[Laghail]

"A Moment from Pale 1.3", by Penticede

 

Welcome to my September challenge where I invite you to join me in celebrating Wildbow's Pale while we swap autumnal poetry and compete for the prize of the most pretentious of them all! +1 point for each poem posted, additional +1 if you talk through how you read/interpret/enjoy a particular poem. But keep poem discussions behind a spoiler so we can all read a poem with our own eyes first, before we then enjoy your perspective.

 

The challenge itself: 

 

Avery's Athletics Endeavors 

• See previous challenges for why, but sleep is my highest athletic priority atm. I'm taking a sleep aid at 10PM on weekdays to earn a checkmark from Avery. Weekends I get a gold star if I'm in bed by midnight. 

Verona's Artistic Messes

• This challenge has a running counter of days when I practice on the Bodhran. No goals here, just noticing and advancing a counter on days when I journal, sorta experimenting with low-rigor accountability.  No performance goal.
• Meditation is coincidentally also getting mindfulness-based accountability. Counter goes up for days when I meditate, with the intention of using Healthy Minds to scaffold my practice, but any day where I sit in meditation counts. No performance goal. 
• Norwegian has 20 days left in my course, then I'm left with the tender mercies of the daily newspaper and kids fiction. I get a checkmark  from Verona when I read a story in Norwegian BEFORE I bookworm any English language fiction. 

Lucy's Bulletproof Presentation

• This is the weekly task list, presented for the full challenge so tasks can be easily be rescheduled if life gets more demanding. There are 3 Mayo Clinic trips during this challenge, so we certainly will be rescheduling things, but there isn't an "oh shit mode" built in. Sleep hygiene is too critical to skip, and if I need to phone it in and read an easy Norwegian story on a bad day, that's fine. Mostly on a crazy day I don't get time to read English fiction anyway, so it's a non-issue. 

[Laghail]

Late Summer

By Jennifer Grotz

Before the moths have even appeared
to orbit around them, the streetlamps come on,
a long row of them glowing uselessly
 
along the ring of garden that circles the city center,
where your steps count down the dulling of daylight.
At your feet, a bee crawls in small circles like a toy unwinding.
 
Summer specializes in time, slows it down almost to dream.
And the noisy day goes so quiet you can hear
the bedraggled man who visits each trash receptacle
 
mutter in disbelief: Everything in the world is being thrown away!
Summer lingers, but it’s about ending. It’s about how things
redden and ripen and burst and come down. It’s when
 
city workers cut down trees, demolishing
one limb at a time, spilling the crumbs
of twigs and leaves all over the tablecloth of street.
 
Sunglasses! the man softly exclaims
while beside him blooms a large gray rose of pigeons
huddled around a dropped piece of bread.

[AerynLee]

Following along of course! Hopefully a bit more interactively this time 

[sarakingdom]

OH NO I'M NOT PREPARED FOR AUTUMNAL AESTHETIC.

[Everstorm]

I don't know any pretentious poetry, but you can have Brontë:

 

[Sea-to-sky]

Following for the poetry and autumnal vibes ????☕️?
 

(And becuase every year  i get this poem stuck in my head when autumn comes. It gets very misty here, its kind of inevitable)

 

To Autumn

john keats

 

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
    Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
    With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
    And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
        To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
    With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
        For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
    Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
    Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
    Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
        Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
    Steady thy laden head across a brook;
    Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
        Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
    Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
    And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
    Among the river sallows, borne aloft
        Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
    Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
    The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
        And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

[Laghail]

Thursday September 5

"The Kennet Trio" by Chelse-Harn

 

Week 0		?		?		?‍♂️		?
Sunday		?		?		?		?
Monday		?		?		?		?
Tuesday		?		?		?		?
Wednesday		✅		✅		✅		✅
Thursday
Friday
Saturday   Kvetching

 

• Clinic-bound today after work to get Laura's new IUD after the old one did a runner and caused significant pain. Currently in a fight with insurance over getting a fucking IUD covered, which is illegal not to cover, so I'm in full rage mode but awarding myself a gold star for not taking it out on the hapless customer service / claims people. Filed a complaint with the insurance regulator for the state and wrote several careful but pointed letters to my own HR. Stay tuned for more dystopian fun facts! 
• Struggling with the harmony on Jesse James and the sorta slap-dash nature of the piece, but I'm glad I went to the lesson yesterday. Considered cancelling the lesson over nerves at sucking so hard, especially with less practice than normal over a holiday weekend. The sheer audacity at having to suck at a new skill in order to improve??   
• Reward for braving a bad lesson (it was great, teacher Bob is great, beginner mind is hard) is trying the new Yemmeni coffee house on the way home. The women who opened the shop picked the location to be close to a Mosque, they stay open until 11PM every day as a bar-alternative for sober folks, and they catering extensively to women and families. No notes.
  • 
• Reading a Katherine Addison retelling of Sherlock & Watson and, of course its refreshing and fun, this is Addison after all. A little concerned at the length of the book, as I'm 5 hours deep and only halfway through Addison's version of Sign of Four, with 2/3rds of the book remaining. Addision's Sherlock as a Londonphile angel with ADHD is  brilliant, and he comes off more a be-winged Dr Who figure than the opium-laced narcissist of other versions.
  • 
• Eleanor Plunkett is haunting and pretty. Just plucking at it for now but she's so pretty and I'm enjoying getting to know her. (make sure you bail on the video by 1:30, the musician's spoken enthusiasm is grating after the gentle tune) 

[Sea-to-sky]

O’Corolan wrote such lovely tunes. Always makes me wish i could sing them. 
we play this one from time to time and it sounds amazing on the flute. Must learn it at some point. Sounds so pretty on the banjo. Hope it goes well. 
 

Note to self: Must read goblin emperor. I keep looking at it on the tbr shelf and picking something else

 

Hope the whole IUD/insurance situation resolves itself and (most importantly) that laura is ok. 

[Laghail]

18 hours ago, Everstorm said:

I don't know any pretentious poetry, but you can have Brontë:

 

"Fall" Emily Brontë

 

Strong opener!! Full points to Gryffindor!

 

8 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Following for the poetry and autumnal vibes ????☕️?

 

I'll be stealing half these emoji's! 

 

8 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

(And becuase every year  i get this poem stuck in my head when autumn comes. It gets very misty here, its kind of inevitable)

 

To Autumn

john keats

 

Ooof, coming on strong, StS is earning these points! 

 

20 hours ago, AerynLee said:

Following along of course! Hopefully a bit more interactively this time 

 

You're a gem, thanks for the support. 

 

19 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

OH NO I'M NOT PREPARED FOR AUTUMNAL AESTHETIC.

 

I'm sorry! I have a wall of climbing ivy in my back garden and I'm just begging for autumn to set it ablaze. 

[Laghail]

Autumn Day

by Rainer Maria Rilke

Lord: it is time. The huge summer has gone by.
Now overlap the sundials with your shadows,
and on the meadows let the wind go free.

Command the fruits to swell on tree and vine;
grant them a few more warm transparent days,
urge them on to fulfillment then, and press
the final sweetness into the heavy wine. 

Whoever has no house now, will never have one.
Whoever is alone will stay alone,
will sit, read, write long letters through the
evening,
and wander the boulevards, up and down,
restlessly, while the dry leaves are blowing.

 

Spoiler

Rilke says it do be cuffing season and momma need a leaf bae

 

[Laghail]

1 hour ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Note to self: Must read goblin emperor. I keep looking at it on the tbr shelf and picking something else

 

Once you're 2-3 chapters deep, watch this video and tell me it's not relevant, I dare you.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Sea-to-sky]

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

Once you're 2-3 chapters deep, watch this video and tell me it's not relevant, I dare you.

…kind of scared now. The thumb pic of the green owl is kind of intimidating me ?

[Mistr]

Following!

 

I rarely read poetry, so I'm learning a lot.

 

I hope you beat the insurance people into submission without too much trouble.

[sarakingdom]

11 hours ago, Laghail said:

I'm sorry! I have a wall of climbing ivy in my back garden and I'm just begging for autumn to set it ablaze. 

 

It was so shocking to browse my grocery delivery and realize it was pumpkin spice season. When did that even happen? I'm not ready.

[deftona]

So many autumnal vibes! Following along. 

[Laghail]

Scientific Romance
by Tim Pratt
 

If starship travel from our
Earth to some far
star and back again
at velocities approaching the speed
of light made you younger than me
due to the relativistic effects
of time dilation,
I’d show up on your doorstep hoping
you’d developed a thing for older men,
and I’d ask you to show me everything you
learned to pass the time
out there in the endless void
of night.

 

If we were the sole survivors
of a zombie apocalypse
and you were bitten and transformed
into a walking corpse
I wouldn’t even pick up my
assault shotgun,
I’d just let you take a bite
out of me, because I’d rather be
undead forever
with you
than alive alone
without you.

 

If I had a time machine, I’d go back
to the days of your youth
to see how you became the someone
I love so much today, and then
I’d return to the moment we first met
just so I could see my own face
when I saw your face
for the first time,
and okay,
I’d probably travel to the time
when we were a young couple
and try to get a three-way
going. I never understood
why more time travelers don’t do
that sort of thing.

 

If the alien invaders come
and hover in stern judgment
over our cities, trying to decide
whether to invite us to the Galactic
Federation of Confederated
Galaxies or if instead
a little genocide is called for,
I think our love could be a powerful
argument for the continued preservation
of humanity in general, or at least,
of you and me
in particular.

 

If we were captives together
in an alien zoo, I’d try to make
the best of it, cultivate a streak
of xeno-exhibitionism,
waggle my eyebrows, and make jokes
about breeding in captivity.

 

If I became lost in
the multiverse, exploring
infinite parallel dimensions, my
only criterion for settling
down somewhere would be
whether or not I could find you:
and once I did, I’d stay there even
if it was a world ruled by giant spider-
priests, or one where killer
robots won the Civil War, or even
a world where sandwiches
were never invented, because
you’d make it the best
of all possible worlds anyway,
and plus
we could get rich
off inventing sandwiches.

 

If the Singularity comes
and we upload our minds into a vast
computer simulation of near-infinite
complexity and perfect resolution,
and become capable of experiencing any
fantasy, exploring worlds bound only
by our enhanced imaginations,
I’d still spend at least 10^21 processing
cycles a month just sitting
on a virtual couch with you,
watching virtual TV,
eating virtual fajitas,
holding virtual hands,
and wishing
for the real thing.

 

Spoiler

Liam is an asshole and sent me this last night while I was missing him from the hotel. Asshole.

 

[Sea-to-sky]

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

Liam is an asshole and sent me this last night while I was missing him from the hotel. Asshole.

Aww. This is such a nerdy valentines day card to sci fi and special people in our lives. i just adore it. 
 

liam clearly has either horrible or exceptional timing…hard to tell which from here ?

[Everstorm]

Damn that was so romantically nerdy.

[sarakingdom]

The rhythm of that one has reminded me of another poet I think you might enjoy. (It was a tossup whether I posted this here or in Deffy's thread, because it's the former poet laureate of Scotland, where she is attempting a border crossing.)

 

 

The Loch Ness Monster’s Song

 

Sssnnnwhuffffll?
Hnwhuffl hhnnwfl hnfl hfl?
Gdroblboblhobngbl gbl gl g g g g glbgl.
Drublhaflablhaflubhafgabhaflhafl fl fl –
gm grawwwww grf grawf awfgm graw gm.
Hovoplodok – doplodovok – plovodokot-doplodokosh?
Splgraw fok fok splgrafhatchgabrlgabrl fok splfok!
Zgra kra gka fok!
Grof grawff gahf?
Gombl mbl bl –
blm plm,
blm plm,
blm plm,
blp.

 

Edwin Morgan
from From Glasgow to Saturn (Carcanet, 1973)

[Everstorm]

5 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

The rhythm of that one has reminded me of another poet I think you might enjoy. (It was a tossup whether I posted this here or in Deffy's thread, because it's the former poet laureate of Scotland, where she is attempting a border crossing.)

 

 

The Loch Ness Monster’s Song

 

Sssnnnwhuffffll?
Hnwhuffl hhnnwfl hnfl hfl?
Gdroblboblhobngbl gbl gl g g g g glbgl.
Drublhaflablhaflubhafgabhaflhafl fl fl –
gm grawwwww grf grawf awfgm graw gm.
Hovoplodok – doplodovok – plovodokot-doplodokosh?
Splgraw fok fok splgrafhatchgabrlgabrl fok splfok!
Zgra kra gka fok!
Grof grawff gahf?
Gombl mbl bl –
blm plm,
blm plm,
blm plm,
blp.

 

Edwin Morgan
from From Glasgow to Saturn (Carcanet, 1973)

 

I'm curious to know whether you hold to the standard interpretation of this classic, or if you have your own take?

[sarakingdom]

44 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

I'm curious to know whether you hold to the standard interpretation of this classic, or if you have your own take?

 

Oh, what a marvelous question!

 

Spoiler

I think it surfaces, is surprised while minding its own business, asks what's going on, laughs derisively, denies that it's a diplodocus, curses soundly a few times (aka, speaks in a Scottish dialect), gives up on humanity above the surface, and sinks beneath the water again.

 

This is a metaphor for the Scottish identity, using the voice of iconic Scottish kaiju  to voice the sardonic sentiments of a nation.

 

How about you?

[MezzothePatient]

Can't to claim to be a poetry enthusiast but maybe I'll absorb some culture. 

 

Sorry insurance is being suck-y. "They" (the whole industry, I guess? IDK who "they" are exactly) seem to intentionally obfuscate things in hopes that the average person will give up instead of fighting with them because frankly who has the time? Especially when they only answer during "business hours" aka when said average person is also working and can't spend hours on hold and being shuffled around ? Not trying to fan the flames, just commiserate and validate. They suck and I'm sorry y'all are dealing with it.

[Sovalis]

Following of course. Hope Laura is alright. ?

[Jarric]

On 9/4/2024 at 9:54 PM, sarakingdom said:

OH NO I'M NOT PREPARED FOR AUTUMNAL AESTHETIC.

 

I KNOW, RIGHT! THERE'S STILL 2 WEEKS OF SUMMER LEFT, AND I'M NOT DONE WITH SHORTS AND VESTS!

 

On 9/6/2024 at 2:46 PM, Laghail said:

Scientific Romance
by Tim Pratt

 

Spoiler

Thoughs:

a. This is beautiful, really sweet and I love it.

b. Loving the subtle Hitchhiker's Guide reference.

 

Hope all's well with Laura, and the insurers pull their finger out.

[Laghail]

Sunflower

By Frank Steele

You’re expected to see

only the top, where sky

scrambles bloom, and not

the spindly leg, hairy, fending off

tall, green darkness beneath.

Like every flower, she has a little

theory, and what she thinks

is up.   I imagine the long

climb out of the dark

beyond morning glories, day lilies, four o’clocks

up there to the dream she keeps

lifting, where it’s noon all day.