In honor of today’s release of Bob Dylan’s Fragments – Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17, here are three poetry experiments after Bob Dylan. Enjoy!

"Just Like a Woman"

After Bob Dylan's "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"

With your cesium mouth
and your eyes like wine
(with your ears always listening
and your brows drawn fine—

but your strawdust head
filled with stardust dreams—
even if you ever thought
exactly the same as you seem),

who on earth would question your forte?
My man, my lady, will you wait?
Until our priorities are straight? 

"Fragmentation #1"

After Bob Dylan's "Every Grain of Sand"

Like-wood--chips-from--a-fall--en-tree
Along--a-riv--er-pass--ing-by,
Memo--ries-drift--throughout--my-brain
Much-like--a-can--opy-once--held-high.
        Now-I--can-sit--beside--the-river,
        And-I--can-paint--the-trees--of-dreams,
        And-I--can-compose--one-hun--dred-poems
        To-an--y-lin--gering--jet-streams.
But-I-can--not-heal--the-hate--and-hurt
Which-I--have-caused--by-leav--ing-you-here;
I-can--not-forgive--all-of--my-sins,
And-still--my-sor--row-is-too--unclear.

"Fragmentation #2"

After Bob Dylan's "Every Grain of Sand" and a line from Marcus Aurelius

time is — A violent river
with — An overwhelming sway,
and anything — Which enters there
is brought — To sight and swept away.
        i do not have — The disposition
        to reflect — On every mistake.
        like adam i will — Endure the sins
        each of — My sins in turn must make.
like wood chips from — A fallen tree
along — The Struma passing by,
memories drift — Throughout my brain
like — A canopy once held high.
        i have sacrificed — The youngest men
        and — The maidens to my gods;
        i have sunk — The saving ships
        just — To lower Strymon’s odds.
so i can — Not heal the hurting
i — Have caused by leaving for here;
i can not — Forgive my own sins,
and — My sorrow is too unclear.