Day One & Thursday Doors, 1/4/21: Torre Alfina 3.

• Manja Maksimovič

Happy April 1st! It’s Thursday for the doors, and Day One of 30 poems for the National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), my fourth in a row. You might wish it were a joke but no: I shall write a poem a day as long as April perseveres.

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Prompt 1: “Sometimes, writing poetry is a matter of getting outside of your own head, and learning to see the world in a new way. To an extent, you have to ‘derange’ yourself – make the world strange, and see it as a stranger might. To help you do that, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem inspired by this animated version of ‘Seductive Fantasy’ by Sun Ra and his Arkestra.”

Jazz, she scoffs

Up 
up
dooown.

Jazz, she scoffs, 
rolling her eyes.

Exploding eyeballs.
Cacophony of
colours,
critters,
cracks.

Things come
and go
and explode,
except
that one line.

That one line is a constant. 

Find your constant
in the sea of 
explosions
and stick to it.

Up
up
doooown.

Up
up
doooown.

So this is 
the grand lesson 
of jazz,
she admits,
defeated.

As if it were ever 
a fight,
says a blue triangle
and explodes.

In photography, doors have been my constant for the last five+ years, especially on Thursdays.

On October 30th 2020 I went on a search of a castle upon seeing a photo online that blew my mind. That day was the last time I saw something new.

Torre Alfina is a little town near Aquapendente in Lazio. Today I descend from the castle and catch all doors and such that I can find. Here is the first door post from this town and the next, when we come into the golden light, will be the last in this series.

Light, another constant. Aren’t I lucky.

  • Bestia was my only company for the day.
  • A look back up. This road doesn’t seem much driven on.
  • Autumn patterns.
  • A church below came into view with promises of some nice doors.
  • Neither door nor a window, just a sunkissed hole.
  • Oh, here is one!
  • No doors, you say? What about that chain?
  • The first hole is doorless.
  • But there is another. This road would be fun to drive.
  • This door seem a little younger than the castle.
  • What a friendly castle gate, so open, bestia is thinking.
  • A closer view.
  • A more hidden specimen.
  • What have we got here?
  • Perfect door colour for the pool house. Just add water.
  • The top row of windows is unprotected, in case you want to pillage.
  • Well, also a kind of door… And pretty flowers.
  • Here is the church that I saw from the top. But where is the door? Must be April Fools’.

For:

NaPoWriMo 2021 Button with black background

and for Thursday Doors challenge hosted by Dan at No Facilities

49 thoughts on “Day One & Thursday Doors, 1/4/21: Torre Alfina 3.”

  1. Oh my, Manja. The gates and those massive stone walls are amazing. I like those big double doors on the building you’re suggesting is ripe for pillaging. Fonzi seems to be enjoying the smells of all those who passed through those large gates ahead of him. The chain as a door is pushing it, but the judges agree – it’s a door!

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    1. Hahha, thanks, Dan. I’m glad the panel agrees about the chain. 😀 Bestia is always extremely interested in smells, especially now that he knows all the smells in our radius inside out, just like I do. We need new smells and sights.

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  5. You nailed the poem! I thought I might try NaPoWriMo in addition to A to Z this month, but when I watched the video, I was anything but inspired. Guess I didn’t learn the lesson of jazz.

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  7. “Cacophony of
    colours,
    critters,
    cracks.”💜
    Yes, indeed! Loved the humor at the end of your poem as well. And your Thursday doors, as always. Bestia is adorable!😍 We should get our two beasties to meet.

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    1. Ahhh, Romana, we should! They would have such fun. Both dog and I are devoid of friends. A few days ago a neighbour invited us into her garden for the first time so that her dog and bestia could play a little. They did but not for long. Bestia wanted home. 😀 We need more practice socialising. Also he is turning 8 next week. Not so very playful any more. Thank you so much, I’m proud that you like my poem. ❤

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      1. Willow is turning nine in May and not so playful either. But she loves the outdoors, so as long as there’s room to run and sniff things, she’s game for pretty much anything. And she likes meeting other dogs. I’m sure she and Bestia would see eye to eye.🥰

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  9. LOVE your views here. Especially the view through the leaves in the foreground! A different kind of poem, but I view everything (pattern) is allowed in a poem:) Have a great Easter.
    Will you travel to your parents? we are keeping it simple this year. A package to the grands, and an outside Easter service on the lawn. Munching on some chocolate eggs in the afternoon, haha (if I don’t forget to buy them!). Jesh.

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    1. Thank you, Jesh! Yes, I like to spy through leaves and fences. 🙂 Happy Easter and chocolate eggs! My parents are in another country about 777 km away and it’s a question when I’ll be able to travel there. Still can’t leave my municipality.

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    1. Hi, Alana, great to see you come over! I must admit that the last stanza was a last-minute addition. 😀 I felt it needed something… I wish you happy poeming this month and will come around to read you too.

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    1. Hahha, you sound so much like me, Crystal. 😀 Did you give a listen to the song in the link in the prompt? That is what we were to listen before writing a poem. And yes, indeed, there is that one line… I was won over! Thank you!

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      Reply

      1. I did not listen before, but I am listening right now, and 43 seconds in to a 41 minute album and I feel like my brain is going to explode. All these disjointed discordant sounds. Ugh. I can’t even do it as an assignment. Disruption and chaos. I can’t figure out how anyone can listen long enough to find a one line. I guess I fail at this one.

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  17. More great photos of Torre Alfina! The colours on photo with the blue arched doorway behind the line of Autumn leaves are amazing. The music is strangely hypnotic. Nice!

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    Reply

    1. This clip is not familiar to me. But yeah, English major here too. Plus I studied journalism. Plus I’m a rebel. 😀 There is not removing me from anywhere, especially my own piece. I’m really glad you picked up on it. Welcome to my blog!

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  20. I was completely taken aback on that first prompt of NaPoWriMo last year. My gosh, it was a first for me in many ways. But I did what I could. And know what? In the end I was pretty pleased with what resulted.
    You, you, my friend. Are amazing. Indeedy. Love how you approached the prompt. A tremendously lovely poem. Wow. And all those photos. Gorgeous.
    Another great thing I gained on my first NaPo was your friendship. Soooo glad. Thanks, Amiga. Keep going.

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    Reply

    1. Ahh, thank you, dear Selma. 🙂 I’ve read this poem again just now and giggled at the end, which I take as a good sign. 😉 I’m so glad that you decided to take part last year and will do it again!

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