Munitionette

For English we read "Regeneration" by Pat Barker. It follows the lives of patients at Craiglockhart, a war hospital during WWI. Oe of the main characters is a soldier named Billy Prior, who falls in love with a munitions worker (munitionette) Sarah Lumb. Their relationship is incredibly complex; Billy seems utterly fascinated by Sarah's willfulness and independence, but at the same time seems to despise her. Sometimes he wants to hurt her emotionally, because he feels as if she owes something to him. He projects all of the resentment he feels towards civilians and women onto Sarah. In the end though, he admits how he feels.

Munitionette.

She,

glittering like streetlamps, yellow

of  her skin, knocking them back

hand on her chin

Bold,

like glaring sunlight, beating

of her heart, so much life

within her

 

She,

of the world behind

the glass, so rippled and he ensnared

by the writhing Dead

Cold,

are the arms that tenderly try

to snuff out the joy

within her

Music for my insomnia

http://joej.deviantart.com

Only seven more days until I jet off to the Philippines for Christmas. I can't wait.

Only three more days until I go and watch Twilight.

Three days til school ends.

I just watched The Edge of Love. It's a movie about Dylan Thomas, the famous welsh poet, set  in WWII. It's got Keira Knightley (his childhood sweetheart and soulmate, also his lover), Sienna Miller (wife, mother of his child), Cillian Murphy (love of Keira's life, husband, father of her child) and Matthew Rhys as Dylan Thomas.

The whole movie made me quite sad. The portrayal of his relationship with his wife (Sienna's character) and his childhood sweetheart (Keira's character) was all so tragic. And then add in Cillian Murphy's character, with his nightmares and hallucinations after serving in Thessaly...

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower 
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees 
Is my destroyer. 
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose 
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.

The force that drives the water through the rocks 
Drives my red blood; that dries the mouthing streams 
Turns mine to wax. 
And I am dumb to mouth unto my veins 
How at the mountain spring the same mouth sucks.

The hand that whirls the water in the pool 
Stirs the quicksand; that ropes the blowing wind 
Hauls my shroud sail. 
And I am dumb to tell the hanging man 
How of my clay is made the hangman's lime.

The lips of time leech to the fountain head; 
Love drips and gathers, but the fallen blood 
Shall calm her sores. 
And I am dumb to tell a weather's wind 
How time has ticked a heaven round the stars.

And I am dumb to tell the lover's tomb 
How at my sheet goes the same crooked worm.

-Dylan Thomas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Music anyone?

Lions Roar - The Hush Sound

Nothing Else Matters - Metallica

Vois sur ton chemin - Les Choristes

Coin Operated Boy - Dresden Dolls

Heartless - Kanye West

Love Lockdown - Kanye West

Unfaithful - Rihanna

Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven

Let The Flames Begin - Paramore

O to the BAMA

[(c) Lan Cao http://JoeJ.deviantart.com]

I've decided to take this blog more seriously--that is, update more, try to write creatively more. I figure that it'll help me de-stress in the midst of IB.

There's a photo up there ^^ and why? because it's beautiful. It's a dirty, hazardous construction site in Phu My Hung, but the colours, the light...my friend Lan took this photo and I don't know why, but he can make anything look beautiful. I've decided I might pick out some of his photos and use them as inspiration for a poem.

Anyway, in reference to the title of this post, I thought it was time I aired my political views. I'm a democrat, and if I could vote, I would vote for Obama. I DO think McCain would make a good president (though he wouldn't affect change in the way Obama can) but the fact that he's old and the his VP is SARAH PALIN is worrying. If the man croaks, we've got Miss freakin Maverick sitting in the oval office. 

In fact, here is a HILARIOUS webdoohickey which imagines what Palin would be like in the Oval office: http://www.palinaspresident.us/

 I've been crazy downloading music for the past few days (and putting off my homework in the process). Some are old, some new, but I can't get them out of my head lately.

Jamrock, Damian Marley

My Hero, Paramore (Foo Fighters Cover)

Creator, Santogold

Single Ladies, Beyonce

Coin Operated Boy, Dresden Dolls

Dirty Business, Dresden Dolls

Bliss, Muse

The City Is At War, Cobra Starship

Great DJ, The Ting Tings

Lights On, The Pierces

Time is Running Out (by Muse), Section Quartet

Music is My Hot Hot Sex, Cansei de Ser Sexy

A la prochaine,

Chris.

i.am

how many years did I wait
unconciously 
for this day, for this
time, moment, second
of your recognition
of my existence.

in you, I searched
for the proof that I am worthy
the evidence that I
am not a child of regret
but I searched in the wrong heart
I searched in the wrong mind

how can you feel blameless
without shame,
you evade guilt like a
seasoned vagabond
the wrongs of years ago
forgotten, not forgiven

I am.
I am everything,
without you.
No hair on my head
or thought in my mind,
blemish upon skin
is yours.

I take my leave of you
til time matures
and thrusts light upon
the shadowy mass
of my thoughts
unimpressed, I turn away

----------------------

written a few weeks ago? cnt remember

on top

on top
of the world is a pleasant place
to be,
as long as the world stays below
you

insinuation is what you-yes you
is what you do best
with a grin of steel
locked like bank-vault doors

as long as you stay on top
and send your beams of pity down
and condescend with false grace

we will stay,
hide
with closed eyes staring the other way
you will stay on top
we will stay below.

------------------

written last year.

Old Stuff.

Some old poems I wrote. In order of "oldness".


as I recall this was written in....March?

Le Lion.

You are guilt
and you are shame

You are hurt
and you are fear

And you rip my soul to shreds

You are agony
and pain

You are bared teeth
and sharpened claws
Your roar would shake the earth
Your jaws could rip and tear

And my soul is torn apart

My lion, my false-hearted lion

---------------------------------

------------------------

Malignant.

Weariness enfolds you
Sickness haunts you
Have you grown thinner
Than you were before?

You feel frail and fragile
You look tired and fatigued

Is it us? With our mistakes
Our demands, tantrums
and stamping feet
That leech your vitality?

Is it the sadness and emptiness
In the ring on your left hand

Til death do you part,
til death do you part
will we see the truth in that soon?
----------------------------------


Longest post ever

Waltz

I can dance this dance,
just as well as you.
I can dance this dance,
it only takes two.

Harmonious in the starlight
is the music that speaks
of summertime and bright eyes
and lovers falling in love

It speaks to us of beauty and wonder
and splendour, of everything there is to love
and be.

It is a faint wish,
a slight desire
that there will be a hand outstretched
warm, and comforting
to lead me onto the dancefloor

To
twirl me around in dazzling colours
and flood my world with vivid feeling
to dip me and spin me
one step, two step.

To lead me on a promenade
of a silk smooth
wood floor,while the patrons dining
watch on, watch on.

Shall we dance like lovers,
Shall we dance like friends,
the last pair at the very end
Gliding along in something like romance
Something like beauty or grace
All night, could I dance

I can dance this dance,
just as well as you.
I can dance this dance,
It only takes two.

So give me your arm, and lead the way.
Save me this dance, just this one dance,
save your last dance,
for me.

IGCSE

Yesterday was our Senior Formal.
Boys looked suave.
Girls looked gorgeous.
Mr Mark wore a leopard print suit.

Jours de conge

Sophia.


I like the simple things you do.
Like pad up the stairs
And pretend I'm a dragon.

I find it funny when you
dance to music. Because your limbs fly everywhere
And you dance off beat.

I like how you have such a small face,
but BettyBoop-eyes.
You look like a cartoon character.

You like to throw tantrums.
When you don't get what you want
And you kick and you scream and I
can't stand it.

But you are five, after all.
And I love you anyway.

-------------------------------------
I can't evaluate this poem, because for me its pretty crap. But I love it because it's about my sister.

Long days

Again I've gone into what I call "super manga phase". Where I decide to read a manga, and get so hooked I can't stop.
Damn.
I don't know all the jargon that goes with anime/manga or the slang or whatever. Actually, I pretty much know nothing. All I know is that some of the artwork is amazing, and that some of the stories are pretty good.
Right now I'm reading Naruto :) That kid is hilarious. And also an idiot but very cool nonetheless. Knowing me I'll be up until all hours of the night reading it online *sigh* oh well, its just like what a really good book does to me. Like when I read Lucky by Alice Sebold. I couldn't put it down, it was so absorbing.

No poetry today. Maybe tomorrow.

angel.

If I say the words
They won't go the way I plan them to
they won't mean what I meant them to.
They will crumble like my quiet resolve

So I will write.

I will write about your eyes
their exquisite colour, and their beauty.
The blue green that is the
colour
scope
and measure
of a calm ocean. Maybe.

The blue on some days,
that seems like the sky
and whose flecks are golden clouds.
The sometimes-greyness
clear cut colour and radiance
like ice
But the gold, always the gold I will remember.

I wish your eyes saw me the way that I see you.
Smiling, inviting, full of humility.
Full of humour, of fun and freedom.

I see you as spirit, as happiness.

My perfect foil.
the gold on your head, in your eyes, in your skin.
The perfection.
Look my way again with your eyes,
and I will make you laugh.
And I will watch you glow like an angel should.
Biblical.
Ethereal.
My gemstone.