This poem started out as a writing exercise but turned into something interesting. The exercise is easy; find a poem or some other text that's written in a language you don't speak. Then, simply by looking at the words, write out what it looks like to you in your native language (English, for me). I found a 16th-century Italian poem called "Ecco Mormorar l'onde" by Torquato Tasso. Here's what it looked like to me:

"Laura"
Echo more and more, London
And tremble your fronds.
Laura has matured, and glee is obscured.
She suffers from vanity rammed in vague auguries.
Count her sovereign. Mental.
And ride with her to the Orient.

Echo again. The alibi appears
And she especially knows no more.
Reassured, it's stolen,
And her company imparts ill, droll, Jell-O.
Glitter alters Mount Indora.

O bells of vacuous Aurora,
Laura is through with messengers.
Study Laura,
Chugging arousal in a restaurant.

It's not exactly logical, but I still enjoyed writing it. :)

I'd love to see other people try their hands at this. If you do this exercise, let me know! Hit me up on Twitter (twitter.com/MonicaMarria), Tumblr (www.monicamarria.tumblr.com), or email me, monicamonicabobonica@gmail.com, and show me what you come up with!

Music Credit:
♫ Jahzzar - 2014
"Invisible" by Jahzzar (www.betterwithmusic.com)
Facebook: goo.gl/40xxoe
Twitter: twitter.com/Jahzzar

Monica Marria