Poem-fic: "Thirteen Ways of Looking at Rodney" (Gen, PG)

[bironic]

Flashfic when I should be working on Remix. Oops.

Character: Rodney McKay (Stargate: Atlantis)
Word Count: ~250
Spoilers: References events in "The Storm"/"The Eye," "Grace Under Pressure," "The Tao of Rodney" and "Doppelganger"
A/N: Based on Wallace Stevens' poem, inspired tonight by nightdog_barks after her Wilson poem.


"Thirteen Ways of Looking at Rodney"

I
Among twenty chastised scientists,
The only moving things
Were Rodney's hands.

II
I was of three minds,
Like a quantum mirror
In which there are three Rodneys.

III
Rodney stalled for time in the lashing storm.
It was a key part of the pantomime.

IV
Coffee and physics
Are one.
Coffee and physics and Rodney
Are one.

V
I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of calculations
Or the beauty of the wormhole,
Rodney smiling
Or just after.

VI
The ocean filled the small jumper
With numbing water.
The shadow of Sam Carter
Crossed it, to and fro.
Rodney
Followed the shadow
With fading coherence.

VII
O morons of Atlantis,
Why do you imagine kinder tongues?
Do you not see how Rodney
Saves the lives
Of the people around you?

VIII
I know stubborn assurance
And trembling, unexpected bravery;
But I know, too,
That Rodney is involved
In what I know.

IX
When Rodney neared Ascension,
It marked the edge
Of one of many circles.

X
At the sight of Rodney
Falling in a burst of blue light,
Even the soldiers of Genii
Would cry out sharply.

XI
John stalked through Atlantis
In people's dreams.
Once, a fear pierced him,
In that he mistook
The shadow of his doppelganger
For Rodney.

XII
The city is quiet.
Rodney must be keeping watch.

XIII
It was evening all afternoon.
It was raining
And it was going to rain.
Rodney gazed up
From the balcony.




ETA: Awesomeness of awesomeness, check out jadesfire2808's Latin translation and remix!
 

Comments

[perspi.livejournal.com]

*hearts*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

*hearts back*

That was fun. :)

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

VII is my favorite! Very nice overall!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Your turn now, methinks. :D

You know Dances With Wolves? I keep hearing that verse shouted by Wind In His Hair. "Do you not see that I will always be your friend?"

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Okey doke. Thirteen Ways House Looks at the World.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

*sighs*

What an absolute delight. This is as terrific as any SG:A fic I've read.

*mems, yes indeed*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I am so pleased you like it so much. It was a fun exercise last night.

[no-detective.livejournal.com]

Oh, my HEART!

You're fantastic.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

\o/ Thanks for stopping by!

(Did you see the Sheppard one (http://bironic.livejournal.com/124610.html) earlier in the day? Not to fish for compliments -- okay, well, maybe a little *g* -- but I know your online time is limited and you might not have seen it and I wonder what you'd think of it.)

[no-detective.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thanks for the link! No, I haven't seen it. Alas, I've gotta run now (the regular Sunday phone call to my mom) but I'll read it when I can. :)

[hannahrorlove.livejournal.com]

Coffee and physics and Rodney
Are one.
I laughed out loud at this. Not LOL, but laughed out loud. Wonderful work!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm happy it made you laugh and glad you enjoyed it.

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

*big grin* You've definitely got the poetry muse working for you at the moment. I think XII is my favourite - just right.

Lovely!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Cheers! I like XII too; I used it as the cut text when I posted to the noticeboard. I think it'd be quite comforting to know that Rodney was watching over you and your city in the quiet of the night.

You told me once that you're an "all-at-once" writer who tends to complete things when they can be done in a single sitting. This is definitely an instance of that for me -- idea to completion in an hour. I hope I can keep it up as Remix and get_house_laid deadlines approach...!

[dangomango.livejournal.com]

I love it! " I " made me laugh.

[dangomango.livejournal.com]

Also, I have to admit I never thought I'd read "O morons of Atlantis" in a poem. *g*

[bironic.livejournal.com]

And I never thought I'd write it. Life is full of surprises. :D Glad you enjoyed!

[saffronhouse.livejournal.com]

So wonderful!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[horridporrid.livejournal.com]

I'll admit I clicked with trepidation, but this was wonderful! Favorites.... hmmm... I'll say VIII and V, but the whole thing in its entire was just lovely.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I have a soft place in my heart for VIII too. Rodney is lovable in so many ways.

Yours is one of my favorite kinds of feedback; I'm so glad to hear you were wary but took a chance, and liked it.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Mwhaha, very clever! "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" is one of the only poems I recall from HS English. Methinks I prefer the McKay-heavy version, however...

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Hee! I think that poem may be unofficial required reading. But think how many more students might like it if there were a fanfic assignment like this in class....

Thanks for the feedback. I'm so glad you liked this.

[cupidsbow.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's so good.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was a lot of fun to write.

[xaipw.livejournal.com]

This is brilliant.
XII is my favorite, but VII made me laugh out loud.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much! I like the image of Rodney watching over everyone in the city too. For the O Morons line, I suppose it would've been more accurate if it were addressing people like, say, Col. Ellis, but that got too complicated. Anyway, I'm glad it made you laugh!

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Here from jadesfire's fic to say this is fun and lovely! Very nice. (I just managed to stop myself from laughing out loud at VII - my students are taking a test, whoops. *g*)

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! (And whoops on the almost slip-up in class there. *g*) I'm so thrilled with Jades' brilliant remixes. Thanks for stopping by.

[argosy.livejournal.com]

Hee. I love the original poem and you did a great job transforming it.

VII is my favorite; it's something about the 'O'. :D

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much! This was a lot of fun to write, both tongue-in-cheek and with quite moments of Rodney-appreciation.

I need to link them here; have you read Jadesfire's translation and remix (http://jadesfire2808.livejournal.com/205480.html)? They're fabulous.

[erda-3.livejournal.com]

This is so cool. I like IV and VIII a lot, but I is my favorite.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it.

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

Lovely.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much!

[sihayab.livejournal.com]

Oh! ::sharpish gasp::

Funny and knife-edge keen and brilliant: just like Rodney.

Brava!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I liked the way the poem's structure let us look at these little snapshots of Rodney in a dozen different situations; the more angles you can see him from, the closer you get to understanding him.

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of calculations
Or the beauty of the wormhole,
Rodney smiling
Or just after.

OH RODNEY.

Also, you win at fanpoetry. srsly.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

\o/ Thank you -- and thank you for the rec! (Isn't Jades' translation/remix just wacky and wonderful? Latin *and* Ancient! ...Many exclamation marks!) April 2 was a good day (and a good start to Nat'l Poetry Month), between this and the Sheppard one a few hours before.

[ellen-fremedon.livejournal.com]

VII is my favorite :-).