Best Vowels Poems
oe ou u e ouaie u i eie ei u.
A Self-Tutoring Translation of RIMBAUD's " The Vowels " in Contemporary Terms
(" The Vowels " in the Paul Verlaine (first version) copy in RIMBAUD Œuvres complètes. Ed. by Pierre Brunel. Paris : Livres de Poche/La Pochethèque, 1999, pp. 279-280. Please see notes following the translation. T. Wignesan)
A, black ; E, white ; I, red ; U, green ; O, blue ; vowels,
I'll invoke true to day how your latent forms take shape
A, velvety black corset shiny bluebottles armour-plate ape
Pullule hovering over putrefying carrion stench gruels
By leeway gulfs. E, shimmering of vapours and tents,
Icy surges prideful, white grapes*, fluttering parasols umbellate,
I, purple, spat-out blood, laughter from Synchrotron** lips ondulate
Through anger or from inebriate benumbing of penitents.
U, cycles, the divine vibrations of emerald-green seas
Peaceful grazing grounds teeming with animals, reposeful furrowed pleats
Some alchemically concocted hand imprints on great foreheads studious ;
O ! stentorian Bugle ! the laden strident shriek deranges,
The calmness pierced by disrupting Worlds and Angels…
--- O ! the ultimate Omega, the violet tincture of her eyes !
Notes
* " rais blanc " (" raisin blanc " ?, hence : " raisiné " : blood, claret) ;
** " belles " (" beautiful " is hackneyed and meaningless ; by contrast, the CERN Synchrotron is the most daring, infinitesimally elegant and awe-inspiring human creation) ;
© T. Wignesan - Paris, March 21, 2019
a
ae
aei
aeio
aeiou
aeiouoiea
uoiea
uoie
uoi
uo
u
UoieAEIOUOIEAeioU
As green and sweet smelling as freshly cut grass
out in a meadow in May
Comes a tall little angel, bold as can be
Striding out with a canter, comes A
Following, galloping, alone and in pairs
But always eager to please
Red as fine poppies, perfumed as the rose
We smile and welcome the Es
In search of a buddy, but brave when alone
And blue as a clear summer sky
A whiff of pine tiptoes over the hill
Let's welcome the capital I
Rotund as a donut, with aromas of fruit
He's the roundest chappy I know
There's an air of surprise as he links with a mate
Glowing orange with honour is O
Purple with purpose, strutting into the scene
With the scent of a hearty stew
Turning a corner, bucking the trend
Curved like a magnet, the U
wrt ptry fr yrslf nd fr n-ne ls nt vn gd
In “Words with Friends,” I want to howl
When playing while needing a vowel.
Unless I choose “Swap”
My chances will stop;
I might as well throw in the towel.
Yet sometimes I’m stuck with a glut
Of vowels – I have nothing but.
I’ve nowhere to go;
My points stay down low.
It’s obvious I’m in a rut.
We all know in gaming, of course,
There’s no room for bile or remorse.
We play what we get -
Rejoice or regret -
Then hop right back up on the horse.
I WILL CROON THE VOWELS
kneeling in church, arm around my angel girl.
my son’s propped up on pew, chewing gum.
the oldest tries to pray, the grownup way.
LIKE THE ANGELS DO
we belt out tunes for thirty minutes,
mama’s eyes closed, one eye strobe light blinking
quiet “sh sh” like the soft spoken wind.
WITHOUT THEIR HALO SWOONS,
those baby bonnets on sideways,
bent, just halfway toward sin,
but precious are those little hands,
look like steeples,
voice chaste as the trio say “amen.”
JUST PLAIN HALLELUJAHS,
“Jesus loves me this I know”
why do children sound heavenly?
especially with eyes closed and
silent snores, tears dripping from mama’s eyes.
WITHOUT THE SURROUND SOUND
swish swish goes the bridal gown -
losing daughters gaining daughter in-laws.
those once bubblegum popping boys,
dapperly dressed up, have made their choice.
EFFECTS, CERTAINLY NOT IN TUNE
and celestial hallelujahs, spur on the stars and moon.
silver spoons saved for christenings,
beneath angel’s wings,
veiling the scarcely innocent.
babies bathed in baptism, as grandma grins,
and prays, shushing the wind.
Kim Rodrigues © 2017
An ally applies acces
to an adversary,
Excitement enlightens elegance
of expression,
Introduction of ignorance to an
intellectual,
Obligations obliterate opportunity
over optimism,
Unity underestimated and untowardly
Wow, vowels, vowels!
God spells vowels out
and they turn into verses, tales and novels
about the fall, the banishment, about
the last goodbuys to innocence. The vowels
of interjections that you spell before
you overflow over the edge, my goddess,
turn into a new heaven. Two, three, four,
not, five spikes of the pleasure! A black bodice
is on the floor. The big-eyed mirror spies
on the immodest shadows. The avowals
of love and a discreet, a clockwise rise
of the new passion.
Vowels, vowels, vowels!
A five-year-old lad named Jeremiah
Told me he went to school in Ohio
Claimed he knew all the vowels
But then he howled a big howl
Said 'A,' 'E' -- 'Waaaaah' -- So I said "Try I-O"
Ballet for Vowels
No eyes watch the vowel’s ballet
A masquerade dance for a, e, o or u
Graceful jettes, a happy heart chasses
To celebrate words for entrechat tendu.
Devant at the door an outcast of pas de deux
Begs for entrance to the ball ouvert -
As measured pas de chat leap on a terre blue
Waltz melody coupes the sad allegro heart.
Unseen the small graceful slender shape
Wears echappe dot for a hat
Ecarte and alone to speak of penche
All dressed up – ready to arabesque
Common dancers e, o, u and a eleve
Need new eyes to speak in releve!
Arabesque – a leap
A Terre – movement on the floor
Chasses – to chase
Coupe – to cut
Devant – in front of
Ecart - separated
Echapee o –escaped
Eleve – look up
Entrechat – weave
Jette – a leap
Ouvert – open
Pas de chat – leap like a cat
Pas de deux – a solo dance with two people
Penche – longing, inclination
Releve – Rise up
Tendu – stretch
Born out of twelve + years of dancing
6-8-21
Contest: Lipogram
Sponsor: Emile Pinet
Old MacDonald had a farm
With some noisy critters on it.
They mostly mooed, or neighed,
Or clucked, or brayed,
But some stayed
Resolutely mute,
I'm afraid.
It wasn't his equines,
Or bovines,
Or fowls,
Or anything lodged in his barns or corrals,
But a couple of rather recalcitrant vowels.
The "e" and the "i" and the "o"
Answered the call,
While the "a" and the "u"
Stayed conspicuously AWOL.
Vowels
Vowels operate in
water too.
Charisma! Charisma!
pondering the Problem!
Charisma! Chasima!
Let me try and solve them!
Passanate about what I do!
Strapped and ready
you know that's true
can I get ah
Ruh-Ruh!
can I get ah Aye-YO!
Strapped and reaady
we going steady
Baby Get me to the ring!
masked on-say
ah superstar!
Primetime
and right
taped fist
Jaw jackin brudda
ready to
wrestle or fight
jive talking fools
i won't lose my
cool
when it's time to get it on!
scribble down the name
I'm ready for fame
let's just get on!
A symphony of spoons,
a poised poke of fork quartet prongs,
the clatter of knives
resounding, rebounding
in a chamber of diphthongs.
The boil and sizzle of oils,
crisping the chips, tempura and pakora to brown.
so biting the crust
makes the cracks ring out loud,
then softens to an ooze.
the slow chewing flows
into a sing-along song,
as the tongue savors the juicy flavors.
A slice of ripe lime, bright green
a gentle, slow pour of warm wine,
draws out two vowels to sound as one
as the mouth rounds on every morsel.
The steam sighs, rising up in spirals,
from the feast that hums and mumbles, low and strong.
Each bite a voice unfolding—
a choir of chew and tongue, sung
savoring the diphthongs
in each mouthful of potpourri chowder.