The Sentiment

One of the most wonderful things about poetry is its versatility. Experimentation with various forms often makes a jumble. The trick is to make the jumble seem as if it were intentional. Such is the same with inspiration, since the foundation of poetry is emotion. There hasn't been an emotion in human history that hasn't been covered in some way, shape, or form through poetry, and seeking to link inspiration and emotion with new avenues of expression is never a sure bet, but it's always fun to do nonetheless.

Below is my experimental poem inspired by Shawn Wong's novel American Knees. The poem is open to criticism (after all, it IS experimental), and I'm happy to say that it's the inaugural creative writing piece for this blog.

The Sentiment

As we looked ahead
I walked toward you
Purposely mumbling so you couldn’t hear
So I would have an excuse to lean next to you
Your back covered my arm
I nestled on you, mouth to ear
You nestled back, your waist and my hand met
A brave thing you did, I didn’t fight back
You turned to kiss me, pulled me close
The dessert that was a kiss under your left ear…

Later, in two years, our lists
were made in anger and on the spot
rules in our minds always existed but only declared now

Throw away old t-shirts if:
1. They're stretched beyond recognition
2. There are holes in the armpit, chest, or back areas
3. You haven’t worn them since high school
4. It's your own personal roll of tissue paper
5. You’ve never worn them. The graphics are too damn ugly.

Throw away cosmetics if:
1. You’re allergic to it
2. It's crusted up
4. No, wait, 3. It’s not the same color it once was
4. You hate the color it is now
5. The bottle/box/tube is empty.

Disposed sentimental things;
Sacred items that would never be thrown
Except in fits of anger or despair
How the weight of objects dragged us down
Took away lift, prevented forward motion
The weight of a first kiss
Will never be thrown away

--Ryan Viloria