he was on a tram looking for guidance
travelling alone for that is how it was
quite a fancy carriage a very new occurrence
an advisor spoke to him full of conviction
stating things need to be proven beyond any doubt
science and research would answer all of his questions
then the streetcar was gone and the leader had disappeared
his belongings had gone and he was bare of material possessions
yet a kind and beautiful woman had retrieved
his woollen blanket the one his ex had had crocheted with love
seashell lines on a now lonely beach ready for rediscovery
undulating waves of pleasure and passion dissolved in the sand
the image receded and he was aware that the throw of the past
would not be abandoned as it held the keys to a future
of some freedom and impendence of change and of growth
the lady of his dreams fainted and romantic relationships
became far down the line of his novel experience
when he meditated and prayed on the surreal visions
he knew once again and for certain beyond any doubt
that only a true spiritual counsellor would reveal
when and how he would be able to find release
closure and the aperture of beginnings and serenity
Pitifully, he calls her again and again
Brando yelling, "STELLA" from his knees.
Like he ever meant something to her...
Stop groveling like a fool. She was a tease.
She doesn't come from Kansas or Oz
and Sunnybrook Farm is make believe.
Stop shouting her name. For crying out loud.
Shed your tears somewhere else if you grieve.
She left long ago on a streetcar to get away.
It's your fault she's gone. You and your drama.
You killed her desire. That's what she said.
The conflicts you created left her in trauma.
You were the spider who sat down beside her,
the tiny creature that was much too hairy.
You brazenly acted as if you were a king,
but there's nothing about you that's scary.
After all this time, still blubbering for Stella?
You're a weeping wimp and it's pathetic
how you demean yourself time after time.
No one cares because you're not empathetic.
She waved farewell and made your life hell.
So, get off your knobby knees, Marlon.
Alice doesn't live here anymore. She left
and no longer wants to call you, 'Darlin.'
Q: What would Roy Rogers have been called if he had been a singing farmer?
A: King of the Plowboys.
Q: In the Beowulf saga, who was a male child of the hag Grendel?
A: A real sonofawitch.
Q: What's the slogan for an ad campaign for a certain fabric in Copenhagen?
A: "Something is cotton in the state of Denmark".
Q: What is fear of joining a fitness club?
A: Gymtimidation.
Q: When she worked onstage in a comedy, what could actress Elaine do for an audience?
A: Keep it in Stritches.
Q: What might you call the LGBT version of the glass slipper story?
A: "Transgenderella".
Q: Also for theatre and film buffs--What would you call public transportation in a ghost town?
A: A streetcar named Bizarre.
Q: Why did the man tell the 911 operator to please send help quickly when his spouse appeared to be choking?
A: It was a matter of wife or death.
Q: What is someone who hitchhikes across the country studying different dialects?
A: A roads scholar.
Q: How did the Glasgow "Evening Times" reporter headline the story of the party boat that sank after hitting an iceberg?
A: Scots on the rocks!
the grass is greener
on the other side
of
the otherworldly sidewalk
where
the glass harmonica is grassier
where
the grass doesn't grow
on
a busy streetcar named
apathy
Clang, clang, clang, toots a trolley: X-s-teams,
though it's not the same San Fran by the Bay,
remembrance connects, perspective redeems,
sound stirs, 'Mathis', "It's Not For Me To Say".
Maintained posture as my observance probes,
heedless complacency, schemed convenience,
the prate news reader provokes our earlobes,
heroines chat as a girl grasps missed-chance.
Tram's next stop, the conductor ring updates,
abides fixed whiles, a life away smokes forth,
traffic noise flowing, like manmade primates,
shrieks giving birth...streetcar desired...part.
Ding, ding, ding, went the bell; attuned Judy,
"Voices of Spring", scratched slippers of ruby.
salient arguments
whirlwind across the floor
rugs of rolling hills
closets filled yet more
the ones we never speak of
portraits fleering
infinite mirrored reflections
walls of respective distances
dogs chasing their tales
mad electrons seeking rest
grabbing at foreign orbits
i turn to her
i have failed in suburbia
the great american dream
i am returning to the jungle
my hovel there is safe
i do not speak the language
streets bear names i have never heard
the poet held incommunicado
i always get left on corners screaming
you will be sorry
Lenin and Moscow
MacArthur and the Philippines
Houdini and Death
i shall return, corners are everywhere
waiting for a streetcar
"Desire"
i have come to realize
i will do this again
some men can only pine
i bury them in it
San Blas 90
Oh dear one, for many years we have hurt and hugged.
Brought up the spears of contention and have been mugged.
Could I have been the one to compose your sorrow?
I guess time will tell when we reach that tomorrow.
The premise was so impressively constructed.
Yet like a streetcar that was poorly conducted.
Placed upon a pedestal that was bound to fall.
Oh dear one, how I long for thy spirit to call!
date:1/10/23
A girl named streetcar
lulls me near her middle, far more
A carriage for two
A flash the first strike, truth builds fantasy;
A spell nothing short of spectacular;
With a gentle word you became a shove;
I began to recite a silent plea,
racing the night upon desire’s streetcar
on a ride I could not gain control of;
Your eyes a gateway to believing now;
The still of amethyst and fading stars
painted blush and shy sunrise up above;
Softly you whispered to me ‘I know how
to love’ .
Best seat in the place
puts a smile upon my face
'tis so comfy
softest velvet
the deepest shade of red
I sit back
so relaxed
as I await my treat
I am happy to be resting
my poor old aching feet
Awaiting with pure joy
Escaping is my ploy
Entering a world I love
This world ~ a world of make believe
doth take my breath away
Both dreamlike and bizarre
I watch Tennessee’s Streetcar…
Witnessing fine acting
as characters are portrayed
Some they will play happy
Some they will play sad
I sit inside this grand theatre
it truly cannot get much better
Giving a standing ovation
for 'tis time for celebration
And now for me ~ you see
the greatest yearning for to be
upon that stage ~ an actor's life for me
Written 4th May 2022
Contest A BRIAN STRAND PREMIERE
Sponsor Brian Strand
3rd Place
These are my favorites thus far,
but Gaia's known for Her beauty
and Mother Nature's a cutie.
Sparkles, trailing a shooting star
as it falls, setting skies ablaze,
a rare spectacle, nowadays.
And the pluck of a bass guitar
resonating deep in my heart,
as tears spontaneously start.
The rumble of an old streetcar
carries memories of my youth,
a time of innocence and truth.
And catching fireflies in a jar
is a magical kind of thing,
like capturing love on the wing.
These are my favorites thus far,
sparkles trailing a shooting star
and the pluck of a bass guitar,
the rumble of an old streetcar
and catching fireflies in a jar.
(Constanza)
July 30, 2020
There is such kindness that beams out
From those with compassion,
Blessings for the infirm.
With patience and understanding,
In caretaker’s fashion
To help many in need.
8-7-19
KEEP IT BRIEF Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Nette Onclaud
Quote Chosen : 1."I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951
*Dedicated to all the wonderful Doctors, Nurses, Healers, and Caretakers
Nette’s invented form write a new, original poem using an 8-6-6-8-6-6
syllable count…lines 2 and 5 must rhyme.
"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951
KINDNESS OF STRANGERS - KIB
Rainbow-yarn hospitality
Opened to me their door.
Snowy boots laid aside,
Warm blanket and fresh apple pie.
Servants of God, rapport,
Under his snow-dove wing.
8/1/2019
KEEP IT BRIEF Poetry Contest
Sponsor - Nette Onclaud
howmanysyllables confirmed 8/6/6/8/6/6
Late, legendary American method actor, Marlon Brando
His piercing scream of "Stella!" reached a crescendo...
In "Streetcar Named Desire." A supernova in his prime
Internationally hailed as "The greatest actor of all time"
An alien oozed forth from a streetcar
Undulating into the nearest bar --
Blinked his green eyes
And what a surprise --
Ordered vodka on the rocks of a Star
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