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Bad Pictures

My sister,
tired and haggard,
caring for two infants,
saw the camera pointed at her
and was instantly photogenic .

Is it a craft or skill,
dare I say sullen and unlearned ?
Pause your DVD and see
beauty transformed by drooping eyelids,
bad moments captured.

How would you feel if your eyes captured only those moments,
or the beauteous ones,
depending on mood,
like me.
Or do you?

I really want to know.

Style / type: 
Free verse
Review Request (Intensity): 
I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back
Editing stage: 

Comments

well said
we really do see the world and others dependent on our mood and emotions of the moment

and for the camera we always perk up, show our best side

in a way it is sad that we want to hide our true feelings - we might make better of coping with our troubles if we faced them with the world watching :)

one thing threw me a little
'It's a craft or skill,
dare I say sullen and unlearned?'
- what is your interpretation of 'sullen' here?

a thought-provoking write as usual from you jess
love judy

'Each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
shall draw the Thing as he sees It, for the God of Things as They are.'
(Rudyard Kipling)

"This my art or sullen craft"
The rest it tickles me pink that read more than I wrote! [grins]

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

the reader gets so much more than the writer intends always
- after all, once it reaches the reader it unites two people's worlds.... and world views
:)
xx

'Each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
shall draw the Thing as he sees It, for the God of Things as They are.'
(Rudyard Kipling)

As with most pictures they show a two dimensional farce, then there is the picture that captures the mind of the observer.
A split second where the smile of a child is eternal or the lines on an old ladies face writes a history book in one glance.
I wonder do they see the soul in some fractions of seconds, where the greatest pictures ever taken make people cry inside.
A very good thoughtful theme.
I hope your rest has been good for your words, it seems so, and I am happy at this picture you have painted.. Yours reaching out to the screen,
Ian.T

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

my rest has been good and your support was truly, deeply appreciated.
I love your goodness.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

Not a good day for me yesterday, as I found my neighbour and friend, in his home and he had left us to journey on..
These things happen I guess we expected it, but it is still a shock, to actually find him so..
Sorry a distraction.. Glad that you are better after a needed rest, I know I keep on at you sometimes, but who the hell is going to look after us and give us hell if you are not well ????????
Really loved this piece it said much and could make for others to write about what they really see as they look around.
I remember there is an illness that miners get where their eyes seem to shake from side to side or what ever and they say that they can see better when that happens as the picture is reset each time and as a film the more frames the clearer things are..
Not sure about how correct this is it has been a long time in my memory banks and could be distorted LOL.
Have a lovely evening, and kiss the morning for me as you will see the next one before me,Yours Ian.T

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

"could make for others to write about what they really see as they look around."
It would truly be a great achievement.
Thank you.
I'm sorry for the sudden sadness, perhaps, as usual, it is balanced badly by the aggravations of the unwelcome.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

well it's not really my style of poem, but I can see it's well crafted. Glad your muse is returning

Lou

Stand tall, be proud to be who you are, give the world the finger!!!!

lou

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

Hi Jess.

Turn turn turn.

~A

my favourite word. It is from some dialect of Chinese and means turn, but during the Revolution became a catchword meaning turning from feudalism to socialism.

Yes, turning hurts all our moral, social, political boundaries.

Lets turn.

I'm back.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

so that the reader clearly understands how bad photos and images caught on 'pause' make people look ugly.

Any suggestions?

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

Maybe you can expand your picture through 360 degrees, I think that "The Seven Ages of Man " depicts this so well.
There must be another side to the coin as you can watch it spin where the outcome is life or death..
That's that bit, now to take a slice of people, I always wanted to buy the off cuts from the many 35 mm films from the cutting room floor that show many bad sides that will never reach our eyes, and of course the beautiful scenes they threw away, and sell them on for the old 35mm projectors..
Still not any help well I give in lol, Take care and I await your new additions to this one, Yours Ian.

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

I think describing those moments caught....like a bad hair day: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zm98DElpink/TXgl0X13xJI/AAAAAAAAC1M/12DRYJPhmX...

or Take yer pick here. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/CelebSnapshots/popup?id=3660666 (do the slideshow)

~A

but I'm talking about the microseconds between expressions that completely change a persons face. The eyelids drooped, the lips caught between a real expression, doesn't anyone understand what I'm talking about here?

This is a poem that could not have been written before the invention of photography and is easily tested by pausing a DVD and looking at peoples faces.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

This is a good food for thought poem, that is well crafted.
I ask you as a friend to be careful, when you write like this it makes me wonder if your off your med. and I also wonder did you do it because of the challenge by Anna. I just feel that you do not need to prove you can write, because that already has been established.

Cheers, my good friend and teacher.
Eddie

LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS
IT'S ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN.
VIVIAN GREENE

I am lowering my meds, not off them.

But not trying to prove anything, it is just allowing me to write again. There are consequences, of course, I'll probably get cranky and mean at times. I prefer that to bland Jess, I hope you all can cop it.

Tough shit if you can't.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

I have a secret love for "bad pictures" when a person is caught off their guard. I think it is true art to catch what someone is really feeling at any given moment. Good thought inducing poem.

I'm glad you are feeling better :) hope it continues.

always, Cat

*
When someone reads your work
And responds, please be courteous
And reply in kind, thanks.

seldom felt better, I see into the future now, instead of merely existing in a grey place. I don't know how anyone can do that.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

Quite often the pictures of oneself that one hates are the candid ones which reveal a different self than we'd prefer seeing. Like good raw poetry the lack of preparation brings out the beauty within........and I think an expansion of this poem is warranted 'cause sometimes less Isn't more..............stan

Hi Jess, I applaud this writing, it says so much more than it says, I am sure you know what I mean. I think these themes are very much worth some time & consideration, your poem makes them more likely to be considered.

A classic example of this sentiment is seen daily in regard to politicians or political fugures, if they are in favour, the pics are all handsome & dignified, if they are out of favour or the photographer/ journo wishes to undermine their credibility etc. the stills are often most unflattering.

Still, aside from the content & sentiment, I love the way you have brought this concept to us, it is an exampe of good art in my opinion, doing precisely as I expect your prefer to do, bring issues to the attention of those who would consider it, seeing beyond mediocrity to the pointy ends of living... Well done, I reckon.

I do admire your clarity & sharp wit, it scares me sometimes, since I like harmony, but it is very worthy of praise & respect .

Cheers
A

Cheers
Anni

My dear friend always told me "Water the seeds of joy first"

that moment when the face was revealed in its frozen context was a great
picture....I remember Lee Harvey Oswald being shot by Jack Ruby
his mouth contorted in pain...the Zapruder footage that was in a club
running on the wall somewhere stateside..1990's

VCRs were fun and yet odd too that the victims of stroke or palsy or age
have the same look sometimes Bell's Palsy paralizes partial expression
at times They said my gran mal seizures were something too
I wish someone had of videotaped me U Tube shows me the experience
though But at one time that was fun to get ones pictures back to see
the bad pics T he one member of the family that couldnt sit still and
smile for the prepared pic taking

Natives said it stole their souls the magic box and maybe they were
right

Very good Poem Jess

Thank You

am I as candid as I suspect I am? Thank goodness life is not scripted, and posed.

In ink,
David

it took a racehorse owner with great wealth to settle controversy about the horses legs
in motion......thus the motion "picture" was contrived into mass use
and "stars" were born

some people have the gift for the show
others for the know

now more then ever is beauty defined by
the masses hungering for images
the slather of exploitation
ruthless and tender

the propaganda of every smile
and all its guile

there is beauty in ugly
a raw truth to it
our story myths hold fast this

...

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