Villagersonline : blogs : derek : Problems With Words
villagersonline
A Community Tunneling Protocol
The Village meets at 5pm Sundays
1926 N. Cloverland Ave. map

Links
(edit) The Village Cancer Relief Fund;


From: derek
Date: Thu Jun 10 17:20:55 MST 2004 Subject: Problems With Words

Responses
SueKay: Great (6/11/04)
Karen: Your poem got to me (as usual) (6/11/04)
keibru: what can I say... (6/11/04)
Responses (sorted by date)
keibru: what can I say... (6/11/04)
Karen: Your poem got to me (as usual) (6/11/04)
SueKay: Great (6/11/04)
Problems With Words
by Derek Hugen, 5-20-04

Some kid is outside

who doesn't get it

and snot across
his lips crying

so long wanders
through the fields of

buildings
playing

einey-meiney-miney
moe

with all
the doors locked
and choking

on his syllables
trying to

stuff it all back
convince himself

it isn't nothing

just to ask
someone

but the adults just
keep walking like
they have

somewhere
to be

and he can't
catch them

like
leaves lifted
in a circle

that curl his
arms around him

and his fat tits

cry so hard
and sob

so he can't spit out words
and fear shivers

when he stumbles
into class

two adults
try
to decipher

what
each heave and
whinny he

makes signifies

class is half over
on downward slopes

and everyone stares
so long

he defines
himself

never tries
any

different

Edit this blog
Write a response Email the author



From: Karen
Date: Thu Jun 10 22:09:30 MST 2004 Subject: Your poem got to me (as usual)

Yes, it's powerful. I especially like:

"and he can't
catch them

like
leaves lifted
in a circle

that curl his
arms around him

and his fat tits

cry so hard
and sob"

The fractured form, the enjambment of the phrases and unexpected imagery (fat tits crying) work so well.

Your painfully beautiful poem reminds me of a similarly themed song on R.E.M.'s "Green" album (just forget their later hit "Everybody Hurts"--it means well, but there's no good imagery). I love it, but I can rarely bear to listen because it almost physically hurts me to do so. (The so-called "Village empath"...hmmm.) Like it hurt me to read your poem.

"The Wrong Child"

I’ve watched the children come and go
A late long march into spring
I sit and watch those children
Jump in the tall grass
Leap the sprinkler
Walk in the ground
Bicycle clothespin spokes
The sound the smell of swingset hands

I will try to sing a happy song
I’ll try and make a happy game to play

Come play with me I whispered to my new found friend
Tell me what it’s like to go outside
I’ve never been
Tell me what it’s like to just go outside
I’ve never been
And I never will

I’m not supposed to be like this
I’m not supposed to be like this
But it’s okay

Hey those kids are looking at me
I told my friend myself
Those kids are looking at me
They’re laughing and they’re running over here
They’re laughing and they’re running over here
What do I do?
What can I do?
What should I do?
What do I say?
What can I say?

I said I’m not supposed to be like this
Let’s try to find a happy game to play
Let’s try to find a happy game to play
I’m not supposed to be like this
But it’s okay...okay

***
I just sent out a heady prayer for you, Derek. See you soon, I hope :-) And thanks for sharing your words.

Edit this response
Write a response Email the author


Write a blog
Latest Updates

blogs (upload)
eric: Parenting thoughts (8/11/14)
sunnygirl7d: Reuben fishing blog (1 resp) (8/8/14)
samantha: My new blog (8/11/14)
eric: New Website (8/7/14)
dbonilla: Annie Moses Band (3/14/14)
Suki: Ash Wednesday (3/5/14)
andrea: Good news update! (1 resp) (2/3/14)
Carena: More moving help (2/1/14)
Carena: A Friend in Need (3 resp) (1/25/14)
em: Tell me how I can pray (1/24/14)
andrea: Need for Volunteers-Foster Car... (1/19/14)
andrea: suffering (1/7/14)
rodhugen: Two quotes (2 resp) (1/3/14)
cwill: Please pray (2 resp) (1/26/24)
Carena: Polaroid Camera (12/23/13)

pictures (upload)
Suki: Vespers Dec 2012 (1/26/24)
eric: Ordination (3/16/14)
Suki: Soup Supper 2012 (3/17/14)
eric: Belonging 2012 (1/7/14)
eric: sabbath (3/16/14)

bios (upload)
Mike_Wise (1/16/13)
james (11/14/12)
clrclady (1/28/12)
SPark (11/27/11)
benjipark (12/2/10)

music (upload)
Frosted Flakes :
Everywhere j2014 (1/16/14)
Frosted Flakes :
New Found Hope J2014 (1/16/14)
Frosted Fla es :
Trinity Jan2014 (1/16/14)
Skeptic Chickens :
No Condemnation (7/29/13)
Karen and Friends :
Breastplate May 5 (5/10/13)

sermons (upload)
Eric,Ron Layman: The Disciplines RL (3/6/14)
Eric: Habakkuk Part One (1/16/14)
Eric: Noah's Ark (9/27/13)
Eric: The Fall (9/13/13)
Rod: Creation (9/13/13)

Villagersonline.com 2010
Contact Us
(edit) Site Meter
Free Search Engine Submission
Free Search Engine Submission

"Best Viewed at 1024x768 under the light of the full moon in July while Mercury is in Leo
and six pigmy marmosets do the lambada behind you singing Kumbaya" -- User Friendly