Poetry from the 3:15 Experiment August 5, 2009: It’s LORD Ganesha

3:15am  12/5

Lord Ganesha woke me up
earlier this evening
told me among other things
that he was Lord Ganesha
and not just plain Ganesh.

Most of what he had
to say I seem to have forgotten.
He told me not to worry
that everything he said
I already knew.

I was surprised when I saw him
by how he looked:
not as pretty as in the pictures.
He does not have cartoon large eyes.
Instead they are very small
like a real elephant
and his skin is not smooth
but very wrinkly, like a warthog
or a rhino. Forgive me, Lord Ganesha.

Don’t get me wrong: Lord Ganesha
is very beautiful, very striking
in his physical presence. He is
adorned with jewels and his tusks
they are for real, sharp, and he is
proud of them though he didn’t
say so I could still tell.

Lord Ganesha came to me in the moonlight
on the eve of the lunar eclipse.
He took shape in my mind.
I didn’t recognize him at first
but then I knew it was Ganesha
and then I was corrected: Lord Ganesha.

This seemingly small point had never
bothered me before but will
from now on I am sure.

I do remember more of what
he made known to me.
But I won’t tell you now;
for it belongs to the future
and remains to be seen.
I will say that he said he’d be present
two more times which I took to mean
the next two nights but now
I realize that the next two nights
for him could be anytime.

I would have willingly drowned in the depths
of moon in his eyes, but the waters of his mouth
are wicked and dangerous and scared me.

Even though the header date says 12/5, this was written on August 5, 2009 as part of the 3:15 experiment 2009. I don’t know why I wrote 12/5 but I did. What’s the 3:15 experiment, you ask? Here’s HOW TO DO THE 3:15 EXPERIMENT:

Register here. We also have a facebook page.

* Begin at 3:15 AM on August 1st (so set your alarms on JULY 31) . Continue each day until August 31.
* You may write any length, style, form, content, voice, rhythm, etc.
* DO NOT EDIT your work. This is raw stuff, baby. That’s part of the experiment. You are welcome to edit, collage, break apart the poems later for whatever purpose you choose, but please SHARE THE RAW STUFF with the rest of the group here or on the website once the experiment is over.
* (Optional) Do not read what you have written until the month is over, except to skim the work to make sure everything is legible.

TIPS: Do not use a felt tip pen unless you don’t care about ink stains on your bed. Many a poet has fallen asleep in the middle of writing. If you can help it, don’t even get out of bed! The point is to ride that dream state, that precarious point between sleeping and waking and sleeping.

I’m obviously breaking the optional rule by posting about Lord Ganesh here now. But it was such exciting news I couldn’t wait! Plus I have another post about him coming up related to this art show in Pasadena. Here’s another 3:15 experiment poem which features Ganesh and here are more tips and examples about doing the 3:15 Experiment:

How To Write at 3:15 (a YouTube video)
Jasmine and Jaguar (a 3:15 poem made into a YouTube)

For more poetry, jump on the train!

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