Chickens eat more than that hoop girl
twirling her life through yellow.
She best watch her back—
that savior right ‘round the corner
herding sheep like people,
piling them up for a trip in his windowless
wagon where thinking is stuck in the middle of believe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A shout out to a rather new site dVerse. This is my first post for their Saturday Poetics. Today we were provided information about a painter, Giorgio de Chorico who “fell under the spell of Nietszche.” I wrote the poem as a surrealist response to the painting Mystery and Melancholy of a Street (above), through a somewhat Nietszchean lens. Visit dVerse for more takes on Giorgio de Chorico and his work.
undercaws 
Wonderful. Your poem is as surreal as the painting.
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loved the line “thinking stuck in the middle of believe” think that’s my state of mind on a daily basis great poem thank you
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Loved the power in this piece. Wonderful take on the image! ~ Rose
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Brenda, I love surrealist touch added this painting with your words. Good one.
Pamela
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‘herding sheep like people,
piling them up for a trip in his windowless
wagon where thinking is stuck in the middle of believe’.~
strong words ~ stripped of believe ~ as herded like sheep ~
great voice and choice of words ~ Lib
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“thinking stuck in the middle of believe”
Excellent. Sometimes “believe” is best left to stand on its own merit.
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Like others, I really loved “twirling her life through yellow” — wonderful surrealist line!
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I like the surrealist feel of your poem. Good response to both the painting and the life of this artist, who was new to me. I especially liked the girl twirling her life through yellow and stuck in the middle of believe. Nice work.
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I like it specially these lines:
“his windowless
wagon where thinking is stuck in the middle of believe”.
what a frightful scene…
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I, too, got stuck on that last line, ” where thinking is stuck in the middle of believe.” It is a great one. Just an eerie painting, isn’t it? I was certainly worried for the lone girl in an empty scene. Hope the shadow is a savior.
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I felt so sorry for her,good jod
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Brimming with malice with tongue in cheek – the child catcher awaits – bbbrrrrr – sends a shiver.
Some great lines
I may have nightmares
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Ah yes, I wondered as well just who that shadow figure was right around the corner. I called it ‘future’ though, but it could be a ‘savior’ as well.
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She is kind of spooke, makes me worry for her safety although she’ll never quite reach that there corner…
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Very effective interpetation of the painting and the surrealist movement, Brenda. So glad you posted it on dVerse.
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This is why I love such prompts! Another dark take on this image…which until today alway screamed yellow to me in a good way. Amazing how another’s words can completely alter your own perception…and I guess that is the power of poetry…good poetry like this at least! Thanks for sharing your words!
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Twirling her life through yellow, I love it!
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i agree, the end makes you want to shout at the girl to stop.
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She does seem to be racing for it, doesn’t she? -Even though, if that flag waving to the left is any indication, the wind is against her, and that wagon doesn’t seem welcoming.
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a windowless wagon…stuck in the middle of believe…excellent close…and they call him savior…oh i hope she hoops on through…smiles. wellpenned verse and glad you joined in…
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Thanks Brian…Saturdays are good for me, I’m glad you all are out there at dVerse.
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…where thinking is stuck in the middle of believe… great closure brenda
you capture the surrealism well with the…twirling her life through yellow…and then this shepherd gave me shivers..
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Thanks Claudia…the shadow of the figure gave me shivers, too….thinking from the perspective of the girl.
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