Monday, April 6, 2009

You make me flarf


Today I learned about flarf. I can't tell you what it is, exactly, but I can tell you that it has something to do with using Google search results to create a sort of found poetry. It is brilliant. It is stupid. Perhaps these things cancel each other out. There is a blog devoted to flarf. And then there is The Flarf Files, which is your best bet in learning about flarf. Of course, there is also Wikipedia, which is a good start (it's where I started).

Needless to say, I have no idea how to do flarf poetry. But since there don't seem to be any rules, I decided to compose a poem using search results for the term "jelly donut." A lot of the results had to do with Chanukah, so I thought it only fitting that I should post my poem (term used very loosely here) and dedicate it to all of my Jewish friends celebrating Passover (and yes, I realize that Chanukah and Passover aren't the same, but I'm not in charge of the calendar and this jelly donut flarf thing is happening now).
Jelly Doughnuts Especially for Chanukah

Israelis eat jelly donuts
a jelly donut and for god's sake!
Still very much a member of the donut family,
jelly donuts look absolutely gorgeous.

Pretend you are just starting to eat a jelly donut.
A jelly donut and cup of tea. Looking at photo albums.
Take on the taste and nutrition of bite size jelly donuts.
Begin a serious consultation with a jelly donut,
exceptionally fragrant and unusual,
the one your admirers will wish they had thought of first,
like sleeping on a sugary bed of sweetness.

The guy in the Jelly Donut costume
has his opponent bite the dust-like confectioner's sugar.
Now there's some sound political advice.

I bet you didn’t know a real live person puts the jelly in the jelly donuts.
I made these for Kirsten’s birthday.
WWJD? Who wants jelly donuts?
So that's what we ate for dinner.

FYI: If you're going to bother eating a jelly donut, you really should go all the way and eat a Paczki and if you're going to eat a Paczki you really need to get one from a real Polish bakery. If you're in the Detroit area, head to Hamtramck.

UPDATE: It has been pointed out to me that my Jewish friends must abstain from the jelly donut during Passover. I cannot be held responsible for any jelly donut-related cravings that may occur as a result of this poem. Blame the flarf. Or think of it as me helping you to keep the faith (to quote Bon Jovi).

1 comment:

(Laura) said...

Flarf or no flarf, this sounds exactly like a poem you would've written anyway.