You know what? I’m going to make the decision myself, I’m very inspired by “Twilight,” I don’t want a summer wedding, I don’t want to be sweaty, You’re right, it can’t last forever, It’s way beyond pretend, I have mad options, and There’s only one Mary O’Shea.
Susan Thomsen, draft April 2026. This poem and its title consist of lines from various overheard conversations in New York, with just a couple of tweaks for sense.I call these works "street poems."
Later I remembered the "Twilight" girl on the train. She (unknowingly) supplied several lines of what ultimately became the poem above. So, twilight poem #2! Fittingly, I composed the first draft on MetroNorth, which connects New York and some of the suburbs.
Heidi Mordhorst will host the round up of Poetry Friday posts for April 17th. Go, read!
I have to laugh, because my friends and I recently did a movie marathon and watched all the Twilight movies (large portions of which were filmed in my home province, for a suitably wet and gloomy ambiance). 😉
Susan, your street poems are always interesting, especially since you are overhearing conversations, such as Twilight. Train rides must give you quite a bit of information to deal with.
I love this, Susan! “I’m very inspired by Twilight” made me laugh. 😀
What I love about your street poems is the way they leave me trying to imagine the context of the original conversations while also diving into and conjuring the new world you’ve created from the lines.
Susan, I remember using your Street Poem Guide to write my own street poems last year. I love how it makes one pay attention! Fun poem–“Why I Keep My Heels” and it’s even better when you realize most of this was captured while you were out and listening to the world around you.
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