Jeanann Verlee
WHEREIN THE AUTHOR PROVIDES FOOTNOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION FOR THE FIRST STANZA DRAFTED AFTER A SIGNIFICANT AND DANGEROUS DEPRESSION INCURRED UPON BEING REFERENCED AS A “HACK” BOTH BY INDIVIDUALS UNKNOWN TO THE AUTHOR AND BY INDIVIDUALS WHOM THE AUTHOR HAD PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED FRIENDS (*)(†)(‡)(§)
by 351, when madness2 had overcome her3; when her body4
sloshed5 like6 rubbery meat7 in the softest swells of armsag8 and stomach fold9;
when the night brought10 marching ants11 to her12 pillow13 and14 wailing15
teapots16
swarmed in the kitchen17; when the cannibals came18
wearing eyeliner and capped teeth19; when the flock of birds
erupted from her throat20, leaving her mouth a clog21 of feathers22,
she paced the apartment23, a fury24. a yowling beast25.
caged rhinoceros26, severed horn27 in its bloody28 maw29, 30. (¿)
__________
1. “by 35” | References author’s own age: Mercy Hospital, Denver Colorado, March 1974.
2. “madness” | Term used to reference mental illness, specifically within the manic phase of Manic Depression.
3. “had overcome her” | Happenstance of exact quotation, discovered after drafting stanza: Yeats, On Baile’s Strand, Character: Fool.
4. “when her body” | Happenstance of exact quotation, discovered after drafting stanza: Chivers, Ceratioid Anglerfish, Line 24.
5. “her body sloshed” | Similar use of verb root, discovered after drafting stanza: “The train sloshes,” McDaniel, St. Theresa of the 6, Line 3. (Formula: [article/pronoun] [noun] slosh/es/ed.)
6. “like” | Colloquialism in Southern California, most American High Schools, and various Skateboard Parks across the United States, often used to fill silence in conversation, replacing the more common terms, “uh” or “um.” Also used in employment of similes, meaning “similar.” Adjective.
7. “rubbery meat” | The quality of overcooked flesh: Hirsh, Microwaves No Longer Make Rubbery Meat.
8. “armsag” | Term fabricated by author. Concept credit: 1. “sweatdrop,” Bonair-Agard, the tragicomedy of the black boy blues or a hip-hop nigretto or the boy became black at JFK, Line 57. 2. “gumpopper,” Smith, Little Poetry, Line 1. 3. “Alchemistical,” Sands, Party and Bullshit, Stanza 10, Line 2.
9. “in the softest swells of armsag and stomach fold” | Line structure reminiscent of “in the darkest folds of the mouth,” Falkner, My Father’s Family, Line 47. (Formula: in the [this]est [something] of [something else].)
10. “the night brought” | Happenstance of thematic similarity (things that happen at night; nighttime behaviors; nighttime fears), discovered after drafting stanza: “Now Comes the Night,” Thomas, audio.
11. “marching ants” | Animation technique in computer graphics, popularized by programs such as MacPaint and Adobe Photoshop.
12. “her” | References author’s ownership of the object within the statement, (common sleeping tool: The Pillow). Definition: possessive case of “she.” Pronoun.
13. “when the night brought marching ants to her pillow” | Reference to phobias commonly associated with various mental illnesses/anxiety disorders. Myrmecophobia: fear of ants; Noctiphobia: fear of night.
14. “and” | Happenstance of exact quotation, discovered after drafting stanza: Holy Bible, Genesis 1:1. Since its appearance in the aforementioned publication, the term has become a colloquialism among English speaking individuals. Definition: “also” or “plus.” Conjunction.
15. “wailing” | Author here draws a parallel between the whistle of a heated tea kettle and the sound commonly emitted during the act of weeping. Definition: prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry. Verb.
16. “teapots” | An amalgamation of “teacup1” and “honeypot2” (1. Mojgani, biography, Para. 3, Line 2.) (2a. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, Character: Pooh. Object of Pooh’s affection.) (2b. McKibbens, Grizzly, audio.)
17. “wailing teapots swarmed in the kitchen” | Reference to the author’s method self-consoling during bouts of insomnia1 through the routine of preparing tea. (1. “Insomnia” | Sleep disorder with varied causes, most commonly, stress.)
18. “the cannibals came” | References the cannibals who appear in “beautiful: a legend.” Verlee, beautiful: a legend, Part 2, Stanza 6, Line 3.
19. “wearing eyeliner and capped teeth” | References eHow.com article, “How to Make a Jack Sparrow1 Costume.” (1. Character from “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.”)
20. “the flock of birds erupted from her throat” | References artwork1 by Tyson Schroeder. (1. Artwork for the cover of “Racing Hummingbirds2.”) (2. Book titled after the poem, “racing hummingbirds3.”) (3. Poem written in reference to author’s bouts of mania4.) (4. Mania is a function of Manic Depression.)
21. “clog” | Emergency room physician used this term in specific reference to a mysterious collection of dead cells in an artery in the arm of the author’s father, meaning “obstruction.” Quote: Dr. Allen, PhD., Littleton Adventist Hospital, December, 2009.
22. “leaving her mouth a clog of feathers” | Author took liberty to employ logic following preceding phrase. (No citation.)
23. “she paced the apartment” | Happenstance of exact quotation, discovered after drafting stanza: Turney, Love Has Many Faces, Chap. II, Para. 2, Line 2.
24. “fury” | References rage. Rage is a function of Manic Depression.
25. “yowling beast” | Happenstance of exact quotation, discovered after drafting stanza: Michael Rumaker’s “Later Thoughts on ‘Howl’” as detailed by Hyde, On the Poetry of Allen Ginsberg (Under Discussion), Page 40.
26. “she paced the apartment, a fury. a yowling beast. caged rhinoceros” | Line structure reminiscent of the common simile, “paced the floor like a caged animal.” References animal psychology, particularly that of caged animals.
27. “rhinoceros, severed horn” | Metaphorical1 reference to the act of destroying a creature for the base greed of obtaining its most unique attribute or asset. Specific reference to the species’ endangered status due to poaching for removal of the horn. (1. “metaphor” | English term meaning “linguistic symbol.” Noun.)
28. “bloody” | Upon removal of body parts, animals typically bleed. Also known as “hemorrhage.”
29. “maw” | Happenstance of exact quotation, discovered after drafting stanza: 1. Alighieri, Inferno, Page 39, Line 12. 2. Smith, Siblings, Line 3. Menchavez, Hot, or Why I Boogie, Line 5.
30. “severed horn in its bloody maw” | Metaphorical reference to self-destructive behavior1. (1. “selfdestructive behavior” | References a coping mechanism common during episodes of depression. Depression is a function of Manic Depression.)
__________
* Footnoted poem concept credit: (samples) 1. “E. & E. O.,” Tolson. 2. selected poems, Gottleib. 3. The Word-Lover’s Miscarriage, Fabri.
† Absurdist elongated title style: (samples) 1. “Lines Left upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree Which Stands Near the Lake of Esthwaite, on a Desolate Part of the Shore, Yet Commanding a Beautiful Prospect,” Wordsworth.
2. “On Our Long Road Trip Home I Don’t Ask My Friend If He Thinks His Youngest Daughter Might Be Someone Else’s Kid,” Rosal. 3. “In Lieu of Her Boyfriend Writing Any New Poetry, the Author Critiques the Four Line Song She Heard Him Spontaneously Create While Drunkenly Walking Up Their Apartment Building’s Stairwell,” Aptowicz.
‡ Use of “Author” within poem title as self-aware parody concept credit: (samples) 1. “Finally, The Author Gets Personal,” McKibbens. 2. “In Lieu of Her Boyfriend Writing Any New Poetry, the Author Critiques the Four Line Song She Heard Him Spontaneously Create While Drunkenly Walking Up Their Apartment Building’s Stairwell,” Aptowicz.
§ Title case title format: “Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (CSE, Scientific Style and Format), 7th Edition,” Council of Science Editors.
¿ Punctuation without capitalization poem format: (samples) 1. “What Men Do With Their Mouths,” Smith. 2. “dream about transference as a reasonable excuse,” McConnell. 3. “Waking Up / In Chicago,” Coval.
Bibliography
• Alighieri, circa 1310. La Divina Commedia. Inferno. Reprint: Alighieri, Translation: Cary, 2004. The Divine Comedy. Hell.
• Aptowicz, 2010. Everything is Everything. In Lieu of Her Boyfriend Writing Any New Poetry, the Author Critiques the Four Line Song She Heard Him Spontaneously Create While Drunkenly Walking Up Their Apartment Building’s Stairwell. Write Bloody Publishing.
• Bonair-Agard, 2008. the unauthorized biography of Mulatto Cracker Black. the tragicomedy of the black boy blues or a hip-hop nigretto or the boy became black at JFK. Self-published.
• Chivers, 2007 insert poem here. Ceratioid Anglerfish. Self-published. [http://insertpoemhere.blogspot.com/2007/02/ceratioid-anglerfish.html]
• Council of Science Editors, 2006. Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (CSE, Scientific Style and Format), 7th Edition. Council of Science Editors Press.
• Coval, 2008. Everyday People. Waking Up / In Chicago. EM Press.
• eHow Contributing Writer, 2008. How to Make a Jack Sparrow Costume. eHow.com. [http://www.ehow.com/how_2061149_make-jacksparrow-costume.html]
• Fabri, 2009. Dialect of a Skirt. The Word-Lover’s Miscarriage. Hanging Loose Press.
• Falkner, 2009. The Esu Review: University of Pennsylvania. “My Father’s Family.”
• Gottleib, 2008. Kissing Dead Girls. Soft Skull Press.
• Hirsh, 2008. Microwaves No Longer Make Rubbery Meat. Associated Press. [http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/081308/liv_317987731.shtml]
• Holy Bible: King James Version. Genesis. Thomas Nelson, 2002.
• Hyde, 1985. On the Poetry of Allen Ginsberg (Under Discussion). University of Michigan Press.
• Jameson, 1995. An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness. Vintage Books, division of Random House, Inc.
• Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff, 2003. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: 11th Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica.
• McConnell, 2007. Boxcar Poetry Review. “dream about transference as a reasonable excuse.” [http://www.lonecrow.com/BOXCAR/006/mcconnell_marty_002.html]
• McDaniel, 2008. The Endarkenment. St. Theresa of the 6. University of Pittsburgh Press.
• McKibbens, 2009. Pink Elephant. Finally, The Author Gets Personal. Cypher Books.
• McKibbens, 2010. Ragazine.cc: Poetry Out Loud. “Grizzly.” [http://ragazine.cc/2009/10/rachel-mckibbens]
• Menchavez, 2010. Still, Weightless an Outlaw Star. Hot, or Why I Boogie. Self-published.
• Milne, 1926. Winnie-the-Pooh. Methuen & Co. Ltd.
• Mojgani, 2008. biography, Anis Mojgani: LivePoets.com. [http://www.livepoets.com/poet.aspx?id=225]
• National Institute of Mental Health, 2010. Anxiety Disorders. Phobias. NIMH.nih.gov. [http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxietydisorders/specific-phobias.shtml]
• Newkirk, 2000. Free the Animals: The Story of the Animal Liberation Front. Lantern Books.
• PBS: Nature Staff Writer, 2009. PBS: Nature. Rhino Horn Use: Fact vs. Fiction. [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/rhinoceros/rhinohorn-use-fact-vs-fiction/1178]
• Rosal, 2006. My American Kundiman. On Our Long Road Trip Home I Don’t Ask My Friend If He Thinks His Youngest Daughter Might Be Someone Else’s Kid. Peresa Books.
• Sands, 2009. SUSS: another literary journal. “Party and Bullshit.” [http://sussitout.org/party-bullshit]
• Scully, 2002. Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy. St. Martin’s Press.
• Smith, 2006. Teahouse of the Almighty. Little Poetry. Coffee House Press.
• Smith, 2006. Teahouse of the Almighty. What Men Do With Their Mouths. Coffee House Press.
• Smith, 2008. Blood Dazzler. Siblings. Coffee House Press.
• Thomas, 2005. Something to Be. Now Comes the Night. Atlantic Records Group.
• Tolson, 1951. Poetry. “E. & E. O.”
• Turney, 2000. Love Has Many Faces. Chistell Publishing.
• Verbinksi, 2003. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Walt Disney Pictures.
• Verlee, 2010. Racing Hummingbirds. beautiful: a legend. Write Bloody Publishing.
• Wikipedia, 2010. Bleeding. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleeding]
• Wikipedia, 2010. Insomnia. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insomnia]
• Wikipedia, 2010. Marching ants. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marching_ants]
• Wikipedia, 2010. Rhinoceros: Rhinocerotidae. Horn. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros#Horns]
• Wordsworth, 1795. “Lines Left upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree Which Stands Near the Lake of Esthwaite, on a Desolate Part of the Shore, Yet Commanding a Beautiful Prospect.” Reprint: Wordsworth, 1999. Lyrical Ballads. Lines Left upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree Which Stands Near the Lake of Esthwaite, on a Desolate Part of the Shore, Yet Commanding a Beautiful Prospect. Penguin Books.
• Yeats, 1903. In the Seven Woods. On Baile’s Strand. Dun Emer Press.
—from Rattle #36, Winter 2011
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