I'm in a Creative Writing class for college this semester (required for English minors) and so I wrote this list poem about goat ownership! Still rough, but my professor didn't understand it and I told her that any goat person would, so I thought I'd test it out on y'all! Here it goes:
Home
Planks of oak and pine,
stacked and laid in perfect
line to form a
square;
A home,
small in its shape and size,
yet it holds enough love
to last.
A collection of
country dried Timothy,
Kentucky bluegrass,
various sorts of
weeds of unknown origins,
and red clover
stacked in a loft with care
for the long winter ahead.
Lumps of powder
made only for the likes
of baking,
now a life-saving purpose
laid on the shelf
with concern for the future.
Soft,
tender piles of
pine creation leftovers
sprinkled on the cold,
bare floor,
spread with joy
amongst the rest.
Four little cuddly critters
for one to love;
sounds of young cries
fill the new home –
She gives comfort.
Her little ones,
are home;
home to care for
and bring love, peace,
joy, caring, compassion ---
an undying sense of
affection to a lonely farmer.
Replies
Thanks Margaret! :) That was the whole intention of the poem -- to feel like you are preparing a place for little goaties. I told my professor and she thought it was great that goat people got it, but wanted me to change it so others got it. It's not as good as the original because it spells it all out for the reader, but goat people will always have this one --- you can now feel smarter than those "non-goat people" who might look at you weird because you understand poetry better!! Hehe. :P
I totally get it too! and I agree with Patty about the visit to your barn. More specifically, I feel like we just put up a whole new goat home, laid in winter feed supplies, put down fresh bedding and staples for the night and then snuggled up in the corner with a cup of hot chocolate to watch a kidding take place. Now I'd like to know what your teacher would think of all these responses. Can't you just hear that teacher saying "How did these people get all of that out of that poem?" My opinion- another one of those "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand". That teach just don't understand. They wrong, you right. It's that simple!
Thanks Patty! It is so encouraging to know that y'all understand it and like it so well. I am going to share that with her for sure! Thankfully, this was not graded --- just a chance to see what we were working on. Hopefully I can convince her its good.
Thanks!
- Elyse
Oh, I get it totally! LOVE it! I think you did great. It takes a lot of guts, I think, to share anything you've created with others. It helps if they "get it", and I'm sorry your teacher didn't. I found it to be a cozy, peaceful picture of your barn. Feel like I've been there for a little visit. :)
Thanks Rachel --- must be a goat lover thing! I find it funny how easy you guys get it, yet my teacher had no clue what I was talking about! Hehe.
I totally get it. :)
Thanks Deborah --- I knew she was wrong! We had to right a list poem for class, but everyone kept using these cool metaphores and making really beautiful lines....I thought saying "hay", "stall", and "baking powder" were kind of boring! Wanted to create mystery. :) Glad you got it!
-WG4
Oh, I totally understand it! Guess you have to be a goat person! Love it!