More fridge magnet poetry

Another effort from The Fridge.

More fibs

   Over at Brightweavings there is a little contest going on. The challenge is to write fibonacci poetry based on or related to the work of Guy Gavriel Kay. Here are a few I have come up with.


A
Death.
Simple.
Offered up.
A weft to the warp
Of the weaver's thundering call.
In the end there is more to abjure than simply life.


What's
In
A name?
(So I steal)
Is my label me?
My nation my identity?
If you could take from me all I am, what would I be?


Death
Swirls
Among
Broken stalks
Cold mud underfoot
Inevitable, like winter


Cold
Wind
A horse
Is missing
So he has been told
When they find it they will burn it
On the funeral barge of the former governor
Until that happens, the market will not open, and he shivers underneath his silk


Hot
Dry
Summer
Parched grasslands
Force the Dalrei north
Until fiery talons stretch forth
To grasp at the throat of beleaguered Fionavar

   Many more, and better ones are to be found in the contest thread over at Brightweavings.com.

Weekend assignment

Weekend Assignment #127: Write a haiku saying farewell to summer. A haiku, as many of you know, is a poem of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second and five again in the third. Simple and fun, and anyone can do 'em. You can do more than one if you want. As a bonus, technically speaking haiku are supposed to feature seasonal imagery, so we've got that going for us this time around.

Extra Credit: A picture of a fun summer activity you're saying goodbye to for another year.

Two for one:

Fat red apple falls
thump upon the verdant grass
sign of summer's ebb


scarlet leaf descends
upon an early morning
chilly autumn breeze

No extra credit this week. Words only here.

Fibs

   Was reading Simian Farmer the other day, and came across his post about Fibonacci Poetry. Seems neat. Think I'll give it a try.
   Wrote this one right away, while I was waiting for Flat Scalzi to arrive at my place.

I
wait
for the
postman to
ring, no more than once,
for twice would be disheartening.
I don't want drama or intrigue here, just Flat Scalzi.

   Later, I gave it a little bit of thought, and came up with this.

Spring
dawn
arrives,
resplendent,
transforming ashen
branches with bright swaths of colour.

   Whaddaya think?

Weekend assignment

voice

noise

sound

life's work

me

mine

more


tags:Poetry, Weekend Assignment

Hay(na)ku

   "Hay(na)Ku" is a poetry form invented by Eileen Tabios in 2003. Click here for a basic primer and some samples. Quite simply, it is a three line poem, inspired by the Japanese Haiku form, that has one word on the first line, two on the second, and three on the third. Number of syllables is not counted, and rhymes are not required. Here are some of my early attempts:

Winter
Sun shines
On snowy dog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unblinking
Staring eyes
Go away cat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

What
Is the
Definition of life?

Is
It simply
A beating heart?

Or
Is there
Some thing more?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Always
Another room
Endless home improvements.

via Wil at Snoozelets.
tags:Poetry

majik

   Another magnet poetry attempt. This one is an experiment, and I would very much like to hear your comments on it. To play along, visit the Poetry Dance Hall.

tags:Poetry, Poetry Dance

Espresso buzz

   Look! The Poetry Dance Hall is once again open for business. Step up to the wickets, and buy your tickets, folks. Two dances for a dollar.
   This week Dawn has challenged us to come up with some fridge magnet poetry. If you've been around, you'll know I've done some of that before. Here is a new one for this latest dance. Check back later, 'cause I'll probably have more.

tags:Poetry, Poetry Dance

Grey day

Sun
Among the clouds

I rain

Foolish
To have ever thought
That she
Would shine on me

tags:Poetry

Where, exactly, is Nantucket?

   The other day I was helping my son with his english homework. He had to compose a verse in that highest of all forms of poetry: the limerick. While he was working, I came up with a few of my own.

Young Matthew was considered quite bright.
His test answers were commonly right.
His parents' concern,
It might please you to learn,
Was that he reads without turning on the light.

The teacher's new class of grade six
Find themselves in quite a big fix.
Their homework, it seems,
Isn't up to his dreams.
If they're not careful, a field trip he'll nix.

Matt's parents, his mother and father,
Concerned with his bent to wool-gather,
Have lowered the boom;
Locked him in his room.
Said Matt, quoting Pooh, "Oh, bother!"

   Yes, I know gather doesn't rhyme with father, or bother. Just consider it poetic license, OK? Either that, or read it in a Boston accent. Also, forgive me for the Springsteenism.
   Here are a couple that are less topical.

There was an old man named Gerard,
Whose breakfast was bread fried in lard.
His wife to him said,
"I'm surprised you're not dead,
Because your arteries, I'm sure, are quite hard."

The young video gamer, he beams,
He's discovered the girl of his dreams.
Her gaming is sweet,
Her hacking skillz, 1337,
And her t-shirt, it bursts at the seams.

tags:Family, Poetry

The apple

   This is an assignment for The Poetry Dance Hall.



                        it
                         is
                  always     the same
                 blaming me blaming you
                for something that never
                 really happened at all
                 see, here's the thing
                  snakes  do not talk
                   and fruit doesn't
                    impart anything
                       magical  or
                         tragic


tags:Poetry, Poetry Dance

No net

   The latest poetry dance© is a 'nonet.' According to ShadowPoetry.com, "...a nonet has nine lines. The first line has nine syllables, the second line eight syllables, the third line seven syllables, etc... until line nine that finishes with one syllable. It can be on any subject and rhyming is optional." Here are my nonets.

A Walk In The Woods

Early November trees are barren.
It has not yet begun to snow.
The leaf covered forest path
Leads hither and thither
Among silent trunks.
On occasion,
A late leaf
Flutters
Down.


For Pamela - Just one girl's head noise

How do relationships form across
These vast gulfs of empty ether?
We know each other by words;
A page full, flickering
Across my glasses
After midnight.
There's something
In my
Eye.

One word poem

   Remember that one word meme that ran through J-land a few months ago? you know the one, where everybody was invited to leave a one word comment describing the journal owner? I have taken the one word comments from my journal, and put them here in the form of a poem. Other than spacing out the nouns to end each stanza, I have left the the adjectives in the order I received the comments. So, it was pretty much you guys who wrote this one.


One Word

Brilliant
Pedantic
Cryptic
Interesting
Mandarin

Honest
Urbane
Perspicacious
Unpredictable
Canadian

Cute
Handsome
Charming
Fair-minded
Enigma

Humble
Witty
Sarcastic
Knowledgeable
A pain

Judicious
Studley
Deep
Ornery
Paradox

Lucky
Interesting
Laidback
Nice
Paul

grey day

white straws of sunlight

thrust down through grey clouds

can they sweep away the rain?

Acrostickiness

A poetry dance© assignment

Even when our eyes meet and
Violence is unspoken
Ever in the darkest night
Ruins of civility litter the room

Twelve times twelve denials
Heaven so far away
Ether just an open frequency on the car radio

Save me from myself
Angel mine, almost divine
Mother never told me all the things
Evil holds close to her breast

I 'ku about you

   Here's me playing along again. This week at poetry dance©, the challenge is haiku. Dawn writes:

Now ... for the clincher...I'd like you to find another journal or blog and write a Haiku about it.

So I did. Twice.

sun burns bright above
the shadow of the iris
quivers in the grass


five bags hang in turn
for the preservation of
just one girl's head noise

It's called a bio poem

Paul
reticent and consise, cautious yet cool
son of an in betweener living in a new world
who is outspoken, opinionated, and coldly rational
lover of music, fellowship, and warmth
who fears loneliness, love, and the unknown
who needs encouragement, love, and support
who gives validation, love, and huge hugs
who would like an end to war, poverty, and bad soap operas
resident of the real world
Paul

It's called a bio poem, according to the folks over at poetry dance©. I played along. You can too. Just go visit.

Haiku

A sand so white

Another poem created using the online fridge magnet poetry generator. A fun challenge.

I am cordially invited...

   I was doing a crossword puzzle today, and the answer to one of the clues was Beleaguered, and I remembered that I had something new to post here. No, it's not a poem. It is, however, another letter from those silver-tongued devils at Poetry.com. Here is how this one starts out:

A hush suddenly falls over the audience...imagine yourself at an international gathering of over a thousand poets...publishers...editors...your friends and family...all waiting expectantly for the announcement. Finally it comes...

"Ladies and gentlemen and fellow poets...the winner of the largest cash prize ever awarded to an amateur poet...our Poet of the Year for 2005...and Grand Prize winner of $20,000.00 is...

Paul Little!"

You make your way to the stage amidst the sound of thunderous applause and a standing ovation from your new friends.

We're familiar with your work, Paul, and you know...
it could happen just that way!

   Wow! Are you excited? I'm excited. The letter goes on:

Dear Paul

I would like to inform you of your nomination as Poet of the year for 2005 and to personally invite you to read your poetry at the single largest gathering of poets in history, where you will be formally inducted as an International Poet of Merit and Honored member of our Society for 2005-2006.

Your induction will take place Friday, August 19th, in the United States capital, Washington, D.C., during the 2005 International Society of Poets Summer Convention and Symposium.

You will also be honored with two separate and very special awards for your poetic acheivement.

First, to honor and commemorate your poetic accomplishments, after you present your poetry in front of fellow poets from around the world, you will be presented with your "Outstanding Acheivement in Poetry" Silver Award Bowl. The award is a magnificent work of art in itself (a $200.00 value), uniquely engraved and mounted on a beautiful cherry-wood base. This impressive Silver Award Bowl is so large and heavy, you may need an extra suitcase just to carry it home!

And Paul, there's much more...

In recognition of your poetry, we will also create and present to you a beautiful and colorful Commemorative Award Medallion to honor your poetic dedication and achievements.

   Wait a minute. Didn't I already win both a Silver Award Bowl, and a Commemorative Award Medallion? I thought so. I guess, since I didn't buy-I mean claim-my award last time, that they thought they'd give me another chance.
   The rest of the package is pretty standard: an order form explaining just how much it is going to cost me to accept these wondrous honors. It seems that I can attend the Convention in D.C. for a measly $595.00. That's, uh, not including accomodation, or any meals. Hmm, a little math here...they said thousands of poets would be attending, didn't they? At $595 each? That's a pretty big haul.
  Wait a minute again. I didn't get to the last page yet. Listen to this: entertaining at the Convention all weekend long will be... Tony Orlando. Well, that makes it all worth it.

edit: June 30. Since I received this via snail mail, I have received the identical missive three times via e-mail. They're nothing if not persistant.

edit: Five minutes later. Oh my God! While I was writing the previous edit, my inbox chimed, and it was another one of those letters. What does that mean?