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What the Dead Said About Their Favorite Song

Spring said to Summer, Why don't you come along, The ice has fully melted, Can't go back to being wrong. The Sun got in the spirit, Started putting on a thong, The Moon decreed that certain birds, Would sing a nightly song. Thought I was getting warmer, Thought I was getting strong, Autumn turned upon a heartbeat, Turned me into Winter long.

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Chris Green

Date: 12/28/2016 5:23:00 PM

Really nice poetic conversation between the seasons and nature. I am one of those who misses the change of seasons, but only the change, I don't miss enduring those long winters at all. Very cool Doug, a nice snappy little piece.

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/28/2016 8:53:00 PM

Ha - I hear that, Chris - after most of a life in the American midwest and Canada, it's good to go home to Atlanta, even for a few weeks a year. Scraping windshields, icy roads, clowns that don't know how to drive in winter.....

Paul Callus

Date: 12/28/2016 8:24:00 AM

Personification keeping time to rhythmic beat, Doug! I'm a firm believer that simplicity of words and expression bring out the best in a poem, such as this one! ~ Regards // paul

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/28/2016 1:36:00 PM

Good comments, Paul, thank you. Indeed - we can easily try too hard with vocabulary and attempted cuteness or cleverness.

James Horn

Date: 12/25/2016 9:24:00 AM

And each time I start to sing a song, Nothing with my poems will be wrong Thanks to God and His Son He sent, For all my sins, I shall repent. Merry Christmas, Jim Horn

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/25/2016 11:24:00 AM

Hey Jim. : ) Thank you - and an extra Merry Christmas to you.

Sara Kendrick

Date: 12/24/2016 1:54:00 PM

I like the creativeness of this one..Very descriptive of a change in the weather in the fall..You have given personification to several seasons..Thanks for the visit to my page..Sara

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/24/2016 4:41:00 PM

Cheers, Sara!

Lim'Rik Flats

Date: 12/24/2016 8:56:00 AM

Otay, read this yesterday and didn't want to admit my first thought, "Gee, which song was the Grateful Dead's favorite?" Your poem sings better than Jerry (even without drugs!) The thong bit is priceless. I'll probably go blind staring at the sun next summer:-). Love how you stitched this one and can't wait for winter to melt. Cheerios! ~ j

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/24/2016 9:37:00 AM

I think the Dead's favorite song was 'Dark Star' - while the studio version was under 3 minutes in length, they frequently improvised at length during its live performance, and it would stretch to 20 minutes, 30, even 40 to 50 minutes at times... And so it was about change, yet also keeping on - like the band itself.

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/24/2016 9:31:00 AM

Good grief - this was the easiest, fastest poem ever, and people like it... go figure. I began with "I hear what dead people said about their favorite song." Surely there is some main essence of a person in what they would say, there, and so to remember it is important in looking back to that person. Then that sentence didn't fit in the poem.....

Demetrios Trifiatis

Date: 12/24/2016 8:41:00 AM

What a poetic imagination dear Doug! Merry Christmas!

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/24/2016 9:14:00 AM

Merry Christmas, my dear friend.

Edward Mccall

Date: 12/24/2016 6:58:00 AM

I really enjoyed this one Doug. How did you come up with the thong? that was great. Have a Merry Christmas good sir and a happy new year.

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/24/2016 7:36:00 AM

Cheers, Edward - my best to you and yours at this special time of years. The thong came about when it emerged, victorious, from a throng of bongs, tongs, and gongs.

Connie Marcum Wong

Date: 12/24/2016 12:40:00 AM

This was a real seasonal delight Doug. Have a Mele Kalikimaka! Aloha, Connie 7 ; )

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/24/2016 7:34:00 AM

Hey Connie. : ) Mahalo. And I'm thinking that if speaking Hawaiian, some Haikus would not only be 3 lines, but just 3 words. ; )

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 12/23/2016 7:18:00 PM

oh I really like this. Personification is some of my favorite poetry types. Loved the thong line!!

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/23/2016 7:51:00 PM

Cheers, Andrea. : ) The seasons... the Moon.... Hey, what more do we need?

Adeniji Toluwalope Gideon

Date: 12/23/2016 4:36:00 PM

Great nature! Thank you Doug, you've energized me with this beautiful piece.

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/23/2016 5:22:00 PM

Thank you, Adeniji. : ) One of my favorite things is witnessing the change of the seasons.

Nette Onclaud

Date: 12/23/2016 4:07:00 PM

now that was clever... greeat stuff, dough!..huggs

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/24/2016 7:29:00 AM

Hey Nette. : ) Sometimes a poem appears quickly. I'm usually tempted to "work on it," to revise and revamp, make it longer, try to put more into it - which are all mostly exercises in failure. Yet to just set it down and let it be - that feels like violating some law where sweat, strain and struggle must be factored in...

Barry Stebbings

Date: 12/23/2016 3:33:00 PM

Very good, Doug. Imaginative look at the Season's turn-about. Like the rhythm. // Barry

Doug Vinson
Date: 12/24/2016 7:21:00 AM

Merci, Barry. Oh the rhythm - I hope it's good; I like toe-tappin' music.