Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Blue Elephant



©2016 Susan Noyes Anderson

What is this creature on my chest?
Blue elephant has come to nest.
My lungs are smashed; my heart is crushed.
My whole, wide world in blue is brushed.

Not robin's egg or ocean blue,
more like a mess of midnight goo.
And I'm surrounded by the stuff.
Blue bites! Big-time. Enough's enough!!

It's hard to breathe, harder to talk.
I locomote by belly-walk.
Yo, Dumbo. Get off, dude. You stink.
(Henceforth, my pachyderms lean pink...)

Assignment: Write a blue poem.

 for more blue poems, click below
at

31 comments:

  1. WaltermarksAugust 9, 2016 at 4:14 PM

    Ha ha, that's great! Can't say i'd like a blue elephant, but the verse is splendid!

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  2. Arcadia MariaAugust 9, 2016 at 4:53 PM

    Quite clever and delightful read.

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  3. Victoria Ceretto-SlottoAugust 9, 2016 at 5:09 PM

    This is so fun, Sue. Your poetry is a delight and I can see this one in a child's anthology.

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  4. GraceAugust 9, 2016 at 5:10 PM

    So delightful and fun to read Sue ~ Love your share ~

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  5. De JacksonAugust 9, 2016 at 5:30 PM

    HEAVENS! I love this! You are channeling Shel Silverstein here (a favorite of mine).
    "locomote" as verb = fantastic!
    So much fun to read out loud. This would make an adorable children's book, too.

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  6. Grandma HoneyAugust 9, 2016 at 5:32 PM

    You are going through so much yet you still are able to smile. With someone who has such great talent, writing must be an avenue of coping, yes?

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    1. Susan AndersonAugust 10, 2016 at 8:35 AM

      Writing a poem is always my go-to coping mechanism!

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  7. TruedessaAugust 9, 2016 at 7:01 PM

    haha - this was quite entertaining - a blue elephant can be heavy on the heart for sure.

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  8. Glenn ButtkusAugust 9, 2016 at 7:42 PM

    Blue elephants all warble Trump's tune, though many do not--cuz his pachyderms are mostly red. I'm jut a blue mule adrift in a red sea of political madness--& your poem pumps levity into the beer-filled bladders who are lining up to cheer the Don--ald.

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  9. BodhiroseAugust 9, 2016 at 8:24 PM

    Haha...what fun this one is! What's up with that elephant anyway?

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  10. kaykualaAugust 9, 2016 at 9:36 PM

    Chuckles! What of the blue elephant, making a bother to oneself. Sure makes it blue to the soul, Susan!

    Hank

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  11. AnonymousAugust 9, 2016 at 10:13 PM

    "Not robin's egg or ocean blue,
    more like a mess of midnight goo."

    Haha. This was a delightful read. :D

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  12. Sanaa RizviAugust 10, 2016 at 12:53 AM

    Oh my god this is just fantastic Sue :D bravo!!

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  13. Pat @ Mille Fiori FavoritiAugust 10, 2016 at 7:49 AM

    As a nurse we always told patients that chest pain from a heart attack felt as if an elephant was sitting on one's chest. I imagine it would be blue in color!

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  14. ImeldaAugust 10, 2016 at 11:10 AM

    How refreshing! Thanks for the humor and fun take on the prompt. 😂

    -imelda

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  15. AnotherFearlessYear.netAugust 10, 2016 at 12:53 PM

    This is so cute! And yet, it in, I saw a metaphor for depression. The difficulty breathing and talking fits perfectly. I suspect that's not what you were going for, but that's the great thing about poetry -- the reader often sees more (or less) than what the writer intended.

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    1. Susan AndersonAugust 10, 2016 at 2:01 PM

      The poem is definitely a metaphor for depression...A bit of black humor can be a big pick-me-up when all the world is "brushed in blue."

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  16. SilverGardeniaAugust 10, 2016 at 3:20 PM

    This made me laugh! I loved "pachyderms" I had to go look it up. It's a very apt word.

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  17. ayalaAugust 10, 2016 at 5:35 PM

    A fun read!

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  18. Josslyn Rae TurnerAugust 10, 2016 at 9:48 PM

    Fun, sweet, and lovely. <3

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  19. LeAnnAugust 10, 2016 at 9:58 PM

    Sue, you are amazing to me. Ok, I did see a bit of depression in this one. Also, because of being a nurse, I thought heart attack.
    I do love how you brought out different unique thoughts that can mean more than one thing. I also see some good humor in this one.
    Gosh, how do you come up with these ideas; just fantastic.
    Sending loving thoughts and hugs your way dear friend! I do hope you are doing well.

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  20. HaddockAugust 11, 2016 at 12:37 AM

    The rhyming is perfect.
    Crushed ....brushed.

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  21. Jae RoseAugust 11, 2016 at 6:21 AM

    I love the playfulness in this poem - it's always good when blue makes you smile :)

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  22. UnknownAugust 11, 2016 at 6:25 AM

    As De already commented, you've channeled Shel Silverstein in this. Love it! (Although, would a pink pachyderm be any lighter?)

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  23. PondsideAugust 11, 2016 at 8:33 AM

    Bring on the pink elephants!
    Yesterday I took the boys to an exhibit on the Woolly Mammoth at the Royal BC Museum. Now that was a BIG fellow!
    I hope your chest is feeling a little lighter.....

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  24. lillianthehomepoet.wordpress.comAugust 11, 2016 at 9:19 AM

    Oh --- chuckling I am! Thanks for the smile 😊

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  25. yayaAugust 11, 2016 at 6:39 PM

    Ha! Love it! I'm painting many rooms with a blue theme lately...not sure why but I've always loved that color! Hope all is well with you and your family!

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  26. carol l mckennaAugust 12, 2016 at 9:05 AM

    Ah ~ lovely and humorous and yet true ~ sometimes a 'blue elephant' sits on our chest too ~

    Wishing you a Happy Weekend ~ ^_^

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  27. Karen SueAugust 12, 2016 at 3:08 PM

    Very Cute! Did Blue Elephant jump into your mind immediately, or did you have to ponder that heavy load?!?!?

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