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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Worldbuilding challenge, for Real Toads


Kerry’s challenge today for members and participants in An Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, is “worldbuilding” — although she has provided photos for inspiration, and a link to her favorite worldbuilder Jacek Yerka, this challenge is not the same as “ekphrasis” which came up recently: to compose a poem reflecting a painting. Kerry definitely wants us to create our own worlds.

As it happens, I stayed recently in a home with a 9-year-old, an 11-year-old, and their collection of Harry Potter books. I read the first four, and, while I could identify with J.K. Rowling’s delight in creating names for her characters and places, I felt, as always, no desire to write fantasy fiction.
Original "Hair" poster
via Wikipedia

Instead, given the age that I am, and the age that I was in the 60s, my mind went this morning to the lyrics of the song Aquarius: “la la la, peace will guide the planets, and love will steer the stars, dum de dum, harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding, no more falsehoods or derisions, la la la, and the mind’s true revelation, dum de dum”...

So I decided to look up the lyrics, because anyone can get them wrong.

No one outside a website on misheard lyrics could get it as wrong as this one I found, though...
No more need for superstition; all your living dreams are visions; and Pete will guide the planet; and love will steal the stars. (Oh yes, good old Pete.)

So I was laughing before I tackled today’s Real Toads challenge. Mix laughter with a lifelong lack of interest in the fantasy genre, and I could only manage a very, very short poem, about the most domestic of imaginary worlds. I don’t even have a house-robot or constant good weather in it...

in a perfect world
spouses would ask
 “is there anything I can do to help?”
in a perfect world
teenagers would say
 “want me to clean up my room?”
in a perfect world
children would cry, dogs would bark,
cats would yowl, crows would caw
HubbleSite photo
only before eleven p.m.
and after seven a.m.
in a perfect world
if a perfect world
were suddenly here
in our imperfect world








26 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh, Kay! You do have an active imagination! LOL!

Sherry Blue Sky said...

I enjoyed this SO much and share your non-engagement with fantasy - I find real life more unbelievable any day! Loved this poem........made my day.

Fireblossom said...

Well. I'm going to hold off commenting until I find out what Pete thinks! ;-)

hedgewitch said...

"Pete will guide the planet, and love will steal the stars!" I'm rolling here. I'm afraid to ask what they made of mystic Krystal's revelations!

I think we all have a vision of a perfect world..and you are so right, it is purely imaginary.

Margaret said...

Yes, THAT is the world I should have created (but this was WAY too much for me. (I attempted it three times and finally said enough is enough)

Kay L. Davies said...

I was tempted to name the website where I found out Pete is guiding the planet, but decided to be nice and leave it out.
K

Anonymous said...

Sounds pretty good to me! k.

Susan said...

If we knew Pete, we might approach perfection, but that would be too easy wouldn't it/ Well-structured poem for a well-structured world.

Kay said...

I remember going to see Hair with Art on one of our first dates. It was quite interesting at the end... if you remember. I like your perfect world a whole lot!

Gattina said...

Your poem is excellent ! I like this perfect world, lol ! I don't like fantasy or the kind of "Star wars" things either ! I still have my feet on earth !

Susie Clevenger said...

Love the misheard lyrics...oh and wouldn't it be nice to live in that perfect world you described, but I would definitely need to do some work on myself.

Unknown said...

Hello:)

Have a good Thursdag&weekend!!

The picture was taken hvaing a break at work, thus no guinea pigs.

Best regards,

Linnea and tree, soon to be four piglets

Friko said...

Perfect, Kay.
Except you have left out quite a few other requirements that would make my world perfect. Acceptable weather, for one.

Kerry O'Connor said...

For years I thought the lyrics for Bad Moon Rising included the line: there's a bathroom on the right! I blame Pete.

Yes, we all long for a perfect world, but I'm sure we'd soon complain that nothing ever happened.

Fireblossom said...

Laffin hard @ "mystic Krystal's revelations". Oh, Hedge. Ha!

Maude Lynn said...

Now, that's imagination! I like your world, Kay.

Daryl said...

i love mangled song lyrics .. the opening theme song to CSI Las Vegas will always be (to my ears) Cool Water ...

a friend once sang Silent Night: round young virgins motherless child

i too an a child of the 60s and adore fantasy

Helen said...

Oh my ... the 60s ~~ I was in my prime! Your poem brings it back, now where in the world was that Pete when I wanted him.

Peggy said...

I like your poem--a fantasy world indeed! And yes the worlds of the 60s now do sound like a fantasy as well--loved the wrong words you quoted. And thank you for visiting my blog as well and yes there was that spelling mistake. I appreciate you pointing it out -- spelling has always been one of my downfalls! Thank goodness for editors!

Unknown said...

This made me laugh! Especially as I think of my teenager's room!

izzy said...

Fun - I do wish the animals would keep more bankers hours- and I recall that song, yikes- :)

Hannah said...

Very nice!! Kay, I found myself in the same place...wishing for a perfect world and what that would take. I love your stipulations!! :)

Ella said...

I love your mystical take on this poem! Yes, those dreams and if we really had it that way-we would not like it, lol! Fun to read and imagine ;D
You are clever!!!

Fireblossom said...

I took "mystic Krystal's revelations" and ran with it, in my post yesterday. Come see! (hardly anyone else did!)

Anonymous said...

:)

Lolamouse said...

You mean Pete DOESN'T rule the planet?!! Dang. Now I have to find a new deity!