Let x equal an integration by parts
Your arm, my wrist, that soufflé over at Mara’s
Where I couldn’t get enough of silly
And Sin Zin which was divided and factored
Into my karaoke’ing equation.
Let x equal an integration by parts
As I do not wish to be diametrically opposed
You, there, me on the other end of tomorrow
While waiting for the #11 bus which is late yet again.
The street multiplying the silence of muted screams.
Let y equal an image of transformation
Dancing with my panties underneath my pants
Your boss’s toupee upon his head, and not in the
Punch bowl spiked by the least-squares regression equation
Reduced to sitting in the car, banned from dessert trays.
Let 2X+Y equal an integration by parts
Your dirty laundry, my broken vials, a passing grade
In home economics.
12 Comments
February 1, 2007 at 7:06 am
There are many poems today like this. I love all the different images reduced to integers. Waiting to used in the proper sequence, then one of them pushes their way rudely into line.
Rose
February 1, 2007 at 8:07 am
ah … passing grade in home economics! bet home ec would make an interesting prompt on its own!
February 1, 2007 at 10:46 am
The last stanza takes the cake!
Rudely woken from romantic dreams!
February 1, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Your words trip from one to the next in such a wonderful way. The third stanza, in particular, draws my eye back to it – the image of the punchbowl and the toupee is wonderful.
February 1, 2007 at 1:27 pm
I love the meandering of this piece – it’s really a wonderful train of thought to follow – reminds me a little of Dewy’s – just the way it takes you someplace seemingly unrelated, and then, you end up in a wonderful, clever, beautiful ending…
February 1, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Love this poem! I especially appreciate the line:
“The street multiplying the silence of muted screams.” The integration of daily life with math works really well.
February 1, 2007 at 8:26 pm
I loved the details: souffle, #11 bus, and the passing grade in home economics…perfect.
February 2, 2007 at 1:47 am
I enjoyed reading this, thanks for sharing.
February 2, 2007 at 6:09 am
I see you were up to the challenge of this week’s prompt! I really like the math and quantifying terms that run through this poem, each providing a touch of irony and a hint of some other intended meaning. My favorite line – “The street multiplying the silence of muted screams.” I enjoyed this and always enjoy your writing
February 2, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Lovely wordplay, here, and wonderful images. I enjoyed this piece very much – there’s a confidence in your writing that takes the reader wherever you wish; we are in your hands.
February 6, 2007 at 10:00 am
Lo siento porque i have been MIA this week, but thank you all who stopped by. I hope to have sometime this week to read the other posts. I think I’ve only gotten to read a couple!! It was a fun exercise.
A special thanks to those of you who come by and show love at the times when I think no one could care less if I wrote another word…
thank you.
April 27, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Hi…found you through Poetry Thursday. Just wanted to tell you, I love, love, love your poetry. It is beautiful. I especially like this one. It’s really cool how you blend math with such vivid imagery.
I’m trying to get up the courage to actually participate.
Cheers,
Erin