The Would-Be Poet

Trumpet wails
smoke curls in jazz club
ice clinks in whiskey glasses.
Eyes glued to stage
they sit, imagining,
caught in her spell.

Red moist lips
sing in raspy sex-tinged voice
I put a spell on you.
Hips gyrate slowly
arms stretch above her head
hands writhe seductively.

He sits, shoulders slumped.
Food spattered lapels
ink stained fingertips.
The poet, as he’s known,
soaks in the atmosphere
with nowhere to go.

His mind travels
with her every word.
Imagines himself
inside her throat,
inside her eyes,
inside her soul.

Why can’t his words
do to his readers
what her voice
her words
her body
do to him?


Written for dVerse, the virtual pub for poets around the globe. Today, Sanaa hosts Tuesday Poetics with a prompt titled Thirteen Songs, Thirteen Hauntings.

She gives us a list of thirteen songs and asks us to be inspired by one of them. We’re to let the music determine the mood, imagery, setting, and voice of the poem. I’ve selected I Put a Spell on You, by Nina Simone. The music and video definitely inspired my poem. Click on the video above, watch and listen for a bit and you’ll understand why.

5 thoughts on “The Would-Be Poet”

  1. Björn Rudberg (brudberg)'s avatar Björn Rudberg (brudberg) October 13, 2026 / 2:28 pm

    Poor lonesome poet… sometimes words without music is just words. It sounds like a good place to be with his thoughts though

    Like

  2. kim881's avatar kim881 October 13, 2026 / 3:06 pm

    We chose the same song, Lill, and, as ever, our poems are different, one of the many reasons I enjoy dVerse prompts. I love that you have set yours in a jazz club and the way the ‘would-be poet’ is entranced:

    ‘His mind travels
    with her every word.
    Imagines himself
    inside her throat,
    inside her eyes,
    inside her soul.’

    Wow!

    Like

  3. sanaarizvi's avatar sanaarizvi October 13, 2026 / 3:14 pm

    This is exquisitely woven, Lillian! Wow! I especially admire this part; “Red moist lips sing in raspy sex-tinged voice I put a spell on you.”

    You’ve really set the mood! Thank you so much for writing to the prompt ❤️❤️

    Like

  4. Lisa or Li's avatar Lisa or Li October 13, 2026 / 3:44 pm

    I hope her way seeps into his soul so he can write affecting poetry.

    Like

  5. Gillena Cox's avatar Gillena Cox October 13, 2026 / 4:10 pm

    Totally spellbound

    Much love

    Like

Leave a Reply