Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Stone Soup Croutons, 2-13-17, Love Poem Prompt (minus the P word)


Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked up from poems overheard from Stone Soup's open mic readers and features. I figure out a title (and sometimes the rest of the poem) later. You can read the other ones I've done since 2015 here.

Last nigh was Poet Passion! Dexter Roberts and Toni Bee were the hosts for Valentine's Eve. Love and sex were the themes of most of the poetry on hand. We even had some new guests from Simmons College, where Dexter and Toni host a radio show. I did my best to keep Trump out and do a writing prompt based on Toni's wishes that we write a "P poem." Okay, so I put Trump in it a little bit. Here it comes.


Love Poem Prompt (minus the P word)

Write a harlequin between
an impeached grade school
class president
and the little girl
who sits behind his desk
and still believes in him.
Can it be a happy ending?

Why is that boy still single at 45?
Did he continue to miss his stride?
Does he drive an old car
missing half its functions,
its radio stuck on tape deck mode
playing the same Bob Marley mix tape
he stole from another unrequited?

Are his Facebook threats to exes
too well thought out, lacking even typos?
Has his pre-school betrothed
Been innocent and pure this whole time?

Maybe she chooses to be an animal
Once a month, hunting down
All our protagonist's online profiles,
finally find the one with the moniker
Of Thomas S. John-Thomas

And she'll spar with him online,
with the etiquette taught to her
in kickboxing classes.
His prolific use of the P word
Sparks her to ignition in emoticons.

It turns into a little je ne sais quoi,
which, because neither speak French,
now means see you in court.
What could keep them apart now
once he's kicked out of prison
over the accuser's conjugal visits?
True love abides no free rides
in writing any story.


I had to fix something in the background and couldn't hear Martha Boss' poem. I'm thanking her down below anyway.

Special thanks to Chris Fitzgerald, Erik Nelson, Nancy Messom, Reece Cotton, Martha Boss, Colette Parry, Olivia Furino and James Van Looy. 

No comments: