Poetry Journal: Entry #8: Annieliscious!

I wrote this poem during a presentation of some video about an absurdly long narrative poem because my close friend Annieliscious asked me to write a poem about her.  Not in a demanding way, of course, not Annie, but as a timid suggestion.  I will do my best to do this without crossing any barriers or stepping over any lines, but I promise nothing.  The metaphor of Annie as a songbird comes from her AP name, LittleBirdBlue, and the way she inspires me like a harmonic bird you keep next to your writing desk.1

Smiles flirting, joyous contour.2

Eyes assure me in the long term.3

The first line of this stanza focuses on Annie and my OH status, our pseudo flirting ways, but also points out that there is nothing behind the giggly smiles but platonic love and genuine affection.  The second line is a little more ambiguous, mentioning that Annie's eyes are one of her defining features [I assume  ] and that she is my perpetual source of comfort.  I just realized that I don't have enough synonyms for "comfort" to finish this review.  Oh well.4

Idle chirpings of a songbird,5

wild bursts of mischief taunt her.6

These 2 verses [or lines...same thing, right, PIC?] both center on the fact that, between mending each other's wounds, our conversations are romps into the candy-coated world of hilarity.7

She tweets in spouts of cheer.8

Defeat the doubts and fears.9

More elaboration on the "Annie is a jovial bird" theme, along with a reference to Annie's helpful coaxing in incidents involving rejecting a potential girlfriend and dark, spooky closets.  Annie is my lifejacket in the anxious, sucking black sea of fear, the bright yellow flotation device that keeps my head above the water.10

Repeat the sound of sheer11

glee. Freedom's shout is here.12

Annie's arrival online is always an occasion of great mirth, punctuated by repetitious, internal expressions of happiness and thankfulness for being freed from the dregs of boredom.13

Break the cage door with your song.14

Faith in an lord fixes wrongs.15

The first line in this stanza notes Annie's ability to break through the restraints of internet conversation and display her true personality, cheery and sweet.  The second line makes reference to Anni's perennial response to my problems, which is to seek the help of Jesus.16

Flame of sage roars in your palm.17

Jays will play more when it's on.18

What's that you say?  This entire stanza was just an excuse to use the word "jays"?  Eh, you're right, but you'd never know by looking at it.  The "flame of sage" roaring in Annie's palm like a captured hurricane is her writing ability,. that turbulent whirlwind of genius.  The "jays" are the personification of metaphor, the winged carriers of figurative language.19

Wings beat to cradle truth.20

Sing me an angel's tune.21

Annie's wings don't just flap to keep herself aloft, they flap to push the message of Christ above her.  Annie lives, not just for herself, in fact, not for herself at all when she can help it, but for our savior, Jesus Christ.  As far as the "angel's tune" goes, the original reason for the "songbird" metaphor, I assume, is that Annie has a lovely singing voice.22

Gleam, gleam, you natal jewel.23

We need your playful plume.24

The 3rd line of this stanza was inspired by the line "Bling, bling, n*gga that light show" from the G-Unit song "Stunt 101".  Annie was born a gem,  she has always been a diamond in a world writhing coal.  Uh...said the guy who's know her for roughly a year.  The 4th line goes back to the songbird metaphor, again pointing out that my PIC is more fun than a carload of slinkys....slinkies.....slinkikikikikies.25

Chipper spirit, dew of heavens.26

Lift me nearer to affection.27

Annie's constant countenance is usually one of exuberance and that is the kind of nectar that only an angelic hummingbird can shake off, flitting backwards and forwards, hovering and wanting to play.  The 2nd line of this stanza is self-explanatory and I'm tired, so figure it out yourself.28

I can never mute my songbird.29

Fly forever, always onward.30

Of course, such an effluent person as lil' blue eyes cannot be silenced by any means.  The last line of this poem is my favorite, encouraging Annie to never let the slips and mistakes prevent her from moving slowly closer on that narrow road to Jesus.31

BONUS POETERIE!32

This stanza was part of a birthdaycardstravaganza I sent to Annie on the occasion of her 14th.  It, along with a few well-placed Jeremy Camp jokes, allowed me to rocket ahead of her and...well...Katie was pretty much already losing...but anyway, I won the 2004 Nazi Laughter game.33

Tuning in to catch the chorus.34

Swooning friends with letters porous35

who'd no sooner etch the forest 36

than lose a pint of heaven's auras.37

The 1st line goes back to the songbird metaphor, pointing out that even if neither of us have time to listen to the ther for hours, we'll always make time for a chorus or two.  The 2nd line references our OH status and how we are poets, our letters dripping with serenity and fragrant as tulips.  The 3rd and 4th lines [enjambment, bay-bee!] state that, though poetry and the love of words is important to Annie and I, we'd trade it in a second to be closer to Christ.38

This stanza was written as a demonstration for the machine's latest AP contest about describing someone via a body part.  I described Annie via her mouth, although recent photos I've seen involving cookies have made me less apt to do so in the future.39

From the puncture in flesh40

clay emanates rhapsodies41

The image of the human frame melting to clay with only the mouth left to symbolize conscious thought and the ability to love is one that I think suits Annie, since I can do no more than talk to her.42

ringed by watermelon lip gloss,43

the bible camp kind.44

My idyllic meeting between myself and my future wife would be at summer bible camp.  She would be assigned to be part of my small group.  I would walk over to her and she would turn around, her red hair an ocean, her lips tinged by sparkly green lip gloss, her neck adorned by a necklace of multicolored beads that her best friend made for her, her shoelaces covered in Care Bears.  Annie is that kind of girl, lovably pious and saccharine.45