Sunday, March 6, 2011

The Pancake Drunken Bus

This week Peter Goulding is driving the bus, and encouraging us to share tales of drunkenness or write a pancake centred poem in the style of a particular poet, or write a rondeau (fancy!). Be sure to visit him here to see what the other mischievious bus poets come up with.

I'd have loved to try and do all three, but my poetic energy levels are low, so I'll have to go with just the one. So, I give you....


A Pancake with Guts

After Charles Bukowski

.

I used to come home drunk from a day losing at the horses

and sit down by the cooker while the woman made pancakes

Me and the 3 legged, one eyed dog

Sat on the linoleum, growling at each other

Listening to the sizzles getting hotter

Each flip leading to a new riot

An opening of a universe

Of shouting pancakes with no sugar, just cutting lemon

Sharper than a razor

.

And while I ate

the old dog’s whines were a kind of sauce on the side

making everything taste better

while the woman went and showered

and I heard the dog’s heart sinking

to his toes

23 comments:

Louise said...

Ahh give the poor dog a pancake!!!!
Clever and witty as always!

martine said...

Ooo so good.
thanks for sharing
martine

Peter Goulding said...

That's a wonderful picture that you paint there, Niamh. Must check out Charles Bukowski - I've heard the name but never read him.

Totalfeckineejit said...

That's really good as a poem and as an impersonation, I can hear Bukowski's voice as I'm reading this!

Niamh B said...

Socks, it actually hurt to sound so mean, even fictionally!
Tks a mill martine, glad you enjoyed.
Peter - he's strangely compulsive to read. Definitely check him out - there's lots of his poetry online.
Tks TFE, tisn't a patch on the real deal, but it was an interesting exercise.

The Bug said...

I really liked this poem a lot - but I agree with socks about giving the dog a pancaked.

My favorite line is, "Each flip leading to a new riot An opening of a universe..."

Enchanted Oak said...

I'm a Bukowski fan from way back and I bow (bow-wow) to your fantastic impersonation. And a vivid poem in its own right. Loved the whole thing, but the ending just socked me right in the muzzle.

NanU said...

The dog will get the whole pancake in the next poem, I'm sure of it.
Nice one, Niamh!

Padhraig Nolan said...

That is BRILLIANT! Really enjoyed it Niamh.

Kat Mortensen said...

I think the very last thing I expected to see from you was Bukowski, but my god, you nailed it, er him. I loved every word, but the dog's whines like sauce? there is no superlative for that line!

Kat

Kat Mortensen said...

P.S. Yours makes me feel like a shrivelled up school-marm in the corner, by comparison.

The Dead Acorn said...

I agree with Kat ...

"the old dog’s whines were a kind of sauce on the side"

deliciously cruel.

Niamh B said...

Tks a mill Bug, yes, no dog in my house will go hungry on pancake day, in real life anyway.
Tks Oak, Nothing can match the real thing, but it was great fun pretending :-)
Yes NanU - I'll have to make poetic amends.
Tks Padhraig, glad you enjoyed :-)
Tks Kat, yeah I've been a fan for awhile, hard to know why, he's such a meany pants after all, but I just find his stuff completely compulsive- and it's far from a school marm you are :-)
Acorn, funny that you enjoyed the dog suffering bit most, would have never thought it of ya, ;-)

Kat Mortensen said...

Niamh, as you are in Cork, any idea where Castle Kevin is near Mallow? We have just learned my husband is directly descended from the Badham-Thornhills who owned it.

I come from the poor of Norn Iron, and he comes from the rich landownwers in the south. Ha!

Niamh B said...

Hi Kat, no idea of Kevin Castle I'm afraid, have spent 2 nights ever in Mallow, both memorable, one when we were kids and ran out of petrol there, before the days of late opening stations.
- the second was a teen reunion from irish college full of the boldness of being 15.
Neither occasion brought me near any castles! Sorry to be of no help to you, that's exciting though, do you think ye might come and visit? try and find it?

Domestic Oub said...

Niamh, that poem was fantastic!! Pure genius.

Helen said...

A pancake with guts .. love the man, dog, woman angle ~ don't know the poet, but I'm going to Google him now.

Niamh B said...

Thanks Oub :-)

Helen, glad to have introduced you!!

Batteson.Ind said...

love. love. love!

Titus said...

I knew there was a reason I bought Bukowski's collected poems with my Christmas book token. This poem!
Superbo!

Kat Mortensen said...

Some day, I sure hope to!

Niamh B said...

Tks Watercats and Titus :-)

Niamh B said...

Cool Kat, we'll be waiting for you!