Pages

Friday, September 30, 2022

poetry sisters challenge: definitos!

Greetings, Poetry Friday people! This week I'm blushing a bit because the seven Poetry Sisters are writing the Definito, a form I devised...and so of course I must join in.

The Definito is a free verse poem of 8-12 lines, aimed at readers 8-12 years old, that highlights wordplay as it demonstrates the meaning of a less common word, which always ends the poem. 

I developed this form kind of bit by bit starting in 2008 and I've written them here and there; I'm actually continuing to experiment with it, and I think I've figured out an approach to titling the poems that doesn't give everything away up top.

It's wonderful to think that others want to have some fun with it too. In fact I suppose it's rather crucial to the success of an innovation that others take it up! 

 


I can't wait to see what Laura, Mary Lee, Tricia , Tanita and Liz have done with it, and Kelly and Sara and Andi! Thanks to Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference for hosting us today, and do click on the WHISPERshout Writing Workshop logo to see what I'm up to now.

Monday, September 19, 2022

WHISPERshout Writing Workshop is now open for business! Click here to learn more.

* college essay coaching * creative writing coaching for ages 4-8 *
* small group classes coming soon! *




Friday, September 2, 2022

grass loves: september inklings challenge

Greetings and Happy New School Year to those who observe! (All of us, I believe.) I'm dipping back in to participate in our critique group's monthly challenge, posed to us this month by Margaret Simon.  Her challenge to us was "Choose a photo from This Photo Wants to Be a Poem and share your poem and your process."

Margaret loved Laura Purdie Salas's weekly "15 Words or Less" write-to-an-image exercise so much that when Laura decided to end it at her blog, Margaret took it on at Reflections on the Teche, her own blog, as "This Photo Wants to Be a Poem."

I'm sorry to say that I have not been a regular respondent in either place, although I do love writing to an image. But I did drop in in early August, where I found not only this gorgeous close-up of a seed-head of grass, but Margaret's own beautiful and rich commentary:

 

"We have had a string of rainy days here in South Louisiana. It happens most summers and helps to regulate the rising temperatures. Some days you feel as though you will never dry out. The air is wet. The ground is wet. Your body is wet.

The grass loves all this moisture and it grows and grows. In a nearby empty lot, the grass is almost as tall as I am. On a recent walk I stopped to look at it. Even the weeds of nature that grow out of control are beautiful. Nature is ongoing, reliably replenishing, and ever growing. Maybe your area of the world is hot and dry. Wash yourself in the lushness of the bayou side."


Lovely, yes?  I can't explain what made me want to mess with it, but I did.

 

grass loves


a string of rainy days 

happens     helps the rising


some days 

air is wet ground is wet body is wet


grass loves all this

grows and grows

as tall as walk 

as tall as look 

as tall as beautiful


ongoing reliably 

replenishing lushness



And this is how I messed with it.  

We have had a string of rainy days here in South Louisiana. It happens most summers and helps to regulate the rising temperatures. Some days you feel as though you will never dry out. The air is wet. The ground is wet. Your body is wet.


The grass loves all this moisture and it grows and grows. In a nearby empty lot, the grass is almost as tall as I am. On a recent walk I stopped to look at it. Even the weeds of nature that grow out of control are beautiful. Nature is ongoing, reliably replenishing, and ever growing. Maybe your area of the world is hot and dry. Wash yourself in the lushness of the bayou side.

 

Luckily, Margaret not only did not take offense but liked it very much--thanks for your generosity, Margaret, both in permitting me to erase your words and in offering this gentle little opportunity each week for so long!

Thanks to our host today, Linda at TeacherDance, where there's a cheering new header, and here's where you can find the responses of the other Inklings to this challenge. (And here's a bonus song while you read. I'm not done drowning, myself.)

Linda Mitchell
Molly Hogan
Catherine Flynn
Mary Lee Hahn