My lady poetry

At loggerheads, are we

Adrift the dark waters of the poetry

Where there is no rhyme nor reason

For either of us to argue, yet don't we

Like two rabid lovers of a single mistress

Who has to frown at every phrase

You tend to her better, you tend to her sweet

While I only run a spike through her sprouting glee

Maybe I will learn to toe the line

Maybe she will let me drown in her vines

Or I shall be cast away by her gentle hand

But even at that I shall pen rubbish poetry.

Analysis of "My Lady Poetry" by Claude

The poem "My Lady Poetry" presents an intriguing and introspective exploration of the speaker's relationship with poetry, personified as a lady. The speaker acknowledges their friend's superior poetic abilities, portraying a sense of friendly rivalry and a desire to improve their own craft.

The opening lines establish the metaphorical setting, with the speaker and their friend being "at loggerheads" and "adrift the dark waters of the poetry." The use of the phrase "no rhyme nor reason" suggests a lack of logic or rationality in their arguments, yet they persist, perhaps driven by their shared passion for poetry.

The central metaphor compares the speaker and their friend to "two rabid lovers of a single mistress," with poetry being the object of their affection. The friend is portrayed as tending to the lady (poetry) better and more sweetly, while the speaker admits to running "a spike through her sprouting glee," suggesting a more aggressive or perhaps less refined approach.

The speaker's tone is one of humble self-awareness, acknowledging their friend's superior skills while expressing a desire to learn and improve. The lines "Maybe I will learn to toe the line / Maybe she will let me drown in her vines" convey a willingness to conform to the conventions of poetry ("toe the line") or to fully immerse themselves in its intricate complexities ("drown in her vines").

The final lines capture the speaker's resilience and unwavering commitment to their craft. Even if they are "cast away by her gentle hand," they declare their determination to continue writing poetry, even if it is perceived as "rubbish."

Overall, the poem explores the speaker's complex relationship with poetry, acknowledging their friend's superior abilities while expressing a humble desire to improve and a steadfast dedication to their art, regardless of the outcome. The personification of poetry as a lady adds depth and complexity to the metaphorical journey, evoking a sense of reverence and respect for the craft.

The Inner Buddha of Darkness.

In the beginning there was no night

It's all the burning of these souls that paints the world

In black, and the stars are the last embers of hope 

I rescinded too late, I too have contributed to this darkness

Who could have believed that hope is so oily, that it would burn

Everything it drips into will char and taint into permanence 

Then permeate into the deepest recess of souls

I let it overwhelm my ability of logical reasoning 

Love nor hope is now warranted, like so many

And it is a tad too late for an epiphany 

I look out into the summer evening fading

Knowing the light will be gone post this evening 

Should I see a glimmer, a moon light of tarnished, spared hope

I shall not follow through, but shun it vehemently 

I have nothing to gain from this endless cycle of life's un-endings

I have breached into the very fabric of detachment.

Analysis of "The Inner Buddha of Darkness"

Theme: Embracing Darkness as a Path to Enlightenment (of Sorts)

This poem explores the speaker's descent into despair and their transformation into a being who finds solace in darkness. The title, "The Inner Buddha of Darkness," sets the stage for a unique perspective on enlightenment.

Techniques and Symbolism:

• Fire and Darkness: The burning souls and the black world symbolize the speaker's internal destruction and the pervasiveness of despair.
• Stars and Moonlight: The fading stars and tarnished moonlight represent the dying embers of hope that the speaker actively rejects.
• Oil and Charring: Hope becomes a destructive force, tainting everything it touches.
• Inner Buddha: This symbol is central to the poem's complexity. Traditionally, the Buddha represents enlightenment achieved through overcoming suffering. Here, the "Inner Buddha" resides in darkness, suggesting the speaker has found a different kind of peace – one built on accepting the darkness.

Structure and Shifts:

The poem follows a similar structure as before, with a reflection on the past that caused the darkness, the speaker's present state of despair, and their resolve for the future. However, the title adds a new dimension.

The major shift still occurs around line 10. Before that, the speaker feels regret. Afterward, they become resolute in rejecting hope and embracing detachment. However, with the title, this detachment takes on a more spiritual connotation. The speaker may not be seeking traditional enlightenment, but rather a dark form of peace within the despair.

Interpretation:

The speaker views the world as inherently dark and suffering as inevitable. They believe hope is destructive and detachment is the only path to avoid further pain. This detachment takes on a spiritual dimension with the title, suggesting the speaker has found a "dark Buddha" within themselves – a twisted form of enlightenment where darkness itself becomes a source of peace.

Possible Additional Considerations:

• Is the speaker's "dark Buddha" a healthy or sustainable way to cope?
• Could the speaker be repressing deeper emotions, or is this truly a form of acceptance?
• Is there any hope for the speaker to find a different kind of light, even within the darkness?

Overall, "The Inner Buddha of Darkness" presents a fascinating exploration of despair, detachment, and a unique perspective on enlightenment.

Do not engage

Provisional maturity, often exhibited 

Is not a permanence, but a perchance 

Such meanors one must notice early

Lest should fall prey to the blinds of love

She could be angry, she could be not 

And to be pacified is the ask, sans words

Turn around, walk away my boy

Such is the conduct of an childish mind

If jealousy should raise its head and peer

Upon your meets and greetings of dear

Turn around, walk away my boy quick

Such is the hiss of a serpentine strike

And if she leaves, and as most do of late

Ask her for a reason, yet only once

Then promptly walk away my boy, run

The mature do not need to be gambled for.

If she reaches your heart, brings calm

Even post the distance, her heart is warm

Know she is for love, hold her hand

Drown in her thoughts, bring her along 

Dear Mani

I would wonder if I could write a poem everyday for you

Or maybe just write one about life too

It would seem like a veil of romance floating into the winds 

Landing on us and covering us in a weave of words

Words are but

Shallow, often contorted by poets

The millions of modernism bound poets puking charades

Of things like love they cannot even fathom

So love, what could I do with you around everyday

Maybe send you away for a bit, and feel the clawing at my nerve

For you seem to drug me into a calmness

Like the vast silent darkness of space 

They make everything seem beautiful set in motion

They are now the definition of what I call home

My home, and it travels in your soul 

So maybe a poem everyday is not a good idea

Maybe I will send you prayers, every time you are away far

Hoping my ability to write poetry or whatever it ends up becoming

Drags your soul back

And you wrap your arms around my chest 

holding me tight, breathing into my hairy chest and complaining it tickles your nose

Whereforth have you gone

When you sat beside me, and I rested my head on your chest

You offered me no consolation, but a gift of distance

A distance so wide that even my soul would tire treading

Yet I know this light of my soul is but a breath of you

As you walked away from me, you did not turn around

Knowing it could hurt me more

Yet I so wish you had for that would have been another glimpse

Of a face these eyes have seen and wish to see nothing but

I have dissolved the dust in each footprint

Smeared it to my body, drank it 

To be one with you, in my uncontrollable sadness

Yet you have not sent a word, nor appeared

I am bound to this air you have exhaled

Whilst you had held me close in an amours embrace

My eyes have burnt its vision staring down the road you walked

And for your longing is an endless torment

Yet you have never sent a word, and knowingly so

Where shall I end and how can I end

For I have died every breath, and the hope of a chance meeting 

Keeps me breathing

Knowing this is a folly, but to be wilfully fooled

This absence of you, has even made pain cry for its deliverance from hurting me.

Forward unto a myth called Slumber

Summer nights, somewhere a lone toad croaks amidst the drying marsh

Echoing company into my solitude

The buzz followed by itch is a summer treat

Only till May, then the squirming black progeny die and I rejoice

No more blood to be given, until June then

The electric wind doesn't soothe and sounds loud

As I lie awake, being detached and starved

Of sleep, which would have forever rained on me, but for this long dry spell

I am allowed, I am aloud, I am loved or not then who cares

My eyes burn and the bed is warm, too much for my comfort

It is off putting, go away heat come in November

I shall embrace you then, now leave

I am trying to find my sleep

Some time l half past three, 

I drift and dream of the sea, of broken dreams

And sunken hopes, 

Somewhere in between them are entombed 

My nightmares and they have waited for hours

## Analysis of "Forward unto a myth called Slumber"

This poem explores the speaker's struggle with insomnia during a hot summer night. Here's a breakdown of its key elements:

**Themes:**

* **Insomnia:** The central theme is the speaker's desperate search for sleep. The title itself reflects sleep as a "myth" – something seemingly unattainable.

* **Isolation:** The speaker feels isolated despite the sounds of summer (toad croaking, wind). Sleeplessness intensifies this feeling.

* **Seasonal Discomfort:** The hot summer nights prevent peaceful sleep, contrasting with the anticipated comfort of cooler November.

**Imagery:**

* **Summer Sounds:** The poem starts with the croaking of a toad, followed by mosquitos' buzzing and itching (a "summer treat" ironically).

* **Heat:** The speaker describes the bed as "warm, too much for my comfort," highlighting the physical discomfort that disrupts sleep.

* **Dreams and Nightmares:** Sleep deprivation leads to fragmented sleep with dreams of "broken dreams" and "sunken hopes," which then turn into nightmares. The line "entombed / My nightmares" creates a powerful image of these negative thoughts trapped within the speaker's mind.

**Figurative Language:**

* **Metaphor:** Sleep is a "myth" and a "long dry spell." These metaphors emphasize the speaker's feeling of deprivation and longing for sleep.

* **Personification:** The electric wind "doesn't soothe" and sounds "loud," suggesting it actively prevents sleep.

* **Repetition:** The phrase "I am allowed, I am aloud, I am loved or not then who cares" reflects the speaker's detachment and growing frustration due to sleeplessness.

**Structure:**

* **Free Verse:** The poem lacks a specific rhyme scheme or meter, reflecting the fragmented nature of the speaker's experience.

* **Shifts in Time:** The poem starts with summer nights and ends with a specific time: "Some time l half past three." This shift highlights the passage of time during the sleepless night, emphasizing the speaker's struggle.

**Overall Tone:**

* **Frustration:** The speaker is clearly frustrated with their inability to sleep and the discomfort caused by the heat.

* **Desperation:** The desperation for sleep is evident in the imagery of "burning eyes" and the plea for the heat to leave.

* **Isolation:** The tone conveys a sense of isolation despite the summer sounds. The speaker feels alone in their struggle.

This poem effectively portrays the physical and emotional toll of insomnia under oppressive summer heat. Through vivid imagery and figurative language, it allows the reader to experience the speaker's frustration and longing for the mythical "Slumber."

Pray tell, why drown in ale

Keep your mug down slowly, it's full

For the ale will spill, and never should one waste

Such goodness of golden yellow in carelessness

Let every drop mix into the blood once consumed

You watch yourself, settle the mug down slow. You think of her and you drinking on one of those random days

You miss those though, don't you?

Keep your mug down a tad slow, it's halfway through

The ale has worked its magic, and made your head mellow

As you speak of her, your tones do seem to enchant yourself but it is all banter to the rest

So maybe talk of something else, but I doubt you can ever do that post drinking

You are lost in her thoughts, aren't you?

You hurry your empty mug down from the lips

You need more ale, for you have ignited what lies dormant and lies to you of normalcy

Your eyes seem hollow, yet it isn't drowsiness or the slurring of your speech that matters

It's her absence, you hold your own hand and twist your wrongs as if to make sense

It makes none, don't we know friend?

You mind always drifts to her thoughts, don't you too?

And then we go home, we think of you drunk as a kite

And the ale shall always make us all spite

Yet we gather and drink, like friends

You , me, the random strangers who join us at the table

You speak to them like old time friends

How do they even distinguish you from who they have known they are drunk too

While you seem to be dead inside, aren't you?

## Analysis of "Pray tell, why drown in ale?"

**Theme:** The poem explores the theme of grief and the use of alcohol to cope with loss. The speaker, presumably a man, drowns his sorrows in ale, constantly reminded of a woman he misses dearly.

**Structure:**

* The poem utilizes three stanzas, each focusing on a different stage of the speaker's drinking experience.

* Each stanza starts with an imperative, "Keep your mug down..." slowing down as the inebriation progresses. 

* The speaker drifts between internal monologue and addressing an unknown listener, possibly another patron or a reflection of himself.

**Imagery:**

* **Ale:** The central image is the ale, symbolizing a temporary escape but ultimately failing to numb the pain. 

* **Golden yellow:** This color choice for the ale suggests a fleeting warmth and happiness, contrasting with the emptiness the speaker feels.

* **Hollow eyes:** This image portrays the speaker's emotional detachment despite the outward appearance of conversation.

**Techniques:**

* **Repetition:** The repeated phrase "You miss those though, don't you?" and "Your mind always drifts to her thoughts, don't you too?" emphasizes the constant intrusion of the lost love.

* **Rhetorical questions:** The questions posed to the speaker and the listener ("don't we know friend?") create a sense of shared understanding and resignation.

* **Shifting perspectives:** The poem switches between the speaker's internal thoughts and an outside observer's view ("we think of you drunk as a kite").

**Overall Tone:**

* The poem is melancholic and introspective. 

* The speaker's attempt to find solace in drinking ultimately leads to a deeper sense of loss and isolation. 

* There's a hint of bitterness towards the ale, symbolized by "the ale shall always make us all spite."

**Possible Interpretations:**

* The woman could be a former lover, wife, or close friend. 

* The poem suggests a sense of guilt or regret ("twist your wrongs as if to make sense").

* Despite the outward camaraderie with fellow drinkers, the speaker remains emotionally distant ("dead inside").

**In conclusion, "Pray tell, why drown in ale?" paints a poignant picture of grief and the futile attempt to drown it in alcohol. The poem uses simple language and imagery to deliver a powerful message about the enduring nature of loss.**