Music and Poetry

     If you recall, in my post on January 13th, called, "A Promise to You All", I said that I would try to post at least 40 times in the year of 2011. If you have an excellent memory, you'll also remember that I wanted around 15 of those posts to contain poems. So here's to you, music/poetry lovers, and here's to you, people who want me to keep my promises: a poem, by my dear friend Ecat, who has also guest-written on the subject of Norman Rockwell and his art. 

The Journey of the Song

By Ecat

I shall leap through the air and rest in the cradle of your ear

I shall paint pictures across your face

 and lift you up through the smoke of emotions 

and fuse with the air you breathe

Though you be scared and falling through the weave of time

Though you embrace the world sliding through the arch of all that is you

You will find me in the most unlikely places

You will find comfort in me and absolutely fly on my wings

I can laugh and cry and scream as I float by

I will take you with me, so

Cry for those who cannot see my color, mourn!

Cry in despair for those who hear but do not open up!

For those who hear and scoff, or worse, 

For those who would hear; but twist and defile my simple beauties,

Pray, Let them taste me and know more than emotion running through a 

sieve

Pray, and hear me play the darkness that bursts forth into light

Copyright Ecat 2011, all rights reserved, unauthorized use is prohibited

Thanks for listening, and I hope you liked the poem!

Maggs

Riddles

     In fairy tales, there are often common themes: a princess who needs to be rescued, a commoner going above and beyond what is expected of them, true love's first kiss, quests, and so on. However, my favorite fairy tale tradition would be that of the telling of riddles. 
     Oftentimes, when a hero (or heroine) is faced with a quest, they are asked to answer riddles somewhere along the way. And so, when thinking of the epic riddle battle between Bilbo and Golem, or the Sphinx Harry Potter meets in the maze, I have to ask myself-- if someone gave me that riddle, what would I say?
     This is what has lead to my recent fascination with riddles, and so here are some original word-puzzles of my own. Good luck!


Sparkling and twinkling like the stars
but doomed on Earth to stay
until the sun shines bright again
and wears the tiny dancers away.

              Answer

One  holds more than most could ever know

showing hints, by using lines,

of where you ought to go.

                                                                                                           Answer

                                                                                                                 

Forming pictures in the blackness

absent in all forms of light

guiding those who've lost their way

true creatures of the night.    

           Answer

Thanks for listening!

Maggs

A Packing List

     Have you ever been about to depart on an adventure, but not known what to bring? Have you ever refused to help someone travel to faraway realms and battle magical creatures simply because you didn't know what sort of things you'd need on the trip? Well, your problems are solved, my friend. Here's a list of the ten best things to take on an adventure, as well as the many ways each item can be used:

Things to Bring on an Adventure

1. A letter opener with an actual blade

     Uses: Takes up a lot less space than a pair of scissors and can be used to cut things like thin rope, paper, and the mesh bags that oranges come in.

2. A towel

     Uses: Can function as a blanket, cape, turban, pillow, gag, short rope, shelter, etc.

3. A spoon

     Uses: Can be used for eating or as a weapon in dire cases. Also, if you dip the end in ink, it makes a crude, albeit usable, pen.

4. A book of original riddles

     Uses: If you're ever challenged by a sphinx, try to make friends with them by offering up an original riddle.

5. The neck and mouthpiece of a bass clarinet

     Uses: Works like a horn or bugle and can be used as a help signal or for entertainment.

6. Duct tape

     Uses: Can be used to tie up an enemy, fix any broken equipment, or prevent an extremely annoying companion from talking.

7. Rope

     Uses: Just in case your duct tape runs out, you can tie someone up with it. Also, you can use rope to swing to safety or lasso a horse if you need a beast of burden.

8. Extra clothes

     Uses: Just in case you meet an extremely attractive member of the opposite sex on your journey and you don't actually want to smell like you've been on an adventure all along.

9. A nice, sturdy bucket

     Uses: Can function as a cooking pot, a stepping stool, a chair, and, in extreme cases, also as a weapon. In addition, if the bucket is big enough, you can store all the rest of your junk in it.

10. Your best friend

     Uses: Keeps you company, provides you with wisdom, helps you abide by the "Buddy System", and, in a pinch, can be sacrificed to the trolls and other villains in place of yourself.

Disclaimer: These supplies are only highly recommended in a fantastical situation. Life as a Starving Poet will not be held responsible for any accidents that occur during your adventure as a result of bringing these items, or of not bringing anything else.

Thanks for listening,

Maggs      

A Promise to You All

     In the year of 2010, I wrote exactly thirty blog posts. These posts were extremely varied, ranging from poems about spring to rants about difficult computer classes. In addition to these thirty posts, I also showcased an original movie filmed by my dad and scripted by myself. 
     Because many long years of attending grade, middle, and high school have taught me that life is simply impossible without a few goals, I'm going to set some for myself so that Life as a Starving Poet can continue being life, and not death. 
     My first goal is to top 2010's post total and surpass it by ten (meaning, I'd like to post around 40 times in the year 2011). My second goal is to have at least 15 of those posts include or consist of one or more poems.
     And now, it is with a hopeful heart that I wish you a happy (albeit belated) New Year.


Thanks for listening,
Maggs 

Dante Revised

In his epic poem, "Dante's Inferno", Dante Alighieri described the seven circles of hell (there are actually nine, but that's beside the point) in disturbing detail. He explained the sort of sinner in each circle, the various tortures they were subjected to, and the famous people he met in each circle.
     Well, folks, today, I entered my own sort of hell in my web design class. Although the experience was truly horrible (I was this close to smashing the computer with the nearest sledgehammer), it provided me with the inspiration for this list:

The Seven Circles of Technological Hell

(AKA, the places where the technologically impaired go to suffer)

• Circle One- The Maze of Minor Malfunctions: Sinners are made to wander endlessly through a giant maze with only a malfunctioning GPS system for a guide.
• Circle Two- The Troubleshooting Trap:The damned are subjected to the average desktop computer's Troubleshooting Guide. Enough said.  
• Circle Three- The Crypt of Crashing Computers: Wrong-doers are given a computer and are told that if they can finish a project, they will be released to purgatory. However, the computers crash about every 15 minutes, so this is virtually impossible.
• Circle Four- The Labyrinth of Lazy Loading: Sinners are told that at any moment, they will be released into a labyrinth and left to wander forever. However, this labyrinth is still loading.....
• Circle Five- The Flash Forum: Evil-doers are made to hold an internet forum on the Flash computer program, which is possibly the most complicated and mind-bogglingly annoying thing I've ever worked with.
• Circle Six- The Biting Bytes: Creatures called bites are sent after sinners to bite and torture them for all eternity.
• Circle Seven- The Grave of Glitches: Wrong-doers are set to work on fixing supposedly "minor" glitches which, in reality, are so incredibly difficult not even the nerdiest computer-geek could repair them.

          So there it is, folks-- The Seven Circles of Technological Hell. Hopefully, you will never enter any of these circles, and if you do, well, gook luck.

Thanks for listening,

Maggs