In a round-about, indirect
Not to dissect but inspect
Alternative means to deflect
From some singular aspect,
Of getting to a point or effect…
I need to be more direct.
Today I hear a jarring circumlocution
‘One solution, intifada revolution’
The first Intifada lasted from ’87 to ‘93
A perilous time to be an Israeli
160 Israelis were killed, 3,100 wounded
after all those attacked were computed
The Second Intifada stretched from 2000 to 2005
a time when 1,100 Israelis lost their lives…
… not to mention thousands disabled
~ and all the widowed wives
So, make no mistake about it:
Intifada revolution means murdering and maiming Jews
something proponents eagerly choose
I'm a truly benign bibliotaph
who sells used books for fun,
& don't intend to make you laugh
because I can't think of a good pun.
Coming together like living magic, breaking liquidity apart
More infused with passion, that never has an end or start
Strongly vibrant with rhythmic silent sounds, that be still a stoutly content beating heart
A misty circumlocution, talking in invisible tongues, struggling to be smart
Oh, how clouds are the skies very own well stocked al a carte
A water color of depth, changing per second, alive work of art
Poem as depicted here.
___________________________________________________________
CIRCUMLOCUTION was inspired by the poem, Him & Her Intersection, by Brian Bilston. In the 2015 Great British Write Off, he won the poetry prize for this poem disguised in a Venn diagram. My interpretation of the intersection poem scans differently to his as the intersected part is to be read in a loop, as suggested by the title.
The Venn diagram poem is an interesting intersecting visual poem written inside a two-circle Venn diagram.
It could be written on any subject where a contrasting viewpoint is key to a successful intersection poem. The idea is for the two outer sections (the opposing views) to be read independently taking the intersection into account, for example, xxxxxxxx X / X xxxxxx (the lines don’t have to be of an equal length.) This intersected piece ‘X’ should flow in a logical statement from top to bottom—I aimed for imagistic prose.
Ancestors Of old times
Time their visits to me,
In dreams and visions wake,
Awake me to the spirits I seek,
Seeking to renew life,
Living for tomorrow…
Tomorrow begins new
Newly wishing I’m free
Freely speaking my heart
Heartfully making songs
Sung inside this souls place
Placing it in life’s view…
Viewing the chaos realms
A realm where change blossoms
Blooming with new vigor
Vigorously starting,
The starts growing right up
Upward summer burgeons...
Burgeoning words blowing
Blown by winds directions
Directly unbound air
Airily circulates
To circumnavigate
Cirrus highs and fogs lows.
carefully laid down one by one
penning the words as they come
choosing ever so prudently
a poem for ignominy
a tacit agreement quietly kept
between a mind and body adept
some coherant ideology
based on etymology
euphemistic ideas at best
lying explicits up to rest
compromising the mind inside
to make its speech coincide
with what most people want to hear
in their surrogate heart to tickle their ear
now the popular circumlocution
playing it down by substitution
negative vibes are now in the plate
served up instead of outright hate
dissolution has overtaken divorce
makes a better illusion of course
adultery and stealing just to begin
is no longer thought to be living in sin
"consenting adults" and "doing your thing"
"number one first " and "having a fling"
unthankful children are just being cool
the shiftless hustler no longer a fool
trust and loyalty things of the past
friends are only transitional cast
the savant has become a clown
as ideology touches the ground
COPYRIGHT © 2009 C Michael Miller
via Duboff Law Group LLC
WRITEN IN 1980
CIRCUMLOCUTION
Today’s problems seem insoluble,
For empty talk is often voluble.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NOTE: These two simple sentences, recently overheard in the following way.
I stand to be corrected, but in the world as we know it,
in the present day and age in which we live, the problems
seem insoluble, for want of a better phrase.
No doubt there are those who would contradict me when
I say that perhaps the main problem could be stated bluntly
but succinctly as - many people saying little but being loudly talkative.
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.