Kristofferson

a poem about love and music

 I used to read Sylvia Plath to you,

And Charles Bukowski, and Langston Hughes,

The greats loomed in our heads while we slept.

 

I used to hold your hand,

And it was always cold,

It gave me goose bumps.

 

I played you Kris Kristofferson,

And you just played me,

With the skill of someone who had done this,

So many times before.

 

I wanted to tell you all the things,

That Kris, and Sylvia said so effortlessly.

 

I wanted to stop the music,

Stop the poetry,

And scream at you to feel like that for me.

 

I never quite summoned up the courage.

 

I never managed to inspire,

That same poetry from you.

 

I still remember the day,

You gave me back my scratched up Kristofferson cd.

 

I’m glad you gave it back,

You never understood my taste in music anyway.

Reviews

[Pax Analog]

Very cool to see ol' Kris appreciated by another generation. Haven't listened to his stuff in years, tho' I recall his lyric touch. . .that business about a poet, prophet, picker, preacher being "a walking contradiction, partly truth, and partly fiction, takin' every wrong direction, on his lonely way back home."

What one tends to call Dylanesque, tho' all us songwriters, known, unknown, semi-known, with a certain poetic pulse in our veins, are prone to roll out such lines from time to time. Dig the Bukowski quote on your profile too. You seem to be addressing this to a poet of some sort who won't favor you with and inspired response. If so, what a frickin' fool! A woman's beauty of mind, face, body, soul is the greatest gift to the world. A guy who can't respond with his whole heart to that is as good as dead.

Well, you did say the dude's hand was always cold. Brrrr!

I guess Sylvia's spirit was around for the elegy.

I wish you much happiness in all your creative endeavors.

[gravitylava]

haha, I like this. The last line, "I'm glad you gave it back,
You never understood my taste in music anyway."
That made me laugh. This is a cool poem; I like how you tell a story using the music.
nice.
-michelle

[Kevin]

Been there, felt that. Great stuff though, well done.

[Gordon]

Like the topic and the way you incorporated Kristofferson into a poem. You did a good job of telling the story here. I enjoyed it.

My only gripe if you could even call it one, is that the font was huge on my pc. I don't know if you intentionally set it so big but one line often turns into 2.

Thanks for sharing it, love to read more of you.

[Lyrical Love]

I'm glad you gave it back,

You never understood my taste in music anyway.---->My favorite line...I feel this piece. The acceptance of taking back what was yours, and moving on...like being on the bus stop-next!
Good job.
~Lyrical

[Frankie]

He's amazing. a genius in human clothing.

[Isolophobe]

wow, i know that same exact feeling. i gave someone some of my music that i was fond of...and they never really appreciated my music or me. Great expression of that sentiment.

[John Stussy]

Beautiful in it's pain, this poem. Sad that it happened, but it led to the creation of a great piece. You write well of romantic tragedy, love that was never there. Keep it up Amanda.

[Cliff Rhodes]

This is a very good touch, and I like Kristofferson too. He wrote so many songs for other people and is a helicopter pilot. (Interesting person.)

" I wanted to stop the music,
Stop the poetry,
And scream at you to feel like that for me."

So great these lines, that I am wanting to feel more and just stop and listen. Beautiful.

[Paza]

Terrific poem! I have more than a little experience in not being loved the way you want to be loved and not being able to share things that are important to you with your significant other...the car is always silent or on talk radio because my husband and I do not share our tastes in music. My son has just learned to bring his iPod...and on long trips so do I. Your work really underscores that feeling... and
"I played you Kris Kristofferson,
And you just played me,"
Well, that was just brilliant....

[alternative_be]

You are getting better and better!
Reading this gave me the goose bumps ... This guy, did not know half how lucky he was, having good literature and poetry read! You are a true romantic!
Clearly he did not appreciate what you were doing... In my view it is his loss!
Well I would have screamed if I were you!
I am glad you got your record back!
Keep on writing more of this gems!