Today’s host of The Open Write at http://www.ethicalela.com is Joel Garza, who inspires us to write a Cherita poem. You can read his full prompt here.
Joel shares, “My studies taught me that many poetic forms winnow down in length as they ramp up in meaning. A sonnet’s couplet, a sestina’s envoi, a haiku’s closing pivot, a villanelle’s quatrain – you get the idea & the impact: As the form gets smaller, the idea feels more potent, more provocative. There are exceptions. Exceptions like the cherita.”
I love narrative poems, and Garza reminds us that these are, essentially, stories in poetic form. He explains the process:
Remember that the cherita is a story. Aim for a tale that you need to tell (or maybe a tale that you’ve never told). Be as direct as possible in welcoming your reader – one line only.
As you develop the story, be deliberate and succinct. Two lines only for this middle stanza.
Finally, resolve with a comparatively expansive meditation on the meaning or mystery of this story. Knock yourself out — A whole three lines!
One line. Two lines. Then, three lines.
I looked to the directions, but I only needed the final stanza to tell my story. So I followed my gut and wrote what was inside.
The Rescue
my heart was heavy with dog loss grief
I contacted the rescue: make a good match
Meet Jay.
