Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

she needed a good slap now and then
just to get her attention or to let her know I care

just a little tap, a little touch
a kiss of the open hand

the domestic violence starts in her corner
"i dare you to hit me, I dare you."

"If he hits you, he will hit you again," so Oprah says
and if he kisses you he will kiss you again

fighting and fucking are strains of the same plant
love has no Geneva Conventions

no sermons please
this is just a poem

this will self destruct in 21 seconds.

Its funny when you read the first line imitating John Wayne.
H

I once lived with a woman who wanted me to beat her
when I moved out I said, "if you want somebody to love you that way, you'll have to find somebody else."

hest, glad you caught the humor. It's a dark subject to joke about.

in no way does this poem endorse violence
I knew I could count on you for a sermon, doreen

if you can't see the laugh in this poem, you might need to brush up on your sense of humor

how many times did I ever strike you in the years we spent together?

and if I had struck you I should have been out the door
I abhor violence, I'm too skinny for it....haha
the only domestic violence I've ever been involved in
I've been on the receiving end

but, as a poet, I reserve the right to make fun of any subject, no matter how thorny it is.

(chorus) hey, dance flamenco instead!

this is not funny. it's simply true for far too many 'love' situations.
poet taking a look through their eyes.
legitimate as are all subjects.

i don't see the poem 'judging'. i see it speaking.

aaah yes the flamenco, but the tango is really the dance of domestic violence
the advance, the retreat

judih, yes, you can't have 'funny' without 'true'
(I don't do judging....not my job)
thanks for seeing the poem

it's a touchy subject

i was a bit schocked at once.
but... its real. its happening with friends.
and love has no geneva conventions is just a great fucking line.
this poem, you will remember.
this poem, stirred up your eggs.
just like that- you make some serious art.

try to see it from a diffferent point of view. of the selfinsightull drunkard speakin the poem to his friend under the bridge, after beeing kicked out.
or anything that gets you off.
it's just a god damn poem.

doreen peri wrote:See?

judih and mudshark don't think it's funny either.

If your intent was a serious poem about a serious topic with you "playing" the role of a physically abusive partner, you've done your job.

But if you even think for a minute that this is funny.... well, that's problematic.

hm... thats the problema. i acctually did find it a little bit funny. since i have lived with a very abusive woman, so well described by Lightning.. i can laugh about it now. and it felt good.
fighting and fucking. thinking back. laughing.

I guess you are just hopelessly humor challenged, doreen

You think that if you just SAY the words 'child abuse' or 'spousal abuse' that you are and abuser or that you advocate it. You think that if you mention 'rape' or 'drugs', that you are advertising and promoting them. That's nonsense.

I know you prefer not to talk about real problems or real issues in your life or in your art. What are doing being a poet if you won't encounter the real world?

Whether you find this piece funny or not, it's real

Any poet that can't talk about real issues needs to hook up with Hallmark.

well, this is arch humor and hyperbole
sorry you don't get it
it's not funny, haha
it's what I call an uneasy laugh

I'm not putting your poetry down
I think you are a fine poet
and yes, you touch on real issues
but mostly you play with words, like in scrabble
that's ok, many poets are like that, it's legit

I have my opinion too and I think that it's a poet's job to confront the hardest topics and treat them honestly, even brutally. I try to do it with good humor.

(maybe you are right, I'd rather argue with You than make love to most other women....haha) {that's a compliment, doreen}

you should know that much about me, doreen
I wouldn't say anything about you behind your back that I wouldn't say to your face

I guess that's why you keep deleting my posts on your facebook....haha