Edison
most of us think electric light bulb
it took him 10, 000 recorded tries
that is 9, 999 failures
but he did it.
Edison
did you know he also invented the motion picture camera?
in 1892?
he had such an amazing mind
I have no idea how many failures he had before he got it right.
He was a persistent genius.
Edison
I met dandelion child when I needed a friend
we met and we were friends to the end.
of course not, that would be no fun
but I did not intend to untie a pun
To gaslight again, to preach upon a chair
or telephone booth is... love
what I mean for god's sake is what is the vampire calls the hotel
trans silly viania of course you know,
that electric light bulb that frankenstein invented.
what you know or you don't know is how.
zen the lightbulb was invented? je amour
how many lightbulbs do you need in your soup kitchen?
My mother loved me into wonderfulness
An odd child, too unusual for school.
I was sent home the first day, with a note.
I watched my mother’s face, for nuances.
A small wavering cheek dimple would have
Confirmed my most horrid fears.
I could tell by the whisperings of the day
The teacher did not want me there
Would my mother feel shame?
Would she call me names too?
Like the children had?
Arms enfolded me.
Relief.
She still loved me.
My mother, the one person who
Believed in me when I was feeling like
No one else did.
You my blessed son, are too smart to go there.
I stared into her brown doe eyes.
She had never been more convincing.
And I was a child who needed to believe.
She is the reason I persevered.
No other teacher could have taught me
Resiliency and tenacity like my mother did.
She, and she alone, convinced me of my
Brilliance.
No one else would have failed nine thousand and nine hundred and ninety-nine times and still tried one more time, right?
So in a way I must dedicate the electric light-bulb to my mother.
God bless you, Mother.
You are my hero!
1
flying insects tackling each other in the name of
sight. it's okay, as long as they see what's going on,
that makes it right, makes it worth it. tiny iron
bodies crash into the electric light bulb, crash &
bounce, crash & bounce, crash & fall.
2
clocks are against the living. time continues ticking
as a way to torture us to death. its hands wrap around
my neck & rip me from night into day, day into night.
life with this structure knows nothing more than to
follow. the earth is a revolving clock.
3
the baby is the bright shock of flame, the very moment
the candle becomes lit. progression, destruction,
abandonment- the candle is burning. (staring at the sun
causes blindness.) stare into your own flame, frenzy the
body of the fire with your breath, cause your own
death.
4
"i heard that if you die in your dream then automatically it
comes true, & you don't wake up."
i'd like to consider the source.
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.