Month: February 2025

The Ape That Asked – 8th February 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Always, and again, the ape that asked
Bullied and beaten black and blue
Courting ill-considered conversation
Darkened the done and to do

Each entreaty that elicits anger
You are finished! Flee! Free
To go grumbling and gather
Where the hordes might herald thee

Internal intentions are now impeded
This journey to justice is a joy
Like kids in the kingdom of kindness
Learning to love in lone employ

Matters of meaning in mention
Of nonsense, none now wait
Opponents of order omit opinion
Precise procrastinations prevaricate

Cruel questions quick to quiz
A ready realisation, real and raw
Softer skills seemingly satisfied
Thoughts tumbling through the thaw

Underutilised and upon inspection
A variety of voices victorious
Wild, wandering and wonder won
Youth yearn yonder, rising glorious

This wordplay got out of hand! Inspired by some random alliteration here at the Stoa Letter

Dreamers And Drunkards – 6th February 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 10 Comments

A whisper through the cosmos softly sighs,
just like memories which have a way of coming back
Courage is the sound the night makes
wedded were we with the sun, a moment flecked gold

We’re all dreamers and drunkards
And neither kindly, curiously, nor discreet
for youth comes with a price
Boys, keep drinking your beers

Knowing that the time ahead will demand us to change
 By comparison, all else does pale,
hitch-hiking imagination’s pier
 But still they linger, waiting their turn

Where once there was only black and white
and secrets stitched in shadow
Time passes and the shadows grow
and universal dream-weavers,
cry for the halcyon days, the jasmine nights,
garlands of starlight strung out

A cento. Each line is linked back to the original full poem.

Running Out – 5th February 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments

How is it so; in youthful care
with all the fucks we used to share,
suddenly there’s none left to give,
tired of all this time to live?

Be careful of any fucks a-spilling;
That bag of fucks will need refilling
The means by which the fucks are granted
is the movement of energy now transplanted;

There’s no more to be created
A blind eye may be demonstrated;
But open arms may still receive
a fuck to share and to believe

So to grow a new collection
Cast your fucks in the right direction
Give a last fuck without a doubt
The bag feels like it’s running out

Inspired by this article by Mandy Brown about caring less as you age but still being able to be motivated by others.

Details – 3rd February 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Shaping one’s trajectory
Commits to long-term memory
The person to become
Life is no more than the sum
of the attention paid
and thus a character made
The mind is the portal
To the soul of the mortal
The rule that never fails
The devil’s in the details

Charlie Zero The Poet Music picks & Reviews #7 and my quick thoughts:

ni – Already familiar with their madness. Great stuff.

brb>voicecoil – Not my thing these days. I do like it though!

Sbassbear – This is great. More ADHD creators please! ‘Jeff Motorcycle’ sounds like a Heavy Vegetable pastiche. Happy to discover this.

Squarepusher – Just misses the mark for me. Makes me want to listen to Plus Tech Squeeze Box and the Usagi Chan comps instead.

The Books – I dig this but not sure when I would listen to it. Gonna download and check out more.

Good mix of stuff again!

Charlie Zero The Poet Music picks & Reviews #6 and my quick thoughts:

Kim Deal – Not for me. Don’t know why she’s playing a guitar in the video when it is barely audible! Smash some barre chords Kim Deal!

00Genesis – It’s OK. About 20 years ago I would’ve used tracks like this as links between more punk/hardcore songs on mix CDs.

Robustom – Cool concept, fine enough execution, I’m just not connected to it.

Shock Therapy – The singing cracks me up as it is so serious yet the lyrics from what I can make it, so absurd. I’d enjoy this live. Hopefully the dress up as lobsters, right?

Damaged Bug – I actually have a bunch of DB downloaded already and enjoyed having a listen through again with this reminder. Not mind-blowingly but has that little bit of enjoyable oddity.

Cub Life – 2nd February 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

The fluffy cubs rushed through the gates,
to tumble like tide-bound turtles
with screams and smiles;
Morning glowing;
Future’s held in sticky paws.

Red-lasered eyes stare robot death!
Then signal bells ring out severe;
A solemn tolling.

A rabble, roused into queues
ordered and tight,
Silent prayers after heartfelt anthems;
A cane to stragglers!

The second toll peals out;
Renewed chaos leans
into the last five minutes of freedom;
A tasty time tinged with torpor (why must it end?).

Now, where the wilds removed, a hush of brain-humming
Why must the learning hurt?

The throb-throb of distant traffic,
of the adults, racing rats.
Empty minds enjoy their days!

Submitted for an AllPoetry assignment on free verse.

Unlovable II – 1st February 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

It felt like love, at least it seemed that way to me
Circumstances made it lighter than it should be
Now we have both learned to carry it differently

Our love was brittle, so as I saw new chances
We both became victims of those circumstances
A quiet candle burns, a little flame still dances

A true story though truth changes over time. Unlovable can be found here.
Inspired by this post on Instagram by muskurahateinn.