Minutes of Madness

one of those days when everything's just a LITTLE BIT off....

Imagining clocks on chopping blocks

or draped on frigid branches,

worked in art.

The smart ones in the crowd

talking patience, talking greed,

throwing dice with bloody fingers

against walls with holes

of drying dirt.

 

The hurt that still surrounds you prompting

street people to stare…

they wonder if their jackets are on strait.

If they can stop the ferris wheel from

spinning, never done,

their hearts can run the risk

of blood stains baking

in the sun.

 

Those clocks, now stopped,

blink ‘overkill’

their minutes cut in half;

just for laughs…branches broken…

looking back.

 

dan © 2015

Music: "Brain Damage" by Pink Floyd

Author's Note

Reviews

[Kelly Scheppers]

Your "brain damage" influence of PF has been interpreted in a mind blowing fashion. A very clever notation on that strait jacket, btw.

My younger brother got me into Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Our house had such a variation of music all the time, then I got a job at the local mall in a record store...how cool, right?

I think writing poetry like this takes skill. It's like all those years seeped into our brain, and all we needed to do was tap into it! You did an amazing job here, Dan...really!

[dan]

Kelly, For me to list what played in my place would take years. Hard rock, pop rock, metal, punk, New Wave, you name it. Discovering the embedded video feature makes me want to put it in all of my postings but that would get to overblown I think. I'll behave with my new toy. take care...dan

[CaillenJames]

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything."

-Plato

[dan]

Plato, I'm honored that you deigned my writing is good for you to review. (kidding...) That's a nice quote written by one who should know. I appreciate the read/review. take care...dan

[CaillenJames]

Haha. Clever.

Music is one of my greatest pleasures and this one is one of my favourite quotes.

Any time

[Etta Beasley]

Very clever and thoughtful.. Great choice in words as well. I look forward to reading more from you.

[dan]

Etta, Thank you for the kind words. I look forward to reading more of your work myself. take care...dan

[...]

What i really dig here, Dan, is the intensity of these carefully chosen words. And that second stanza...ya :)
define crazy lol. Oh and the Floyd is perfect. So I'm pretty sure Ima Fave this one...Excellent

[dan]

lynn, Well thank you! The only other time before this when there was something of mine in a library was my mug shot. All kidding aside, thank you so much for your kind words and complimentary review. take care...dan

[Michelle Coleman]

Not only do I love how you couple your words with a song, I do that in my chapters as well, though only a fragment. I believe it helps a person to better transport into your world for just a moment.

These words inspire anxiety for me because I CAN imagine. I believe there is a little madness in us all. And when we look at everyone surrounding us while we drown in our own grief or pain, we don't notice how others worry and suffer. How similar we all are. I am not sure if that is where you were going, but this is what came up for me.

[dan]

Michelle, Your interpretation is fine. The main difference that I see in poetry as opposed to stories is that if I let 10 different people read a poem of mine, I would EXPECT them to come up with 10 different interpretation. With stories the plot has to follow in a linear fashion, with poems you get to leave open-ended questions for the reader to answer. Thank you for your great review. take care...dan

[CaillenJames]

I'd completely missed the "strait" part. That was clever.

Time is our most valuable commodity, but it can make us crazy. Always with our schedules and our lists. Work, family, friends, fun. Always trying to make room in a day for everything you want to do. There is never any time. We put what we think is most important in the forefront. Then we realize that we've run out of time and we still haven't accomplished what we set out to do. Hopes get dropped and dreams and love are just romanceful tales.

...Life can definitely make you crazy.

Beautiful poem, by the way. Really nice. Thank you for sharing.

[dan]

Or you get to the point I inhabit: semi-retired with TOO MUCH time on my hands, and this part of life is making me very crazy. I love to write (do it freelance for a few websites) but can only tax my brain with limited amounts of ideas. But why am I venting? Time on my hands. Thank you for the great review, and sorry for complaining. take care...dan

[CaillenJames]

No apologies necessary. I understand what you mean, though retirement for me is waaay far off. I have a few family members with the same complaint, not sure of what to do all day with all of that free time.

I think they've taken the same road as you; find something you enjoy and fill your time with that. Discover new things and experience new adventures.

The mind is a terrible thing to waste. Keep working it!

[ANTO]

I loved the start of this - "wondering if their jackets are on strait" - we are all mad - they just havent realised yet and think their jackets make them who or what they are (clothes maketh the man).
The hectic pace of modern life gets all the more hectic (stop the world I wanna get off) so time is effectively halved while we try to shove twice as much crap into a day, an hour, a minute and theres only so much this tree of life will take before *SNAP*
I dont know about Dali's clocks but I got a trip out of this one Dan. Muchos Gracias.
:)

[dan]

Anto, Notice the word is spelled s-t-r-a-i-t as in "straitjackets?" Madness...get it? Thanks so much for the review, sir! take care...dan

[Ana D S M]

I've come to recognize from your poetry that you are a master of imagery.
A finely tuned poem here.

[....................]

Love the images you create here dan: time chopped in half and hanging from branches bound to break. And the questions you pose make one wonder if any of our jackets are always on straight. Great write and beautiful musical selection to accompany your words.

[dan]

FT, Actually 'straight' was spelled s-t-r-a-i-t as in straitjacket. And clocks draped over branches alludes to a famous Salvador Dali painting (a piece that can be interpreted as hallucinogenic) or madness on canvas. Yeah, I really tripped out on this write. Thanks for the review. take care...dan

[....................]

Ah, yes, I missed the strait and the Dali piece for sure but I think I got the overall message. You are welcome sir!

[closed]

very surreal

makes you wonder what's what

the literary illusion you create of there being more than meets the eye
of ordinary being extraordinary

very fun read Dan


-Dream

[dan]

Dream, Thank you for the warm review. Have you tried adding music to anything yet? take care...dan

[closed]

youre welcome

and you're about to see it in my newest work coming up in just a bit here
it's something I've been working on for awhile^