Unsold Poems from the August 7, 2012 Poetry Fishbowl
The following poems from the August 7, 2012 Poetry Fishbowl are currently available. They may be sponsored via PayPal -- there's a permanent donation button on my LiveJournal profile page -- or you can write to me and discuss other methods.
The Poetry Fishbowl also has a landing page with full details about the project.
" Back the Way(s) It Was" -- $52 lines, $20 SOLD
From your prompt about gods returning, I got the free-verse poem "Back the Way(s) It Was." The fundamentalists succeed in bringing Judgment Day. Unfortunately, more gods show up than they expected...
" A Bug on the Wing" -- 334 lines, $167 SOLD
From the prompt about programs acquiring sentience, I got the free-verse poem "A Bug on the Wing." It's a sequel to " An Eyeful of Fire," and features Brenda and Darrel trying to figure out why the police station computer system has gone haywire.
A police officer walked into Brenda's office
and said, "We need you to come down to the station."
"Is this about someone I've put in jail?"
she asked without looking up from her computer.
"No, this is about you," he replied.
" The Four Fauna of the Apocalypse" -- 20 lines, $10 SOLD
The alligator prompt led to the free-verse poem "The Four Fauna of the Apocalypse." It introduces four species that are real threats, but blur the boundaries between real and myth in some way.
"Frum Anywhere" -- 52 lines, $20
The prompt about cargo cults led to the poem "Frum Anywhere," in which John Frum turns out to be an alien and now all the foreigners come back clamoring for his stuff.
" The Gods of Sheep and Machines" -- 8 lines, $5 SOLD
Most portrayals show machine as god being a bad thing. But it occurred to me that machines can be very reliable in some ways that human beings often are not, which could be an improvement in the application of religious principles. The result is "The Gods of Sheep and Machines," an indriso.
"Hope for a Dime" -- 29 lines, $15
From the diamond prompts I got the free-verse poem "Hope for a Dime." The Merry Men scatter across the land, quietly bucking the system and making life a little brighter.
" Inanna's Underpass" -- 74 lines, $37 SOLD
From this I got the free-verse poem "Inanna's Underpass," a retelling of the myth in a modern city. In some ways, Erishkegal has a better grip on modern life than Inanna does, and Inanna finds her assets more fragile than expected. It does not go well for Inanna.
Inanna is a city girl,
all high heels and gold lamé,
kissable lips outlined in scarlet lipstick.
Inanna does power lunches,
with her personal assistant Ninshubur
to schedule the masses of supplicants.
" LOL_Linguistics" -- 4 lines, $5 SOLD
The prompt about cultural concepts inspired a short but sweet poem, "LOL_Linguistics." A teenager, a parent, a teacher, and a linguist respond to LOLspeak.
" Moonlight and Muzzles" -- 28 lines, $15 SOLD
Artemis hunts the hunters, of course, keeping the wildlife safe from those who kill without regard for the laws of nature. "Moonlight and Muzzles" is written in unrhymed quatrains.
"Revival of an Island" -- 50 lines, $20
From the prompt about a modern Camelot came the free-verse poem "Revival of an Island." Sometimes when people are simultaneously calling for revival and reform, things get a bit mixed up ... and instead of Arthur, they get Ursula.
"Spinning Myth and Memory" -- 22 lines, $10 SOLD
The prompt about the Sikh shooting and the wreaths led to the free-verse poem "Spinning Myth and Memory." It's all about how the myths we choose influence the world we live in.
" Thorns of Light, Roses of Fire" -- 93 lines, $46.50 SOLD
From the Sleeping Beauty prompt I wrote the science fiction fairytale "Thorns of Light, Roses of Fire." Sleeping Beauty meets a prince in an unexpected way, and makes a different selection regarding the direction of her story. This poem is written in free verse.
When Rosita's parents died,
they left her the sum of their fortune:
mansions and megacorps,
tropical islands and trillions of dollars.
Her foster parents eyed the treasure
and bided their time.
"Touched by Demigods" -- 24 lines, $10 SOLD
From the Hercules prompt I extrapolated that heroes, as demigods, become divine and thus choose their own champions as they themselves were once chosen. The result is "Touched By Demigods," written in unrhymed sextets, about modern athletes.
" What Makes a Hero" -- 38 lines, $15 SOLD
From the prompt about diplomacy as heroism I got the free-verse poem "What Makes a Hero." It's an argument between ambassadors over whose nation has the best hero, and why. This poem belongs to The Ocracies series.