Today’s prompt: “write a poem that incorporates at least one of the following: (1) the villanelle form, (2) lines taken from an outside text, and/or (3) phrases that oppose each other in some way.” (http://www.napowrimo.net/day-five-6/)
Somewhere, So Far Away
Somewhere, so far away,
A warm, safe place where as a child I lie.
Where do we go now?
I prayed for the thunder and the rain
To quietly pass me by.
Somewhere, so far away.
So dream alright,
I know it’s going to take some time.
Where do we go now?
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Somewhere, so far away.
I dream at night
Of going home someday.
Where do we go now?
My home my friends and you
I watch them fade but what can I do?
Somewhere, so far away.
Where do we go now?
This poem might be considered cheating, or perhaps I took the instructions too literally, in that I didn’t write any of the lines myself. I’ve opposed lyrics from two different songs: “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses and “Miner at the Dial-a-View” by Grandaddy. For me, they evoke a similar sense of nostalgia and loss of place. The chorus of the Grandaddy song seems to offer a roundabout answer to the central question posed by Guns N’ Roses. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to see what would happen if I skipped back and forth between them.
I don’t have any permission to use these lyrics. I hope this is covered by creative reuse clauses. Please don’t sue.
“Sweet Child ‘o’ Mine” by Gun N’ Roses © Universal Music Publishing Group, 1987
“Miner at the Dial-a-View” by Jason Lytle © Universal Music Publishing Group, 2000
John the Librarian 