Wednesday, February 09, 2005

NEW! Patrick Culliton poem

Patrick Culliton

CALLED AFTER

Patrick is not the chalkboard but there are problems written all over him
Patrick is not the chalkboard but there are problems written all over him
Patrick is not the chalkboard but there are problems written all over him

(You sit still now. Still and upright. If you have a solution I will salute you)

Patrick is a chalkboard constantly erasing itself
Patrick is a chalkboard constantly erasing itself
Patrick is a chalkboard constantly erasing itself

(Turn your palms up so I can see if you're cheating)

Why does he constantly rap his own knuckles?
Why does he constantly rap his own knuckles?
Why does he constantly rap his own knuckles?

(Red hands are the Devil's favorite thing)

I would like to go home now. It's cold in here
I would like to go home now. It's cold in here
I would like to go home now. It's cold in here

(ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
)

I am stuck in Patrick, constantly erasing myself
I am stuck in Patrick, constantly erasing myself
I am stuck in Patrick, constantly erasing myself

(And you can see beneath the erasure until it's washed away)

Problems written all over him, Patrick would like to go cold now
Problems written all over him, Patrick would like to go cold now
Problems written all over him, Patrick would like to go cold now

(But the blood, like the knuckles, you see, is still red. It still works)

I am constantly Patrick, I am constantly Patrick
I am constantly Patrick, I am constantly Patrick
I am constantly Patrick, I am constantly Patrick

(You are constantly Patrick, you are constantly Patrick)

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I am a Culleton and my grandmother was born a Culliton, so I read the poem with some curiosity. The repetition is an interesting device, but after a bit it becomes a tad boring. The eye skips over each block after reading the first line.

My taste runs to more traditional form, with the usual suspects like alliteration, onomatopoeia, and the like.