Soli Deo gloria
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Newsies.
Yes, I got into Newsies 'cause it's a musical on Broadway from Disney, and it was only a matter of time before I got into it. I feel like Newsies is in the same category as Les Miserables and Hamilton—as in, I want to overthrow authority as I listen to the songs. XD
So this style of poem is the kind of style I use when writing my own original poetry. (Mostly because I can't write meter or rhyme worth a damn.) Also it reminds me a bit of the way Katherine sings 'Watch What Happens'. I hope y'all like it! :-)
Katherine tries to look at them like they're a play
They're nothing major, no big time news
Just some little vaudeville act
Full of fanciful flirts and tiptoe-dancing around each other
Nothing serious
Nothing to really look at
Just a little distraction of the moment
. . .
That's all it is, that's all they are
That's all she'll ever let them be
After all she's not encouraging this
Encouraging what? What is 'this' exactly?
It's not a relationship—oh man, no!
They're not a real thing!
They're a distraction, a detraction from their own personal agendas
She's got a story that can make her career and he's got a fight that can end all their careers
. . .
Really, why is she more serious about this than he is?
Definitely a distraction from the serious matters at hand
Poor guy—he's got a lot on his shoulders—all these kids lookin' up at him
Like he's their leader, or their dad, or big brother, or somethin'
No! She doesn't feel sorry for him! Ugh!
. . .
He's narcissistic and rude and flirtatious
And won't shut up!
Wow, he loves the sound of his own voice
—Well, she does too, the way she writes down everything
She likes her words and he likes his words and damn it, she likes his words just as much as he likes her words—
. . .
Would he get out of her brain!? Excuse me, no ruffians allowed
She's got a billion things to do, trying to prove herself
And she won't let some egotistical
Somehow loveable hero
Distract her from her mission, which is to save his whole union, by the way
—Wait, did she say 'loveable?'
No, she did not!
Not in the way it sounded or like she meant it—
Meant it?—No, no way!
Ah, stupid words, not sounding like she wanted them and needed them to!
. . .
All she meant was that all these kids rallied around this kid
Really, nothing more than a kid
A kid with some self-confidence but then some self-doubts that he let no one else see
A kid who was gonna go up against one of the kings of New York City
Joseph Pulitzer, really
The big boss, the man who keeps and ruins their careers with a single wave of his fingers
. . .
Her father
. . .
Yes! That's why she's gonna work with Jack Kelly
'Cause he has something to prove and so does she
And they can work together to prove something to her father
Her father! Of all people!
She was gonna make it in this newspaper business if he liked it or not
And Jack was gonna make it too
And together they'd prove it to him
. . .
And by together, she means with Jack with the rest of the Newsies
Duh! Not just by themselves together, 'cause that would be crazy
. . .
Yeah, really, just too crazy
Just them, together? Really, let's have some sense
She could never go out with someone like him
Street-smart and smart aleck and just a little too perceptive
The way he looked into her eyes made her feel uncomfortable
Not in an unsafe kind of way, more like he could look past her defenses
And see her for who she really was—desperate to make some art and do something big and not be thrust into the shadows
Really, vulnerable—she hated being seen as vulnerable
Even as she saw all that in his eyes too
. . .
It's easy to be annoyed and smart-aleck-y right back
Sarcasm and bantering and catching the catch and whirling it back right at him
It was like a game of baseball at Yankee Stadium
Move faster, catch the conversation and throw it back
Only for it to be hit instead of a miss and landing in your mitt
. . .
They were arguments and bantering
Oh my gosh! No! They were actually flirting
It was easier to do that instead of acknowledging what she really felt
As you can see, she really didn't like being vulnerable
So instead of being vulnerable, let's be witty and annoying!
And maybe he would get caught up in that instead of taking down her walls again
. . .
Damn it . . . maybe she wouldn't mind him taking down her walls again
'Cause if he did she could take down his walls, his big, loud-mouth, talking walls
And see that guy all those kids rallied to
'Cause he was there somewhere
She knew it, despite his being a smart aleck
That deep down, he and she were more alike than they'd ever admit
. . .
They were arguments and bantering
Yes now, she could tell
They were actually flirting
And she didn't want to admit it
But as the days went by and they spent more time together
Minute by passing minute
By each other's side
Looking into each other's eyes
The more she liked it
Jack and Katherine are really adorable together, though. :D
Thanks for reading! Review?
