Free Association Prompt: Story Sketch for Mother-Tongue

[jjhunter]

From meeks' story sketch project comes this illustration for Mother-Tongue:



What poem or poem(s) does this bring to mind? And what further images, songs, or poems do those poems bring to mind?

Comments

[alee_grrl]

All the various snippets, especially the Shel Silverstein poem, make me think of Monsters Inc.

The image itself brought to mind Merchant of Venice (both the "pound of flesh" and vengeance themes, and the "if you prick us do we not bleed" lines). Thinking of vengeance and the Merchant of Venice made me think of Samuel L. Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction ("Vengeance is mine sayeth the lord").

[jjhunter]

Thinking of vengeance brings to mind this delightful Billy Collins poem "Flames":

Smokey the Bear heads
into the autumn woods
with a red can of gasoline
and a box of wooden matches.

His ranger's hat is cocked
at a disturbing angle.

His brown fur gleams
under the high sun
as his paws, the size
of catcher's mitts,
crackle into the distance.

He is sick of dispensing
warnings to the careless,
the half-wit camper,
the dumbbell hiker.

He is going to show them
how a professional does it.