New Poem: Depths’ Other Meanings – text and audio

Below is a new poem that uses word substitution to change the complexion of the short original poem. This formal method is explored through four versions of the piece, which I think was a successful experiment. Basically I chose an abandoned poem and manipulated operative words, words that were key to the meaning of the original poem. More about the poem and an audio file of the poem being read below.

I pre-selecting words to be changed and substituted the original words with their second synonym. I sat down with a thesaurus and my Shorter Oxford and geeked out for a while with the text, at first putting the replacement words in parenthesis. Soon nice, unexpected things started happening and I ran with it, enjoying the changes and the shades of meanings. By the fourth version it was very changed. Really didn’t know what the end product would be or if it would be useable, but in this instance everything worked once I started subbing in synonyms.

Also putting the poem up because Jimmy Berlin, an instructor from Phoenix College, read and recorded it for a poetry class I’m taking. I was honored and really pleased with her reading of it. So please find the text in the body of this post and here as a pdf,

and please listen to the sound file. She makes it sound like something real, a great reading.

depths’ other meanings

in four iterations

1

Shall we plumb the depths?

it is perhaps my disposition
(yes, it is)

That when I conjure the word depths
I think
the depths of despair

but there are other ways, other meanings:

obviously to have depth is a good thing
and to be deep below the water
keeps you from the distraction of the waves
two gods at the bottom of a lake

and beyond feel or attribute
it is also simply a measurement:
the depth of field

but why first depths of despair?
why not depths of compassion?

2

Shall (Ought) we plumb (gauge) the depths (deepness)?

it is perhaps (for all one knows) my disposition (character)
(yes (amen), it is)

That when (as) I conjure (call forth) the word (idiom) depths
I think (conceive)
the depths of despair

but (On the other hand) there are other (further) ways (courses), other (auxiliary) meanings (connotations):

obviously (definitely) to have (acquire) depth is a good (agreeable) thing (circumstance)
and to be deep below (under) the water (aqua pura)
keeps (safeguards) you from (without) the distraction (agitation) of the waves (breakers)
two gods (deities) at the bottom (bed) of a lake

and beyond (apart from) feel (sensation) or attribute (facet)
it is also (as well)  simply (commonly) a measurement (appraisal):
the depth of field

but why (by virtue of what) first (before all else) depths of despair?
why not (never) depths of compassion (benevolence) ?

3

Ought we gauge the deepness?

it is, for all one knows, my character
(amen, it is)

That as I call forth the idiom depths
I conceive
the depths of despair

On the other hand, there are further courses, auxiliary connotations:

Definitely to acquire depth is an agreeable circumstance
and to be deep under the aqua pura
safeguards you without the agitation of the breakers
two deities at the bed of a lake

and apart from sensation or facet,
it is, as well, commonly an appraisal:
the depth of field

but, by virtue of what, before all else: depths of despair?
why never depths of benevolence?

4

Ought we plumb the depths?

it is perhaps my character
(amen, it is)

That when I call forth the word depths
I conceive
the depths of despair

but there are other ways,
auxiliary meanings:

Clearly, to have depth is an agreeable circumstance,
and to be deep under the aqua pura
safeguards you from the agitation of the breakers –
two gods in the bed of a lake

and apart from sensation or facet,
it is commonly an appraisal:
the depth of field

but why,
before all else: depths of despair?
why never depths of benevolence?

© Jonathan Bond 2011

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~ by 15wattLasVegas on November 19, 2011.