Skip to main content Help Control Panel

Shakespeare's Monkeys

Infinite Monkeys. Infinite Typewriters.

More in Tinsel Town

Discuss: Tinsel Town

Dead roses fill a vaseby her chaiseshe’s tired from runninglikes the movie star poseshe vogues nakedgraced by nothing morethan last seasons silvergarland hits the highsnoted against her greymarble stomach

those old black andwhites spoke volumescontrast that softenedthe horror of blood on the big screampitch perfect mouthagape softly droolingimagined reds in timewith the last beatof the starlets harlotheart

1- Derma Kaput on Mar. 19 2007

interesting sytax and imagery in this poem.  I like what you're trying to do.  Not that I really know what you're trying to do, but it's different than the usual run of the mill poetry on internet sites like this.  I don't know if it's entirely successful in how it reads, haven't decided yet, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on it if you'd care to share them.

3- Derma Kaput on Mar. 26 2007

Image?  A woman killed in an old black and white movie, film noir maybe.  The image that stuck with me (the first time I read this) focused on the 'pitch perfect mouth.'  I remembered a still of Joan Crawford, screaming.  I had the impression this poem was more than image though, maybe thoughts of someone modern who romanticizes images from old movies.  My favorite line is 'noted against her grey marble stomach', mainly because it seems to double as a grave marker.  So I'm thinking this is a modern murder contrasted with a sanitized, romanticized classic movie murder.  Close?

The reason I like this poem, though it's something of a challenge to read (with the lack of punctuation and shifting syntax) is that I don't get bored or irritated by the challenge.  It seems experimental in what its trying to achieve, and while it may not be entirely successful, its intriguing all the same.  I enjoyed the time spent puzzling over it, even if I entirely misconstrued what you were trying to do.

4- Derma Kaput on Mar. 26 2007

then again, she 'likes the movie star pose / she vogues naked' makes me think of Marilyn Monroe on her death bed.  I really hope you'll share your thoughts on this, if only because I'm curious.  After all, I shared mine!

6- Derma Kaput on Mar. 28 2007

you answered very nicely, with some interesting thoughts thrown in as well.  thanks.