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read write prompt #82: ode to your homunculus

by Dave Jarecki

Greetings fellow travelers, wranglers and companions of the soul. This is my first prompt, and I’m glad to be part of this amazing community. Now let’s get physical.

A little man in a little blue suit
One of my favorite movies from the ’90s was The Doors, with one of my favorite scenes being when Jim Morrison (played by Val Kilmer, in case you missed it) was maced, then went on stage and essentially, in all his Morrisonness, nearly provoked a riot. In the middle of the band’s opening song, Morrison — and who knows how much of this is based on actual accounts from a real performance and how much is Oliver Stone’s storytelling — stops the music and begins to relay the story of what happened backstage. In the midst of enjoying a private moment with a lady friend in the john, as Morrison tells the crowd:

“A little man came in … with a little blue hat, in a little blue suit … “

And with that in mind, we’re going to solute “the little man” in each of our lives.

Homunculus defined
I first came upon mention of “homunculus” while reading The Body Has a Mind of Its Own, by Sandra Blakeslee and Matthew Blakeslee (2008, Random House Trade Paperback Edition). In chapter two, they discuss the archaic term, which, based on what they call the “premodern idea,” is akin to “the helmsman in a one-man submarine” — a person inside a person inside a person, like a never-ending set of Russian dolls.

There’s a lot of fun stuff on Wikipedia that I won’t go into here, but essentially, homunculus is Latin for “little human” or, prior to the feminist movement, “little man.”

And so let’s write to the little man
“Little man” can mean a lot of things (and yes, your “little man” may very well be a “little woman.”)

When I think back to the Jim Morrison bit above, I think of a Napoleonic authority figure. Specifically, I think of an old boss who abused his company status to compensate for his stature.

But the “little man” (or woman, or androgen, for that matter) doesn’t have to be a subject of scorn. On the contrary — perhaps your little man is akin to the Great Gazoo, sitting on the hood of your car or directing you from a perch on your shoulder.

Or maybe your “little man” is a baby or child. Or maybe it’s your inner child.

In the end, your little man doesn’t even need to be little — maybe just someone with a little brain, petty thoughts or shallow sensibilities.

Or maybe just a hermit crab. Or a robot trapped in a flesh suit.

Whomever, or whatever, your little man (or woman) may be, let him/her/it be your writing guide this week. And remember to post your poem or a link to it on next Thursday’s Get Your Poem On post.

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Posted by Read Write Poem under Dave Jarecki, Read Write Prompt

23 comments to read write prompt #82: ode to your homunculus

read write poem news

  • read write poem napowrimo anthology
    June 20, 2010 | 1:36 pm

    The Read Write Poem NaPoWriMo Anthology is still in production. Selection, placement, layout and copyediting are taking longer than anticipated. Thank you for your patience. I hope to have the piece completed in July. For those who have emailed asking if they can be included, the May 7 deadline for submission of work stands. Those who met that deadline will be included. Please check the post on this site listing who I received submissions from by that date. If you submitted your work by the May 7 deadline in accordance with our guidelines and your name is not listed, send an email to info (at) readwritepoem (dot) org.

  • read write poem napowrimo anthology
    May 5, 2010 | 3:09 pm

    Remember that Friday* is the deadline for submitting work to the Read Write Poem NaPoWriMo Anthology. Check out the guidelines for submission in the main column (to the left). On May 8, we’ll post a news item listing everyone we’ve received work from. If you submitted work and your name is not on that list, please let us know. Thanks!

    *I initially said “tomorrow,” but I meant to say “Friday.”

  • napowrimo congratulations, and a reminder
    April 24, 2010 | 12:05 pm

    It’s the final week of the Read Write Poem NaPoWriMo Challenge! Just 7 days left. With that, a reminder that Read Write Poem will culminate with the anthology featuring work from those who complete the challenge. A post with details for submitting to the anthology will be published May 1. Be sure you remove any information from the site that you want preserved — such as group content and personal messages. Those elements of the site will be removed May 1 as well. The main site will remain up as an archive.

  • ‘underlife’ tour at january gill o’neil’s blog
    April 20, 2010 | 8:11 pm

    January Gill O’Neil’s virtual book tour has moved to her site and is underway now. Check out the lineup at Poet Mom.

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