Tuesday 31 May 2011

Blank Tape


The instruction was
“Erase me from your life”
But should I delete you
Or send you to the recycle bin?
Perhaps in the old days of VHS
You could record over things
With something new that’s
More fun and better quality.
But what we all know is
The reused video will wear thin,
Parts of the old film will show through,
And it will probably get stuck
With long tangled spaghetti loops
That ruin the mechanism,
And eventually something will snap.
I need to find me a blank tape.

23 comments:

  1. oh..definitely mp3 for me, so much easier...couldn't be doing with tapes now!! great poem.. x

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  2. nice piece Libby! mp3's are much better :)

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  3. Dig the metaphor here, and the candor. Also, the payoff at the end is super. Excellent work! :D

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  4. oh i like it...cant tape over everything it seems, best just to start over fresh...

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  5. Wonderful analogy. You need a rewritable DVD. ;-)

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  6. LOL..you better do! Clean slates are the best. Freedom to do whatever...and hey, be careful what you record on your new blank tape, so you dont go looking for another in no time.

    Bless!

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  7. A blank tape -- great metaphor!

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  8. Oh the blank tape was a great idea to use
    Glad you used it for your muse
    Never really thought of it that way
    But with a movie plug you can't stray
    Like the one shot you decided to evoke
    Enjoyed very much by this bloke

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  9. Fun play with words...

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  10. Yes, a fresh start is better for sure. Too hard to tape over when the old might bleed through. Nicely done :)

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  11. Great metaphor Libby. Clever poem with your signature stamp. Clean, clear, metaphor and images. Well done as always. Excellent. Gay

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  12. I don't know. Perhaps I'm a bit of a romantic. The metaphor for me says, you can never erase anyone or any experience from your life completely. Surely you would not be who you are now without those someones or somethings regardless of how annoying or painful they might be.

    As usual besides having a special gift with words, Libby, you have made us think, made us think about your poem, about our lives and we would erase if we could... or perhaps something we thought we had erased but still lingers...

    I love this. Thank you for sharing.

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  13. Store to file, not erase - then life lessons stay with you! I read your words as relating to people and memories, same as the commenter above...

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  14. This is so fabulously creative! Love this.

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  15. Keep the memories. Great write.

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  16. That's quite an instruction at the beginning of your poem - a tall order. Some instructions should be ignored. But I enjoyed your detour through the days of VHS tapes.

    Richard

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  17. This is a well-sustained metaphor that shows discipline and skill. It works partly because it reminds us of something we used to know that is now obsolete, replaced by other technologies, just as we all have been replaced in the heart of someone, just as we all will replace someone in our own heart. Beautiful metaphor. Your work is getting stronger, much stronger.

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  18. "Parts of the old film will show through"---so true. I missed this wonderful poem somehow, glad I found it when catching up while making rounds for One Shot Wed.

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  19. incredible.

    invite you to join our poetry picnic today,

    1 to 3 random poems are welcome for first time participants, you can also write for our theme,

    best.

    hope to see your participation.

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  20. Neat! this is a word-wise poem; the metaphor is keen. Good luck finding an unused & fresh human being.
    enjoyed reading this.

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  21. a thoughtful piece, smiles.
    keep it up.

    welcome sharing a piece with poets rally today.
    best.

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