tonyv Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Dear World, If all my girls in money sparkles kicked their finer habits like you shirk off debt, would all my guys with glamor girls forget their own dull quirks? Your problems might be licked if only British English would persist in every village, city desk, and verse; above, please note the Harvard comma -- pissed would be your formalist! But I'm diverse, and to omit it could admit defeat; until I do, I'll flex on you. And while a thousand-million mimickers compete with other polly-parrots of my style, another tide draws surf beyond their reach, another breeze jets froth across my beach. --------------/s/America, not yesterday ... today ______________________________________ Harvard comma 1 Quote Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger11 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 hi Tony The British elite, to generalise, are as corrupt as any; their use of language a veneer of respectability (probably why Pinter made so much use of the pause). No doubt there's some correlation between power and corruption. Personally I have no problem accepting the inevitable 'corrupting' influences of 'American English' --badge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 Thanks, Badge, for your kind and perceptive comment! badger11 wrote: Personally I have no problem accepting the inevitable 'corrupting' influences of 'American English' Comeon down, and we be Tony Quote Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Tony, what do you think of the Hong Kongnese in this one? What the Pig Mama Says The pupoh stopped to cheer. Leklek was took away. He was mine biggest boy. A good heart. Saved the best for Yenyen and Hokhok. His- self eating leftovers. I cried I cried. Not knew the bastang took him where. Gokgou told me was hell. We ate much as we liked. The white fence put us safe safe. Always we talked, cheered. The pupoh liked to play with Hokhok. Mine little boy talked to them sweet. He knew how make make community. But Hokhok too was took away by same same bastang they took Leklek before. Mine only girl Yenyen too sad to see her little brother went. She kept quiet everydays think think. I begged the bastang not took mine boy. They not understood. Heard only something like “pok is good ”. The pupoh talked little little. Yenyen stopped to eat. She said, “No Hokhok play wis me !” I sorry sorry for her. The bastang came to take Yenyen. I saw her away. I not cried. Maybe it better for Yenyen. She will stop to think. No more think. No more think think. Maybe I say too much. Who is listening to my story? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 Hong Kongnese?!? It excites me, Lake! Do tell ... who wrote it? Please give some background info on the poem and the Hong Kongnese. Is it a pidgin? It has da flava of a rap song! Tony Quote Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Ah, English spoken in Hong Kong. What's your first impression of the language used here, without knowing the background info? Yeah, as you said, a pidgin. I understand, in this life, my English can never match up to those native English speakers, but if this works as a poem, then...you know what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 I have to say, Lake, I like the characteristic repetition. The reason I said pidgin is because here we say things that originate from "Chinglish" (and perhaps from other linguistic blends, too) all the time without even realizing it -- stuff like "No can do!" My friends think I'm an idiot , but I even make stuff up once in awhile. I say stuff like "This kid needs to take a shau-shau" (shower). Don't know where it comes from, but I enjoy it. Btw, your English is fantastic. I have said before that, although Estonian is my first language, my Estonian vocabulary (to a lesser extent my grammar) is limited to the level of a "kitchen language." I couldn't write a poem in Estonian (or English) as good as those bilinguals here on our board who have learned English from scratch and compose wonderful verse in English, American, Canadian, Australian ... or Hong Kongnese. Tony Quote Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_con Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Tony, a multifaceted poem- way beyond simple gramatikal arguments;-) I must say the hypertext thrilled me- I love Badge's observation, but in terms of the 'real' you do achieve the 'meta' ;-) DC Quote thegateless.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 Tony, a multifaceted poem- way beyond simple gramatikal arguments;-) I must say the hypertext thrilled me- I love Badge's observation, but in terms of the 'real' you do achieve the 'meta' ;-) DC Thanks, Dr. Con, for the high level compliment! It wasn't a conscious effort, but I'm glad it turned out that way. I'll post an audio version, too. Tony Quote Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Ops... sorry I missed this one. I got confused by reading all day long . I hope you will appreciate my work Tony today, especialy when you are out having fun and enjoyable time with your loved ones and me working . But I am having fun also - so you know . Tony you explore something new and I love that part. I enjoyed this poem, and interesting what made you to write this one . This is original and I enjoy it a lot: /s/America, not yesterday ... today That remindes to think properly, for nowdays. Cool poem, fresh, clever, relaxed. You are good Tony, I love your job. Quote The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Hi Tony I loved the sound of this Blank Verse. It is lyrical and clever and interesting. And your poem sparked commentary on the use of language that drew out Lake's poem in "pidgin". Now where did that word come from? This whole thread makes me smile. ~~Tink Quote ~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~ For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 I'm glad you liked the poem, Alek, and I always appreciate your work on the board, but I know you don't do it for me. You do it because you must ... and because you love it. Tony Quote Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 Tinker wrote: Hi Tony I loved the sound of this Blank Verse. It is lyrical and clever and interesting. This whole thread makes me smile. ~~Tink It's been a fun discussion, Tinker. Thanks for joining in. Tinker wrote: And your poem sparked commentary on the use of language that drew out Lake's poem in "pidgin". Now where did that word come from? I dunno, but whenever I hear pidgin, I usually think of the bird, pigeon. Tony Quote Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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