Hellish Mind Music
Exquisite pain
Migraine music
Satan’s symphony
starts slowly
Building, blinding
to crescendo
Muted applause
at its end
© 2013 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, all permissions given by Searobin, creator
At Poets United, Kim introduced us to William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow,” a simply gorgeous poem of only eight lines and no punctuation. Read it HERE. She asked us to build in the same form a poem in which every word matters. I woke up with said migraine, so it became my subject! Ah yes, art is pain… pain is art…
This also appears near the hedges bordering the Imaginary Garden With Real Toads. Peace, Amy
Sharp Little Pencil 
on thehomefrontandbeyond
such an apt description!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, HomeFront! Amy
on thehomefrontandbeyond
Amy—you can call me LouAnn
Sharp Little Pencil
LouAnn, you can call me a ditz when I forget your name!! I’ll do my best, though. Thanks! Mind Like Steel Sieve
on thehomefrontandbeyond
I never remember names–you are kind enough to leave yours in your comment which is such a smart thing to do
Sharp Little Pencil
Louann (is that right?!), you gave me the idea of keeping a list that has blog names and real names posted, and it hangs over my computer. Thanks for that, and yes, I want people to know my name.
Had a blogger who was virtually anonymous last week – a cracker straight out of the barrel – spewing racist rhetoric, and I commented (somewhat caustically) that anyone can say things hiding behind their initials, etc. In your case, your posts are all so wonderful, you should make your name more visible. Mine’s in the masthead, right on top. Claiming it, “Amying it”! ha ha
vandana
You depicted it so well:)
Sharp Little Pencil
Anyone who’s ever had a migraine will understand… thanks, Vandana! Amy
Sam Edge, Writer
Way to work through the pain!
Sharp Little Pencil
Yeah, I sat with one eye closed and the other looking for a pad!! Amy
http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com
Poem brilliant, but I hope the migraine has gone. A great discipline of a form!
Sharp Little Pencil
Viv, the “form” comment was like gold to me, thanks. Migraines come and go, but this one yielded more than a few hours of a darkened room: It birthed a poem! Amy
Lisa A.Williams
I can really relate to migraines, actually had one this morning as well. Truly great job on this poem.
Sharp Little Pencil
Wow, are we on the same migraine cycle? And don’t they just kill? Thanks, Lisa, and I’m heading to your blog now!
Polly Robinson
Succinct and beautifully expressed, Amy. Anyone who suffers will identify with this one.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Polly. The prompt asked for an eight-line poem, and you know I’m not one for brevity! It was a good practice in discipline… another thing I’m not good at! I feel for all my fellow migraine comrades – they come at the worst times. See you on your blog, Amy
ihatepoetry
Excellent – worthy of WC Williams.
Sharp Little Pencil
Wow, bruddah mine, thanks so much. I was forced into brevity by Kim’s prompt, so the word choices were agonizing… and I wrote it during the migraine! Love, Ameleh
kelvin s.m.
…this is one tiny struggling piece Amy… felt it — the pain & you demonstrate it…. ‘Satan’s symphony starts slowly’ — this part is quite enough to relate to what you’ve gone through… great write… smiles…
Sharp Little Pencil
Kelvin, thanks. The prompt kept me at eight lines, which is not my strong suit, but it was a good discipline. If only the migraines lasted the length of the poem instead of hours, I’d be set. Thanks! A
alan1704
That is really good captures pain and the way it invades like music
Sharp Little Pencil
Alan, my migraines are accompanied by music that sounds like Tom Waits during his “Swordfish and Trombones” phase. Dirges with rusty singing saws. Thanks for stopping by – coming your way now. Amy
Irene Golembo
very cool…and how dif sounds in 2 clefs…surprising ‘mute’ – wow what a contrast music!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thank you, Irene, and thanks for stopping by! Coming over to your blog now… Amy
markwindham
well done, and know the subject too well… and, yes, please mute the applause
Sharp Little Pencil
Oh, poor Mark, a brother in the bother. Migraines aren’t the worst pain, I suppose, because they do subside… but damn if they don’t feel like it when you’re smack dab in the middle of one. Thx, Amy
Mary
You have really made a migraine REAL, Amy!!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Mary. I wrote it during a migraine, so there you go. One eye was closed at the time…! Amy
Roger Green
Sorry about your schmuck stalker
Anyway, I’m trying not to watch one of those inane Disney Channel shows this week – the Daughter likes them. These two girls are supposed to come up with a choreography on short notice, but couldn’t concentrate because of all the construction noise. The construction action and sounds became the dance.
I now have commented with more words than your entire post…
Sharp Little Pencil
Hey, Roger, my daughter was hooked on Dragonball Z. Trust me, you have the better portion!
Yeah, the stalker finally went away. Back under his lily white rock. Love the note about the long comment, smarty! A
annell4
Nice piece of painful music….sometimes it is that way.
Sharp Little Pencil
As long as I have to suffer them, they might as well render me a poem, right? Thanks, Annell, and nice to see you here! Amy
Paul Andrew Russell
Oh I can definitely feel this, Amy. Great description of a debilitating affliction no one can see. Until I got them I didn’t think they could be as bad as people said. I know better now.
http://www.paulandrewrussell.net/unwelcome-intruder/
Sharp Little Pencil
Paul, it’s so true. Until we’ve walked a mile in those shoes, we cannot understand the weight on our body. Crippling buggers. I’ll check out the link, and thanks for leaving a URL for me! Amy
I HAVE A VOICE
I adore William Carlos William ! This was are wonderful !
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much. Hope you get over to Real Toads and see the others! Peace, Amy
Sherry Blue Sky
Great write, Amy. “Muted applause at its end”.Hope you are feeling better. MY day was so hellish I feel the same way – muted applause it is over.
Sharp Little Pencil
Oh, Sherry, better days are coming. Once the menagerie’s herd has thinned out somewhat, right? Thanks, coming to see you now, Amy
sreeja
You captured it fully in a few words…..excellent!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thank you, Sreeja. The prompt asked for brevity, and to tell you the truth, that’s not my strong suit, so it was a real challenge. Coming to see your blog now… thanks again, and peace, Amy
sreejaharikrishnan
You captured it so well… excellent!
Walt Wojtanik
Ames. A great turn of words. A silent standing “O” in Buffalo.
Sharp Little Pencil
Walt, you are so sweet. Thanks for the moment of silence in honor of my migraine. It was actually raging when I wrote the poem – Sumatriptan working its way into my system, and hand over one eye as I wrote – they always come on one side… Ames
Loredana Donovan
Muted applause … great closing, clever. Hope you feel better! 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks for the muted applause! Coming to see you now. Peace, Amy
Akila
Muted applause says it all. peace be with you
http://randomlynovel.blogspot.com/2013/08/obscure.html
Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade)
Oh, that says it all!
Suzy
You described that migraine well. Thankfully I don’t get them anymore
Sharp Little Pencil
I’m thankful you don’t get them as well, Suzy! Amy
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