Friday, July 16, 2021

SAFE DISTANCE EDITION - Stone Soup Croutons, 7-14-21: Emergency Dispatch to the Archivist


Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked from Stone Soup Poetry'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.

I also have an award nominated book out now collecting the best of my first year of poems. Click here to purchase it.

Andrew K. Peterson went the distance on Wednesday. Due to mass technical difficulties, we had our shortest open mic roster. Not that you would have noticed as Andrew read for a very receptive audience of friends and new listeners. A performance worthy of a larger live audience. I wish I had worn something a little more formal than my Massachusetts Poetry Festival tee shirt. Should have written a more upbeat poem too, but it's summer I have chaos on the brain. I appreciate Andrew's voice and imagery taking me out of it by the end (yes, Andrew, people do look wonderful together). Thanks for reading.


Emergency Dispatch to the Archivist

CIA could never crack
subliminal messages
in Mr. Rogers' lyrics. 

Time devoured so much
needless labor meant
to destroy another mentor.

Some mastermind's plot
to avenge never getting
to feel up favorite teacher.

Don't ask why but when
charge resumes. Networks 
have Civil War locked. 

Armies picked like kickball
teaks, weakest don't even
get to be chosen last. 

Black Lives Matter barred 
from small store fronts
where bombs are built.

Charcoal clouds soar
to block away hints
of post-storm  magenta. 

To not play the game
we're not invited to 
is to lose anyway. 

Music sans lyrics
for God to sneak under
can save us now. 

In hammerless song,
keys left find ways,
unlock beast machines.

Sweep ground for their
trash, build new museum.
to save what we lost. 

 
Maybe if I put Laurel Lambert's name down three times...

Special thanks to Jon Wesick, John Sturm, Jan Rowe (for trying to get on) Carol Weston, Laurel Lambert (and Laurel Lambert I guess, though neither read), Chris Fitzgerald, Ethan Mackler and Andrew K. Peterson.

3 comments:

Jefferson Carter said...

What's with the fad of cherry-picking lines from other poems and "organizing " them into a new piece? I get it that chance can be a powerful creator of good verse, but most of the pieces you've "composed" and posted are just coyly arbitrary bits of tin foil, thrilling to the magpies among us.

Chad Parenteau said...

JFC, JC! If you're commenting on my blog, you really must have nowhere else to go.

Jefferson Carter said...

Chadster, I got plenty of po-sites to visit. I thought you'd be pleased that I read your blog. I admire anyone who can keep a blog going, so no disrespect intended. I just find the cento fad annoying. Stay well. JC