Hello my friends! Today really feels like a new year for me, or at least I am treating it that way since my 37th year was a bit of a bear. Come on 38 (yep, today is my birthday for those who didn’t know already) you have to be awesome.
I was thinking the other day that if I took those two numbers in my age 3 and 8 and added them together you’d get 11 which had me thinking: what was I like at 11? The poem I’m sharing today has nothing to do with that, but I think that is an interesting writing prompt. Feel free to try the same thing with your age.
Instead the poem below is an example of an idea melding with some research. What do you think I was researching versus what I might have already known? What am I guessing at and/or questioning? Just some questions I ask myself as I continue trying to revise these poems that seem to have a mind of their own. You can of course discuss my poem and/or share your own work in progress (any genre) which will be taken down a week from today.
–And the poem is all covered up 
Speaking of research, as I write this I am continuing to work on my AWP presentation, but in between that work I have critiques to work on and other lovely things to share. How about Christin Rice inviting me to write about change for her blog? She wants to share more stories so if you think you have a good one about change you may want to stop by her blog and inquire.
Also on the research and writing end I finished a critical exploration of science fiction and fantasy as edited by my former colleague and friend Dr. Sherry Ginn and Michael G Cornelius. It has a great title: The Sex is Out of This World I wasn’t familiar with all of the books, movies, and shows they were discussing, but it was still an engaging read (OK I skimmed a few that I didn’t know as much about) especially (and here is another possible writing prompt) the idea of being the alien invisible. This falls often under queer theory, but I think of that TV show “V” that they recently remade – when the aliens look just like you . . .
PS – Just received a rejection slip so that’ll keep you humble! I’m still writing away and I submitted some poems this week so onward!
Happy Birthday, Jessie. Sorry about the rejection. Head up! This IS going to be a better year.
Here’s a poem I wrote yesterday, after a childhood friend said, seeing an ocean is on her bucket list. It’s pretty fresh and maybe nothing special yet, so comments are welcome.
–gone
I really like this one, Helen, and where you are saying your inspiration came from. At first I thought the use of sun kissed was a bit cliched, but with the extension of the metaphor to include the lover later (and reflecting back on a bigger argument of love with God) I think it can stay. Thanks for sharing this week!
I’m extra happy when you bring a poem to poem share day, Helen! I loved that opening line . .sun beams tread sea-water.
I loved the bejewed seaweed and moon riding the white-caps.
I meant bejeweled. Hahaha.
Thanks, Debbie.
Here’s a revision:
–and the revision is also gone
It took awhile for me to understand your poem, Jessie. I love the idea of fire with rock, paper, scissors…a whole new level of gaming. I love the body farm idea. I once saw it on an episode of Bones. I have a hard time reading prose poems though. I don’t know why. I’m a stanza girl perhaps.
Funny how as you revise I still think the first version is good
Here’s a quick poem draft.
–and it is quickly gone
That really made me laugh. I love a bit of dark humor. This works on many levels
I think a good title would be “The Stranger.”
Thanks. I needed a title.
Yay Rosalyn! Good to get to read some more of your work! What a cool idea for a poem!
Thanks Debbie. Jessie’s blog gave me the idea. Everyone spoke of age and I remember I twirled baton at 14.
I apologize it took me a few days to get back and read more work and comment-
Title works!
Rosalyn, I agree with Jessie, I chuckled at the humor, and feel the pain; it must have come down years earlier and hit me first and I threw it back up
You’ve got that extra skip in your step today! Fire under us is always a good thing
My thirties were all good; it was 39 which got me. The poem is interesting, and challenge sort of know you through writing here, because it remind me of things you have said before. Kind of ties into something I just wrote this morning, thinking of a friends mom who just passed away, and that added research element.
Helen I love your poem. I never think your works need revising. Great the way it is, and makes me think of when I took the kids to the ocean for the first time.
–another one is out
There is a lot going on in your draft, E. I really like the first few stanzas, but I’m a little confused by the moving your head. Whose head? The speaker? A person the speaker is addressing? The dragon? Hmmm. Maybe just working on some of the syntax will clear that up. Playing with research can be so fun, but one I worked on yesterday just couldn’t even survive a bit of research especially because a key line that i thought was funny was er WRONG!
I loved the dragon theme ( I did a dragon one too!) .. and the ending really got me.
Way to go, Elizabeth!
yeah this poem came from thinking about my friends mom passing away two days before Chinese New Year and how she was a dragon, head of her clan. Thanks I will go back to it later, just been drafting away the past few days
I got a bit lost though I love the idea of dragons. For me, punctuation would really help this poem. I know some people don’t punctuate but this is a complicated poem and it would give me time to breathe during it.
I have confessed here before, I struggle with punctuation. A fellow poet friend in person here tells me all the time I need it
I need to take a class again! Ha!
I hate to call people out on punctuation because it is something I’m not a fan of either. It’s a topic that is actually working its way into my AWP presentation. We shall see if it stays
Happy Birthday, Jessie! If I add my two numbers together, I am also 11. LOL So you were born on Valentine’s Day. So cute. (Although since my marriage I despise V’s Day– but I’m working on that in therapy….ha ha)
Anywho….glad to be back here and see all of the familiar faces.
Your poem is very interesting Jessie. I like the idea of adding fire to the “rock paper scissors game” and having that layered on top of the idea of a charred corpse. Especially since you say the corpse, as in already dead, already murdered? Metaphorically dead? Then as you always do, you take your magic knitting needles and work together the fighting stance with the origins of the rock paper scissors game. I’m amazed at how you do that. Even if some of the facts (as you say in a later comment are incorrect! lol)
I have been, little by (very) little, getting back in the game. I don’t know what it’s been lately stopping me…besides the typical (and not so typical) life obstacles….I guess when I lay it all out end to end in my mind it makes sense why I have had no time or inclination to write. But, I did manage to revise a couple of poems, and submitted a flash fiction piece the other night.
Here’s one you may remember– it has the same title– which may change too– but I pretty much re-wrote the rest of the poem. I still see some tweaks, but it’ll get there.
–the poem is melting…
Oh wow Val. I do remember this one and like what you’ve done with it. And I thought it was good before!!!
Your word choices are always exquisite . .like ‘shard of ivory’. So glad you shared something today . .I’ve missed you!
Debbie is right, I was thinking the same thing when I saw your language (two meanings) I have another poet acquaintance who uses wonderful words that I never think. I feel my own language is too simplistic. Love the ending too!
I have to second what everyone is saying on your poem. Good to use multiple connotations for words anytime. Glad you are starting to work yourself back into the poetry writing. I’m hoping these newer pieces are working. I’ve just stated sending them out to lit mags so we shall see.
Oh and having a birthday on Valentine’s day is actually kind of annoying! When I was a kid it drove me nuts. Everyone was like: so who is your sweetheart? And when you are a 5 year old tom boy that is annoying
I’m yaying because you did another prose poem . ..and what a poem, Jessie! I’m going to guess that you researched the part about a corpse curling into a fighting stance when exposed to flame .. .and that rock, paper, scissors originated in Japan.
From my martial art days, I think I was taught that Karate means open hand, so that part of the poem jumped out to me too! Wonderful work!! You are unstoppable!
There was a contest wanting dragon stories. I didn’t think I’d enter . .and I won’t, but somehow after reading a fantasy novel with dragons, I did come up with a little bit of a story line. I just jotted it down in poem form .. not very poetic, but it’s all I got.
—another one is down
And you say you struggle to write longer poems…Bravo! Dragons and snowflakes today, and maybe Asian…maybe a little poetic stance is needed though. Maybe a little insight into feelings??? I could be wrong.
Oh this is great fun! It definitely has that fantasy feel to it. There are a lot of publications out there that look for that kind of work. It tells a great story, and I think it works as a poem. And like E said – longest poem you’ve posted here yet?
Thanks for making some notes on my poem. I’m definitely in the prose poem mode. I watched a documentary about the Body Farm out in Tennessee where people donate their bodies to science, and they had someone studying how a body responded to fire to help determine when people tried to hide someone who was murdered by throwing them into a fire. But a body that is dead apparently reacts differently than one that is alive. I may have to go back and rewatch it.
Ken actually told me about the rock, paper, scissors thing so I researched it some more and somehow it ended up working its way in as well! You just never know what connections your brain is gonna make
I must come here more often.
Yes, you must join the Carty Poet Society!
Way fun and inspiring!
Way!
Lol! I’m glad that we can still have these wonderful conversations about our work