Common Threads

I’ve been reading Kyle Vaughn’s Lightning Paths: 75 Poetry Writing Exercises, which inspired me to delve into another book study of poetry forms and responses. I’ll be making my way through the exercises and prompts between now and the end of the year.

In today’s exercise, Vaughn encourages writers to write a poem in which a word or words are used to paint images.

Gwendolyn’s Dad

lingering blood stains
on Highway 46
at the scene
took her 27 miles
out of the way
for a year
after the fatal wreck

I’ve been reading Kyle Vaughn’s Lightning Paths: 75 Poetry Writing Exercises, which inspired me to delve into another book study of poetry forms and responses. I’ll be making my way through the exercises and prompts between now and the end of the year.

In today’s exercise, Vaughn encourages writers to write about an unexpected image such as a tuba to capture a reader’s imagination with surprise. He references “Tuba” by Morton Marcus, but my mind goes straight to Billy Collins’ “Irish Spider.”

My poem today is inspired by the end of Will’s Red Coat by Tom Ryan – one of my favorite unexpected images! It still brings a tear and a message to live life fully and smell the flowers while we can.

Hooked

Will's little red coat
hanging on a wall hook, still
do you smell flowers? 

I’ve been reading Kyle Vaughn’s Lightning Paths: 75 Poetry Writing Exercises, which inspired me to delve into another book study of poetry forms and responses. I’ll be making my way through the exercises and prompts between now and the end of the year.

Today’s exercise is writing a poem using a blend of senses that mix into a single experience such as mixing taste and smell (synesthesia). We’re camping this weekend at High Falls State Park in Jackson, Georgia, where the senses are in the full swing of autumn.

Campsite 68

campfire smoke
clinging in trees the
flavor of marshmallows~
ethereal, ghostly swirls
this October night
leaves crunch
underfoot
dogs bark off in the distance
   conversation sparks laughter nearby
      music pulses the beat of the night
           around the bend
we warm our feet fireside
  warm our core
     drinking cinnamon spiced tea
       warm our hearts
          holding hands 
            warm our spirits
               stargazing
 

I’ve been reading Kyle Vaughn’s Lightning Paths: 75 Poetry Writing Exercises, which inspired me to delve into another book study of poetry forms and responses. I’ll be making my way through the exercises and prompts between now and the end of the year.

In today’s exercise, Vaughn challenges writers to listen to two contrasting pieces of music and compose a poem that deals with their dissonant nature. This morning, I chose to write a cento – a poem comprised completely of existing lines written by other poets/songwriters. I chose the theme of place rather than sound, and used the ten minute frame for writing, deciding to see what I could accomplish in only a short span of time. And I left it unfinished – because that’s okay. Sometimes, having an idea of using four seasons in lyrics that take us to places we don’t belong, and then come home to where we do belong doesn’t result in the fully executed plan.

I’m okay with that. No one except me knows without my admission that this piece is yet unfinished. Poetry lets me move on anyway – and that is therapeutic!

Contrasting Music Cento

on a warm 
summer’s evening
on a train 
bound for nowhere

there is a house
in New Orleans
they call The Rising Sun
and it’s been the
ruin of many
a poor boy

welcome to the 
Hotel California
you can check out
anytime
but
you can 
never leave

country roads
take me home
to the place
I belong

Made with

I’ve been reading Kyle Vaughn’s Lightning Paths: 75 Poetry Writing Exercises, which inspired me to delve into another book study of poetry forms and responses. I’ll be making my way through the exercises and prompts between now and the end of the year.

Today’s exercise is writing poetry from field recordings. Vaughn encourages writers to get into nature or out into the realm of life and write from observations.

Winterfoot

when I stepped from
the garage door
into the frigid morning 
with my Hoka
on one foot
my booted broken ankle
with a thin black
low-cut sock 
on the other
I realized
in that moment

I've got a case
of winterfoot

I’ve been reading Kyle Vaughn’s Lightning Paths: 75 Poetry Writing Exercises, which inspired me to delve into another book study of poetry forms and responses. I’ll be making my way through the exercises and prompts between now and the end of the year.

Today’s challenge is Imagery of Sound poetry, in which Vaughn challenges writers to write a poem using sound images beginning with the words I heard inside…..focusing on volume, pitch, and those craft images that represent sound.

I heard inside
the smack of 
your words

echoes still 
bouncing 
off my heart
through my soul

this empty chamber
hollow 
echoing
     echoing
          echoing

Scott McCloskey, our host at http://www.ethicalela.com for today’s Open Write, inspires us to write (Bad) Advice poems. I wrote mine from the middle of the coordinate plane – where I wish more people stood.

Lukewarm Advice From 0,0

Never
believe
anything
is
as you think
it
is.

Today’s host at http://www.ethicalela.com is Denise Hill, who inspires us to write American Sentence poems – Haikus not on three lines, containing 17 syllables. I’ve been thinking lately about how nice it has been not having neighbors for so long, but I think of the coming days as others edge close.  My introverted heart aches, inspiring my seventeen syllables today. 

seek solace and silence of sanctuary before all is shattered ~

I take long last looks before change sweeps away this haven I have loved

lament the languishing privacy, pure pleasure of quiet shelter

Today’s host at http://www.ethicalela.com for Day 3 of the October Open Write is Carolina Lopez, who inspires us to write “I’ve Been Writing this Since…” poems.

Carolina, what a compelling prompt today! Your devotion to your family is clear and unshakable, and I admire the commitment you have to your nieces. Your mention of mixed feelings about becoming an aunt and my memories of my earliest days of writing mingled to bring back some vivid color memories. Thank you for investing in us as writers today.

Writing in Crayons

I’ve been writing this
since i peeled that
red crayon

wrote r-e-d
in crooked letters
under K-i-m
in all my books
smiling proudly

relieved I didn’t 
have to hide the pink
for once
from Susie Todd
her favorite color
afraid she’d steal it

take it to her house
where we washed our
hands with the cheddar 
cheese colored Dial bar soap
sang Puff the Magic Dragon
played Chinese Checkers

I’ve been writing this 
since I dreamed
I got a black Irish Wolfhound
named him Caesar

since we stood at the shore
where I taught him to howl
at the silver moon with a
tiny blue plastic toy wolf
that rested on his nose

since I stood behind his fluffy ears 
blowing through the toy
like a birthday candle
that howled
that made him howl
that made me
laugh/howl proudly

I’ve been writing this 
since Mom’s Lewy Body
hallucinations
alerted us to the toddler
alone in the orange shirt
with no mother in sight
playing near the 
edge of the street

(a pumpkin)

since she confused the 
yellow power tools 
for bananas when her
family built the wheelchair
ramp
since wiping tears away

I’ve been writing this
through the smiles
the pride
the pain
the tears
the grief

Anna Roseboro is our host at http://www.ethicalela.com for Day 2 of October’s Open Write. She challenges writers to write about living in the small spaces between other spaces. I thought of the real and virtual worlds, which inspired a short Haiku today.

Layers

real and virtual
worlds collide ~ dressed from waist up
bottoms optional