SPACE CADET (for my fellow bloggrrrls)
Can’t forget
Space Cadet
who flew through the halls
of our school.
Weird freak cool
radical with balls.
Never was
one to buzz;
never came to dance.
Hall pass? No…
Hell, she’d snow
teachers in a trance
Knew her well?
Who could tell?
She skipped town too soon
to New York
to uncork.
Then, who knows? Rangoon?
Blogging now,
caught hers, wow.
Some shit flies so fast.
Sticks to those
who once chose
to call her “outcast.”
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For Imaginary Garden With Real Toads… “Rebel Girl,” and for Trifecta’s “Radical.” This is dedicated with love and respect to all my bloggrrrls… who embrace life with passion, courage, truth, and the kind of joie de vive not afforded those with limited imaginations or poor opportunities. Some choose their Inner Emily, but many are tuned into that take-no-prisoners style.
NOTE: This is a cantilever, a rare moment when I embraced a form for the post. Ironic, since my poems of rebellion are almost always free verse! Peace, Amy
Sharp Little Pencil 
scriptorsenex
The form made an interesting change! And how appropriately inappropriate for the subject!
Sharp Little Pencil
I have to agree, the juxtaposition is odd, but then, so am I! Thanks, John! A
Roger Green
Sounds like Amy!
dani
space cadet, my ass! {smile} no empty space between those ears!
*hugs*
♥
Sharp Little Pencil
That was my rep in school. I simply had better things to concentrate on than math. Like singing and playing piano!!
coalblack
Well, I guess you know I love this one, Amy! It reminds me somehow of the movie “Foxfire” and Angelina Jolie’s character in that. Your last stanza here just made me laugh and go “yes!”.
Thanks for your cool comment on my Marlene Dietrich poem! I loved that, too.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, hon. While some of it is my personal experience, I believe there’s a common thread among all us “bloggrrrls,” which is an insistence on seeing life the way we choose to, rather than following the dictates of society and other people in our daily lives. And yes, Marlene rocked!
Daydreamertoo
Yes, she sounds like you, no wonder you’re friends 🙂
Women rock!~! And the more women wake up and realise we own our own power in this world , the better it will be!
Great piece Amy… you rock! 😉
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, babe. Yes, we are friends in so many ways… our outspokenness, our unwillingness to endure the status quo… and most of all, our fight for rights. We are all in this banana boat together, right?! Peace and a good buzz, A
SaraV
Excellent! A virtual high five to you:-) I love the not just the content but the momentum of this poem. The form worked really well, too. And as always the heart of it makes me want to cheer. Bloggrrrls rock ❤
Sharp Little Pencil
Yes, we rock, and you know why. There are all sorts of ways to excel at the bloggrrl thing, including speaking truth to power. So glad you found this post, coming over now to yours… Peace, Amy
brian miller
ha. i like much ma’am…our fortunes change when we realize who controls our destiny surely…fun story and i def felt the momentum in your words…
Sharp Little Pencil
Hoping my white straight male readers won’t take offense, because the War is being waged on wackadoodles, not my readers… and certainly not you! (wink) You rock, too, Brian. Peace, A
jesterqueen (@jesterqueen)
ZAP. I like that attitude, and I like to imagine this girl who is finally giving back some of the shit slung her way.
Sharp Little Pencil
She is all of us. Revenge is a dish best served with… a lot of Febreze, ha ha ha, steaming plate of crap! Thanks, Jester! Amy
hedgewitch
I’m all for the take no prisoners style, except when it’s me on the other end of it. Then I’m all for sweet reason. Loved this, and love the irony of using form to script rebellion.
Sharp Little Pencil
Ha, you’re the second person to comment on that irony, and I felt the same. Like flicking on a Zippo to explain how snow falls. I’m “take no prisoners” only in dialogue. There is the pacifist part of me that won’t pick the fight… but when confronted, I’ll wear them down with facts I’ve researched, not sound bytes! Thanks, Hedge! Amy
Kerry O'Connor
I enjoyed this very much. the form lends a rip-roaring rhythm to the piece, very much in keeping with your subject.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Kerry, especially for commenting on the form, since I rarely employ it, I’m coming over to you now… A
kaykuala
That uncanny rhythm all told and an appropriate form to boot. She sure found her way around away from the class crowd! Nicely written Amy!
Hank
Lindy Lee
Done without forcing rhyme, as always done so meaningful well by SharpLittle Pencil, the master of all forms in poetry…
Lindy Lee
Please blame misuse of adjective for adverb on overly tired editor, with little rest of late. Your poetry always, I emphasize always, makes a poignant point, especially in matters of politics & individual rights. You keep playin’ hardball , now, ya hear me, girl?
Sharp Little Pencil
Hey, we don’t parse vocabulary here, Lindy, ha ha. Thanks so much for your kind words. And I have NO intention of stopping… even if they put duct tape over my mouth, they’ll never catch my nimble hands. Peace, Amy
lolamouse
Loved this! Wonderful use of form to pay tribute to the rebel grrrl. May she always kick some ass!
Lance
the format works because your focus and your protagonist is an outcast
really good flow and feel. awesome
Sharp Little Pencil
Lance, thanks for this. The protagonist is actually every woman I’ve met who had creativity bursting at the seams and was put outside the social norms because of her peers’ discomfort, etc. My friend ellyn maybe has published full volumes about this part of a woman’s formation. See ya at “Fight Club”! Amy
isadoragruye
I love you high school confidential take here. I think we all had that one rebllious figure in high school who we idolized for the fuck-it-all attitude she embraced. Thanks so much for posting to my challenge!
margaretbednar
… everyone says “what about socialization” when they find out I am homeschooling one of my daughters. And I love to say “Exactly, I want her to have confidence and perspective!” 🙂
It helps to have a bit of rebel blood to get through those school years… I remember well enough.
lmkazmierczak
Your cantilevered words are spot on…you are always anchored to your subject matter♫♪ (been on vacay and finally catching up♪)