#absurd poem

[poettrista]

Your Car's Extended Warranty

A hellish message whispers through the air "We've been trying to reach you concerning your vehicle's extended warranty" "You should've received a notice in the mail about your car's extended warranty eligibility"

But the letter remains unread, lost in a sea of forgotten papers As the calls persist, a relentless drone in the depths of despair

"Since we've not gotten response, we're giving you a final courtesy call" A warning, a threat, a promise of impending doom Press 2 to be removed, to escape the clutches of this spectral call To be placed on a do-not-call list, a sanctuary in a world of darkness

Yet the temptation lingers, a siren's song calling out with deceitful allure To speak to someone about possibly extending or reinstating your vehicle's warranty Press 1 to speak with a warranty specialist,

a whispered promise of salvation But what price must be paid, what horrors await in the depths of this unholy bargain? A contract sealed in blood, a pact with forces beyond comprehension

[itscontinental]

Bear with us as we attempt organization and contemplate defeat.

Repeating and deleting

It's getting cold

We haven't heat

[soulinkpoetry]

The wanting…

.

.

[httpschrys]

[amicus-noctis]

“You poets cruelly deceive us about love; that which we experience in our lovers intertwining embrace is never as beautiful as what you weave together in your rhyme.” - The Abyss by Marguerite Yourcenar

(My translation based on the swedish translation by Karin Landgren of the original french)

Painting: ‘The Embrace’ by Egon Schiele

[wytaiwinter]

To let you see the raw, dramatic attempts I make to explain my mind

That is love

[sfsolstice]

albert camus, the myth of sisyphus

[fella-lovin-fella]

"how do you know your boyfriend loves you?" he sent me this passage from a book he was reading

[literarylumin]

Man is always prey to his truths. Once he has admitted them, he cannot free himself from them.

- Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays

[johbeil]

A poem that never wished to be written

If you asked it – which is absurd – it wouldn’t say anything or bat its eyelashes in wonder Because eyelashes were attributed to it – long, gently curved, like those from a beauty salon – Nicole Weiß (© 2024) Translated from the German original (which can be found here) by Johannes Beilharz.

[theexisterian]

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life - Albert Camus

[ruminiscence]

Mary Oliver's "The Summer Day" through Miyazaki's realm

Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean — the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down — who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Mary Oliver

The Grasshopper as a Symbol of Presence

The simplicity of a summer's day often masks the depth of reflection it can inspire, often a freer inspiration compared to that of another time period. In The Summer Day, Mary Oliver records a fleeting moment with a grasshopper—an otherwise mundane event turned into a profound ponderment of life's transience. Oliver's fascination with the grasshopper is evident in her precise observations, where each "Now" anchors us in the immediacy of the creature's actions. The repetition of "Now" is a rhythmic reminder to fully engage in the present moment, elevating the grasshopper's simple acts—washing her face and eating sugar—to moments of sacred significance. This suggests that even the most ordinary experiences, when viewed with a mindful eye, are imbued with a profound beauty and wonder.

A crucial aspect of this reflection is Oliver’s decision to refer to the grasshopper as "her," a subtle yet powerful choice that humanises the insect (one typically discarded, much like other insects) and invites readers to see it as a mirror of the poet herself. This connection is deepened as the poem shifts from observing the grasshopper to the poet’s own introspective, almost existentialist state. The grasshopper’s simple, technical existence, is paralleled by the poet’s own acts of kneeling, strolling, and paying attention, among other acts (otherwise seen as mundane).

With its gentle meditation on nature, this poem resonates with the themes explored in Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, particularly in the scene(s) accompanied by the casually melancholic, world-renowned score, One Summer's Day.

Why The, or One, Summer day?

The difference between the singular summer day in Mary Oliver's poem and the more common references to "summer days" marks a shift in tone and thematic focus. Oliver creates a space for deep contemplation and reflection by honing in on a single day. This singular day is a moment of intense focus where the reader is invited to take note of immediacy and transience of life, and what it means on an individualistic scale. The title 'The Summer Day' suggests a specific, significant day, much like the small yet detailed, pivotal moments in 'Spirited Away' that shape the narrative and the characters' experiences. One summer day can shape the entire summer season, just as one significant event can shape an entire story or life.

In contrast, when summer days are referred to in the plural, as is often the case, the tone tends to shift toward a more upbeat, joyful (collective) celebration of the season. This plural perspective generalises the experience of summer, allowing it to stretch over time and encapsulate the season's qualities as a whole rather than the intensity of a singular, reflective moment which we all experience—differing in frequency, consciousness, and extremity.

The tone of the poem is one of peaceful contemplation, with an undercurrent of melancholy as the speaker reflects on the transient nature of life. A truly specific feeling. This mood is similar to the tone of One Summer's Day, where the music and imagery in Spirited Away evoke a sense of longing for something that is just out of reach, something beautiful yet impermanent.

(A) Summertime Sadness?

The specificity of The Summer Day underscores the fleeting nature of time and the urgency of living fully, urging the reader to consider how they spend their "one wild and precious life." The repetition of "Tell me," despite the shift from passive observation to active questioning—from "Tell me, what else should I have done?" to "Tell me, what is it you plan to do"—suggests that the same forces that once pacified us can be reclaimed and turned into active, assertive intentions, forming a balance. This emphasis on autonomy starkly contrasts the capitalist ideals that prioritise efficiency and forward planning over present mindfulness. The context of nature's beauty and the existential questions it inspires is particularly poignant.

One must embrace the Present

The poem’s structure mirrors the unhurried pace of a summer’s day. Its free verse form allows the poem to flow naturally, much like the spontaneous movements of the grasshopper. This lack of structure reflects the poem’s theme of living in the moment—there is no rush, no pressure to conform, only a gentle observation of life as it unfolds. The poem’s tone, gentle yet profound, stresses the urgency (as opposed to the usual, stressful urgencies of society) of embracing the present and finding meaning in the small, often overlooked details of life.

This theme is further emphasised when considering the role of capitalism in Spirited Away. The film critiques the dehumanising effects of a society driven by greed, where even inward things, such as names—symbols of identity and connection to the self—are commodified. No Face, a mysterious and initially innocuous spirit, becomes monstrous as he consumes more material wealth, embodying the destructive nature of greed. His obsession with Chihiro reflects a desperate, almost uncontrollable desire to connect with something pure in a world corrupted by excess.

Both works ultimately remind us that our differences from nature do not separate us from it; instead, they are what bind us, offering life lessons that transcend the human experience.

After all, would Chihiro have survived if she hadn't hidden her name, thereby protecting her identity and her parents'? Would she have even recognised the importance of holding onto her name without Haku's guidance? Why does Haku return to his complete dragon form rather than becoming fully human, as is often the case in tales of human-creature transformations? Would she have become yet another template of a character in Miyazaki's realm? Art compels us to ask these sorts of questions—questions that deepen our understanding not only of the works themselves but of life

There lies the beauty of art and its interconnected nature; we must fully appreciate poetry by reading novels and critical essays, watching films, wholeheartedly listening to their soundtracks, and engaging with countless other forms of creative expression.

[itscontinental]

Q #915

[corpsentry]

word

[euesworld]

[thealcottism]

How long could I breathe whilst my lungs are pressed at the weigh of my heart?