I am Daisy

[PrinceMyshkin]

I am Daisy and I am mad.
I used to believe I was Not-daisy
but she was every bit as mad.

It would be hard for me to describe
my madness any better
than a cod could describe water.
The best I can do is to say
that it consisted in believing
that things were as they appeared to be.

That is, that the road was a road,
rain was rain, and love was
--well, love was what everyone knows
but no one can adequately explain.

People have died of it, or
thought they did. People have died
without it or at any rate
lived miserable, anguished lives...

But I have learned to live
with or without love
by calling it by some other name:
felicity or arrowroot biscuits,
wantonness or the second gate
from the right.

[Sweets America]

It is a very good one, Shou! I absolutely love this:


People have died of it, or
thought they did. People have died
without it or at any rate
lived miserable, anguished lives...

This is kind of brilliant. :)

This one is not my favorite :p BUT it is higher on the scale than those which are usually not my favorites, you see?

Also, I am really intrigued by:


the second gate
from the right.

[PrinceMyshkin]

This one is not my favorite :p

Nor is this response of yours!


BUT it is higher on the scale than those which are usually not my favorites, you see?

But it too is higher on the scale than some of your other responses.

[CdnReader]

A shoemaker with a broken ear
brought love to Canada on a boat....
He took the second gate from the right
when he left his drab, dry, defunct farm
some hundreds of miles northwest of Helsinki.

He trundled his family to a seaside town,
and presented shiny new passports
for inspection at the Immigration Office,
second gate from the left, for those with
initials M through P.

They say that arrowroot biscuits
are good for seasickness.

[PrinceMyshkin]

A shoemaker with a broken ear
brought love to Canada on a boat....
He took the second gate from the right
when he left his drab, dry, defunct farm
some hundreds of miles northwest of Helsinki.

He trundled his family to a seaside town,
and presented shiny new passports
for inspection at the Immigration Office,
second gate from the left, for those with
initials M through P.

They say that arrowroot biscuits
are good for seasickness.

Love it! Thanks, you...

[Pendragon]

second gate from the right
and straight on til morning--
the wandering son of Abraham
into the country of maple leaves,
seeking solace for soul and body,
and a good recipe
for arrowroot biscuits...

[AuntShecky]

I am Daisy and I am mad.
I used to believe I was Not-daisy
but she was every bit as mad.

It would be hard for me to describe
my madness any better
than a cod could describe water.
The best I can do is to say
that it consisted in believing
that things were as they appeared to be.

That is, that the road was a road,
rain was rain, and love was
--well, love was what everyone knows
but no one can adequately explain.

People have died of it, or
thought they did. People have died
without it or at any rate
lived miserable, anguished lives...

But I have learned to live
with or without love
by calling it by some other name:
felicity or arrowroot biscuits,
wantonness or the second gate
from the right.


Parts of this piece made me think of other things. For instance, this:

I am Daisy and I am mad.

reminded me of the Henry James novel. Also the old wives' tale that one should only dream of daisies in the spring when they bloom. Dreaming about them any other time of the year is bad news, such as in these lines of your'n:

People have died of it, or
thought they did. People have died
without it or at any rate
lived miserable, anguished lives

which is a DIRECT echo of a line from our beloved WC Williams : "men have died" from lack of what is found in poetry.

and these of course echo our equally beloved Wallace Stevens, (right, Firefangled?)

The best I can do is to say
that it consisted in believing
that things were as they appeared to be.

and this of course alludes to Robert Frost

That is, that the road was a road,


All of this is NOT to say that your poem is "derivative," but
what a great overview -- in verse -- for National Poetry Month! Needless to say, I found much to think about in these lines.

Well done!

Auntie

[PrinceMyshkin]

Parts of this piece made me think of other things. For instance, this:

I am Daisy and I am mad.

reminded me of the Henry James novel. Also the old wives' tale that one should only dream of daisies in the spring when they bloom. Dreaming about them any other time of the year is bad news, such as in these lines of your'n:

People have died of it, or
thought they did. People have died
without it or at any rate
lived miserable, anguished lives

which is a DIRECT echo of a line from our beloved WC Williams : "men have died" from lack of what is found in poetry.

and these of course echo our equally beloved Wallace Stevens, (right, Firefangled?)

The best I can do is to say
that it consisted in believing
that things were as they appeared to be.

and this of course alludes to Robert Frost

That is, that the road was a road,


All of this is NOT to say that your poem is "derivative," but
what a great overview -- in verse -- for National Poetry Month! Needless to say, I found much to think about in these lines.

Well done!

Auntie

But HOW could you overlook Matthew 7:14?!

[ampoule]

"It would be hard for me to describe
my madness any better
than a cod could describe water."

Described perfectly.

"But I have learned to live
with or without love
by calling it by some other name:
felicity or arrowroot biscuits,
wantonness or the second gate
from the right."

Once again, I am rolling on the floor CRYING out loud. I hate that I understand this.

I like this, muchly.

[PrinceMyshkin]

"It would be hard for me to describe
my madness any better
than a cod could describe water."

Described perfectly.

"But I have learned to live
with or without love
by calling it by some other name:
felicity or arrowroot biscuits,
wantonness or the second gate
from the right."

Once again, I am rolling on the floor CRYING out loud. I hate that I understand this.

I like this, muchly.

Wmao to write one that you will NOT understand....

[ampoule]

It's okay. I'm a big talker.

[asilef73]

It would be hard for me to describe
my madness any better
than a cod could describe water.

--well, love was what everyone knows
but no one can adequately explain.

But I have learned to live
with or without love
by calling it by some other name:


these were the phrases i loved the best but i really felt i could relate to the entire thing. excellent job. as always.

[RJbibliophil]

I like it, but no one can live without love. Then they die for want of it.

[firefangled]

I like this.

Who is not mad then? None of us from trying to be or being in love.


The best I can do is to say
that it consisted in believing
that things were as they appeared to be.

This is my favorite line. And seems to be the essence of what drives us into madness, fine or otherwise.

But "arrowroot buscuits and second gate from the right " are also wonderfully
wacky.

However, love without madness is boring and maybe impossible because it changes things as you say, no one can explain love. After years it becomes even harder.

I loved the way you begin this poem, it took me in. You would do well to begin a novel with these same words.

Excellent!!!

[PrinceMyshkin]

However, love without madness is boring and maybe impossible because it changes things as you say, no one can explain love. After years it becomes even harder.

Dare I say that with a little bit of luck, courage, truthfulness and a great whack of humility, it becomes as the water to the cod?