Day 7 of National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) 

Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt 

A few days ago, we looked at Frank O’Hara’s poem in which he explained why he was not a painter. Jane Yeh’s “Why I Am Not a Sculpture” has a similar sense of playfulness, as she both compares herself to a sculpture and uses a series of rather silly and elaborate similes, along with references to dubious historical “facts.” Today, we challenge you to write a similar kind of self-portrait poem, in which you explain why you are not a particular piece of art (a symphony, a figurine, a ballet, a sonnet), use at least one outlandish comparison, and a strange (and maybe not actually real) fact.

Nothing too outlandish, really, but here’s my attempt:

Why I’m Not a Soup Can

Not far down the branches of my family bramble
there are Campbells. 
They came from Scotland, where the
pea soup is thicker than an Aberdeen haar.
But soupy family fog does not a soup can make.

Warhol painted soup cans. Thirty two of them.
I have lived 32 years. Twice over. 

His style, Pop Art. Mine, pointillism. 
A bazillion little adams held together
by a strong force, eve. Quite quarky. 

Both soup cans and I hold a mash-up of ingredients.
Peas, corn, mushrooms.
Anxiety, hope, high fructose corn syrup…

For soup, add water. For me, add compassion.