Cacophony

Welcome to the Weekend Mini Challenge at Imaginary Garden with Real Toads with Kim from writinginnorthnorfolk.

Choose an instrument, give it a characteristic adjective or a personality, and write a poem about it, in any form of your choice. It doesn’t have to be about the instrument or music. But it must include a phrase like ‘sarcastic percussion’. You can take it wherever you want – I can’t wait to see what you make of it!


It was her grating

cackle that plucked

his attention.

 

Her usual lilting cadence

had been replaced with

the almost-shriek of

 

a panicked balalaika.

Eye contact was impossible

they darted about like

the frenzied silver ball

 

in an old arcade game.

He stopped listening

and merely watched her lips

spew a string of lies.

 

 

SusanWritesPrecise/Susan Marie Shuman
“Balalaika”
fromrussia.com

 

 

14 responses to “Cacophony”

  1. Cacophony is one of my favourite words, Susan, and it makes a great title for your poem. I enjoyed this vignette and imagined the scene. I especially love the wordplay in ‘grating cackle that plucked his attention’ and ‘the almost shriek of a panicked balalaika’.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Kim. Cacophony *is* a cool word, I agree. Thanks for the positive comments. Much appreciated!

      Like

  2. A beautiful description. You managed to weave a tale in here somehow. Now, I want o know who this horrid woman was (she sounds like a witch) and the lies she’s been spewing. Oh, and who is he? I enjoyed this.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Vivian! These people are just citizens of my imagination. So glad you enjoyed!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. sanaarizvi Avatar
    sanaarizvi

    Quite an intense and atmospheric write, Susan! I love “the almost-shriek of a panicked balalaika.” :)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much, sanaarizvi!

      Like

  4. A panicked balalaika… when cornered a liar will resort to lie even more… quite a c cacophony

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Exactly! :-) Thanks Bjorn!

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  5. “a panicked balalaika.”

    What a thought!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yeah, it was quite a thought, for sure. :-)

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  6. “………the almost-shriek of a panicked balalaika….” such a cool phrase!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Sherry Blue sky. I thought it was very cool when I hit on it! I’m glad I wasn’t alone in this. :-)

      Like

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