Day 28 — Thursday Next + Thursday Now

Another Lawrence’s Maxim might come as a shock given I’ve been drip feeding them out on Saturdays up until now — but the truth is I quite enjoy writing them, there’s lots of books on the possible shortlist, & I’m running out of time. Three days only left of this year’s Glo/NaPoWriMo so I figured what they hey (I already have one planned for the final day & there was the special Blue Shakespeare edition Wednesday Last) …

As is often the case, the Factoid became more fun & grew in the telling to be a quirky little thing all its own.

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Thursday Next

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Day 28 Factoid — Thursdays on my mind

7 Thursday week: a Fun Factoid pome told in seven days

That may be must be, love, on Thursday next.
Paris

i.
We all know it’s named after
Thor (Norse god of thunder)

but after that Thursday
fun facts tend to dry up

ii.
some folks call it “Friday’s Friday”
given it heralds Friday
& therefore hurrah! the weekend

i prefer to think of it more
as Wednesday’s Thursday
— but it seems less exciting

iii.
Thanksgiving (a local US custom)
is always celebrated on November’s
fourth Thursday

er, iv.
the chemical element Thorium (Th)
is named after Thor, which means
it’s indirectly connected to Thursday

v.
Richard Osman’s now making tons
of money after choosing Thursday
as the day his Murder Club meets

vi.
Thursday is mentioned more times
in Shakespeare than any other day

17 including the phrase “Thursday Next”
uttered by three separate characters:
Paris, Capulet, & Friar Maximillian Laurence (no relation)

vii.
come this Thursday next
i won’t have to crank out
three poems daily & can
finally rest

Day 23 — blue Shakespeare + Capital unCanberra

Over the past couple of days I read Shakespeare’s Library: Unlocking the Greatest Mystery in Literature by Stuart Kells [& if books could be considered clickbait, the subtitle is definitely one big troll]. I’d hoped to find something interesting about said library for the basis of a poem. Alas the book is blotchy, all over the shop, often only tangentially or tenuously related to its title. So, I’ve had this idea as a backup as one of the Lawrence’s Maxims series & thought WTH even though it’s not a Saturday (no-one’s probably noticed that’s been a thing) I’m going to be writing about a big old cheap old poor quality book.

Today’s Factoid is one of the few interesting (unknown to me) facts I plucked from Shakespeare’s Library.

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Day 23 Factoid – Capital Bill

Capital

Back at the turn of the 20th Century
when Melbourne & Sydney were duking it out
to see who’d be our fair federation captain
some truly godawful names were bandied about*

from mouth manglers like Meladneyperbane & Sydmelperadbrisho (sorry Darwin)

flora & fauna inspired: Acacia, Cookaburra, Kangaremu, Wattleton, & Eucalypta (one I actually quite like)

to the cheeky laconic larrikinesque: Gonebroke, Swindleville, Thirstyville, & Home (surprised Sweet Home wasn’t on the end)

geographically motivated: Austral City, Pacifica, Southern Cross (the fact there already was one in WA existed put the kibosh on this choice toot sweet)

poetically out of place: Aurora, Climax (saucy), Eden, Harmony, Olympus, Paradise, Regina

bureaucratically bland: Captain Cook, Caucus City, Federalia, Frontierland, Hopetoun, Labourville, The National City, New Era, Union City, Unison

& whatever the hell these are: Australville, Aryan City (disturbing), Back Spur, Commonwealth Circular City (huh), Cooksturta, Myola, Wheatwoolgold (you’re just throwing words together now)

As well as — SHAKESPEARE —

How different might the city of Burley Griffin be with suburbs named Prospero & Capulet & Guildenstern for kidlets to grow up in

*about 700 or 800 reportedly were officially logged & assigned a number
though I’ve been unable to discover the complete list.

Day 23 — Marlowe MashUp + History

In the past week I’ve read the same poem in three different anthologies. It’s unusual for me to have read so many anthologies during NaPoWriMo (normally it might only be one or even none, I tend to prefer volumes by a single poet) but I’ve felt a stronger desire for variety this month — & anthologies definitely give you that. Except in regards to this poem. I took it as a sign.

Today’s poem is a tweak on the Shakespeare focus I usually have on this day. It is a reworked version of Marlowe’s, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.

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The Passionate Capitalist to His Doom

Come frack with me and be my doom,
And we will all the world’s riches groom,
Those Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will tear up every rock,
Strip the Shepherd from his flock,
Pump our waste into River waters
& so Create infertility in our daughters.

Poison aquifers, ramp up your ire,
Enable tap water to be lit on fire:
And if these pursuits fill you not with gloom,
Come frack with me, and cause our doom.

Capitalist Bastards shall rip and plunder
Turn the world utterly asunder:
If these delights in thy mind do bloom,
Then frack with me, and cause our doom.

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Day 23 – TIL some things about Christopher Marlowe

Marlowe: A Potted History

Marlowe’s nickname was Kit
& like a more modern KITT
was a Knight Rider who served
as one of the Virgin Queen’s spies ;
a shadowy flight into the dangerous
world of a man who did not exist.

Was once arrested for counterfeiting
coins in Holland ; a crime punishable
by death, but … nothing happened.

Some say : he should’ve been
executed for his terrible
translations of ancient verse
particularly Ovid’s book
of love pomes , Amores.

Symbolically killed in 1593
cos Bill Shaxpere no longer
had time to be both him
& himself

Day 23 — a sonnet, sort of + big birthday cakes

Today’s poem is a homage to Bill by way of Henry VIII. It’s a Golden Shovel of “Orpheus with his lute” a 12 line poem/song in Henry VIII. Many/Mosyt scholars believe this play was a collaborative effort between Bill & John Fletcher, & I’m inclined to agree with them because it’s never felt like “Shakespeare” to me.

I’ve chosen it because: well Orpheus … & I have Golden Shoveled the last words of each line, juggled them & turned it into a sonnet. Not a great sonnet, mind you, but one with a passing resemblance to a snout. Unlike the ones from the 19th which were all AI generated That was the big guessing game thing that all two of you played haha). It had been my intention to reinterpret one of those to try & punch it into shape but I just found it too hard/the lines too banal. This definitely needs more work, but time being what it is means you get what you see …

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Luteless, Orpheus
(with Golden Shovelment to William Shakespeare/John Fletcher)

Forlorn Orpheus longed once more to see
for himself; the unbelievable greenness of trees,
Rather than be buried neckdeep in melancholy
surrounded by deep dirt, soul ready to freeze

He had long since forgotten how to sing
had no desire to take up lute & play,
Forgotten there was a thing called spring.
had no desire to complete his latest lay.

He longed for the cheerful sway of flowers
wished somehow to re-kickstart his sad heart
Longed for the gentlest summer showers
wished sadly to care once more about petty art:

If only he hadn’t glimpsed her in his corner eye
Then neither of them would have needed to re-die.

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Day 23 — TIL about Bill’s birthday

old man Bill

If Bill
were alive today
he’d be 459
which although
pretty rootin’ tootin’
ancient — is still
less than half
as long as Noah
or Adam.

However,
he splashes all
the post-flood crew
out of the water
— over double
Abraham & Isaac;
almost quadruple
poor young Moses.

Which is easier to believe:
Methuselah made it to 969
— or the Stratford man
wrote the damn plays!

Day 23 — some sort of sonnet (actually not)

The theme behind today’s (belated posted, but written yesterday) poem is my lifelong love of Shakespeare. The original concept was to write a sonnet (ie the form he used to create some of the most famous love poems in the language); but that quickly slipped into something else. As preparation I reread (though I really don’t need much of an excuse) Bill Bryson’s slim but wonderful little volume on Shakespeare. If you haven’t read it, I suggest you do. It might also help you get a couple of the, well let’s call them jokes, within the poem. Hahahaha.

little love song

not knowing why : bought a book : Christmas 84 : Campbell’s newsagency : Elizabeth Shopping Centre : remainders table : cheap large format : paperback : paper so cheap : can’t stress : how how cheap : navy blue cover : with a terrible reproduction : of the terrible Droeshout engraving : every play laid out : in tiny font : four columns wide : the sonnets : & long poems : across the bottom quarter : of every page : bland introduction : courtesy : Dennis Allen : M.A. (Oxon) : B.A. (Lond)

read every play : that summer : though the poems : (ironically) : didn’t : do much : probably wouldn’t : couldn’t : today : even with : binocular assistance : oh for the eyes : of youth : loved the wild plots : the stories : the eccentric characters : the humour : loved the language : both the archaic nature : & the richness : so much colour : how he could do : so much : with so few : no doubt didn’t : understand everything : no footnotes in Allen’s : tome : but got enough : to form a lifelong : love

today : love the fact : he annoys so many : conspiracy theorist : nutjobs : Looney : Battey : silly men : who can’t cope : with the idea : (theirs) : of a provincial : country bumpkin : being so talented : profound : influential : the so-called : Shakespeare authorship question : twists : certain men’s knickers : into such knots : they resort to : anagrams : cryptograms : & candidates who died : even as : new plays were : being performed : (solution : they pre-wrote : a wad of plays : prior to death) : was never a question : in his day : nor for : 200 years : the reality : most scholars : laugh : at the ludicrous claims : as : they : should

Day 23 — Bill & his posse of Nature Poets

Shakespeare’s birthday/deathday. Each year I try to write something Bill-affiliated. This can be made harder by having a theme superimposed over the top of it (ie, like pandemics or climate change) but at least it forces me to think outside a few boxes for some green inspiration. Which is always a good thing. Need to apologise in advance for the long pome, I didn’t have the time to write a short poem.

If only poets had the power that multinational corporations have to effect change in the world.

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Bill S & his posse of Nature Poets

Bill being a country boy born & bred
was a big lover of nature
dropping dozens of wildflowers
animals, trees, natural events
63 birds, & more into his plays ;
with whimsical abandon
he set them in forests, on coasts,
on rugged heaths
— if he were writing today
climate change would be his bent

so too Bill Blake’s rage
against dark Satanic Mills
which were pumping his pristine
English skies full of black soot
& were, after all, the beginning
of man-made climate change

the posse is being assembled

Lawrence & his dark forest soul
would definitely be there …
with his animalistic magic
of snakes & bats & pansies

a third Bill, Wordsworth
knew nature was divine
& believed true happiness
was achieved when existing
in harmony with it, always happy
to wax lyrical about daffodils,
clouds, & Tintern Abbey

youthful firebrand Keats
loved nature’s vibrant scents
& colours & cool calming water
a man who happily sang odes
to Nightingales, Autumn, & the Sea
would get in on this action

although somewhat simpler
in scope another John (Clare)
less complex & less well known
marvellously describes the natural
world & rural life in affectionate
vignettes of Winter Evening,
Wood Pictures in Summer,
& the Little Trotty Wagtail

Emerson’s belief that we understand
truth only by studying the song of nature
& Humblebees & Snow Storms

& Shelley’s awareness she destroys
as well as creates; singing odes
to the West Wind, Skylarks & Mont Blanc

& Dickinson finding awe in everything
Light Existing In Spring
Birds coming down the Walk

& Frost whose name suggests he should be
though not a pure nature poet loved
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

many modern poets too are in the posse

the marvellous Mary Oliver who instills
poems with wonder-filled images
drawn from daily walks near her home
Wild Geese & Journeys on Summer Days

& Gary Snyder an activist who speaks
with an ancient voice but modern tongue
of fertile soil, animal magic,
the power of solitude, rebirth;
the love & ecstasy of the dance
& Mountains and Rivers Without End

but as wonderful as all these
nature loving poets are
what we really need
is for everyone to remember
they too are poets, alive in this bleak
eternal universe only because
our home is a delicately crafted
paean to life

Day 23 — Shakespeare & birds & eccentrics: but no rabbits

April 23 is, as I said Monday (Plague Lear), Shakespeare’s birthday/deathday/choose-your-own-anniversary-day. Each year I write something Bill-affiliated. This is the reserve idea mentioned then even though it’s been in my mind for several years ever since reading an article about … well, see below.

A second part 2. Austin’s rabbits, exploring the introduction of rabbits to Australia is also intended, but owing to: a) part 1’s length; b) my inability to reduce a); & c: my weariness, I’m only going to upload part 1. Part 2, although currently incomplete, I still see very much as a companion to this poem. When a first draft of it is finalised, it might help me work out what to trim here.

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the law of unintended consequences: Schieffelin’s starlings & Austin’s rabbits

1. Schieffelin’s starlings

i. 1596, London
Shakespeare penning Henry IV, Part 1 :
Hotspur plots to drive Harry nuts
by teaching a starling to repeat
his brother-in-law Mortimer’s name
till he is released from Welsh prison.
the only reference to the bird
in all the Bard’s eclectic opus
— a throwaway line from a country
twitcher turned urban playwright.

ii. 1890, New York
March 6, 1890, Central Park
German immigrant, Bronx resident,
wealthy American businessman,
gentleman, (eccentric) drug manufacturer
American Acclimatization Society member,
& Shakespearian aficionado or fanatic
depending on who you ask
— Eugene Schieffelin —
decided it would be a lark
to introduce (imported from
the Old World at great expense)
every bird spoken in Shakespeare
to North America.

& so 100 birds fly off
into the virgin new world blue

iii. Now
numbering over 200 million
from Alaska to Mexico
these lean mean feathered bullets
do nothing in moderation.
the Rocky Balboas of bird boxing
fierce fighters for nest cavities
regularly muscle out native birds
& blamed for their population declines.
willing & able to eat anything
breed with disconcerting vigour.
— have brought down planes
cost US agriculture a billion a year
steal cows’ grain condensing milk production.

iv. Retrospect
Schieffelin’s attempts
to introduce skylarks
bullfinches, chaffinches, & nightingales
were thankfully, unsuccessful.
however, starlings, sparrows, & pigeons
remain the only unprotected avine
in North America (all introduced)
their numbers in total more
than all other birds combined.

no doubt had he future-known
Bill would have taken up
his quill
& struck
said references from his pages
most vigourously.

Note: some scholars reject the theory that Schieffelin belonged to a group dedicated to introducing into America all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s works wanting to hear them warbling their old world songs on the limbs & branches of America … but I have used it irregardless because, poetry. Everything else is as factual as my research can make it.

Day 20 — positive thinking while in lockdown

I was saving this idea for the 23rd (Shakespeare’s birthday/deathday/chose-your-own-anniversary-day) when I usually write something Shakey-related. Anyhoo this was an idea I thought I might explore then, but it poured out of me today, so we’ll just deal with it. (I do have another idea in reserve, or perhaps something entirely new will pop out.)

Also thanks to a poet whose work I hugely admire, as well as being a dear friend, for saying he’s been enjoying reading my poems. He was particularly kind about this year’s Easter Sunday poem saying it “abided with [him]” & it’s been returning to his mind often over the last few days. He’s even left it open in his browser to be able to come back to it. Thank you Tom. That means the absolute world to me. It often feels during this mad month that you’re writing in & to a vacuum; and that much of what gets created is pedestrian at best, or merely not-quite-average, so even if only one or two poems fire during the month, it feels like a success.

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Plague Lear

i.
if, like me,your mediocrity valve is already open
full trickle then saccharine motivational memes
such as Shakespeare wrote Lear during the plague

aren’t. bloody. helping. one. poxy. bit.

ii.
well take a modicum of heart cos the reality is
Shakey dates are always shaky at best but Lear
probably doesn’t quite pass the jester test

sure, Lear was most likely written in 1606
it was entered into the Stationers’ Register that year
& contemporary events seem referenced within

yet 1606 wasn’t such a big deal as pandemics go
— most every year had a bitta Black Death — the Great Plague*
didn’t hit til 65 & the Sweet Swan was long gone

1603 was the go to year for things bubonic in Bill’s life
& all our country boy turned out then was (chortle)
Measure for Measure — yes, one of the “problem plays”

iii.
if you really want to feel insecure (& no doubt you do)
consider that 1606 might’ve been the year not only
of Lear — but Macbeth — & Antony & Cleopatra too

Bing. Bang. Boom!

*Between 1603 and 1665, only four years had no recorded cases of plague.

The Great Plague of 1665-66 was actually the second plague to be so known; the first was in 1625 & was known as the Great Plague until it was surpassed in deaths by the “final” Great Plague.

Plague was par for the course for everyone in those days is what I’m saying.

Day 23 – swans (& folios)

Again, working on a longer poem today. Knew an hour ago I wouldn’t finish in time, so started a new one. Coming to understand, NaPoWriMo is less about the poems you finish this month — and more about the poems you’ve long wanted to start and will finish next month.

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Will never end

Will you forever be
the quintessential
enigma-wrapped-
conundrum-encased-
paradox-generator?
or will your secrets
one day unfurl?
a swan ascending
from the mute stream.
so many want so much
from your cursed bones;
but so little remains
& it’s oh so easy
to fabricate tales
to suit our own
desperate desires

BONUS POEM: April 23, 2018

Unresolved & unfinished I think, but the others I wrote today don’t fit …

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First Folio

all this fuss
over a book
plenty of books
have existed
& been lost
& the world
continues on

at once
a little richer
& a little poorer
for having existed
yet been lost
which is which
you must determine

Day 23 – swans (& folios)

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Will never end

BONUS POEM: April 23, 2018

Unresolved & unfinished I think, but the others I wrote today don’t fit …

*****

First Folio

all this fuss
over a book
plenty of books
have existed
& been lost
& the world
continues on

at once
a little richer
& a little poorer
for having existed
yet been lost
which is which
you must determine

gareth roi poet boi

gareth roi's playful poetry place

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Tag Archives: shakespeare

Day 28 — Thursday Next + Thursday Now

Day 23 — blue Shakespeare + Capital unCanberra

Day 23 — Marlowe MashUp + History

Day 23 — a sonnet, sort of + big birthday cakes

Day 23 — some sort of sonnet (actually not)

Day 23 — Bill & his posse of Nature Poets

Day 23 — Shakespeare & birds & eccentrics: but no rabbits

Day 20 — positive thinking while in lockdown

Day 23 – swans (& folios)

Day 23 – swans (& folios)

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