Brutal as a Supernova

Don’t get too close.
You are no super-human astronaut in the thrall of a brutal, brilliant cosmic flash.
Keep away from powerful explosions brighter than the Milky Way.

You know, it may not be a supernova.
It may well be the freaky death throes of a star,
torn apart by the tidal forces of a rapidly spinning black hole
or black heart of some distant galaxy,
a spaghettified star colliding with itself in an intense burst of light.

However bright and starry the night
and however blue the galaxy,
try not to fall for a supernova or into the eddy of a black hole –
and don’t forget to make a wish.

Kim M. Russell, 2017

brutal-as-a-supernova

Credit: ESO, ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Meeting the Bar Prose Poetry

Today, Frank Hubeny is our host for Meeting the Bar and the topic is prose poetry. Frank says that he once asked someone who studied literature what prose poetry was.  His reply was that prose poetry didn’t exist; all good prose was already written poetically and if one really wanted poetry all one had to do was (salt and) pepper it with line breaks. Frank says that the answer seemed too simple, but maybe he was right.  

The challenge is to write something, on any topic, that we consider to be prose poetry or to write a poem explaining why prose poetry doesn’t exist.

Frank has provided examples from Charles Baudelaire’s 19th century work, ‘Paris Spleen, Kahlil Gibran’s ‘On Love’ and Lang Leav’s ‘Broken Hearts’.

57 thoughts on “Brutal as a Supernova”

      2. Dear Hamish, haven’t met you before, but I would have loved to comment on your piece too. I thought it was wonderful.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Birth, an travel…

    Mysterious the lov science an magick…

    Learning is a lifetime experience, Knowledge is not the teacher it is the experience… Answers, in my point of view come from the strangest places…

    Intinction is not the answer, even from the most brutal sentient life form…

    kiss kiss chris

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  5. I can’t help but see this fine poem as allegorical–fearing the supernova, careful not to descend into the eddy of a black hole–but then my mind is dazzled by the fresh horrors of each new day, watching most of us descending into a quagmire, a pit of quick sand of chaotic despair. Perhaps your intentions were much loftier, but I find Trump in the damnedest places.

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  6. I prefer your metaphor “black heart” to “black hole”. It may well be allegorical as Glenn Buttkus suggests, but even without the allegory, I’ll try not to “forget to make a wish” when I find myself dropped like a coin into it.

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  12. A lot of energy and passion in your verses Kim ~ I thought this part stood out for me:

    or black heart of some distant galaxy,
    a spaghettified star colliding with itself in an intense burst of light.

    Good luck in your writing!

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  14. AH…you are such a natural on this…and I think I am, too. LOL! prose seques into poetry naturally, it’s all a matter of emotion, movement, sentiment, the intent of our words. Many years ago someone pointed this out to me. Or perhaps it’s this ‘wild nature’ of our cobbled words.

    Funny, I was watching a tv program…(Nova?) the other night….mentioning blackholes, super novas…and it made me want to write a poem about this. You did it much better…because you turned it into something with a human element. Brava!

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  17. Wonderful take on this prompt, Kim. I like the imperative voice in this and the underlying snarkiness with a bit of humor. You wouldn’t want to fly across the pond and teach us how to use our state-of-the art telescope, would you?

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  18. Beautifully written, and certainly poetry. Although not set as prose, the leisurely argument does have a prosey feel to it without at all destroying the poetry. Bravo!

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  19. try not to fall for a supernova or
    into the eddy of a black hole –
    and don’t forget to make a wish.

    Yes, don’t get entangled in knots to be deprived of creative brilliance. State a case and make a wish. Good advice Kim!

    Hank

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  21. spaghettified star is such as wonderous description — the beauty of the poetics blending with the form of the prose. But then, everyone has said what I would say. I am breathless and speechless after this piece.

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  25. Pingback: Brutal as a Supernova — writing in north norfolk – MobsterTiger

    1. Thank you so much, Angie. I’m so pleased you dropped by. Once I’m back to normal (I’m in a slow patch at the moment due to work and a problem with my eyes) I’ll visit your blog too!

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      2. Thank you, Angie . It’s Haibun Monday at dVerse Poets Pub, where I host regularly. Grace is hosting today and the pub should be open in a few minutes – we always have a wide range of writing styles and interests and you might be pleasantly surprised.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Sounds interesting!! Love going out and seeing stuff like this. Maybe I’ll check you guys out one day, when I get the chance 🙂

        Like

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