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Forums > Katharine Activities > Katharine 'Projects'
Subject: McPoetry Project Poem Thread
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Username: bcollan
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06/23/2006 10:00 AM Alert 
OK McPhans, about 15 of you have expressed interest in this project so far. That's enough to get started, but I expect many more of you to participate. Don't worry about not being a Poet Laureate! Noone will critisize your poems, and I'm sure Kat will appreciate and enjoy every heart felt one of them.

McPoetry Project summary:

Inspired by the wonderful poetry seen in this forum by Gary(katkrazy) and others, I am acting on a suggestion by willow and new member k8EfromPhilly in proposing a poetry project for Kat. Members would compose and provide original poems inspired by Kat and her music. The poems would then be printed, hand-signed by the contributors, and mounted in a bound book for presentaion to Kat. Possibly we could also make copies available as souvineers for individual McPhans.


So here's the rules:

-Poems can be of any type or length.
-Poems should be inspired by Kat or her music.
-No overt sexual content, foul language or other inappropriate/offensive references.
-Original poetry is prefered, but:
-You can dedicate someone else's poem or lyrics as long as you credit them.
-Or you borrow the structure of an existing poem or song if you change the words.
-You may submit up to 3 poems.
-The deadline for submitting your poetry is August 1.

Please use this thread for submitting and sharing your poetry. You may also comment on the poems here.
Please use the McPoetry Project thread for all other discussion.

Thanks McPhans and Happy Writing/Composing!
"She sings so magnificantly, it's just amazing" David Foster
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06/23/2006 4:35 PM Alert 
Dear Bill,

Once again, kudos on this project.

Perhaps you could get this thread to be a "sticky" that stays at the top so people will be able to find it easily. I'm guessing that it may often be quite a while between posts as people write/search.

Question: I know that I benefit from getting feedback (even the critical kind) and then go back and improve my work. Is this thread also meant for hearing people's reactions to the poems?

Bill, could you send me your e-mail address? Mine is: worksite@msn.com

Best,

Gary S.

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06/23/2006 4:42 PM Alert 
LOL! Is that my new Shakespearian name? ;)

I'll see if I can get back to my old poetry roots..just for Katharine..
You can call me Laurie..or L..or whatever it is that you would like to call me. These days, I answer to just about anything. :smiles:

A Proud Member of "The Laurs"

Katfia- "McQueen"..please people, it was given to me.
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06/24/2006 4:00 AM Alert 
Posted By AI12345 on 06/23/2006 4:42 PM
LOL! Is that my new Shakespearian name? ;)

I'll see if I can get back to my old poetry roots..just for Katharine..

There's a Katharina from 'Taming of the Shrew' (that has 'AI' Shakespearean parallels)...but it's probably better that you don't have a Shakespearean name, Laurie. Laurie is a much more American name--and even a Laureate gets looks of perplexment lately...especially in an age of subjective poetry.

I'm glad the deadline on this is August 1, so we can have time to craft something through the summer. I'm going to be busy through the summer too--but can always squeeze in sideline writing projects like this.

Since poetry can be so all-encompassing, some of our work could probably be publishable somewhere if it's not useable here. I tried submitting poetry to places like The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly a few years ago. But when it was rejected, I realized that the poetry they did publish was almost as bad as my own...at least through my eyes. I have no idea how they can establish what's truly great poetry when there's many, many great poets who never get published. It's one of the most subjective pieces of art ever. That, despite poems having an established sense of structure that's agreed upon in the literary upper ranks.

My own poem will probably reflect on the art of what Kat does, which is where I always go in a lot of my posts anyway.  But then, there's always the Mother Goose method, that would be worth trying as a satiric experiment.
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06/25/2006 8:35 PM Alert 
Bill,
Did you get my email I sent? I wanted to discuss what would be the best format and illustrations for the project.

Thank you.

Trina
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06/25/2006 9:02 PM Alert 
I had a thought of trying something really short and doing several of them, each with a theme of one song she did on idol. it may be about the song's lyrics, or something the song makes me think of, or maybe some way I think the song relates to Katharine's life.

I'm full of hazy ideas, but somebody else might want to give it a shot as well. Maybe I stole the idea from that letter somebody wrote incorporating all the song titles. Anyone EVER thought of a way to fit BHACT in there??

McHAIKU's (the syllabic scheme is 5-7-5, the theme is individual Idol performances)

ELLA'S BLUES
Step through the time warp...
All things old are new again...
Old song, sweet new voice.

RAINBOW
Singing of my dreams,
Hear the yearning in my voice--
Longing filled with Hope.
(Bad pun alert!)

DESTINY
Hold my hand. Tighter.
I can't do it by myself.
Help me to break free.

COME RAIN OR COME SHINE
You were there for me.
I never forget a friend,
And you were so much more.

(Sorry, I cheated on this one, it's 5-7-6 but it sounds better that way, and yeah, I kinda had a specific situation in mind with those last two.)

Come on now, those are short. If I get going I'll do a lot more than three.
Adding to the post.

SOMEONE TO WATCH
Thanks for lending strength.
I can do it alone now.
I’ll watch over me.

BLACK HORSE (WITH OVERTONES OF VOICE WITHIN)
Which way and what now?
My mind argues with itself.
My heart always knows.

I BELIEVE I CAN FLY (A double haiku)
Talking to myself…
Nothing is impossible…
I know I can fly.
Say it aloud once,
Say it twice, and then twice more.
Belief makes it real.
katpedia.com - watch and listen to Idol, pre-Idol, and post-Idol McPhee performances all in one convenient location

"And everything around her is a silver pool of light... She makes you calm, she holds you captivated in her palm"
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06/25/2006 9:22 PM Alert 
Very nice, Groucho. Great concept and love the Haiku idea. (The person who wrote that other poem was called jillscottvn, I think.)

By the way, what if the last line of CROCS was just, "You were so much more"? I'm not sure you need the "And" and it preserves the scheme. (Or, "Who was so much more.") My two cents.

Personally, love to see more,

Gary
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06/25/2006 9:22 PM Alert 
Nice groucho! Haiku are like Dunkin' Donut munchkins- one isn't filling and doesn't quite make a doughnut. In this case I'd say maybe 3 or 4 Haiku could count as one poem.
"She sings so magnificantly, it's just amazing" David Foster
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06/25/2006 9:53 PM Alert 
I posted an invitation to come over here and join us in the "in defense of Katharine" thread. We're all emoting about this now, why not try to put it down on paper? My head was buzzing until I finally wrote some of it out. It feels much emptier now. I mean better. Oh who knows... Oh lord, something's tickling around in there again. I have to go hatch it.

by the way, in case I never said it, I loved the bit about the little kid somewhere in the future being inspired by Katharine. I have to go back and reread those poems.
katpedia.com - watch and listen to Idol, pre-Idol, and post-Idol McPhee performances all in one convenient location

"And everything around her is a silver pool of light... She makes you calm, she holds you captivated in her palm"
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06/25/2006 10:49 PM Alert 
Thank you, Groucho. Now that we are planning to send our poems to Katharine, I've been revising a bit. Here is the current version of the poem you mentioned. Let me know your thoughts, please; I'm open to suggestions. Gary



The Beginning

I caught myself

dreaming again, unasked, on her behalf

in images set to swelling music.

Understandably, she was all applause in my ears,

all snapshots, rainbows, and tears

streaming, but sweet.

She’s lovely, she’s ours, I thought.

She’s like…a home among stars.

 

And then a clearer scene came to sight,

maybe a century ahead. My friends and I,

of course, all dead.

A photo hangs low on some bare bedroom wall.

Scared and red, a young girl breathes in long silence,

stroking Katharine’s warm face. Weakly,

in that future place, girl smiles, starts in singing.

I recognized the old tune

now beginning.




******************
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06/25/2006 11:20 PM Alert 
Gary, you are truly blessed with a great talent!! I am working on one, and it is going a little better then what I thought it would. Katharine has a way of bringing out any hidden talents, I suppose...
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06/25/2006 11:27 PM Alert 
Dear Trina,

Thank you for your (always) generous words. I don't consider myself an expert (I actually have a good friend who is a REAL poet), but I would be happy to give you feedback on your poem (here or by e-mail) if you felt it would be helpful to your creative process.

Thanks again, dear.

Gary
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06/25/2006 11:34 PM Alert 
Gary,

Thank you for taking us inexperienced poets under your wing. You are truly thoughtful and I would like for you to read my poem when it is finished. I haven't completed it, and am a little shy about sharing what I have so far.

You have to toot your horn, because you definitely have a gift!!!
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06/25/2006 11:54 PM Alert 

Dear Trina,

Whenever you feel ready, feel free to send it to me at worksite@msn.com

Looking forward to reading it...and don't worry too much, I know what it's like to share writing (*trembles*), so I do unto others as I would have done to me.

Gary
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06/26/2006 1:16 AM Alert 
I have a rough draft of my first poem for Katharine. It is the first time I've really gotten into non-rhyming poetry. Please tell me what you think and don't hesitate to be criticul.


The rain hits the window with a harsh pitter patter
A chill fills the air as I struggle to find warmth
Then I notive you, in the rhythm the drops make
I am warm, no longer afraid of what lies beyond that door

I stand alone in a tall grass field, not knowing where to turn
The silence is too much to bear and I can't go on
Then I notice you, in the whisper of the wind, encircling me
I am free and have found my way, never to lose it again

Everything you do, every part of you, heals a wound
The echo of your voice saves a soul
The beauty of your smile pierces the heart and mind
And you are in everything


Let me know what you think!
KAT IN GLASSES!!!

*August 16, 2006 1:50 am...Mutt and I in the chat screaming our butts off...good times!!

Met Kat at the Kimmel show, February 7, 2007!
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06/26/2006 1:22 AM Alert 
I noticed you are a Carrie Underwood fan.  They are playing her pre-idol music right now at the following link.  Though you might enjoy!

http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/mini.cgi?membername=kenndawg316&clientType=&playlist=&odatrack=&odapos=&tm=1137610105610&tm=1137638462659&suppressPreroll=1
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06/26/2006 1:51 AM Alert 
gary: The first thing I noticed, aside from just liking the idea portrayed in the second stanza, was the semi-hidden rhymes. They're in there, but the line lengths and the scansion is irregular, so they go more unnoticed than if they were sticking out there at the end of each line. It's kind of like you have the best of both worlds. also reminds me a bit of the way Old English poetry used to use alliteration and all kinds of internal stuff, the names for which I no longer remember. But mostly I just love your images. They evoke emotions, which is what poetry is supposed to do (to me) and they do it quickly and sharply and deeply. I'm wordy and it's hard for me to shut up, w hich is one reason why I play with forms like the haiku which literally forces me to get to the point.

PS  I added a couple of new haikus to my above post just to keep them all together. They're like a litter of puppies, they're little and like being close to each other. oboy my mind is going

Underwood fan: I love the last stanza, which I thought I had more firmly in mind but now I can't recall it word for word, but anyone who has ever needed healing probably cherishes the idea that they themselves can help heal others. It seems to go with the territory, because they understand the need, and how good it is to find someone who can help, or try to.  Paying it forward is a good feeling.
katpedia.com - watch and listen to Idol, pre-Idol, and post-Idol McPhee performances all in one convenient location

"And everything around her is a silver pool of light... She makes you calm, she holds you captivated in her palm"
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06/26/2006 2:06 AM Alert 
Posted By groucho on 06/26/2006 1:51 AM

Underwood fan: I love the last stanza, which I thought I had more firmly in mind but now I can't recall it word for word, but anyone who has ever needed healing probably cherishes the idea that they themselves can help heal others. It seems to go with the territory, because they understand the need, and how good it is to find someone who can help, or try to.  Paying it forward is a good feeling.


Thanks! The last stanza is my personal favorite. About the second stanza, I think it might be a bit over the top...what do you think?
KAT IN GLASSES!!!

*August 16, 2006 1:50 am...Mutt and I in the chat screaming our butts off...good times!!

Met Kat at the Kimmel show, February 7, 2007!
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06/26/2006 2:21 AM Alert 
Dear underwoodfan23,

First of all, thank you for sharing your poem. I know it's not easy.

I think the poem is very cool: so heartfelt, so passionate, so devoted. From my point of view,
here are a couple of things to think about:

--Help the reader understand more about what makes Katharine so helpful, so special. Be a little more specific about
how she brings about these transformations in you. For example, from this draft we don't know that Kat is a singer.

--I know I'm asking a lot, but is Kat perfect in every way? Doesn't she have any human foibles or weaknesses?
What about bringing her down to earth just a bit?

--Stylistically, maybe find certain ways to avoid saying "I" sometimes. For example, "Standing alone" instead of
"I stand alone" or in place of "Then I notice you" something like "Then you are here". Actually, this is what you do
in the thrid stanza and I think it works better (not that you should completely remove the I).

--Finally, and probably most important, push yourself to find some new ways to express these wonderful, creative
thoughts. Is there a fresh way to get across the idea of chill filling the air or the oppressiveness of silence?
How can we talk about a beautiful smile so that readers might say, "I never looked at it that way"?

I hope you find these comments to be helpful and expressive of the poetic fellowship which I intend. Now I have
to go and see all the times I didn't follow this advice in my poems for Katharine.

Gary
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06/26/2006 2:28 AM Alert 
Thanks Gary! I really appreciate the advice! I will definetly take it! And, thanks for all the good stuff too! Much appreciated (notice how I didn't say that "I" appreciated it! LOL! That's early in the morning humor for you!)
KAT IN GLASSES!!!

*August 16, 2006 1:50 am...Mutt and I in the chat screaming our butts off...good times!!

Met Kat at the Kimmel show, February 7, 2007!
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06/26/2006 2:30 AM Alert 
Groucho--thanks for your analysis. Your understanding of what I try to do with rhyme hits the mark.

Now, I love your last Haiku. Really strong. It stands as a great insight on its own, even apart from Kat.

Gary
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06/26/2006 9:27 AM Alert 
I'm shy about my poetry, but with a little editing, I think this has potential... In it's current state, I think it just sounds wrong... But you guys tell me what you think...

b]You are there

I spread my eyes evenly across the sky
Searching for blissful unreality
It’s tangible, it’s invisible, it’s there
And then a cloud, suspended above the rest
On a sea of blue, and red, and firey orange
Shedding drops of pure joy
On a land of dissension and shame
You are there.

I battle my insecurities
Not good enough, I’ll never make it
And there you are
A shining gem in the midst of muck
My power, my knowledge, my fear, they’re gone
You take them, and replace with love
Bringing peace for shivering nights
You are there.

Running through a field of wheat and terror
You keep your flaws
Shrouding your face, you hide, but you shine
A Beacon to all proving consistency exists
Despite evil, and hatred, and malice
You prove consistent
You are who you are
And you are there.

copyright Jesse Whitehouse 2006
Reproduction of this work, written, spoken, or otherwise
for all intents and purposes is stricly forbidden unless
authorized by the author.

(sorry for the legal bit, I had something stolen and copywritten once because I DIDN't right that....)

Jesse
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06/26/2006 10:05 AM Alert 
i wrote a poem about kat in the group i'm in and if you guys don't mind i'll share it with you as well.i'm not a great poet,but i hope you great mcphans will like it.it's called A SONG FOR KAT.

IF I HAD TO PICK A SONG FOR KAT.
I KNOW JUST WHAT IT WOULD BE.
IT WOULD BE THE SONG (TAKE MY BREATHE AWAY).
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SHE DOES TO ME.

WHEN I SEE HER ON MY T.V. SET.
MY TEMPERATURE BEGINS TO RISE.
SHE'S GOT THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL.
AND THE BEAUTY OF HEAVEN IN HER EYES.

I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE MCPHEEVER.
BUT I KNOW ONE THING IS TRUE.
IF THATS WHAT I AM COMEING DOWN WITH.
I HOPE IT LASTS MY WHOLE LIFE THROUGH.

it's not the greatest poem in the world,but i like it.i hope you guys like it too.
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06/26/2006 11:23 AM Alert 
Boy, when we decide to unload our emotions, we really get going, don't we? This is all such fun though.

There is an old poem entitled I Am There, and I thought of it reading Jesse's poem. It may sound odd, but it's written from the perspective of God, with the theme being "No matter if you think I'm gone, I'm not, you just aren't seeing me right now, because I'm everywhere, all the time, in all things." Sometimes it sounds almost as if we're really putting Katharine WAY up on a pedestal, which is an itchy concept until you stop and think: how else do most of us, who aren't mystics and usually don't feel a direction connection to Deity, experience the divine in our lives? It may be mostly through other people who tap into something within us and inspire us, not necessarily prophets, but certainly artists.

Musicians have a specially powerful way of doing this because of the nature of music: it just penetrates without need of language, and touches our souls directly. And some of us stand in awe of the people who are able to act as channels in this way. It's like we see this rare form of energy pouring through them, as they transform it and send it on its way into the world where we can access it, each in his own way, and use it as we need to, to transform our own lives. And they don't have to be singing anything especially "spiritual" in content. Maybe it's just a song whose words speak to us, or something the artist feels especially deeply and that gets conveyed to us and touches us. Anything that reminds us of our common humanity is good.

If you couldn't tell, I'm a fractured musician, born into a family of musicians but with limited talent of my own. I tend to get blown away by people who do what I can't. All I can do is write about them.
katpedia.com - watch and listen to Idol, pre-Idol, and post-Idol McPhee performances all in one convenient location

"And everything around her is a silver pool of light... She makes you calm, she holds you captivated in her palm"
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06/26/2006 12:21 PM Alert 
So I finally finished mine. I know I said that before, but it's actually quite different than the first draft. My "inspiration" I guess would come from Kat's performance of The Voice Within. Not the actual performance of itself, just the philosophy on life in general that it presents.

I think the song title embodies what poetry is about, listening to yourself. So when I set out to write this (like with anything I write), I try to do away with any rules on what I think poetry should be. This would account for my lack of rhyme or rhythm (if you find any I promis it was an accident). The important thing for me is that I find the perfect words to express an ultimate emotion. Whatever my mind thinks I write.

So I asked myself "What has Kat's voice done for me?" And this is what I discovered, something I probably wouldn't have realized had this poetry project not been created.
 
It's not a great poem because I try to stay away from description because I'm lost on how to do it. I commend those that do because it seems extremely difficult.
 
Um...I hope you don't find it too confusing or too long or too corny or too cliche because unfortunately it's all of the above. I'm completely open to suggestion (especially on the title).



Phantom Emotion

 

“I am almost ready”

 

Memories denied that were forever there

Lend reason to that uncounted-for emotion

That specter of ill-feeling

 

Her nightmare has lost its roots

 

And so she dangles

We witness the ghost of past struggle

Shrivel its optimistic host

 

“I no longer believe”

 

So time rests

As she is forced to recover

Yet finds nothing

Save that artificial savior

Refuge within the self

 

“Dreams are gospel,” she says

 

“Words are pointless…”

 

“Reliance on others is futile…”

 

So emotional guards once constricted

Are deemed unmovable

 

But intrudes a voice

 

Watch as it seeps in unnoticed

Pierces the fragile, the unbeknownst confusion

Hear it complete that process rushed

And save a life

 

“It is done”

 

Voice of invisible substance, mystic effect

Fills a void for the lonely

A balm for shallow healing

 

I’ve felt it soar below my barrier of grief

And force a lost heart to confront fears forgotten

The aftermath that followed the ghost of mourning

These things take time

 

But I am no longer alone
"I think it was the summertime when I laid eyes on you. I didn't even know your name...The boy you never wanted just steals your heart..."--Kat McPhee, Love Story

"4 walls and no you. The silence in this room is so loud...wow"--Kat McPhee, I Lost You

"I didn't see the crash that burnt the bridge, didn't see the missile that sank my loveship down..."--Kat McPhee, Dangerous

"Wanting you to be wanting me, no that ain't no way to be...You never were a friend of mine..."--Kat McPhee, Over It

"No more lonely nights to hurt me, no more tears left to spare, no more reasons to be unhappy. You threw them all up in the air..."--Kat McPhee, Each Other

"Your pedicure, white-tipped French. Your legs don't make no sense...Shoes like these make me hate flats..."--Kat McPhee, Open Toes
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