Soundtracked

30DIC Day 4: Helper Queen Of The Baboons

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What's up y'all? Oh ya know me, just sittin' here trying to decide which poem I wanna use for the "Invalid Item"  today, because I wrote one for each prompt and I'm not crazy (again) about either one. I can't figure out if I'm trying to hard, or not trying hard enough. The enthusiasm level isn't matching the talent level, and I don't know which one needs to be raised or lowered .

Compounding the matter is that I like my blogs mostly humorous, but my poems mostly serious, or at least grounded, I guess. And if there have been fun prompts, I haven't been in a fun mood...same with the dark prompts. Why do I feel like a confused crisis lately? So indecisive. I'm getting things done and stuff...I just don't feel completely comfy and settled in yet, I think.

Anyway, let's get the one I didn't use out of the way first, if you wanna read it. I think it's too choppy (which might work to its benefit, actually) and it's notable in my catalog for one big reason: as far as I know or can remember, it's the first time I've used a footnote in a poem. I hate footnotes. If I'm reading a novel with footnotes, something tells me I'm not smart enough on my own to be reading it. And I hate taking my eyes off the part I'm reading to figure out what I'm supposed to be reading, only to go back and find the place I left off and pick it back up...it's all distracting to me.

But yeah, uhhhh...so I used the prompt where I assumed was some kind of witch/witchcraft thing goin' on, and it turned into like a protest march anthem ...here's the sixth entry from "Also Mutants" , "Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars" . It's also worth noting that I intended to use that title for one of the poems I was working on yesterday- somehow I must've gotten quite the boner for it- but realized it didn't fit. And it barely fits here either...I really had to sand and prime and lube the hell outta it, and I can still kinda hear it telling me to stop because it hurts. Moving on...

Instead, today you get poem #7, which is a quick little romp about role-reversals and (a distorted) balance in relationships, I think. I really wish I could've had more fun with this, because I love monkeys and this monkey is clearly either living his best or worst life right now, while the poor woman can't decide if she should save the veggies or the dress (or whatever it is in the monkey's grip). I maybe could've done more with it...but that was about all I had. I took a sandwich break and there's no comin' back from that .

Helper Queen Of The Baboons

I let her think she ranks above me
but she doesn't realize
I'm on my own if I don't turn the crank.
It's not the companionship,
it's the entertainment I'm after...
and I don't need her but I can't let her go.

         "Helper Queen Of The Baboons"  from "Also Mutants" .

There are lots of songs about monkeys. Lots of decent songs about monkeys. I could probably make a list, here and now, if I didn't have anything else to do today. And don't forget about bands like The Monkees, Simian Mobile Disco, and Sprung Monkey. But this here, this song, this might be the quintessential epilogue to a monkey's long, full, storied life. I'd like to think the baboon in the picture above (and hell, maybe even the one in the poem too) made it there safely and securely. And on my more cynical days, I hope this song is sarcastic as fuck and that monkey gets what he deserves when the ground is burning . I'm sure there are 8 million different interpretations of a song that basically doesn't mean anything other than the singer thinking the title sounded neat. Another attempt at exploring the hypothetical place each person has in a relationship, along with the view of what's really going on, maybe? I dunno...it's The Pixies; shut up and play the clip.

"Monkey Gone To Heaven"   -The Pixies

"If man is 5...then the devil is 6...and if the devil is 6...
then God is 7...This monkey's gone to heaven."

I still can't help but wonder if maybe that lady with the groceries did or said something to the monkey that really pissed the monkey off, and the monkey's just retaliating out of defense . I mean, context is everything, right? How many times have you seen a picture of yourself in an awkward spot and had to tell people every time it comes up "No, listen, this is what was really goin' on..." and of course cuz the camera don't lie, your friends are all like "Sure Lester, but why was that baboon so close to your butthole in the first place??" And that's where I'm gonna leave off and let you sort that all out, cuz I could be here all night pondering this and about a million other things. Peace, I'll get mine too, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!