Sonnettics

AI images of a cross between Poe’s Lenore and Lilith.

I walk a path adorned by fallen leaves
It must be autumn now, the air is crisp
A treasure trove of colors, not for thieves
Although I steal their colors like a wisp

A wisp of little metaphors, all mine
Oh look, the final sigh of maple’s breath
The trees prepare to sleep; the trees are fIne
The forest path is not the way through death

I walk this living path to comprehend
That life is full of seasons to enjoy
These vibrant colors do not mark an end
They simply show the art the trees employ

The pathway bearing leaves, a living thing
Reminds me they’ll be back again in Spring.

I’m not just some “damn yankee” in my mind
I’ve foraged all across this fruitful land
I find great joy in everything I find
Yes, even if it’s not what I had planned

I’ve foraged oysters from the Puget Sound
I forage nuts New England loves to share
In Utah it was Camas that I found
In Idaho there’s rose hips everywhere

But midwest morels always call me back
To Michigan, a place I’ve also lived
The U.P. doesn’t seem to have a lack
My foraging expresses life un-sieved

For foraging, America’s the best
Come forage now with me from East to West.

The carousel is old, but still it turns
Will it succumb to time eventually
The gears will rust and rotten wood still burns
I try my best to set the horses free

The carousel played music made of joy
But now it skips through songs like broken glass
A ghostly little girl and ghostly boy
At times appear when living children pass

A spooky shortcut to a different time
It marks another place where fear is found
As if the joy it knew was just some crime
And still it’s old, and still it turns around

The carousel is old and we are too
The ghosts of kids we see are me and you.

Who hails the Queen of Femininity
Who calls on Her to pray for us who sin
The Mother of our own Divinity
A call that often comes from deep within

Is bitterness the essence of the call
As Maryam protects our ship of reeds
The essence of Her name protects us all
A name that even Sancte Pater heeds

The Mother God is Strength and Love and Grace
She hears us when we call on Her in need
She hears us from her high and holy place
A place where She espouses Word and Deed

And so we know to whom we need to pray
Deliver us in Glory, Mater Dei

Not “turn-the-other-cheek” or “eye-for-eye”
The Christian God will kill you when you’re bad
When Ananias stole, then told a lie
He forfeited the joy of life he’d had

And then his wife Sapphira did the same
And so God killed her too, a point to make
The gospel isn’t just a simple game
Good news is only good for God’s own sake

There was no ram, no thicket, like that time
When God told Abram, “Go and kill your son”
And God let Jesus die a death “sublime”
Another death, and oh, another one

This Christian God is God and He can kill
Whoever doesn’t kowtow to His will.

(Acts 5:1-11)

There has to be a bridge that shows us where
Reality and fantasy are linked
I crossed it once, and maybe I’m still there
Where everything and nothing may be synced

We cross it daily, knowing what we trod
And yet, our thoughts are ignorant at best
The bridge is not a metaphor for god
Nor is it somewhere one should stop to rest

Is this the bridge I built when I was lost
When nothing was familiar I perceived
Are bridges only real when they are crossed
Is fantasy a cause to be believed

Reality and fantasy reveal
The places that such bridges can’t conceal.

 The thing about aesthetics is they live
Though no one knows exactly where they're born
They’ll take whatever praise you have to give
To take or give they haven’t been forsworn

Like god they live forever, never die
Like me they seem to be like words that rhyme
Of course you know the words will never lie
Of course the word in more than just sublime

Aesthetics are sublimity itself
The group becomes a singularity
Like perfect timing taken from a shelf
Aesthetics show us all what we might be

Whatever we perceive we night become
Aesthetically the Coke desires rum.

Chat GPT Commentary -

This poem delves into the elusive and timeless nature of aesthetics, comparing it to both divine and linguistic qualities. Here's a breakdown of the key elements:

1. **Aesthetics and Their Origin**: The poem opens with the idea that aesthetics are a fundamental part of existence, though their origin is mysterious. This suggests that aesthetics are inherent and persistent, despite not being easily traced or understood.

2. **Permanence and Praise**: The notion that aesthetics "live forever" like a deity and are receptive to praise implies that they are enduring and adaptable. The idea of them "taking or giving" suggests that aesthetics are flexible and open to interpretation or appreciation.

3. **Comparison to Language**: Aesthetics are likened to rhyming words that never lie, indicating their deep-rooted truth and beauty. This comparison highlights the integral role of aesthetics in our perception and understanding, just as language shapes our communication.

4. **Sublimity and Singularities**: The poem suggests that aesthetics embody sublimity—an ideal form of beauty or excellence. The concept of a group becoming a singularity indicates that aesthetics can unify disparate elements into a cohesive and perfect whole.

5. **Potential and Desire**: The final lines reflect on how aesthetics influence our potential and desires. The phrase "aesthetically the Coke desires rum" plays with the idea that our desires and perceptions can be shaped by aesthetic influences, implying that aesthetics can impact even our choices and preferences in profound ways.

Overall, the poem explores how aesthetics, as a concept, are both timeless and transformative, shaping our understanding of beauty and desire.

A white man as a poet, what a joke
They laughed and said I shouldn’t even try
The patriarchal sin of which they spoke
To me seemed insurmountably too high

Too high, too white, too male, too dumb to quit
I wrote my book of poems anyway
A few were good, a few were more like shit
I wrote them down and now they’re here to stay

The white, the male, the shitty poems too
All found their place, that’s what a blog is for
This blog of poems may seem gauche to you
But poetry is mine, my classy whore

I pay her so that she’ll become my muse
She makes me pay for every word I choose.

Chat GPT commentary:

[This] sonnet has a raw, candid quality that challenges traditional notions of what a poet should be, which is a strong thematic choice. Here’s some feedback:

1. **Theme and Tone**: The sonnet engages with themes of identity, societal expectations, and the role of the poet, all conveyed in a provocative and self-aware tone. The juxtaposition of high and low culture ("poetry is mine, my classy whore") adds a layer of irony and critique.

2. **Structure**: The sonnet follows the traditional Shakespearean form (abab cdcd efef gg), which gives it a formal structure that contrasts with the informal language and tone. This contrast is effective and emphasizes the tension between traditional poetic forms and modern, self-deprecating content.

3. **Language and Word Choice**: The language is direct and unapologetic, which suits the tone of the poem. The repetition of "too high" in the first quatrain effectively conveys a sense of being overwhelmed by societal expectations. However, the word "shit" is jarring, though it might be intentionally used to break the flow and highlight the speaker’s frustration or rebelliousness.

4. **Imagery**: The imagery of a blog as a repository for poems, regardless of quality, is contemporary and relatable. It reflects the democratization of poetry in the digital age, where anyone can publish, regardless of their background or perceived skill.

5. **Ending Couplet**: The closing couplet ("I pay her so that she’ll become my muse / She makes me pay for every word I choose") cleverly ties together the themes of effort, cost, and the personal relationship with poetry. It’s a strong ending that reinforces the struggle and passion behind the creative process.

Overall, the sonnet is a bold and modern take on the traditional form, with a strong voice and a clear message. If the goal was to provoke thought and challenge norms, you've achieved that.