Sounds Like Life
Poetry Challenge “Favorite (or least favorite) Things”
A Bookstains Challenge
This poetry challenge is based upon a poem (well a bit of tomfoolery) that Lynda for Bookstains/Echostains wrote ages ago and forgot about. But the idea for the challenge was inspired by Jesssica’s Japes wonderful poem “My Least Favorite things.”
“The challenge is simple – just write a poem to the tune/rhythm of the song from ‘The Sound of Music’ inspired by your favorite or least favorite things. To start you off, here’s the first bit of the Julie Andrews version. In case you don’t know how it goes – here it is on video.”
My Favorite Things Sounds Like Life
Imagine an author rejected by agents
Piles of manuscripts rot in the basement
Trying to capture what’s lost through no means
Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams
Expressing emotions through vectors and color
Writing too much ’cause he can’t find a lover
Many see Jesus as resurrecting
Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams
Breakdowns through trauma; forever seems fleeting
Bombardment of images won’t equal feeling
Being original is poetry
Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams
And when the avalanche comes down
As our carnival leaves town
We still search for a reason through time…
Exhaling sad sorrow
Don’t cry for tomorrow
Sing onto death
Sounds like life
(repeat ad nauseam)
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Want to listen to me read this one?
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Dustus Blog 
April 26, 2011 at 9:17 am
“As our carnival leaves town” …what a perfect expression of how I feel sometimes….really enjoyed the verse.
April 26, 2011 at 9:28 am
And the brave first comment goes to…Charles! Enjoying your work as always…
http://slpmartin.wordpress.com/
April 26, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Hhehe Well Done Adam! Love it! Optimism in the face of rejection;-
“And when the avalanche comes down
As our carnival leaves town
We still search for a reason through time…”
“Being original is poetry
Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams”
Being original is what it’s all about – a great and very original slant on this challenge Adam 🙂 Putting it on now – with many thanks 🙂
PS Of course I couldn’t wait to click on the reading (the thought of you singing this really tickled me – …….Coward 😀 )
April 26, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Trust me, you don’t want to hear me sing! lol
Great challenge, Lynda. I always enjoy these 🙂
April 26, 2011 at 1:58 pm
[…] – a great site for poetry, prose and poetry challenges – and it’s all to be found HERE! Here’s his very original take on the […]
April 26, 2011 at 3:46 pm
the avalanche and the carnival image hit me most…yep..sound like life..
April 26, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Julie Andrews had me with the bee stings, but you offer up Oh!…so much more. When I was in my first band, this is how we would write our “original” songs. We had a blast, from what I remember 😉 I was also hoping you were going to sing…but the reading was awesome none the less.
April 26, 2011 at 4:04 pm
dude you are a frickin marvel….i was singing along as i read it…some fabulous imagery as well…come on sing it adam!!!!!
April 26, 2011 at 4:07 pm
I so enjoyed hearing your poetry in your own voice. Excellent take on the challenge.
April 26, 2011 at 4:08 pm
“Being original is poetry” oh how I love that. nice
🙂
April 26, 2011 at 4:10 pm
What great fun this is, even without the raindrops on roses. 🙂
April 26, 2011 at 4:13 pm
The only thing better would have been to hear you sing it.
A nice bit of fun!
April 26, 2011 at 4:14 pm
“… Many see Jesus as resurrecting
Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams…” This part is hitting, clever.
April 26, 2011 at 4:26 pm
pretty cool …thanks for the memory lol and for hosting one stop
April 26, 2011 at 4:48 pm
What a fun challenge and a great entry. You have some great lines in here many have mentioned already. 🙂
my post this week
silent lessons
April 26, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Some perfect imagery in this.
April 26, 2011 at 5:01 pm
I like the repeat ad nauseum part. ;_) Some good lines in there, adam, despite the tongue in cheek aspect–I got a laugh out of “…Writing too much ’cause he can’t find a lover…” I think I’ve definitely been there. The bombardment line was the best, though.
April 26, 2011 at 5:35 pm
Beautifully written Adam, I loved the repeating line, it carried along sweet and song-like. ~ Rose
April 26, 2011 at 5:42 pm
What a fun challenge, Adam! I was hoping to hear your singing voice, but still really enjoyed your words and your reading.
April 26, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Some of my favorite lines in this have such great rhythm!
April 26, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Hey, that could be FUN! I had just a mite of trouble matching the ‘bridgr’ to those words, even when I hear your Excellent spoken rendition. I’m sure it’s ME–tired!
Poetry comes hard to me, not being schooled in that regard. You-all make it look easy.
Like when they asked a violinist, “Why does it look so easy?” Answer: “ANYONE can play a violin, but to make it look easy–THAT’S the art!”
Thank you….
April 26, 2011 at 6:20 pm
No, thank you, Steve E. I really appreciate your comment, especially that last part.
April 26, 2011 at 6:28 pm
Finding my own cadence is hard enough. Trying to fit lyrics to another person’s seems really difficult. Good job!
April 26, 2011 at 6:37 pm
Read this earlier today… it’s one of those songs which stick in your head.
April 26, 2011 at 6:39 pm
A rejection I know well, and feelings I can certainly empathize with. Interesting take on the classic song’s sentiments…(though given my feelings toward Sound of Music and the like generally, I’m inclined to say the ad nauseum applies to the new or the old…expecting to be yelled at shortly by other commenters for this…) Good to see your strength in the face of rejection, though. Originality is the key. Sometimes, I’ll admit, I get bogged and beaten down, and I forget that key lesson…but I always bounce back in time.
Aw, though…Dustus didn’t want to sing for his audience?
April 26, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Fun and creative!
April 26, 2011 at 7:22 pm
i love the way optimism found its way amidst frustrating circumstances. brilliant piece!
April 26, 2011 at 7:43 pm
That has to be every writer’s least favorite thing. As for this line:
“Writing too much ’cause he can’t find a lover”
All I can say is…ouch!
Really good. Vb
April 26, 2011 at 7:51 pm
I actually like the manuscripts rotting. Seriously, how many people actually get a change to be a published author? Totally hit home and felt “like life”.
April 26, 2011 at 8:16 pm
I hear you on the pile of rejections!
Very thought-provoking piece. It was nice to hear it read.
(Thanks for commenting on my blog)
April 26, 2011 at 8:28 pm
It was the “repeat ad nauseam” that made it absolutely perfect!
April 26, 2011 at 8:46 pm
We have to keep singing everyday of our life…for all too soon they are no more with or without rejection….bkm
April 26, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Wonderful, wonderful poem, Dustus!
You follow the rhythm and it leads to a fullness and a satisfaction poetry-wise.
Marvelous!
Lady Nyo….some memorable lines in there….
April 26, 2011 at 10:06 pm
Oh my goodness, that’s awesome! You have such a professional voice, they should use you for audio books!
Nice write, my fav was “Emotions through vectors and color”, so cool.
April 26, 2011 at 11:14 pm
hate the song, love your poem.
“(repeat ad nauseam)” made me giggle.
congratulations on your nomination for poet laureate, Adam!
April 26, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Very clever…I did like the second stanza the best…heck I liked the whole thing! Well done! 🙂
April 27, 2011 at 2:11 am
it sounded totally different when i heard you read it…its original adam…and original is poetry…
April 27, 2011 at 2:30 am
Lot of pain under the surface here – music like poetry enabling it to reach out to others so we are not alone
April 27, 2011 at 3:14 am
This is a blast– it feels very freeing for you to right– love your acerbic wit, Adam. xxxj
April 27, 2011 at 6:08 am
such truth in art, love the lyrical quality, I’m with them… sing it! lol
Breakdowns through trauma; forever seems fleeting
Bombardment of images won’t equal feeling
Being original is poetry
Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams
my favorite lines, such sorrow and validation, you never cease to impress
April 27, 2011 at 6:45 am
Well done, Adam! It’s not everyone who can transcribe their own ‘lyrics’ into a song.
April 27, 2011 at 8:41 am
I so loved the closing lines .. read it agian and again.. nice mantra !!
April 27, 2011 at 8:42 am
Enjoyed these two lines, very much “Expressing emotions through vectors and color
Writing too much ’cause he can’t find a lover”
April 27, 2011 at 9:45 am
While everything you do is a treat, Adam, this one was extra-special. The love of my life (and you may recall this, if so forgive me for repeating) is a piano instructor. I can assure you that “My Favorite Things” is her absolute LEAST favorite song. Not because she dislikes it, but because the tune is so catchy that whenever she hears it, the melody invades her brain and sticks there. No matter what her focus, be it Rachmaninoff, Bach, or just “Chopsticks”, sooner or later it creeps in: da-da-da-dum-da-da-dum-da-da-da.
The words themselves went right to my heart as well. I think every writer feels or has felt like this. The entire thing was magic. I do hope you forgive me for not sharing it with Amber, though. If I got that tune in her head, she probably wouldn’t speak to me for a week!
April 27, 2011 at 9:56 am
Amber must be spared the torture of her least favorite tune! lol You’ve a free pass to forgiveness in my book, Kiera. Thank you for the wonderful comment 🙂
April 27, 2011 at 9:55 am
‘Exhaling sad sorrow
Don’t cry for tomorrow’
this is the way to survive…great poem.
April 27, 2011 at 10:00 am
And when the avalanche comes down
As our carnival leaves town
We still search for a reason through time… sounds like life…
the life of a poet , great One!
April 27, 2011 at 10:02 am
very creative first two lines in the second stanza for me make the whole poem!
April 27, 2011 at 10:06 am
Oh! How many of us can relate to this? I appreciate your form and rhyme scheme. I also like the repeated refrain. It ties together the stanzas and adds an odd, comforting quality to the read.
April 27, 2011 at 10:23 am
’emotions through vectors and colors’ – indeed so life-like
April 27, 2011 at 10:43 am
While I am not much of a “Sound of Music” fan, I really enjoyed the rhythm and flow here. Nicely done!
April 27, 2011 at 10:57 am
So true! So like life…at the risk of copying ‘deLiderata’ above…but it’s how I feel, too, about your poem. And don’t we write our lines through the painful mesh of our beings? Indeed, as you wrote:”…Expressing emotions through vectors and color…”, this magnificent ‘creation’ that we are which is yet beyond our (man’s) total comprehension. Thanks, Adam! Your poems are always stunning experiences for me.
April 27, 2011 at 11:00 am
Amazing writing, love the repetition. This one line really hits me in a pleasant manner because it reflects pushing ahead despite, “we still search for a reason through time…” is so true we do…. 🙂 ~ Another well thought writing through this prompt Adam, musically flowing…. ~ April 🙂
April 27, 2011 at 11:10 am
I love your repeating line “Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams”… beautiful. Like some others, though, I hoped you were singing it! Reminds me of my college poetry professor pointing out that “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” goes perfectly to “Fernando’s Hideaway.” Now I can never read it without that tune in my head!
April 27, 2011 at 11:22 am
Your words certainly make the tume bittersweet.
April 27, 2011 at 11:23 am
Too clever! I agree with lizzi & some of the others, though– I was hoping to hear your best Julie Andrews in the reading. 😛
April 27, 2011 at 12:12 pm
I like the repetition. We will go on searching. For time. For poem. The quest never ends…
April 27, 2011 at 12:40 pm
oml ~ this is pure brilliance..to take this tune and not make it trite, or sap…stanza three has such grit, the story it weaves… (repeat ad nauseam), lol, fabulous end ~
April 27, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Boy, did that resonate with me! Fun.
April 27, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Favorite lines: “Exhaling sad sorrow / don’t cry for tomorrow.” So much of the inner life (beyond “mere” respiration) involves the breath. Release your sorrows and live for this moment. That’s a message I honor. I never even put the melody behind this poem until my third reading. Stands so well on its own. Thanks, Adam.
April 27, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Adam,
You possess that rare attribute, a genuine and authentic voice. Through your poems you touch places beyond the reach of many. I very rarely read anything I wish I’d written. This is the exception which proves the rule. Quite simply, brilliant! James.
April 27, 2011 at 1:44 pm
A great rhythm and flow Adam. I enjoyed reading.
Anita.
April 27, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Wow…this was an interesting read. “Dont cry for tomorrow, sing onto death.” Powerful thought.
Bless!
April 27, 2011 at 2:01 pm
just needed to tell you how much your poem expressed the magic in which words which belong together can carry the reader…”we still search for a reason through time” and “being original is poetry”…i’ve always felt the miraculous connection between poetry, music and painting…and your poem lets the rhythm carry the words, thus bringing the emotion and meaning of your poem to blend with the beating of our hearts…your writing has touched a great many people and made a difference in their lives…
April 27, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Adam,
Loved this! I sang it, till the last verse.. I don’t know the song well enough.
Fantastic!
April 27, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Powerful words “Dont cry for tomorrow” this poem is very well written and then to hear you read it conveyed every bit of emotion that I expected from reading it.
April 27, 2011 at 2:24 pm
Indeed life is a carnival; repeat.
April 27, 2011 at 5:50 pm
quite NOT what I expected from you this week, friend adam. nice to see you going “out there” with something different. and I enjoyed, as always, your work 🙂
April 27, 2011 at 6:37 pm
Yes, this does “sound like life.” Your words and the melody reveal the human need to find humor in tough situations.
April 27, 2011 at 6:44 pm
I really enjoyed fustrating topic in opposition to the light cheery rhythm. You’ve done Julie proud.
April 27, 2011 at 7:56 pm
My romantic soul likes your refrain: “Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams” – just all kinds of thoughts spring to mind from that. Life music alone could fill pages with poetry.
I enjoyed your reading, Adam.
April 27, 2011 at 8:20 pm
I loved this from the title alone, and the poem sang to me even if you didn’t. Apryl and I have the same favorite lines. Beautiful words you have here.
April 27, 2011 at 8:41 pm
I love this. Now if I could only get the picture of Julie Andrews running through the hills out of my head 🙂
April 27, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Being original is poetry…hmmm…I should try being original sometime! Or maybe I’ll simply leave with the carnival
April 27, 2011 at 9:46 pm
You have captured the life of a writer too well I fear Dustus. I was hoping to hear some music behind your reading today though! Ha. no dice
I love the refrain that runs through this.
April 27, 2011 at 10:58 pm
Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams
Love how you repeat this line…perfect fit for a poem sent to melody! Really wonderful job. You captured so much of the life of a writer.
Thanks for getting that song stuck in my head right before bed! 🙂
Thank you for stopping by tonight and commenting. Much appreciated!
April 27, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Well done on the song prompt. The form teased some nice lines out of you.
April 27, 2011 at 11:33 pm
I find this kinda amazing.Thank you
April 28, 2011 at 1:52 am
…Bombardment of images won’t equal feeling
Being original is poetry
Sounds like life music through lines that he dreams…
…awesome lines…champion piece.
April 28, 2011 at 2:44 am
Intense Imagery Dustus! I had read this the day you had posted!
A late comment since I was sorting mine!!
What you have written here is how it feels when rejected from all corners- this often happens with artists! Strangely enough the one promoting, is never gifted!
Hugs xox
April 28, 2011 at 8:12 am
This was really cool! I could completely sing along with those words. Perfect! (although, now that song is stuck in my head). I especially like the “writing to much cus he can’t find a lover” line and the “Breakdowns through trauma” section is really good.
April 28, 2011 at 11:57 am
Sorry it took so long to stop by. Always appreciate your being there for me. And I always wanted to do something like this but thought it would come out syrupy or dippy or something. But I didn’t hear the song at all when I first read it. I just thought your collection of images were so indicative of anyone who is in the arts and has to repeatedly put his/her soul on the line. Only with the reading of the comments did I go back and set it to melody; it of course works making the “ad nauseum” statement so funny. Really well done! Gay
April 28, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Listened rather then read… a gorgeous delivery! I am so glad a friend turned me on to One Shot…Good to meet your words. 🙂
April 28, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Excellent and so easy to relate to. 🙂
April 28, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Jessica’s poem was awesome. I’m glad to see someone used it as a prompt. Your poem was just as much fun. 🙂
April 29, 2011 at 11:34 am
Aww, Adam… I thought we’d have the rare treat of hearing you sing!
Great lines, which went beyond the fun-factor of the original song and left me with something to think about.