Cheap Lazy Love Affair

Jo Bryant


the beginning

a love affair

knowing

the science of man

*

I was

a foot soldier

a teacher

a car dealer

*

teach children

hypocrisy

that’s how you survive

*

antibiotics aren’t working

we had an incurable disease

two world wars

we’re really awful animals

*

people who need

people

talking about cannibals

*

the good Earth

we could

have saved it

but

we were

too damn cheap and lazy

***

Kurt Vonnegut

***

I wrote this found poem after reading an interview Kurt Vonnegut gave online.

A link to the full interview is below.

The definition of a found poem is: Found poetry is a type of poetry created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole passages from other sources and reframing them as poetry by making changes in spacing and/or lines (and consequently meaning), or by altering the text by additions and/or deletions. The resulting poem can be defined as either treated: changed in a profound and systematic manner; or untreated: virtually unchanged from the order, syntax and meaning of the original. Sourced from Wikipedia.

The Salon Interview: Kurt Vonnegut, published October 8, 1999 on

http://www.salon.com/books/int/1999/10/08/vonnegut_interview

This poem was submitted to Poetry Pantry #66 over at Poets United.

***

For more found poetry of mine: Q if for Quiddity

Published by Jo Bryant

I was born in the land of Banjo Paterson, gum trees, and weather extremes. I am a freelance photographer. I love to make images that make people happy. To capture forever a precious moment. I am also a freelance writer/editor. I live in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, but still like to claim my Australian heritage. I graduated with a Bachelor of Communications in 2008. I am writing my first novel. I love to write poetry, short stories, and also write for the web. And there is nothing that is on a par with a sunny summer's day spent at Waihi Beach.

40 Comments

  4. What a guy. One of my claims to fame is that he married Jill Krementz, my cousin….so I guess that means we are/were related. How fun is that?

    Thought of you up at the Italian restaurant in the mtns. today, Jo. Homemade limoncello was calling your name…so was I:)

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      1. You know, Jo…I was never really a fan of Vonnegut but because I’m such a fan of yours, I have read the above poem over and over again. You do that, you know? You highlight things I would normally miss and give my days a beautiful new color that no one else ever could. Thank you, Jo.:)

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        1. I read some of his work a long time ago – wasn’t really keen at first – but I went back to him recently, and discovered things in his work that i could really relate to. in interviews i find he speaks of things that are what i would speak of. 🙂 So glad you enjoy that.

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  7. powerful few words. collectively makes a thoughtful poem about human failings. mostly about the selfish nature of humans who would do anything to make their lot bigger. they don’t see the greater picture how with them the world will collapse upon them one day. beautiful writing.

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    1. Bad funny pirate aren’t you ?? Not Kurt’s poem – mine. Yes I did use his words from an article – so partly Kurt’s, but I chose them, I assembled them. So it’s my poem too – isn’t it ??

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      1. You mean bad in a good way, right? 🙂 Even better that it’s your poem. With the way it’s worded though, saying the poem was from an interview Kurt did, it seemed like it was something he did. You wrote it, it’s your poem. I think you should take credit in a more obvious manner. 🙂

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          1. Well, if it makes sense to this ‘ol Pirate (and it does quite well, thank you very much 🙂 ) then I’d say yes. As a matter of fact, to make this clear as mud, I do say yes.

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  10. I like the technique of combining others’ words and phrases in a way to express your own, unique idea, with the allusions adding another layer. You have a little gem here. Love KV as well. Cheers.

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  11. Hey Jo, good to meet you and loving the little corner of the web you have here! What did you mean by number 2? Anywho, I was drawn to this post and it was beautiful. Have a good day, night?

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    1. I meant number 2 in the series – getting it published as well – for number 1 sounds amazing. I love that you were drawn to this post – as I love that you say anywho…

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  12. I like your poem. And thanks for posting that interview with Vonnegut. I have admired him for quite awhile because of his ability to write things so REAL. In reading his stuff, it’s almost like knowing him as a person; he writes in such a way that you feel like he’s right next to you, telling you a story. Anyway, thank you for sharing both! 🙂

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  14. This guy always tells it like it is. His books are just a strong. Nice job of creating “found poetry.” I am so glad to learn this phrase as now I do not have to say “I stole this, or worse, plagiarized it!” lol I do not know much about poetry but sometimes like to take a word, a phrase, or idea and build on it. I have felt a bit guilty for doing it, like I was cheating. Of course, we seldom have an truly original thought. I see this a lot when I search for a photo by using my key theme and find many photos with the same idea. Oh, well….

    Always interesting to tiptoe around your blog. hugs, pat

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    1. Hi Pat – I read somewhere once that there are actually only something like 9 story ideas – everything else is a variation on just those few ideas. So it is no wonder that we see similar work out there to what we create. it is also one of the reason plagerism is so hard to prove.
      So happy you visited and tiptoed about. 🙂

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  15. hmm, found poetry huh? It sounds a lot like what profesional reporters do when they report the news or do an expose’. 🙂 The poem is very powerfull. That you can create poems in so many forms like this is impressive.

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    1. Why thank you ma’am – I have been trying to write a found poem for months, but never really got into anything I read enough, until I read his interview.

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