Poetic Asides had an interesting prompt: Sound.
I don’t often indulge in haiku, but Sensational Haiku Weds. on You Know… that Blog? posed a single word: Wish.
So it’s one cynical and one hopeful. Both are also at the poetic collective, Poets United, where I think my interview is still posted as well! Peace, Amy
FOR POETIC ASIDES (also posted on their blog)
Snap, Crackle, Plop
The sizzle of a full-pound burger hitting the grill
The crackle of a Snickers bar just dropped in a deep prayer
The burble of Mountain Dew as it glugs from a 2-liter bottle
The pop of an opened Pringles can
The crunch of hot, salted french fries.
The hiss of whole milk foaming for a macchiato,
another hiss for the extra whipped cream
The snap of a third or fourth Twix bar.
The plop of millions of butts onto sofas
for “Dancing With The Stars,”
plus whatever else will fill a full four hours
of family television viewing.
The click of the computer mouse
as Facebook meets Farmville.
The thumbpunch on a keypad, texting
from a comfy chair at the Internet café.
The huff-puff of labored breathing
and murmured swears as the businessman
struggles to climb a single flight of stairs
(elevator out of order).
These are the sounds of obesity.
The sounds of Americans feeding not only their addiction,
but the corporate coffers of people so rich, they
laugh all the way to their next liposuction appointment.
© 2011 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
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FOR SENSATIONAL HAIKU WEDNESDAY
Wishing and Doing
Wishing on a star
mimics prayer, save but one thing:
Invoking God’s name
Praying for world peace
Will not ever be enough
We must work for it
We must all cry, Stop!
Take it to the streets, until
real peace is world-waged
© 2011 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
becca givens
Amy – I enjoyed backtracking and reading the great interview at Poets United (I don’t really know much about the group, but have seen the name multiple times) … I appreciate your joining Sensational Haiku Wednesday … and as always I enjoy and appreciate my visits here. 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
Becca, start backtracking your poems (it should be on your New Post screen) to http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com and your poem will be automatically posted on their right column. Once the editors get a sense for your work, I think you will be asked to join, because you’re very talented! And although, as I said, haiku isn’t a regular form for me, when the prompt is right, I’ll be there. I do always check the prompt and see what it is… Thanks, hon! Peace, Amy
magicalmysticalteacher
“world-waged”
I like that image! It invokes pictures in my head of what happened not so long ago when people in Egypt got fed up with living in a dictatorship and took to the streets to demand a change. No guns. No bombs. Just a demand for change.
Sharp Little Pencil
Yes, yes! The trouble begins when people run out of WORDS and start firing guns instead. The government there was unsuccessful in trying to stir the crowds into violent action. Peace prevailed; may it ever be so. Thank you for this. Do you have a blog? Peace, Amy
madeleine sara
Oh wow I like sounds and imagery in the poem. A salutory tale for us all!
Great haiku too :O)
Sharp Little Pencil
Thank you so much, Madeleine. Unfortunately, WordPress gave me your Gravatar address, not your blog, so I’ll try to research it. Take care, Amy
booguloo
You’ve nailed America’s biggest growing problem. And the Haiku’s, one of the biggest world problems. Well done.
Sharp Little Pencil
I feel bad for folks who cannot seem to lose weight, but I lost 50 slowly over 3 years, just a little more exercise every day, black coffee instead of lattes… first day, two pushups, next day four. If you’re motivated, pretty soon all those foods and activities mentioned will seem gross and a waste of time…
MiskMask
Most of those item have crossed my lips in years, but I must say that their mention still makes my mouth water. 😀
Sharp Little Pencil
I’m actually glad I’m post-menopausal, because most of the fried stuff no longer agrees with my tummy!!
Sherry Blue Sky
I love them both, the commentary on North American obesity (Too Much while the Third World has Too Little), and the world-waged peace. Now THERE is a battle cry I could get behind!!!!!
Sharp Little Pencil
Rebel, rebel! Yowza. Keep on the phones and the emails to the White House, y’all. We have to end these conflicts. (Technically, they are not wars, because they were not declared by Congress. Pres. Bush waged war on an ideology – it’s like the war on cancer, only with higher casualties.
vivienne Blake
Oh that sting in the tail of your sounds poem! I was enjoying the sounds, and then wham, right between the eyes! Very well done. And the 3 senryu are brilliant, too.
Sharp Little Pencil
I keep meaning to look up what senryu are. I accidentally did a form??? Wow, I’m on a roll! I always learn from you, Viv, and as my mom used to say, “Learn from the best!” Amy
uponthewingsofnight
Some of the sounds of obesity that you mention in your first poem are sounds that I know all too well. It seems like food and I became really close friends a long time ago. I’m sure that I will one day find a way to tell food that we would be better off not seeing each other as much. A really good descriptive poem, Amy!