[stylist] Poem: "Snuff"

[Applebutter Hill]

Bill,
That's very profound.
Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of William L
Houts
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 10:32 AM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] Poem: "Snuff"



Hi Thea,

In my understanding of the poem, the speaker is more benign.  He's a kind of
angel gazing upon the scene from a slightly detached perspective.  And he's
saying that the creator of this horrible scene is both monstrous and
pathetic while we who look on and are broken-hearted about it know that
human decency is the real truth, not the horrible photograph.  Something
like that, anyway --I'm not really good at dissecting my own poems this way.
But I thank you for taking the time and energy to read the poem and report
what you see in it.  Like the rains mentioned in "Snuff", you're very
gracious, ha.


--Bill





On 3/11/2014 9:45 AM, Miss Thea wrote:
> Hi, Bill.
> What strong impressions I had!
> I was in that motel room, saw the murderer making a snuff film,
> setting up the camera and using the knife.
> Were you writing from the perspective of the murderer?
> I thought maybe you might be, and the "reader" was the character you
> looked upon as self-righteous, your line "the hope of us all" may have
> been said in a sarcastic tone, or even a contemptuous tone.
> I saw a lot of character as well as description.
> The character speaking in this poem may have been psychotic,
> dispassionate, cold, all in a day's work, making a snuff film.
> Or a snuff photo.
> There's a lot of meat in this sandwich; I like it.
> Thea
>
> -----Original Message----- From: William L Houts
> Sent: Monday, March 10, 2014 7:51 PM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: [stylist] Poem: "Snuff"
>
> Hi Stylists,
>
> Here's a short poem I wrote last summer.It's interesting to me because
> I was using a lot of rhyme last summer and this one barely has any.
> The subject matter isn't very pretty, but I think this one may be one
> of my best, even if it's bad form to say so, ha.
>
>
> --Bill
>
>
> --Bill
>
>
> ---
>
>
> The photo made me ill:that's how I knew.
>
> This was no gaffe, no show for the marks
>
> but murder:the plain motel bed,
>
> and the eyes, god the eyes of dephless X.
>
> Hewas naked,
>
> this man reduced to the size
>
> of someone's doll.The legs hung
>
> over the bed's edge, and he lay,
>
> his back flat, though beyond all rest,
>
> all sight, all knowing. As if only
>
> this camera, this eye
>
> and the knifelike eye
>
> behind it, unveiled how things really are:
>
> a mansion of rooms without pity,
>
> and their stunted ridiculous devils
>
> O reader, with your outraged eye
>
> you've had your monsters too:
>
> your heartsblood thieves, your killers,
>
> your stunted ridiculous devils
>
> O reader,with your dog-nose truth,
>
> your yes, your gifts of mending fire
>
> you are the hope for us all.
>
> and upon our stricken heads,
>
> the gracious rains fall.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


--
"Let's drink a toast now to who we really are."

           --Jane Siberry


_______________________________________________
Writers Division web site
http://writers.nfb.org/
stylist mailing list
stylist at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
stylist:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/applebutterhill%40gmail
.com