The quest to do prompt poems continues. After nearly 2 years hiatus from writing new poetry regularly is showing in my mind as I make these attempts.
I would love to see what you make from the prompt. Post it in the comments or post a link to your blog. Happy writing! :-)
~~~
Lionfish Made of Stars, Waves, and Wishes
Constellated into the form of something human,
these shining flashes of millenniums and light-speed
illuminate transcontinental currents.
This collection of thoughts and images
needs no currency
only the current seeing of familiar faces
which in the end is all I have to give.
I placed the shard of emerald heart stone
in its chest in vain hope
that it would remember love.
Without meaning to,
I took a cloud from the sunny part of its night sky
as a reflection of my own floating sadness
and possibilities of growth.
As sculpted,
it hovered between sky and earth,
between day and night.
It felt the shadow of a former being,
of a life lived once.
Memories gathered at the border of
its light and darkness
just out of its grasp
which made me wonder
if it had any idea what it formed.
Does it remember it was a prophet?
How does it feel in its current form?
Can it swim in crystal seas like before?
Does it know its real name?
In the presence of this Lionfish
there were more questions than answers.
~~~
From Rachel McKibbens' blog:
TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2009 WRITING EXERCISE # 10
List
1. A person (real or imagined) that you have not seen/heard from in a long time
2. the first object(s) that comes to mind when you think of that person (it could be the Zippo they always carried, a specific brand of shaving cream they always smelled like, a tube of red lipstick and an emptied shotglass...)
Write a poem or story about how this person(#1) has now been replaced, in your universe, by a sculpture of objects (#2)
It is up to you to decide the shape of the sculpture. It is up to you to decide if that sculpture walks, sleeps, eats, moans, goes grocery shopping...
If it can speak, would you finish a long-lost conversation with it?
What would you offer it? What would you add to it, if anything? What would you take from it? Where does it live? If it works, what does it do for a living? Does it know who it is the ghost of? Does it know its real name?
_____________________
Of blood and doormats
Her voice cracks from her mouth like a lobster. The organ hisses its good-bye song. A hive of blood and doormats, she tippy-toes down the aisle in a dress made of broken water and shotgun shells. Two mothers weep in the front row, noses pressed deep into their corsages. The limo driver polishes the rearview mirror as the groom's twisted arm squeals I do. I do.
- - -
(This exercise was inspired by Khara Koffel's exhibit and, specifically, "The Delicacy of Meetinghouse Road.") <-- a="" an="" but="" find="" href="http://www.kharakoffel.com/the-eventual.html" i="" image="" of="" particular="" piece="" target="_blank" this="" to="" unable="" was="">"in case of the eventual"
on the artist's website intrigued because of what it is.)
~~~
Personal note on the process...
First the "ingredients"
List
1. A person (real or imagined) that you have not seen/heard from in a long time
Lionfish
2. the first object(s) that comes to mind when you think of that person (it could be the Zippo they always carried, a specific brand of shaving cream they always smelled like, a tube of red lipstick and an emptied shotglass...)
The sky/universe/stars/clouds
Water/oceans
The list of people I have not seen/heard from in a long time numbers in the HUNDREDS. I am lightly linked to over a thousand people via social media but my actual interaction with people is quite limited. Today a heart I haven't felt beat in quite a while commented on one of my posts so I decided to use that person for #1. The problem with using Lionfish as the person for this is that the first thing I think of is the sky and that seemed too abstract or surreal but... used it anyway.
Then I read the actual instructions...
Replace Lionfish with a sculpture of the object(s) in #2... A sculpture of stars? I think I like the image, but how to poem this? So I looked at Rachel's inspirational artist for this prompt. The sculpture that intrigued me was a series of trophy cases on the wall with letters the artist wrote to her friends to be given to them after she dies.
I read Rachel's example and these can make or break me depending on the prompt and the day. She is such a powerful writer that her examples are a hard act to follow mentally. Then came the marination on the idea... had to take a chai break to process the possibilities.
ARGH... the chai break only gave me the first line... so I looked at the questions:
If it can speak, would you finish a long-lost conversation with it?
What would you offer it?
What would you add to it, if anything?
What would you take from it?
Where does it live?
If it works, what does it do for a living?
Does it know who it is the ghost of?
Does it know its real name?
The questions are almost a found poem in and of themselves. For lack of any better ideas, I took the questions and answered them to make the lines of the poem (all but the first one). I made each answer into a stanza. And thus, a poem was born. I have a different style than Rachel for sure. She cracks words together like volatile thunderclaps too close to the lightening. I am more of a whisper into the distant cosmos. It is what it is.
~~~
Monday, April 6, 2015
Sunday, April 5, 2015
NaPoWriMo 2015 - 5/30 - Tsunami
I feel like this prompt broke me a little. I don't feel like I did what the prompt asked for, but I think the poem that came out of it may have its own merit. Feedback appreciated!
Also, I would love to see what you make of this prompt! Please post your poem or a link to your blog in the comments. :-)
~~~
Tsunami
What's the difference?
Who would even know the wave hit the shore?
The mountain under the ocean didn't tell.
Its secrets were too volatile for words
so it didn't speak; it just roared.
No one heard its scream underwater,
but they saw the arms of the ocean
it raised over its head in frustration.
Monarchs flutter by in nonchalant indifference.
The flower needed a kiss
that would bring it closer to creation.
It was unaware it was the root
at the base of a fragile existence.
Waters break all over the world.
Levvies too old to hold back the shame
fold over with sighs and tears
bringing forth things best left covered.
Manson in a mansion dying of cancer by the sea
because Helter had no Skelter if there was no family.
Freedom means NOW
going away and keep going until never here.*
The recesses of being hold no meaning
when the insanity of hindsight lingers.
These spirits linger
floating into windows from graveyards
bones left behind in closets
whose doors remain locked.
Summer will never fall again,
not like it did before.
Never swoon softly into slow rising tides.
Won't quietly molt its leaves
in a color parade of change
ever again.
Instead winter will whisper its chill swiftly.
We will hear it despite supersonic tendencies.
The shiver of best intentions will not hint
at the heat of the destination of the road they pave.
~~~
From Rachel's blogspot:
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2009 POETRY EXERCISE # 8
Ingredients:
1. One regret
2. A natural disaster
3. One perfect thing.
The first line of your poem is going to be #2. Next, imagine/write as if #1 had never happened.
Let the poem unfold during the regret's undoing. This is a literary moonwalk, my friend. What difference would it have made, had it never been made? Who would be born or not born? Who would you have loved or hated instead? Which house would have burned down, which house would have stayed built or not built? Which house would have the most or least ghosts? Do you understand I don't mean a literal house? What perfect thing would have lost its perfection if there was nothing to regret?
____________________
(This exercise was inspired by Bob Hicok's poem "American History.")
~~~
Personal note on the process...
Did the ingredients before reading the instructions.
Ingredients:
1. One regret
- ?????
2. A natural disaster
- tsunami
seismic sea wave or as a tidal wave, is a series of waves in a body of water caused by the displacement of a large volume of water
3. One perfect thing.
- summer
I did these backwards 3,2,1 because I couldn't think off the top of my head of anything I truly regret. There are a lot of things that I look back and think, maybe I could have done that differently. The idea of regretting it is more of a foreign notion though... had to think a bit on this. Thought and still nothing for #1... went and did other things and came back... still nothing. What to do???
So, I read the rest of the instructions. This stuck out for me: "What perfect thing would have lost its perfection if there was nothing to regret?" ... hmmmm... so... to REDEFINE "regret" as to answer this question...??
what summer would not have happened if...?
The first thing that came to mind was the one ex and that one summer but it was not a perfect summer... my perfect summers are so far away from being old enough to even know how to regret... dammit this is hard!
So now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
The end result poem is more of an examination of the meaning of regret using tsunami as a guide. Voilà!
* The lines about freedom were from an interview with Charles Manson
Also, I would love to see what you make of this prompt! Please post your poem or a link to your blog in the comments. :-)
~~~
Tsunami
What's the difference?
Who would even know the wave hit the shore?
The mountain under the ocean didn't tell.
Its secrets were too volatile for words
so it didn't speak; it just roared.
No one heard its scream underwater,
but they saw the arms of the ocean
it raised over its head in frustration.
Monarchs flutter by in nonchalant indifference.
The flower needed a kiss
that would bring it closer to creation.
It was unaware it was the root
at the base of a fragile existence.
Waters break all over the world.
Levvies too old to hold back the shame
fold over with sighs and tears
bringing forth things best left covered.
Manson in a mansion dying of cancer by the sea
because Helter had no Skelter if there was no family.
Freedom means NOW
going away and keep going until never here.*
The recesses of being hold no meaning
when the insanity of hindsight lingers.
These spirits linger
floating into windows from graveyards
bones left behind in closets
whose doors remain locked.
Summer will never fall again,
not like it did before.
Never swoon softly into slow rising tides.
Won't quietly molt its leaves
in a color parade of change
ever again.
Instead winter will whisper its chill swiftly.
We will hear it despite supersonic tendencies.
The shiver of best intentions will not hint
at the heat of the destination of the road they pave.
~~~
From Rachel's blogspot:
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2009 POETRY EXERCISE # 8
Ingredients:
1. One regret
2. A natural disaster
3. One perfect thing.
The first line of your poem is going to be #2. Next, imagine/write as if #1 had never happened.
Let the poem unfold during the regret's undoing. This is a literary moonwalk, my friend. What difference would it have made, had it never been made? Who would be born or not born? Who would you have loved or hated instead? Which house would have burned down, which house would have stayed built or not built? Which house would have the most or least ghosts? Do you understand I don't mean a literal house? What perfect thing would have lost its perfection if there was nothing to regret?
____________________
(This exercise was inspired by Bob Hicok's poem "American History.")
~~~
Personal note on the process...
Did the ingredients before reading the instructions.
Ingredients:
1. One regret
- ?????
2. A natural disaster
- tsunami
seismic sea wave or as a tidal wave, is a series of waves in a body of water caused by the displacement of a large volume of water
3. One perfect thing.
- summer
I did these backwards 3,2,1 because I couldn't think off the top of my head of anything I truly regret. There are a lot of things that I look back and think, maybe I could have done that differently. The idea of regretting it is more of a foreign notion though... had to think a bit on this. Thought and still nothing for #1... went and did other things and came back... still nothing. What to do???
So, I read the rest of the instructions. This stuck out for me: "What perfect thing would have lost its perfection if there was nothing to regret?" ... hmmmm... so... to REDEFINE "regret" as to answer this question...??
what summer would not have happened if...?
The first thing that came to mind was the one ex and that one summer but it was not a perfect summer... my perfect summers are so far away from being old enough to even know how to regret... dammit this is hard!
So now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
The end result poem is more of an examination of the meaning of regret using tsunami as a guide. Voilà!
* The lines about freedom were from an interview with Charles Manson
Saturday, April 4, 2015
NaPoWriMo 2015 - 4/30 - Longing for the Chrysalis
Now this one was a challenge to my mind for sure. Too much information to work with! I would love to see how you take the prompt below and form a poem from it. Post it in the comments or post a link to your blog. Happy writing! :-)
~~~
Longing for the Chrysalis
Her ring ate it's way
through her left ring finger.
Crawling away
from the vein to her heart,
longing for change.
Perhaps to move
to her wrist,
where it could
fly with gestures
or be subdued and classy
while sipping wine.
Maybe it would rather
perch along her collar bone
shining like majesty
from her neck
never to be a symbol again.
~~~
From Rachel's blog:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009 -- IMAGERY EXERCISE (MY ONE OF MANY)
The following exercise is about seven years old. I developed it while teaching poetry at Bellevue Hospital’s on-site high school. I've since given this exercise to slam team members and/or grown-ups and every time, unlike my students, these folks get hung up on part two of this exercise. They just can’t hang. Too many doors inside them closed. But let's give it a whirl:
IMAGERY EXERCISE:
Create three columns on a piece of paper (or Excel spreadsheet, ha!)
In Column One, write down twenty-five inanimate objects (or “objects that cannot just get up and walk away.”)
Column Two: write down the first animal that comes to mind when you think of the object in Column One. (Consider shape, movement, sound. A bullet is about the size of a cockroach, or it moves swift, like a shark or digs through skin, like a mosquito.)
Column Three: sounds or actions that animal makes.
Once you’ve completed all three rows, omit Column Two, and use Column Three to help give your objects character.
Create a line or poem that includes your combos.
For example:
wine glass / monkey / screech, hang, swing, play
eye / snail / crawl, slime, munch, lug
can become:
The woman gripped
her screeching wine glass
as her husband’s eyes
crawled across
the cleavage in the room.
~~~
Longing for the Chrysalis
Her ring ate it's way
through her left ring finger.
Crawling away
from the vein to her heart,
longing for change.
Perhaps to move
to her wrist,
where it could
fly with gestures
or be subdued and classy
while sipping wine.
Maybe it would rather
perch along her collar bone
shining like majesty
from her neck
never to be a symbol again.
~~~
From Rachel's blog:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009 -- IMAGERY EXERCISE (MY ONE OF MANY)
The following exercise is about seven years old. I developed it while teaching poetry at Bellevue Hospital’s on-site high school. I've since given this exercise to slam team members and/or grown-ups and every time, unlike my students, these folks get hung up on part two of this exercise. They just can’t hang. Too many doors inside them closed. But let's give it a whirl:
IMAGERY EXERCISE:
Create three columns on a piece of paper (or Excel spreadsheet, ha!)
In Column One, write down twenty-five inanimate objects (or “objects that cannot just get up and walk away.”)
Column Two: write down the first animal that comes to mind when you think of the object in Column One. (Consider shape, movement, sound. A bullet is about the size of a cockroach, or it moves swift, like a shark or digs through skin, like a mosquito.)
Column Three: sounds or actions that animal makes.
Once you’ve completed all three rows, omit Column Two, and use Column Three to help give your objects character.
Create a line or poem that includes your combos.
For example:
wine glass / monkey / screech, hang, swing, play
eye / snail / crawl, slime, munch, lug
can become:
The woman gripped
her screeching wine glass
as her husband’s eyes
crawled across
the cleavage in the room.
~~~
Personal note on the process:
So first the columns (see below). This part was the simple part. The animal choices I made seemed valid in the second that I did them but now that I look at this list, I have no idea what I was thinking on some of them!
Then came the hard part: the poem-ing. SO many options! SO many pretty much unrelated things! Rachel's example was so SMOOTH.
I chose the following for my poem (as you could probably guess after looking at the list):
I chose the following for my poem (as you could probably guess after looking at the list):
ring caterpilar eat/crawl/change
bracelet butterfly fly/sip
necklace eagle screech/fly/fish/hunt/perch
| OBJECT | ANIMAL | SOUNDS / ACTIONS | |
| 1 | pen | cricket | chirp/jump/hop |
| 2 | cup | ladybug | buzz/fly |
| 3 | purse | dog | bark/growl/whine/chase |
| 4 | flower | hummingbird | buzz/fly/sip |
| 5 | jacket | kangaroo | bark/jump/box |
| 6 | plate | stingray | splash/swim |
| 7 | tablet | stick bug | crackle/walk/hide |
| 8 | coin | pigeon | coo/fly |
| 9 | hat | pig | oink/grunt/wallow/root/eat |
| 10 | rock | hedgehog | squeek/roll-up |
| 11 | chair | flamingo | squawk/fly/balance |
| 12 | tree | frog | ribbit/croak/jump/leap |
| 13 | building | cat | meow/purr/sneak/claw |
| 14 | teapot | spider | creep |
| 15 | pillow | bat | squeek/fly |
| 16 | gloves | snake | hiss/slither |
| 17 | sock | monkey | howl/whoop/leap/swing/climb |
| 18 | scarf | koala | grunt/whine/sleep/eat |
| 19 | phone | chameleon | blend/emote/change |
| 20 | notebook | zebra | bray/run/hide/graze |
| 21 | eyeglasses | owl | hoot/who/fly/hunt |
| 22 | lawn jockey | horse | neigh/run/leap |
| 23 | ring | caterpilar | eat/crawl/change |
| 24 | bracelet | butterfly | fly/sip |
| 25 | necklace | eagle | screech/fly/fish/hunt/perch |
Friday, April 3, 2015
NaPoWriMo 2015 - 3/30 - The Unicorn That Went Astray
Continuing my series here of poems from prompts posted to Rachel McKibbens' blogspot. I'm also posting micro-poems to my twitter (https://twitter.com/NiccoleaPoetry). So as you know if you've been reading these posts, this is not the 3rd poem for the month, but the 3rd poem for this series (I numbered my twitter poems separately too). As per usual, I have placed the notes from the process after the poem in case anyone is interested.
Something I did not say the last two posts! I would love to see your attempt at this prompt! Post it in the comments or link to your blog. Happy poeming!
~~~
THE UNICORN THAT WENT ASTRAY
FOUND April 7th:
One Unicorn in Tha Hood after dark alone.
Guessing it is one from the parade over the rainbow in Heatherton nearby that day.
Tried to lure him home with macaroni and cheese but he was too skittish at the time.
Luckily I happened to have some hugs from mom from when I was a kid
in my pocket that he couldn't resist.
Gave him a warm bed since it was an unseasonably cold day.
He's very well behaved. Tag says "Larry" but no further information.
Contact with description of distinctive mark he has and we will return him.
If no contact by the end of the month he will have to go to
Marlin County Livestock Shelter because
my landlord won't let me keep him longer than that.
(show contact info)
~~~
From Rachel's blog:
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2009 -- POETRY EXERCISE #6
1. Three things that frighten you
2. Three specific people or places you will never return to
3. A mythological event
4. Three comforts
- - - - - -
Find one of the above in a place it does not belong. Write a "Found" poem. Not, like, a found poem, but more like an ad. Did you attempt to lure it home? Feed it? Kill it? Ask it out on a date? Drive it to a clinic? Then incorporate the other things from your list. Have fun. Be freaky. Verb the nouns (my favorite thing!) Don't make me come over there and axe murderer staggering towards you in the dark hallway you!
____________________________________
(This exercise was inspired by Craigslist)
~~~
Personal note on the process:
So when I do these I usually do the ingredients first and then read the rest of the instructions. It's similar to how I approach cooking from a recipe. :-P
INGREDIENTS:
1. Three things that frighten you
~ noises in the dark when I'm walking alone
~ getting more and more sick and weak as I get older
~ the hood after dark (especially alone)
(this one was hard for me for some reason. The two answers end up being more abstract I think. I don't know.)
2. Three specific people or places you will never return to
~ That one ex
~ the hood after dark (especially alone)
~ ???
(This one was hard too. There are very few people in this world that I have totally given up on. There isn't a place that I absolutely would NEVER go back to... so it was more situational for me. When I wrote "the hood" I realized it was another thing to add to the fear list.)
3. A mythological event
~ Unicorn parade across a rainbow
(Not sure if this is really valid for this prompt, but it's the most mythical thing I could think of other than something with mermaids and Rachel is the queen of the mermaid poem so I didn't go there. :-P)
4. Three comforts
~ a warm bed on a cold day
~ macaroni and cheese
~ hugs from mom when I was a kid
(I felt a bit better about this part.)
Then I read the instructions... and I really wish Rachel had done an example on this one but... she didn't so I perused the best of craigslist USA to get some ideas. I also checked out the strictly platonic w4m for Portland just to see what regular ads look like and the topic intrigued me. Then I went to the Lost and Found section of craigslist
Then came the poeming... sort of... Honestly I came at this with a big "WHAT??" So I just picked the related ones from the list (walking alone at night and the hood). I purposefully did NOT choose the dude from the 2nd list because I refuse to give him the satisfaction since he follows my posts and would totally recognize himself even if I didn't use his name.
So in my mind I wanted to have an idea of the story before I tried to poem. I knew the negatives but wanted to incorporate the Unicorn parade and all the comforts somehow. I don't really feel like the end result is really a poem, but it was a good exercise.
Thanks for reading!
~ Niccolea
Something I did not say the last two posts! I would love to see your attempt at this prompt! Post it in the comments or link to your blog. Happy poeming!
~~~
THE UNICORN THAT WENT ASTRAY
FOUND April 7th:
One Unicorn in Tha Hood after dark alone.
Guessing it is one from the parade over the rainbow in Heatherton nearby that day.
Tried to lure him home with macaroni and cheese but he was too skittish at the time.
Luckily I happened to have some hugs from mom from when I was a kid
in my pocket that he couldn't resist.
Gave him a warm bed since it was an unseasonably cold day.
He's very well behaved. Tag says "Larry" but no further information.
Contact with description of distinctive mark he has and we will return him.
If no contact by the end of the month he will have to go to
Marlin County Livestock Shelter because
my landlord won't let me keep him longer than that.
(show contact info)
- do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers
~~~
From Rachel's blog:
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2009 -- POETRY EXERCISE #6
1. Three things that frighten you
2. Three specific people or places you will never return to
3. A mythological event
4. Three comforts
- - - - - -
Find one of the above in a place it does not belong. Write a "Found" poem. Not, like, a found poem, but more like an ad. Did you attempt to lure it home? Feed it? Kill it? Ask it out on a date? Drive it to a clinic? Then incorporate the other things from your list. Have fun. Be freaky. Verb the nouns (my favorite thing!) Don't make me come over there and axe murderer staggering towards you in the dark hallway you!
____________________________________
(This exercise was inspired by Craigslist)
~~~
Personal note on the process:
So when I do these I usually do the ingredients first and then read the rest of the instructions. It's similar to how I approach cooking from a recipe. :-P
INGREDIENTS:
1. Three things that frighten you
~ noises in the dark when I'm walking alone
~ getting more and more sick and weak as I get older
~ the hood after dark (especially alone)
(this one was hard for me for some reason. The two answers end up being more abstract I think. I don't know.)
2. Three specific people or places you will never return to
~ That one ex
~ the hood after dark (especially alone)
~ ???
(This one was hard too. There are very few people in this world that I have totally given up on. There isn't a place that I absolutely would NEVER go back to... so it was more situational for me. When I wrote "the hood" I realized it was another thing to add to the fear list.)
3. A mythological event
~ Unicorn parade across a rainbow
(Not sure if this is really valid for this prompt, but it's the most mythical thing I could think of other than something with mermaids and Rachel is the queen of the mermaid poem so I didn't go there. :-P)
4. Three comforts
~ a warm bed on a cold day
~ macaroni and cheese
~ hugs from mom when I was a kid
(I felt a bit better about this part.)
Then I read the instructions... and I really wish Rachel had done an example on this one but... she didn't so I perused the best of craigslist USA to get some ideas. I also checked out the strictly platonic w4m for Portland just to see what regular ads look like and the topic intrigued me. Then I went to the Lost and Found section of craigslist
Then came the poeming... sort of... Honestly I came at this with a big "WHAT??" So I just picked the related ones from the list (walking alone at night and the hood). I purposefully did NOT choose the dude from the 2nd list because I refuse to give him the satisfaction since he follows my posts and would totally recognize himself even if I didn't use his name.
So in my mind I wanted to have an idea of the story before I tried to poem. I knew the negatives but wanted to incorporate the Unicorn parade and all the comforts somehow. I don't really feel like the end result is really a poem, but it was a good exercise.
Thanks for reading!
~ Niccolea
Thursday, April 2, 2015
NaPoWriMo 2015 - 2/30 - The Sky Is Mine Beyond the Lie
Like I said in the prior entry, this is technically NOT the second poem that I have written this month, it is merely the second one in this series of poems written from Rachel McKibbens' prompts. I have placed the notes from the process after the poem in case anyone is interested.
The Sky Is Mine Beyond the Lie
My eyes held the promise of the love that did not own
I have the blue of days and the shine of midnights
This velvet bag carries commands and I give them
The world suffering without stars at my whim
Clouds become sparse, nonexistent
How harsh is the ultimatum?
Give me more than this bare minimum.
I held on because I wanted to believe
but in the end the mirror revealed it all
How could the very sky be owned?
What magic took this thing from the world
This secret wish whispered into the witches ear
heard and granted by slight of hand
I could look into your eyes if I wanted
but I know all I would see is deciet
you have failed me for the last time
you have handed out untruth but
I will no longer take it
I am only one stealing from the many
given to entitlement and smug lack of remorse.
~~~~~
From Rachel's blog:
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009
POETRY EXERCISE #5
Ingredients:
1. A beautiful thing that is not yours
2. The last straw
Part One: Write a poem where you end up with something(#1) that is not yours. Make sure you did not properly earn it.
Part Two: Write about the last straw. When you knew it was over, when you knew you had to just walk off the job, when you finally had to sell it, when you had to close its wide open eyes with your own hand, when you put down that dumb book and refused to read any more chapters, when you realized it wasn't alive anymore but you were still feeding it lettuce, when you hugged him and it felt as if all the butterflies had been pinned to the bottom of your stomach, when the heel broke off so you threw the good one away too, when her hair turned brittle and not worth brushing, when she limped into the corner and refused to eat, when you thought twice about replacing the final bulb.
Number the poem. Or don't. Whatever. Don't follow rules if you expect to write anything worthwhile. The cliff will always be there. It's up to you when to jump.
______________________________
(This exercise was inspired by Miranda July's short story, "The Shared Patio.")
~~~~~
My notes on the process...
This time I did things in order. I wrote the ingredients before reading the rest of the prompt.
Ingredients:
1. A beautiful thing that is not yours:
The sky
2. The last straw:
?? This one was hard for me... what is the last straw? about what? what was the straw that broke the camel's back?... for me? LYING... that sounds like a good one maybe.
Part One:
Write a poem where you end up with something(#1) that is not yours. Make sure you did not properly earn it.
My eyes held the promise of the love that did not own
I have the blue of days and the shine of midnights
This velvet bag carries commands and I give them
The world suffering without stars at my whim
Clouds become sparse, nonexistent
How could the very sky be owned?
What magic took this thing from the world
This secret wish whispered into the witches ear
heard and granted by slight of hand
I am only one stealing from the many
given to entitlement and smug lack of remorse.
Part Two: Write about the last straw. (for me this was lying - see above)
How harsh is the ultimatum?
Give me more than this bare minimum.
I held on because I wanted to believe
but in the end the mirror revealed it all
I could look into your eyes if I wanted
but I know all I would see is deciet
you have failed me for the last time
you have handed out untruth but
I will no longer take it
Then the instructions stopped instructing and just let me be. I'm not good at that when doing a prompt. I need direction and then to choose not to follow it... so... I shuffled the parts together to make the end resulting poem. I chose to do the italics because of how the short story that inspired the prompt was formatted.
I'm not sure how I feel about the end result. I may rewrite this prompt later... maybe.
The Sky Is Mine Beyond the Lie
My eyes held the promise of the love that did not own
I have the blue of days and the shine of midnights
This velvet bag carries commands and I give them
The world suffering without stars at my whim
Clouds become sparse, nonexistent
How harsh is the ultimatum?
Give me more than this bare minimum.
I held on because I wanted to believe
but in the end the mirror revealed it all
How could the very sky be owned?
What magic took this thing from the world
This secret wish whispered into the witches ear
heard and granted by slight of hand
I could look into your eyes if I wanted
but I know all I would see is deciet
you have failed me for the last time
you have handed out untruth but
I will no longer take it
I am only one stealing from the many
given to entitlement and smug lack of remorse.
~~~~~
From Rachel's blog:
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009
POETRY EXERCISE #5
Ingredients:
1. A beautiful thing that is not yours
2. The last straw
Part One: Write a poem where you end up with something(#1) that is not yours. Make sure you did not properly earn it.
Part Two: Write about the last straw. When you knew it was over, when you knew you had to just walk off the job, when you finally had to sell it, when you had to close its wide open eyes with your own hand, when you put down that dumb book and refused to read any more chapters, when you realized it wasn't alive anymore but you were still feeding it lettuce, when you hugged him and it felt as if all the butterflies had been pinned to the bottom of your stomach, when the heel broke off so you threw the good one away too, when her hair turned brittle and not worth brushing, when she limped into the corner and refused to eat, when you thought twice about replacing the final bulb.
Number the poem. Or don't. Whatever. Don't follow rules if you expect to write anything worthwhile. The cliff will always be there. It's up to you when to jump.
______________________________
(This exercise was inspired by Miranda July's short story, "The Shared Patio.")
~~~~~
My notes on the process...
This time I did things in order. I wrote the ingredients before reading the rest of the prompt.
Ingredients:
1. A beautiful thing that is not yours:
The sky
2. The last straw:
?? This one was hard for me... what is the last straw? about what? what was the straw that broke the camel's back?... for me? LYING... that sounds like a good one maybe.
Part One:
Write a poem where you end up with something(#1) that is not yours. Make sure you did not properly earn it.
My eyes held the promise of the love that did not own
I have the blue of days and the shine of midnights
This velvet bag carries commands and I give them
The world suffering without stars at my whim
Clouds become sparse, nonexistent
How could the very sky be owned?
What magic took this thing from the world
This secret wish whispered into the witches ear
heard and granted by slight of hand
I am only one stealing from the many
given to entitlement and smug lack of remorse.
Part Two: Write about the last straw. (for me this was lying - see above)
How harsh is the ultimatum?
Give me more than this bare minimum.
I held on because I wanted to believe
but in the end the mirror revealed it all
I could look into your eyes if I wanted
but I know all I would see is deciet
you have failed me for the last time
you have handed out untruth but
I will no longer take it
Then the instructions stopped instructing and just let me be. I'm not good at that when doing a prompt. I need direction and then to choose not to follow it... so... I shuffled the parts together to make the end resulting poem. I chose to do the italics because of how the short story that inspired the prompt was formatted.
I'm not sure how I feel about the end result. I may rewrite this prompt later... maybe.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
NaPoWriMo 2015 - 1/30 - Rushing - Diary Entry of The Flash
This is technically NOT the first poem that I have written this month, it is merely the first one in this series of poems written from Rachel McKibbens' prompts. I have placed the notes from the process after the poem in case anyone is interested.
Rushing - Diary Entry of The Flash
The alarm went off. I pressed snooze.
Whooshed to the kitchen.
Ate cereal for breakfast. Tried not to choke.
Went to work. Slow day. Everything seems slow to me. Always.
I ran home five miles in the rain in under two minutes. My feet hurt.
I gobbled down a cheese sandwich for dinner.
Went to bed. Sleep is the only time I can move slowly.
~~~~~
From Rachel's blog:
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2009
POETRY EXERCISE #1
Write down three things that are physically impossible. Now set that list aside and write a fake diary entry about the most boring, most ordinary day.
I'll go first:
I woke up. The sun was out. I went downstairs. I made some oatmeal. I ate the oatmeal. The mailman came. I checked the mail. Bills. A birthday card for my neighbor. I watched some television. I pet my dog. I had a sandwich for lunch. I had another sandwich for dinner. I went to bed.
Now, get that list. Choose one of the impossible things. Rewrite the journal entry as a person who (fortunately or unfortunately) has the impossible power/ability you chose.
Diary Entry of a Fire Breather
I woke up. The sun was out. My pillow in flames,
the toilet water boiling. Burnt oatmeal again.
The mailman came. I scorched the bills.
I singed the birthday card for my neighbor.
I watched Mary Tyler Moore melt. I pet my dog to ashes.
I had a sandwich for lunch. Fried peanut butter and jelly.
Dinner was the same. Fried.
I went to bed. I dreamt of water.
- - - -
(This exercised inspired by Louis Jenkins' poem, "Walking Through a Wall")
~~~~~
My notes on the process...
I did the instructions out of order. (I never was good at following directions.)
First the mundane journal entry:
The alarm went off. I pressed snooze. Ate cereal for breakfast. Went to work. Slow day. I walked home in the rain. My feet hurt. I ate a cheese sandwich for dinner. Went to bed.
Then the list of physically impossible things:
- Flying
- Seeing through things
- Superhero Flash speed
I had a hard time deciding which of the three to go with. Since I mentioned my feet hurting I went with Flash-like super speed. (Even with the "slow day" comment, I figured I could make it work.
Rushing - Diary Entry of The Flash
The alarm went off. I pressed snooze.
Whooshed to the kitchen.
Ate cereal for breakfast. Tried not to choke.
Went to work. Slow day. Everything seems slow to me. Always.
I ran home five miles in the rain in under two minutes. My feet hurt.
I gobbled down a cheese sandwich for dinner.
Went to bed. Sleep is the only time I can move slowly.
~~~~~
From Rachel's blog:
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2009
POETRY EXERCISE #1
Write down three things that are physically impossible. Now set that list aside and write a fake diary entry about the most boring, most ordinary day.
I'll go first:
I woke up. The sun was out. I went downstairs. I made some oatmeal. I ate the oatmeal. The mailman came. I checked the mail. Bills. A birthday card for my neighbor. I watched some television. I pet my dog. I had a sandwich for lunch. I had another sandwich for dinner. I went to bed.
Now, get that list. Choose one of the impossible things. Rewrite the journal entry as a person who (fortunately or unfortunately) has the impossible power/ability you chose.
Diary Entry of a Fire Breather
I woke up. The sun was out. My pillow in flames,
the toilet water boiling. Burnt oatmeal again.
The mailman came. I scorched the bills.
I singed the birthday card for my neighbor.
I watched Mary Tyler Moore melt. I pet my dog to ashes.
I had a sandwich for lunch. Fried peanut butter and jelly.
Dinner was the same. Fried.
I went to bed. I dreamt of water.
- - - -
(This exercised inspired by Louis Jenkins' poem, "Walking Through a Wall")
~~~~~
My notes on the process...
I did the instructions out of order. (I never was good at following directions.)
First the mundane journal entry:
The alarm went off. I pressed snooze. Ate cereal for breakfast. Went to work. Slow day. I walked home in the rain. My feet hurt. I ate a cheese sandwich for dinner. Went to bed.
Then the list of physically impossible things:
- Flying
- Seeing through things
- Superhero Flash speed
I had a hard time deciding which of the three to go with. Since I mentioned my feet hurting I went with Flash-like super speed. (Even with the "slow day" comment, I figured I could make it work.
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