Wednesday, March 18, 2015

forward...botCH!

http://blog.imaginechildhood.com
Welcome to Day 13 of our poetry challenge, a day likely to be full of mistakes, missteps, fails and disasters.  It's "botCH" day at the Forward...MarCH Poetry CHallenge, and I welcome all comers to write the most messed-up poem you can!

Here's what I've come up with:

Big and Little in the Woods

I am the boss!
Do it my way.
To get it right
you have to watch:

Stick with a crotch.
It has to be gray.
Not too light, and
it needs a notch.

Bend it. Now stop!
Turn it this way.
You pulled too tight!
The string is popped.

Now you’ve botched it!
You should have watched it.

But it’s okay.
Maybe I might
let you try mine.

What do you say?

HM 2015
all rights reserved

*************************
What projects are you botCHing today?  Can't wait to see!
 
Mary Lee offers us some cheering advice, along with some growth mindset resources:
ADVICE

Don't be afraid to botch it,
Or you'll sit sidelined and watch it.

You might have to say, "I blew it."
But you won't find out 'til you...DO IT!


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015

Donna is going for the Intentional Botch-Up, with the caveat that it's harder than you think:

A New Poetic Format

Can you botch up a poem?
You betcha, yes, I think you can.
Like if it is not having a rhythm and
It is not having any rhyme even

though you can, have a poem
without a rhyme
but if you cannot get it to flow;
right then maybe it is a new format

called a Botched Up Poem.
I'm not sure it is really easy to
write in the Botched Up format
I mean, it's like just saying stuff then...

I can't do it any more,
This poem's now a bore -

So -

Can you botch up a poem?
You betch-a, yes, you can.
Just ignore any rhyming
and skip all the elan.

We'd name it Botched Up Poem
a new unique format,
but if I had to write it much
I'd think "it's not all that".

I'll try it once again:

Yes you, can, botch up a poem
but you almost really have to try!
harder to botch it up
than write one that isn't.

Nope, it's too hard:

You can botch up a poem,
but it's harder than you'd think
to write a truly Botched Up one
and leave it there to stink. 

©Donna JT Smith, 2015

Kate captures the reasons why I am/was/will be again a quilter rather than a painter:

Painting the Kitchen

I get the sample at the store,
a pretty little swatch.
But when it’s on the wall at home,
it becomes a sullen blotch.
Why is paint so devious?
Why does it sneer and smear?
I tell you true that wall paint
is an easy thing to botch.

—Kate Coombs, 2015

Charles carries us across the goal line--empty-handed--in a resilience poem if I ever read one:

ALMOST

Spiraled missile punches in between my uniform numbers,
It dances around my spaghetti limbs as I try to cradle it
 Like a newborn, before slipping out of reach as I cross into
Our end zone, botching the winning touchdown.
Game over.
Shuffling back to our sideline, studying brown divots on the
Once emerald field, I feel an arm around my shoulder,
 An opposing player leans in, whispers, “I’ve been
There, man.  Happened to me 2 weeks ago. How you
 Handle this will speak volumes about who you are
As a person.”  Looking up at my teammates, coaches,
 Disappointment lines etched on their faces, I take a breath,
Roll my shoulders back, the words, “No excuses,”
Dancing in my mind.

(c) Charles Waters 2015 all rights reserved.

Joy came back around, still "writing small," with this toothsome acrostic:

Boris
Our
Terrier
Chews
Holes in my socks.

And Diane did join in on "botCH"--in fact hers was the first poem I received for today, but it was a powerful piece with mature themes that I thought best not to publish.  If you're interested, you can follow her link below to read it.

Another great day, folks!  Meet you tomorrow for lunCH!


6 comments:

  1. Mine is a poem of advice:

    ADVICE

    Don't be afraid to botch it,
    Or you'll sit sidelined and watch it.

    You might have to say, "I blew it."
    But you won't find out 'til you...DO IT!


    ©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015

    Along with the poem, I share some growth mindset resources here: http://www.maryleehahn.com/2015/03/botch.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. And I have a new poem format: Botched Up

    A New Poetic Format

    Can you botch up a poem?

    Yes, I think you can.

    Like if it is not having a rhythm and

    It is not having any rhyme even

    though you can, have a poem

    without a rhyme

    but if you cannot get it to flow;

    right then maybe it is a new format

    called a Botched Up Poem.

    I'm not sure it is really easy to

    write in the Botched Up format

    I mean, it's like just saying stuff then...

    I can't do it any more,

    This poem's now a bore -

    So -

    Can you botch up a poem?

    Yes, I think you can.

    Just ignore the rhyming

    and skip all the elan.

    We'd name it Botched Up Poem

    a new unique format,

    but if I had to write it much

    I'd think "it's not all that".

    I'll try it once again:

    Yes you, can, botch up a poem

    but you almost really have to try!

    harder to botch it up

    than write one that isn't.

    Nope, it's too hard:

    You can botch up a poem,

    but it's harder than you'd think

    to write a truly Botched Up one

    and leave it there to stink.

    ©Donna JT Smith, 2015

    ReplyDelete
  3. Painting the Kitchen

    I get the sample at the store,
    a pretty little swatch.
    But when it’s on the wall at home,
    it becomes a sullen blotch.
    Why is paint so devious?
    Why does it sneer and smear?
    I tell you true that wall paint
    is an easy thing to botch.

    —Kate Coombs, 2015

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just wanted my fellow competitors to know that I did submit a poem for botch, but, it is not kid-friendly. If you want to see it, just let me know and I'll send it to you by email. dDOTmayrATcomcastDOTnet

    ReplyDelete
  5. Heidi,
    I'm still writing small. Here is another acrostic:

    Boris
    Our
    Terrier
    Chews
    Holes in my socks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I thought I sent an email with the link to my poem with the word botch in it but then I had to travel to Albany for a conference so perhaps I did not send it in. Here is the link to the poem: http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2015/03/be-difference-maker.html.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for joining in the wild rumpus!