Desire – what is it good for? | Stopdraggingthepanda

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Desire – what is it good for?

tender is the night
long is the day’s journey into night
it’s easier to name a street car
than it is to name one’s desire
never attempt a ménage in a glass menagerie
there is nothing less erotic than a red wheelbarrow
a thing of beauty is a joy for a fortnight.

This poem was originally written as a response to Anmol Arora’s prompt – Poetics: Desire and Sexuality in Poetry, at dverse

photo taken in Sitges, Catalonia.

Also taking part in Open Link over at earthweal: earthweal

26 thoughts on “Desire – what is it good for?”

Susanne November 21, 2018 at 11:41 am

Oh how I marvel at the way your brain works! This is another snorter.

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sdtp33 Post authorNovember 22, 2018 at 12:58 pm

Thanks Suzanne, if I can make just one person snort, I am happy!

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1. Susanne November 25, 2018 at 7:54 am
  
  Are you perchance a Billy Collins fan?
  
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2. sdtp33 Post authorNovember 25, 2018 at 4:01 pm
  
  yep, big fan…..he makes it look so easy when it isn’t!
  
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Rob Kistner November 21, 2018 at 12:53 pm

Jim, this made me grin, ear to ear! Loved your tour de force through literature. I was half ecpecting Virginia Woolf to come ranting on to the street car, screaming at Stella… 😉 I loved this man… 🙂

…rob from Image & Verse

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sdtp33 Post authorNovember 22, 2018 at 12:57 pm

hey there, thanks Rob! much appreciated!

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V.J. Knutson November 21, 2018 at 1:02 pm

“for a fortnight”, eh? Is this a confession of commitment phobia, lol? Love the word play.

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sdtp33 Post authorNovember 21, 2018 at 1:47 pm

….it’s the only phobia I’m committed to!

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1. V.J. Knutson November 21, 2018 at 2:46 pm
  
  hahahaha
  
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Björn Rudberg (brudberg) November 21, 2018 at 1:13 pm

Ha.. love the clever references….
but what about the white chickens?

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sdtp33 Post authorNovember 22, 2018 at 1:01 pm

ah yes…the white chickens…have you read Camille Paglia’s analysis of that poem in a book called “Break, Blow, Burn”, it’s worth checking out.

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1. Björn Rudberg (brudberg) November 22, 2018 at 1:02 pm
  
  Ah.. I will have to remember that.. there is nothing more important
  
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Grace November 21, 2018 at 6:27 pm

I love the subtle sarcasm and the twists to the familiar lines. Maybe it is good for nothing or everything, ha.

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sdtp33 Post authorNovember 22, 2018 at 1:02 pm

Thanks Grace….much appreciated!

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anmol(alias HA) November 21, 2018 at 6:49 pm

Ha! Love the poetic references, particularly the red wheelbarrow.
Such a pointed and witty write; I am grinning too! XD

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sdtp33 Post authorNovember 22, 2018 at 1:11 pm

Thanks Anmol, and thank you also for your very erudite post in dVerse!

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Steve Simpson November 27, 2018 at 12:01 am

A necklace of gems, Jim. I love them, eternal love until Monday, or Tuesday if it’s a long weekend.

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sdtp33 Post authorNovember 28, 2018 at 6:06 pm

Thanks Steve! It’s always wise to state limits up front!

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hedgewitch September 25, 2022 at 5:56 am

Nice little left jab in that last line, and great buildup ahead of it. We so love to take ourselves seriously, even in the midst of this kabuki theater that surrounds us.

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