Poem for Poetry Thursday

This is one of those poems where the title may be better that the actual poem. But it could be the start of something. The piece is my take on the Poetry Thursday prompt on dialogue. Hee Hee Hee -- it certainly was fun to try something different.

What I should do is go back and watch the movie and see what else to add. I should also add that the last line is a direct reference to Naomi Shihab Nye's poem "Making a Fist."


Conversation between Naomi Shihab Nye and Mr. Spock from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Despite the reconnaissance, the reports
to the contrary, the space-time continuum
and all its distortions, this is the
mother of all I told you so’s. Going where
no one has gone before … what does your superior intellect
tell you now? You serve but never lead.
I bet you thought a man with enough
smarts and backbone could
survive anything.
Not true.

You've walked from one end of the galaxy
to the other but you always saw
the end at the beginning.
Forever this has been your truth
your human truth.

Spock, if you are still with us,
curl your hand into a ball.
Make a fist.

Comments

Being a great fan of all three of you, I can only offer three cheers: Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!
January said…
Hee Hee Hee! Thanks Pepek.

Two things I'll probably change are the title, since this is a one-sided conversation, and I have to work in kobayashi maru somewhere--maybe in the second stanza.
Regina said…
Wow- loved this, January! It's just so... smart... and clever.
Love the last lines... will Spock let enough of his human nature through to make that fist? To be continued, I guess...
wendy said…
I love the last lines..not because of Spock..but just because of strength.
Catherine said…
I agree that the last lines are strong - I also liked "you always saw the end at the beginning". If you want to change the title for the reasons you mention, it could be "Naomi Shihab Nye to Mr Spock..." (etc)
I've seen a lot of Star Trek but I don't think I've seen that particular movie
Lisa Cohen said…
Really enjoyed this one, January--both funny and serious at the same time.

:) clever work!
paris parfait said…
Very clever to imagine a conversation between those two!
Jessica said…
Out all of the people who could talk, this would be the weirdest and the most wonderful. A fantastic imagining of this conversation.
Anonymous said…
Not familiar with the movie, though I like Nye, so i'm not sure I fully understand the poem. But I read it twice and enjoyed it both times, just for the writing.
I was a great fan of the Star Trek series as well as movies. I loved this very much. The last line is perfect.


Thanks.
January said…
Gautami, you may know this, but the last line is a direct reference to Naomi Shihab Nye's poem "Making a Fist."

Thanks for the comments!
Jim Brock said…
Wonderful channeling of Nye.

I do wonder, though, how is it that Spock is much more of a poetic subject than Capt. Kirk could ever be?
January said…
Jim, first of all, I would suggest renting the movie Star Trek II if you haven't seen it. It is the best Star Trek movie from the original cast. And Ricardo Montabon is a great bad guy as Khan..

In the series and in the movies Kirk gets all the girls, the cool assignments, and the big lines. I wanted to write a poem about the second banana. Spock’s role is to be stoic and unemotional. So I wanted to write about his last moments of life, and I kept coming back to Nye's poem--one of the few poems I can recite from memory. For those reasons, I think Spock's a much more poetic, ironic character.

Of course, Spock comes back to star in four other bad Star Trek movies, but this one is my favorite.

And I managed not to use lines like “live long and prosper” and “it’s illogical.” I think I should get credit for that!

:)
Leila said…
wah! i love it!
also, i never heard of nye so will check her out. thanks!

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