Thursday, July 06, 2006

Electric Friends

Songderella ever turning
half-life living
half-dream hoping
music is playing
waiting to waltz the prince.

TV is playing
dark room
newly dead snore on the couch
the happiest moment of her day
she is watching -
flickers show her grin
breaking into an unshared laugh.

Nightmare ghosts of happy people
haunt evenings of the lonely.

23 comments:

katy said...

i know i love the last two lines, am jus not sure why yet...

am not sure i fully understand them yet, which is part of the allure.

bravo, dear.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks dear Katy! I am far too fond of experimental sonnets to be able to avoid leaving a trail of hopefully tantalizing couplets for friends to snack on.

Thanks for the bright words of encouragement!

Can't go without saying a big hurrah on the great job you did on the Poetry Carnival - you were smashing!!!

Margie said...

I really enjoyed that!
I have to go back and read it
again though... it has me wondering.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks samuru999, glad you found it enjoyable! A warm welcome to Yuckelbel's Canon; You are most welcome here. Hope you discover lots of interesting mysteries before all unravels.

ancient clown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ancient clown said...

Very well done. I have just added a poetry section on my site...I would be honored to have you and your friends visit and explore 'Ancient's History'.
I don't think I know...I just know I'm thinking.
your humble servant,
Ancient Clown

Neetee said...

Life behind the simplest closed door is an ever netherworld.

Wonderful!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks ancient clown! youn have an interesting religious site.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks my dear wise one! Welcome to never netherworld!

Cecilia said...

Like Katy, I've enjoyed the last 2 lines. Isn't it what lonely people long for....the reality of happiness which seems to be an illusion in the end?

Thank you for dropping by my blog. I'll be linking back to you, too!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks Cecilia for the kind words and the link. I'm glad you enjoyed this poem, I certainly have been enjoying yours too!

Roger Stevens said...

I know that poem well. Jill and I are sitting on the sofa watching the TV. I'm laughing away. I turn to her for that lovely shared moment of revelation and see that she's alseep. And has been, I discover, for the past twenty minutes, despite the several conversations I thought we'd had.

I saw Hell's Kitchen - New York - the other night and thought of you. And last night cooked a new risotto - using spinach from the garden.

Sounds as if you're busy. I'm looking forward to a few less-than-hectic weeks at home - reorganising my office and even, dare I say it, writing some things.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi Roger! Great to have you back, my old friend. Hopefully your busy time has ended for long enough to give you a breather; mine is still going on.

That's a great feeling when you read something poetic and see real life in it, hopefully with all the humor and compassion still attached. I thought The Always Chair poem you just published was beautiful, wistful and fragile in a strangely durable sort of way. Compassion, love and humor usually softens the sting of sadness to the point where we can almost enjoy it in a reflective sort of way.

Thanks for thinking of me when you saw the chef shows. Looks as if my decades in the kitchen have finally come to an end. Seems strange but I certainly love teaching too.

Enjoy your time off and, for heven's sake do do some more writing! We've been suffering in the absence of your poems.

Pat Paulk said...

The reality of lonliness, the illusion of happiness, and the pain of both. Great poem Russell!!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks Pat! You know how I enjoy it when we can introduce reality and illusion and see if we can get them to dance. Its the cusp of the great conundrum.

ozymandiaz said...

I have been there, to be sure. Where laughter rings hollow down barren corridores finding but shadows in corners and me conversing with them.

Thank you for the visit and the comment. It would be my honor to be linked here.
I would much like to return the favor. I am always looking for another good poeger (poet blogger).

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks ozymandiaz! The link should be up in a few minutes and I'd be honered to have a link back. Glad the poem resonated with you!

ozymandiaz said...

Hey Russell
I was in your position not long ago. I had listened to podcasts on some of my favorite poetic blogs but had no idea how to do such a thing. Recently though, I discovered that blogger had teamed up with some company called listen lab and made
ta da
Audioblogger.
It's really easy. You just call a number, put in your code and record.
You can find it here
http://audioblogger.com/
Now the trick will be consistency. They are still working the bugs out. It took quite a few tries to log on even though I had confirmed my login. Then it took like a week to get the post up. Frankly, I had given up on it and then there it was...twice. I'm sure it will get better. Its not like blogger always works so well itself.
Good luck
Looking forward to hearing your voice.

p.s. I should have you linked today.

So what is the significance of "Yuckelbel"? It is quite an interesting name.

Pincushion said...

Reading this was like flicking through an album of sepia-tinted photographs, a twilight at once of dreaminess and melancholy reminiscent of a now empty dance-hall....
loved it
:)

Russell Ragsdale said...

Ozy! You hit the significance of Yuckelbel right on the head. Thanks for the infor on audio. I'll check it out in about a week when my schedule slows down a bit.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Ah my dear pins! You can come drop off beauty to my blog anytime. I'm am fully aware your sensitive comment is far nicer than the poem which occasioned it. All I can say is, give me more! Thanks so much!

Sue hardy-Dawson said...

I love those old wheepy childrens movies, not cause they're sad although I may be but it's that all too perfect world of fantasy where the badies always get their just comeupance-yay for electric friends and all of those who might disturb my enjoyment of them by pointing out I'vegrown up or should have may they sleep right through and not ask me why I'm watching this rubbish

Russell Ragsdale said...

It is certainly the way of our civilization isn't it dear Sue. I can almost see you on that couch!