Firecrackered

· by · in dVerse, free verse, poetry. ·

Once – in sparks
a firecracker
hissed a bit,
    before

I spread-
    sheeted my life
and numbed
defused
    confused.

Spreadsheet art by by Amit Agarwal

Spreadsheet art by by Amit Agarwal

Today it’s Open Link Night at dVerse hosted by Grace. Bring any poem you like or try one of our previous prompt. We open the doors at 3PM EST. Myself I tried a little micropoetry again.

—
February 4, 2016

30 responses to “Firecrackered”

  2. This hits home. The contrast from the fire cracker preparing to explode to numbed life on a spread sheet. Ouch. But I work in corporate America. Hits home. Nice work.

  3. I was never one for spreadsheets! They would definitely numb and confuse me. (Smiles) On another note, I wonder if you are a fan of this kind of ‘folk music.’ (I like it myself.) I watched the video. The singer sings in English, but with an accent. Is she Swedish?

  6. I love how you’re fused to De in this. 🙂 And how you made her a firecracker re(a)d-head who confuses you. Plus, she’s a horse, hissing and pissed off about the bit in her mouth, keeping her from running wild. Spread-sheeted is a phenomenal word split. It sneaks in some Sylvia Plath (SP)-reading and some Sylvia (S) heat, as well.

    • If you’ve read much of her, especially her journals, you’ve surely noticed her constant struggles with her sexuality and her guilt and desire to find God so that she can temper herself.

      Mini-poem: Before sheeted (or shitted/shat) my life — confused. I think this means your life is far less shitty with De (or Sylvia) in it, which of course leaves you feeling confused.

      I’m making all of this up, of course. I can’t help it. :P. I love your poem.

  11. Spread sheeted my life…makes me think of life measured by coffee spoons a la J. Alfred Prufrock….like the vid. I had a bumper sticker made just for me – I Escaped Spread Sheet America – ALIVE

  15. Now I see “once sin sparks [it’s a] firecracker” in the opening, which I think you did on purpose. But I also see “once fire crack-haired …” bouncing from that set-apart “once” and the title. Pretty sure you didn’t mean that. 😉 That’s when you have magic hair made of fire and crack-cocaine, by the way.

  20. You create new words all the time, Bjorn – spreadsheeted used as a verb is very innovative! It takes a non-native speaker of English to be so bold, I think…

  22. Spreadsheets — ugh! Do you remember the early days of computer paper that had little holes on the perforated sides and after you printed your spreadsheets or essays or whatever, you then had to fold it all up, accordian style, and rip off the perforated holey edges? Or am I giving away my age?! Liked this short hissing poem! 🙂
    Late to read — out hiking all day yesterday and collapsed with a good tired last night….so morning reads to my cup of joe! 🙂

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