|
This is the first 100 in 100 where the attempt was better than the previous one (then again, it's not hard to beat thirteen). I started freaking out on the fourth one worrying about what people would think, so I just saved them somewhere else this time to keep that from happening again. I have a lot of optimistic poems in this one...I was really affected by the blog entry and song I mention in the notes for poem #6. I beat my third and fourth attempts, but not my first and second. Enjoy.
#1. Kimi ga Inai Kara (Because You're Not Here)
Being all alone in this room / Is nothing new / But now I'm all alone / Because you're not here // The cruel thing is / The warmth left behind / Won't disappear.
#2. The Futility of Belief
It's almost impossible to succeed without first believing in yourself. And it's almost impossible to believe in yourself when almost everything you've ever done has been a failure.
#3. Broken / Empty
About my failure to become fluent in Japanese.
#4. Moving Day
Originally titled "Washington, D.C." and had another stanza in it, which was really bad, even for me.
#5. Air
Kind of a desperation poem, since I was getting behind.
#6. The Best Years of My Life
A reaction to this blog post and the Baz Luhrman song "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)".
#7. Forward
See #6.
#8. Kawaranai Omoi (Unchanging Feelings)
My one great love, I guess.
The more I secretly / Hid my feelings away in my heart / The more they warped. // But though they warped and warped / I knew it was "love" / It couldn't be anything else. // Everyone wants this, right? / Unchanging feelings / Unchanging love // I can't understand that / These unchanging feelings / Can go ahead and change already.
#9. You Knew My Heart
Kind of a desperation poem. About an incident where I basically chauffered my friend's date. Yeah.
#10. The Pawn
First stanza adapted from a line in Taken.
#11. Break Free
See #6.
#12. A Life in Seasons
From Spring to Winter. I don't know how many of these seasons poems I've done.
#13. Free Will
See #6. Yeah, they're both my major driving forces right now.
#14. The Invincible Hope
Pretty self-explanatory. The question of the first two stanzas kind of just popped into my head.
#15. Cityscape
Another poem about moving. I haven't actually moved yet, though...
#16. The Words
I'm reading this book where the heroine never tells anyone when something is wrong, no matter how serious the consequences. I got mad at her, then realized I do the exact same thing.
#17. Downtown (One Last Time)
About my last time downtown in my old city (basically explained in the first stanza anyway).
#18. To Washington, D.C.
A prayer to my new city.
#19. Don't Look Back
Definitely my favorite so far. Inspired by the title of the Ayumi Hamasaki song. The Greek mythological references are the icing on the cake. I find Greek mythology so applicable to real life.
#20. Vacuum
The last poem before I moved.
#21. Search Now the Shadows
My first haiku. I like my haiku sometimes, but they're always desperation poems.
#22. Kage wo Sagashitara (If You Search the Shadows)
A continuation of the haiku, natch.
#23. How to Say Goodbye
I like the first two verses. It ends up being a poem about my "one great love."
#24. Break Out of the Box
My least favorite. I write "dumb" poems sometimes, and though sometimes they turn out okay (see "You Have My Heart But I Have Your Zelda Game") it really didn't in this instance.
#25. Technical Knockout
One of my favorites. I think the metaphor is good - the whole idea is that I couldn't continue the fight, for my own safety. The fourth verse is very similar to a verse from the Ayumi Hamasaki song "TO BE".
#26. Attack of the Memories
About my PTSD - my own private horror movie.
#27. Zutto Issho Dakara (We'll Always Be Together)
Written to part of the tune of Kana Nishino's "Alright." Kind of what I'd like to be able to say to someone someday.
#28. If You're Out There
Kind of depressing poem about how I've given up on relationships.
#29. Backward
I like how I had one poem in this 100 in 100 called "Forward" and now I have one called "Backward". About the "one great love" again.
#30. Fire in the Ashes
See #29. And I guess #28.
#31. A Life Without Love
See #28.
#32. Zoom Out
About how I don't have much of a life.
#33. Kyuukutsu (Constrained)
See #24. I hate when I end a depressing poem optimistically. I hate when anyone does it.
#34. The Other Side
I made a lot of promises to myself about how I'd kill myself before things got to a certain point. I decided to betray myself in favor of my family.
#35. No More Words
Another Ayu title. And another "one great love" poem.
#36. Seeing the Future
Finally a poem that's not so structured. Kind of old school.
#37. I Don't Think I Can Change Alone
I love verses 1, 3, and 4.
#38. I Want to Cry Now
A haiku I wrote on my phone during my break after getting bitched out at my new job.
#39. A Place I Can Cry
See #38. I got the title from an AKB48 song.
#40. Funeral For Another Part of My Soul
First of two couple poems. This is the lesser of the two, in my opinion.
#41. Cripple
After quitting the job I got bitched out at.
#42. Sono Tsuyosa wa Doko Kara Kuru no? (Where Does Your Strength Come From?)
See #41. Wondering why I can't do things other people can. I love the line "The possibility is high / That I'm so weak / That I can't even get strength."
#43. Mindset
See #6. Trying to live my life that way, but I can't.
#44. World of Fantasy
Named after a capsule album. ("PRIME TIME" is my shit.) I like every verse and it flows well, in my opinion. Another favorite.
#45. Requiem For a Part of My Soul
The sequel to poem #40. The metaphor of a limb being cut off is just so dead on that it automatically makes it a favorite.
#46. On Being Different in a Different Way
A little uncomfortable for me because it's pretty candid. The last verse makes me feel a little better about it, though.
#47. The Person You Think I Am
After a conversation I had with my sister.
#48. Self-Honesty
Love love love. I wish I could have gone further with it, but it wouldn't have made it any better.
#49. Self-Sustainment
The last haiku. I've liked all of them.
#50. The Return of a New Autumn
The seasons are such well-trod territory for me. The first verse is the best - I probably could've left it at that, actually.
Top Ten (in chronological order)
#03. Broken / Empty
#13. Free Will
#19. Don't Look Back
#25. Technical Knockout
#28. If You're Out There
#37. I Don't Think I Can Change Alone
#42. Sono Tsuyosa wa Doko Kara Kuru no?
#44. World of Fantasy
#45. Requiem For a Part of My Soul
#48. Self-Honesty
MAIN
|