Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Open To Interpretation

I’m not responsible for interpretation,
just stretching these lines like new fence wire
wrapped around the punctuation to keep it taut.
If someone hangs wet hubris here, what is it to me?
Flapping cloth of thread bare ego?
Maybe they like to look second hand.
I’ll just pull and twist and tack and start again,
the lines aren’t meant to keep anyone in.

(This poem ws not written as a response to anyone, or any event. It was penned as a challenge to use the word Hubris in a poem. Maybe not a good one, but it's done!)

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pat, I love this one. I think it's absolutely fantastic, one of my favourites of yours.

Neoma said...

Well, my problem is, I have to go and look it up......I am one of those people whose parents used big words.......you KNOW BIG words, all the time,.......but wrong......so now, I have not a clue how they are to be properly used. ya see we came from the other side of the planet, the country, where they used phrases like "Fit as a fiddle", so my whole life a Fitfull nights sleep meant you slept really well, I was grown before I found out most people considered fitfull to mean,,,, having a fit.

okay, presumption or insolent pride.....whew, I though maybe they were hanging their wet laundry on your blog.........by the way my dictionary is falling apart.

I rather like the term, "flapping cloth of threadbare ego".......although it seems remotely familiar.....haha......

Joyce said...

Read a whole book (in verse) by S. Butler on Hubris. Hope I am remembering this correctly.

This poem is compact and commanding.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Sounds like a neat challenge. You handled it well! There is some startling imagery in this poem. Enjoyed it very much.

MB said...

Oh, I'm laughing out loud with delight!!

Well done, Pat, well done! Challenge well met! You are so creative.

polona said...

what, this is not about me?!
kidding, of course... hubris is not something i'm familiar with, but thanks to you it's now entered my vocabulary :)
i love the poem!!

floots said...

well
these lines kept me in :)
nice one

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Great one Pat. Nice play.

Kai said...

good one

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

Hubris? Nice job. :)

Unknown said...

lovely images of threadbare egos, wet blankets of hubris and stretching to hold tight the boundaries among such things.

Amalendu said...

Its very nice poem Pat...
I'm not responsible for interpretation!!!

dumbdodi said...

Thank you for introducing this word to me, very cleverly and skillfully used

Margie said...

Very good poem Pat!
No wet hubris from me!
I am just a simple soul!
And, as always I love how you have such a command of your words in your poetry!

Pat Paulk said...

Jon, always a pleasure to see your new creations!!

Thank you AA!!!

Nea, I grew up with "fit as a fiddle" too. My folks never used dollar words, when twenty five cent ones would do. Thank you!!

Wow! a whole book. I know people who are a whole book of hubris. Thanks Joyce!!

Thanks Russell!! Congratulations again on your acceptance in the September Issue of Little Banks On the Miami!!

MB, sometimes I can rise to the occasion!! Laughter is good!!

Polona, there are a lot of things I could write about you (all good), hubris it's not!! Thank you!!

Floots as long as you're hanging on the lines, it doesn't matter which side. Thank you!!

Thank you Don!!

Thanks Kai!!

Thanks Andrew!!

Mikaelah, yeah all of that!! Thank you!!

Ah, but Shyamalee, as a reader you are. Thank you!!

Dumbdodi, one you can apply to others. Thank you!!

Margie no way any "wet hubris" could stick to you!! Thank you!!

Borut said...

This is great! I don’t know what to say.:) Happy, though, that ‘the lines aren’t meant to keep anyone in.’ Not so sure about my “own”?:)

Sue hardy-Dawson said...

An interesting new word and an amusing way of dealing with it-I always like to come across a new word