you aim for quirky, and despite the funny disclaimers, I get the sense there is something undeniably and intensely personal beneath this 'surface' ... Either way, be that as it may, great work.

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  3. Hi Willow....sounds like we cook alot of the same things...that little morsel is what is left of a baby berry pie......

    more later and p.s....love your new header.....

    love,
    kary
    xxx

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  4. too right, you've got me jumping through hoops; did your lawyers put you up to including a disclaimer? That oughta be on your sidebar!

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  5. Tom, that's a great idea. I think I shall!

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  6. Ah, the trick facade.
    Things look cosy at the manor. Have you ever put together a movie fav list? It would be great to have your reviews all in one searchable spot.

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  7. MLou, if you click on the label "film" under any of my reviews, you will come up with my list. I might just have to put that on my sidebar. Thanks for the suggestion!

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  8. I like the disclaimer almost as much as the poem.

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  9. Vicki, the disclaimer was actually more fun to write than the poem!

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  10. While your "surface" is beautiful and unperturbed, your interior seems much more complicated. Like the boy in The Sixth Sense who sees dead people, I think you see gone but never forgotten movies while the rest of us walk around unaware.

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  11. chuckle...
    I went with a poem as well.

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  12. Dearest Willow
    I just had a little time to myself and enjoyed catching up on your posts.
    I empathize with your daughter's lilting laugh on the blower, mine is in Denmark for one of her exhibitions and I miss her.
    I think I liked Peter Sellers best in Dr.Strangelove and I just love your Oskar winning poem with disclaimers.
    With a cumfy hug to warm your heart, Arija

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  13. The disclaimer--a very clever tool---it lead me straight back to the poem...and then back again...lest I missed something...
    Yes..."reader assumes full responsibiity"....I just love it!

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  14. That's a powerful piece indeed!

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  15. Willow, I think this extremely power verse reaches many of us in a very personal way. Outstanding.

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  16. snap! that was hot...while the disclaimer, i imagine a few of us can relate on some level. happy tt!

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  17. Love the disclaimer. Brilliant.

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  18. Loved your poem and the clever disclaimer.

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  19. Was this about Johnny Depp?? :))

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  20. I was going to say, "That's a take." but someone beat me to it.

    I'll just make the slamming sound of the take-one board. Did you hear it? I slammed two wooden bookends together.

    Disclaimer - classic and clever.

    I really love your blog, Willow. Wish I had more time to visit.

    Take care, my friend.

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  21. Nice! I love, LOVE the Oscars (and unfortunately, I have a show on March 7th!). Great post and TT Take.

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  22. Nice! I love, LOVE the Oscars (and unfortunately, I have a show on March 7th!). Great post and TT Take.

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  23. YOWELLLLLLLL, willow.....love this.
    NAILED it.

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  24. Wow! All I could think about was Joan Crawford. Nicely done!

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  25. Wire hangers, perhaps? I love this! Faye Dunaway is an actual cousin of mine, so I'm prejudiced!

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  26. WHOA! Wow. POwerful. Amazing.

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  27. Mistress, seriously? That's why you immediately picked up on the hangers! ;^)

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  28. That about covers it all! Terrific.

    If you go to your local cigar shop and ask with that charming way of yours, I'm sure they'll give you some of their empties. Really.

    Catherine

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  29. Catherine, I think I might just do that!

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  30. Those clips on the cutting
    room floor will always
    come back to bite you!

    Jjj

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  31. Bloomin' stupendous it is! And I can't help but love the way you worded the warning, heh, heh...

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  32. LAUGHING Willow!
    Excellent!
    You ARE a clever one.

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  33. I love poetry with disclaimers! :>

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  34. This is excellent, Willow.

    I must do better!!

    (not than you, than me)

    This is some sharp poem.

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  35. Joan Crawford must be lingering around in the creative ether Willow, prodding away with the wire coathangers.I think Joan should have had tatood on her somewhere,"not suitable for children" and keep away from fire and flames (and also axes and scissors)from what Christina wrote in Mommie Dearest -still, as you say in that wonderful disclaimer of yours, and resemblence to those etc" A fine piece of writing!

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  36. BEWARE! Don't drink tea and read! *giggles*

    Besides cleaning up the spilled tea,
    I now have the dilemma of thinking of more than one person. ;-)

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  37. Brilliant Willow. Made my day.

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  38. Splendid and haunting Willow and the disclaimer was great fun!

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  39. Hello Willow,

    Life seems to be becoming one big disclaimer - just in case! This is very cleverly done.

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  40. Willow. That is so, so good. Congratulations.

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  41. This is super, as always...Leave it to you to find a way to tip your cinematic hat in a TT post...

    Love the disclaimer at the end, too:)

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  42. outstanding! a few actors do come to mind....tee hee....the disclaimer was perfect!

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  43. applause again,

    Willow.the disclaimer was a surprise. Great writing. Are you making a book? You are a very clever Lady.

    yvonne

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  44. I had a good chuckle at this post :-)

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  45. Excellent poem, willow. Is it a new one or from Oscar ceremonies of the past?

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  46. FF, thank you! It's a new one written for this week's Theme Thursday.

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  47. Fantastic poem and a really fantastic disclaimer. I cannot decide which one I like better. First the poem then the disclaimer, then the disclaimer and then the poem, so I am figuring I like them both tremendously.

    Thanks for writing them and sharing them with us.

    God bless.

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  48. I have to agree with Alan.

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  49. You deserve an Oscar, Oscar. :-)

    And you deserve an Oscar for such an amazing, witty and humourous take on our favourite statue at this time of the year.

    By the way, if you ignore Rosanna Arquette's squealing voice, you'll enjoy The Big Blue. :-)

    Greetings from London.

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  50. Great. One of those "was it about me?" pieces...

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  51. Oh Willow! You are too funny! That small print keeps me chuckling!!! LOVE the poem.

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  52. fantabulous, lady of the manor!!! just fantabulous!

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  53. This one sent shivers down my back Willow. You may also consider adding these to the disclaimer -'No solicitors. No alcohol, dogs or horses. No anchovies unless otherwise specified.'
    Millie ^_^

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  54. Wow, Willow. This is amazing. I can so relate to the words in this writing. Powerful. Seriously, when do we get to purchase a collection of your very own works?

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  55. Lizzie, thank you. I'm going to try to get a chapbook published this year!

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  56. Thanks, gentle readers, as always, it's truly a pleasure to share my poetry with all of you! xx

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  57. The disclaimer was a brilliant ending. Well done

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  58. clever take on TT and a well written poem.

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  59. You are brilliant. . .loved this.
    Thank you for the disclaimer. . .:)

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  60. Haha . I love your disclaimer . .sounds like my boss! Love it and you're a fine poet Willow. I know there are many out there who want to be and try so hard but very few actually draw me in.

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  61. Whew! Some of these surface posts are so deep.

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  62. I don't know how you keep up!! I am awed by 73 comments !

    My 2 c. at #74 is this:

    You know how I value your poetry... but did you have to "out" me like this? Oh dear... how shall I face my fans...

    (In all seriousness, I love it.)

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)