Modern Poetry Edition #44

Modern Poetry Edition #44

Yo mon, don' vex me now. It's just the Modern Poetry results. This week there were so few votes, I was too tired to be bothered to even count them. I know a few, like me voted for Shakira, and Natasha pulled down one or two as well, but beyond that I didn't bother once this insightful analysis came in from Dan, making clear that AI Alum, Kelly Clarkson gets the MPulitzer prize. I present Dan's comments here in entirety:

I see only two of these poems as being of MPulitzer quality. The
three that shouldn't (in my opinion) make the cut:

Listen to Your Heart (it was a cheesy poem the first time it came out)
Stickwitu (while a little hipper and newer than LTYH, still really lacks depth)
These Words (a poem about not being able to write a poem ... just
doesn't do much for me)

As for the remaining two:
While I haven't had a lot of exposure to "rhythmic recitations" of
Shakira's poetry set to music, I appreciated the creative stylings of
this verse. I found it to be a insightful, fresh take on the feelings
of betrayal and self-deprecation that can well up as a result of the
loss of a love to another. However, I believe I'll have to give the
nod to Kelly C.'s captivating poem about the powerful (in this case
negative) influence a parent can have on the development of their
child's view on life. Really a magnificent piece of literature, and
certainly (in my opinion) worthy of an MPulitzer.

MP staffers wouldn't even try to improve upon that critique. We would point out the obvious, though. It's clear that Dan actually *reads* the poems :-).

Happy New Year!

--Sean

Modern Poetry #44
[12/17/05]
Don't Bother by Shakira
Listen To Your Heart by DHT
**Because Of You by Kelly Clarkson
These Words by Natasha Bedingfield
Stickwitu (Stick With You) by The Pussycat Dolls

**Winner of MPulitzer

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Hello loyal MP readers plus a hearty welcome to dissatisfied MP consumers, too. We aim to please with this Modern Poetry Edition #44. Check out this letter that came in to MPHQ this week:

---------
Yo MP Geezers,

I got turned on to the Modern Poetry by a friend and I am still eagerly awaiting the Modern part. I got poetry ok, but look at some of your poets: U2, Beastie Boys, Jewel and Alanis. Please, these people are soooo last century. And Bob Dylan, The Doors, The Stones, Ray Charles -- these guys are from the #middle# of last century. Why dontcha look up modern in the dictionary, dude? OK, Kanye was cool last week, but really, modern it up a bit willya?

BTW, just how old are you people?

Regards,

J.
---------

Thank you, fair reader J., for pointing this out. See the definitions below, please. Note there are two. Do we subscribe to the "new and common; trite; commonplace?" Puh-lease. Common? Trite? Hardly.

   Modern \Mod"ern\, a. [F. moderne, L. modernus; akin to modo just
   now, orig. abl. of modus measure; hence, by measure, just
   now. See Mode.]

   1. Of or pertaining to the present time, or time not long
   past; late; not ancient or remote in past time; of recent
   period; as, modern days, ages, or time; modern authors;
   modern fashions; modern taste; modern practice. --Bacon.
   [1913 Webster]

2. New and common; trite; commonplace. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]

   We have our philosophical persons, to make modern
   and familiar, things supernatural and causeless.
   --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

So we must saddle up to the "present time," or at least "time not long past." Now, not every edition will be full of A.B. (after Britney) selections. After all, in evolutionary terms (ahem, uhhh, intelligent design terms), the 1950's were like five seconds ago.

Plus, MP whippersnappers, what's said about old books is true about poems as well, "if you haven't read it, it's new to you." So youngsters, enjoy these poems of the modern age. Most, if not all, are younger than one year old. Just don't get used to it.

Enjoy growing older with these poems and seeing which will stand the test of time.

Hey J., are the Pussycat Dolls modern enough for you? I am sure your grandkids will be reading their stuff in college. I think these are all fine selections, if some are better heard than read. Shakira cannot do anything wrong in my book, Listen To Your Heart may be the most popular poem of the last couple years, Kelly C. is just good, sweet Natasha name drops Byron, Shelly, and Keats, and the P-cat dolls take poetic license to a new level.

Vote for your fave to hold its place in the cultural record.

Yeah that's right. I said it. Vote!

--Sean

Don't Bother by Shakira
==========================================================
She's got the kind of look that defies gravity
She's the greatest cook
And she's fat free

She's been to private school
And she speaks perfect French
She's got the perfect friends
Oh isn't she cool

She pratices Tai Chi
She'd never lose her nerve
She's more than you deserve
She's just far better than me

Hey hey

So don't bother
I won't die of deception
I promise you won't ever see me cry
Don't feel sorry

And don't bother
I'll be fine
But she's waiting
The ring you gave to her will lose its shine
So don't bother, be unkind

I'm sure she doesn't know
How to touch you lile I would
I beat her at that one good
Don't you think so?

She's almost 6 feet tall
She must think I'm a flea
I'm really a cat you see
And it's not my last life at all

Hey hey

So don't bother
I won't die of deception
I promise you won't ever see me cry
Don't feel sorry

Don't bother
I'll be fine
But she's waiting
The ring you gave to her will lose its shine
So don't bother, be unkind

For you, I'd give up all I own
And move to a communist country
If you came with me, of course
And I'd file my nails so they don't hurt you
And lose those pounds, and learn about football
If it made you stay, but you won't, but you won't

So don't bother,
I'll be fine, I'll be fine, I'll be fine, I'll be fine
Promise you won't ever see me cry

And after all I'm glad that I'm not your type
Promise you won't ever see me cry

So don't bother,
I'll be fine, I'll be fine, I'll be fine, I'll be fine
Promise you won't ever see me cry

And after all I'm glad that I'm not your type
Promise you won't ever see me cry

Listen To Your Heart by DHT
==========================================================
I know there’s something in the wake of your smile
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yeah
you’ve built a love but that love falls apart
your little piece of heaven turns too dark

listen to your heart
when he’s calling for you
listen to your heart
there’s nothing else you can do
I don’t know where you’re going
and I don’t know why
but listen to your heart
before you tell him goodbye

sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile
the precious moments are all lost in the tide, yeah
they’re swept away and nothing is what is seems
the feeling of belonging to your dreams

and there are voices
that want to be heard
so much to mention
but you can’t find the words
the scent of magic
the beauty that’s been
when love was wilder than the wind

Listen to your heart....mm..mmm

I don’t know where you’re going
and I don’t know why
but listen to your heart
before you tell him goodbye

Because Of You by Kelly Clarkson
==========================================================
I will not make the same mistakes that you did
I will not let myself
Cause my heart so much misery
I will not break the way you did,
You fell so hard
I've learned the hard way
To never let it get that far

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid

I lose my way
And it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
I'm forced to fake
A smile, a laugh everyday of my life
My heart can't possibly break
When it wasn't even whole to start with

I watched you die
I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I was so young
You should have known better than to lean on me
You never thought of anyone else
You just saw your pain
And now I cry in the middle of the night
For the same damn thing

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I try my hardest just to forget everything
Because of you
I don't know how to let anyone else in
Because of you
I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty
Because of you
I am afraid

Because of you
Because of you

These Words by Natasha Bedingfield
==========================================================

These words are my own

Threw some chords together
The combination D-E-F
Is who I am, is what I do
And I was gonna lay it down for you
Try to focus my attention
But I feel so A-D-D
I need some help, some inspiration
(But it's not coming easily)
Whoah oh...

Trying to find the magic
Trying to write a classic
Don't you know, don't you know, don't you know?
Waste-bin full of paper
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

Read some Byron, Shelly and Keats
Recite it over a Hip-Hop beat
I'm having trouble saying what I mean
With dead poets and drum machines
I know I had some studio time booked
But I couldn't find a killer hook
Now you've gone & raised the bar right up
Nothing I write is ever good enough

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

I'm getting off my stage
The curtains pull away
No hyperbole to hide behind
My naked soul exposes
Whoah.. oh.. oh.. oh.. Whoah.. oh..

Trying to find the magic
Trying to write a classic
Waste-bin full of paper
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you

That's all I got to say,
Can't think of a better way,
And that's all I've got to say,
I love you, is that okay?

Stickwitu (Stick With You) by The Pussycat Dolls
==========================================================
I don't want to go another day
So I'm telling you exactly what is on my mind
Seems like everybody is breaking up
Throwing their love away
I know I got a good thing right here
That's why I say

Nobody's going to love me better
I must stick with you forever
Nobody's going to take me higher
I must stick with you
You know how to appreciate me
I must stick with you
My baby
Nobody ever made me feel this way
I must stick with you

I don't want to go another day
So I'm telling you exactly what is on my mind
See the way we ride
In our private lives
Ain't nobody getting in between
I want you to know that you're the only one for me
And I say

And now
Ain't nothing else I can need
And now
I'm singing 'cause you're so, so into me
I got you
We'll be making love endlessly
I'm with you
Baby, you're with me

So don't you worry about
People hanging around
They ain't bringing us down
I know you and you know me
And that's all that counts
So don't you worry about
People hanging around
They ain't bringing us down
I know you and you know me
And that's why I say