Thursday, November 1, 2012

Mosquito


At tonight's dVerse prompt, poetess and host Anna Montgomery asks us to try a poem that blends high and low art. It sounded fun so I gave it a good try--hope you can join in.

Mosquito

This worrisome mosquito,

                                                         grim demon
haunting the marshes, marauding round the heath
and the desolate fens,

restlessly buzzing
and biting, will not take
a hint

for my flesh is food
indeed, and my blood
is drink indeed

and she is hungry
for blood, the very wealth
of my life, so that her
own life might be sustained.

Some god or saint
may gladly give all,
may bow the head

for the life of the world

but I’m not ok with that.

So I swat and smack,
intent to kill, but she
evades and lands
once more.
                        This time, I let
her poke her proboscis
in deep, let her eat
her fill and swell up
big.

Cussed fellow-critters! Kick up de damndest row
as ever you can; fill your dam’ bellies
‘till dey bust—and den die.

With one hit I end
her meal, and am left with
my own blood on my hand.

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Not sure if I’m on the right track. The subject, biting mosquitoes, seems pretty “low art” to me. The italicized portions are quotes from what might be considered “high art” sources. The first is from Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf; the next two are from the Gospel of St. John; the last is from Melville’s Moby Dick

18 comments:

  1. ha, nice approach...i like your blend in of the literary works...but dang the mosquitos....luckily the cold is killing them off in these parts....sometimes the best way though is def to let yourself be bait, then quick smack the demons...smiles.

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    1. Brian, thanks. I thought Grendel was a good model for those mosquitoes. It doesn't really get cold enough here in Savannah for them to ever really die off. Between them and the sand gnats, it's a wonder any Savannahian has blood left.

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  2. Wow.... fabulous response to the prompt Nico.
    Darn mosquito's... they hate me. I hate them just as much but, daren't let them have their fill then kill them, I'm too allergic to their bite, whatever.
    Holy smokes, this is a great poem!

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    1. Thanks Bren. I've been bit so many times I don't even swell up anymore. Still hurts like hell, though.

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  3. Clever blend of the literary and real life

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  4. I like the weaving of thoughts and the use of mosquito is very creative for this prompt ~ So far not one mosquito where we are right now, thankfully ~

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    1. Thanks Grace. I really don't know where the different connections came from--I just did a little free association and this is what happened.

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  5. Clever -- they would have been missed without the notes (thanx for them).
    Fun read about the mosquito. At first I thought it was personal, because that is my avatar name in one of my gaming worlds!

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    1. Sabio, thanks. Footnotes were definitely necessary on this one.

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  6. I like. I think you were right on. Mine is low art to lower art :), but this I really enjoyed, and ending rocked solid for sure.

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    1. Thanks Henry--high and low is in the eye of the beholder, right?

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  7. This was a lot of fun and fantastic to hear you enjoyed the process. Your sources were great, especially the Beowulf bit. Marvelous and thought provoking response.

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    1. Thanks again for the prompt, Anna, and for your nice comment. Beowulf always works, as far as I'm concerned.

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  8. i just love the idea of weaving in parts of these famous literary work to approach a subject we all can relate to...nicely done sir

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  9. Claudia, thank you, I'm happy you liked it.

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  10. LOL! at list your mosquitoes just bite and drink... Mine say thank you with malaria!

    Loved the read :)

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    1. Thanks festival--there is an upsurge in mosquito-borne diseases where I live, but so far no malaria!

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