Someone mentioned a challenge to write a weird poem. Now’s your chance to see what free-form thoughts ping-pong about in my mind, directly onto the keyboard. Yeah, I know, don’t forget your meds, Amy!
You Said It
If I had to choose a pickle
I’d take one from the right.
The left one too squidgy
The other one so tight.
And for my pleasure, whistle
the tune from “Auld Lang Syne.”
It’s sad lugubrious and nice
for crying in your brine.
A walk to watch the fat cats
crony at private points
as lizards crawl up pantlegs
and weasels gnaw their joints.
My hair is tightly binding
my scalp onto my head.
My thoughts are finely scattered
but my pencil’s out of lead.
© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
RJ Clarken
Amy – I love it! I can so see this on a broadside with a funky, Amy[ish] illustration!
Roger Green
So you took the correct (right) pickle, tho knowing your politics, I thought you’d go left for sure.
Sharp Little Pencil
Oh, Lord, I never even thought of that! You are a sharper pencil than I, sir!! And you know me so well…
zouxzoux
Delightful! Thanks for the smile. 🙂
pamela
Yup! Made me smile and I thank you for that, Amelita 🙂
Pamela
Sharp Little Pencil
De nada, amiga! Que loca la Amelita, si?
pmwanken
My mind is so concrete that I rarely come up with random…and admire the randomness of others. Thanks for sharing and, well, “weirdly” done! 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
THanks, Paula! I understand what you mean. I have both sides. I’m two-two-two mints in one! But letting go and seeing what sticks on the page is a hell of a lot of fun!
Sherry Blue Sky
Pretty cool! Your brain seems fine to me. Love the pickle on the right!
Sharp Little Pencil
Pickle to the left, pickle to the right… wait, is that Don Henley?!
brenda w
Oh Amy, Thank you for your encouragement with my students, and for directing me to this stream of your consciousness. 🙂 I especially like the bit about the pickle, and “as lizards crawl up pantlegs, and weasels gnaw their joints.” As my students would say, “You are beast, Amy!” and free form weirdness suits you.
~Brenda
Sharp Little Pencil
OOOH! I am “beast”? Is that even better than “bomb”? I am so tragically behind the times on slang. And yes, free form weirdness is… my life! Amy
Madeleine Begun Kane
Amusingly weird. 🙂
vivinfrance
The idea of lizards crawling up pantllegs maid my flesh crawl, let alone lizards! I like the inconsequencial nature of your poem’ Don’t run out of pencil lead just yet.
Sharp Little Pencil
If it does, I’ll grab a crayon! A
vivinfrance
made!
James Steerforth
Really made me laugh! Full of great lines 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks for visiting, James. Glad I could give you a chuckle!
Mariya Koleva
Amy, it’s such a nice poem to read, and so enjoyable!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Mariya. Just how my mind works… kind of fun, huh?
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Mariya! You are turning out some great poems yourself – I’m keeping tabs! A
Irene
Yes this gave me a giggle!
Tilly Bud
I like it!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Linda. Goofy but fun, right?
Tilly Bud
Always!
Sharp Little Pencil
Ha, I’ll bet you did!
Mary
Amy, this was indeed a ‘weird’ poem, but I liked it. I liked the flow of it, liked where your mind took you, liked your sense of word play! Well done, my friend.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much, Mary! Yeah, weird is a big part of me! a