Villanelle

I wrote a villanelle for class. It's a poem that has a pretty strict form. See here for a better explanation than I wish to give right now :)

Mutability or The Traveling Speed of Resolution

I do not wish to miss my train
so I wind my clock at ten past two
and sit still where it stays the same

Your body sways, it leans and wanes
aloof I turn and say to you
“I do not wish to miss my train”

Your eyes are fury, rage not tame
I resign, you reach, I rue
and sit still where it stays the same

I'm your boon and you're my bane
under my breath I sigh so true
I do not wish to miss my train

I will flee and freedom gain
you will search and weep and brood
and sit still where it stays the same

In its lack, I, change became
I'll ride to where it all is new
I do not wish to miss my train
and sit still where it stays the same

© 2009 Emilio Gándara

Elegy For My Late Sister

At a tender age, unknowable wisdom
Seven past the decade, treading on feeble step
Joyful beyond poverty, sick beyond healing
Given death for mercy, may she rest

Born before me, dead before me
Daughter of a mother, mother to many
Trusting love, she was speechless
Trusting us, she was family

Her end given as late news
In grief I shed a salty sea
As a boy, she taught me death
and its infinite separation

She was old in my youth
And left before she saw me grow
I pray God forgive her in her innocence
And that when I leave she sees me grown

© 2009 Emilio Gandara

No Theorem version 2

Hey, so using the criticism given me in class, I rewrote the octave in this sonnet. Here is the new version. Thoughts?

No Theorem

The one in her eyes reflected is me
mind running infinitely standing still
a circle of gold unbounded and free
is in my hand, and in my spine a chill
I stand and kneel before her, my future
two can be one at the 'yes' from her lips
but a 'no' results in mind's rapture
and our parallel lives curve at the tips
bursting thoughts in rationale and justice
endless testing spinning process reason
this rejection taken swiftly caused this
not a man but shadows for a season
love in one direction as a vector
magnitude in vain with no reflector

© 2009 Emilio Gandara

Sonnet

I haven't been posting as much stuff from poetry class as I thought I would but I just finished writing my (first?) sonnet and I thought I'd share it. This is probably a first draft but sonnets are hard and it's my first go at it so I'm sort of proud of it hee hee ^^

No Theorem

She decided not to take my offer
and live to tell the tale of deep regret
take the road that steers the clearest of her
and given time my mind will soon forget
I will hold the memory of loving
and she will pay a ransom for her time
ring in hand I'll stop the hate from growing
and try to find a prison for this crime

bursting thoughts in rationale and justice
endless testing spinning process reason
this rejection taken swiftly caused this
not a man but shadows for a season

love in one direction as a vector
magnitude in vain with no reflector

© 2008 Emilio Gandara

Poetry

I'm taking a poetry class this quarter. I'm pretty excited about it and today was the first day. I was pretty nervous coz it's something that matters to me but it was pretty fun. Actually, at the end we were tasked with a little exercise: to write a sample poem. Basically we had to write 5 lyrics or catch phrases, anything that we could think of, from whatever artist or media. I was actually called upon to read it. My heart was pounding so hard you'd think I'd laid eyes on the love of my life for the first time. So here it is, I'm going to italicize the parts I sampled and leave the guessing to you guys :D

I'm not ready for you to go
I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow
but if you stay with me a while
give me an hour and I'll give you your dream

I heard you say you wished I'd die
and I thought "only if He'll bring me back a dog in the next life"
take a second and think of it
the implication of your imposition

where were you a week ago
when we sang and our song shook the ground
that's when I wished you'd never die
and you said "I'll be a better me tomorrow"

© Emilio Gandara 2008

Have fun guessing! I know cris will know one right away coz it's sort of an inside joke of ours ;)

Haiku otw 3/9 I

Late again, but I won't bother myself with the details, hehe.

I long to move so:
Further Up and Further In
just to see the Light

Just finished reading The Chronicles of Narnia. Amazing is a gross understatement in describing what a work the Lord has blessed C. S. Lewis with. Enjoyed every bit of it!

WotW March 09 I

Hey all, I'm on time again, hooray! And so, the word will be...

concupiscence -
strong desire, especially sexual desire (in other words, a fancy word for lust)

Used in a sentence: Rather than being fought, concupiscence is best defeated through escape.

Reason: Saw it written in my Bible :)

[edit - I was actually early! I just can't get it right, can I? haha]

Late WotW and Haiku! (Feb 09 IV)

Hey all, here's a double-whammy late edition but because in the span of an hour I've received both the word and haiku so instead of skipping a week I decided to post both.

Lackadaisical -
lacking life, spirit, or zest

Used in a sentence: Upon quitting his long-drawn pursuit of existential knowledge, a cold wind was breathed and a lackadaisical sigh was exhaled.

Reason: I saw in twitter that it is my friend Jen's new favorite word.

Aaaaand the haiku is thus, inspired by The Watchmen:

teleportation
requires a deep knowledge
of things temporal

:D

Late Haiku! 2 (Feb 09 III)

So uhhhhh, yeah....

雪が降る
そして病気だ
不公平

So another random japanese haiku. And a rather loose translation.

it snows once again
and I am struck with illness
is it not unfair?

Yes, loose, quite loose. Literally what I said in japanese is

it snows
and I'm sick
unfair

so yeah... lacking... syllables! hehe

Word of the Week (Feb 09 III)

Nonplus - (MW and from here on out, unless otherwise mentioned, this will be the reference)
to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do

Used in a sentence: She dropped the knife and for an instant stood nonplussed.

Reason: From when I first saw the word I really liked it, not only because it had eluded me for so long but because of what it meant. I like the idea of being hit with such a strong realization that you cannot even muster a reaction. Which is almost what I felt when I failed an important test today but my reaction was clearly to sulk until I reasoned myself into not feeling too bad about it. :)