Poetry - Senryu

Senryu is very much like Haiku in that a Senryu is a short, unrhymed poem composed of 17 syllables or less and written in three lines. It’s not necessary to use the 5-7-5 syllabic structure, though you can. Senryu are usually humorous or cynical and they focus on relationships, work, and the everyday. I’ve [...]

Poetry - The Triolet

The Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms describes a triolet (pronounced tree-o-lay) as an eight-line poem with two rhymes and two repeating lines. The first line of the poem occurs three times (as in “tri” meaning three). It is repeated in the fourth and seventh lines. The eighth line repeats the second line, so [...]

Writing with Pride

My friends at MadSilence have roared in favor of my blog. I’m quite pleased and very appreciative of this recognition, especially when it comes from folks who really know how to write interesting, creative, and clever posts. You can learn more about “A Roar for Powerful Words” at The Shameless Lions Writing Circle.

Poetry - Inspiration the Liu’ Chang-ch’ing Prompt

This poem was inspired by a Totally Optional Prompt.
smokey satin stones
there beyond the bamboo
light skates their polished bellies
their cool hardness tempts
chilly to the touch
though not from a rivulet
two go in a pocket
for later reflection
* * * * *
Do you want to write a poem but need inspiration? Try writing a List Poem.

Writing Challenge - Week of August 13, 2007

The Challenge:
146 words regarding:
As Jack Bauer’s personal tailor, you’re used to special requests, like sewing a Glock P36 into the sleeve, or exploding cufflinks that have to be added after 5:30 on a Friday (what a jerk!) but today, he takes the cake and asks for:
* * * * * * * * * * [...]

Writing a List Poem

A list poem, also called a catalog poem, consists of an itemization of things or events. List poems can rhyme or not, and they can be of any length. Walt Whitman, Gertrude Stein, and Allen Ginsberg wrote poems that included lists or poems that were lists. Read Ginsberg’s Howl to see how he used descriptive, [...]

Writing Challenge - Week of May 21, 2007

(119 words) See WC #14 set-up here.
Kid: You’re at the ultimate hot spot for outrageous entertainment and fine dining.
Me: Whaaa?
Kid: That’s what my pa told me to tell you.
Me: (sitting up, pushing the kid aside) Your pa? Did he (holding skirt out) dress me too?
Kid: Dunno. Nawp. Couldn’t say.
Me: Go get me your pa, boy! [...]

A Film About Copyright Law - Fair(y) Use Tale

Cento - A Stitched Together Poem

The Cento is a poem created by stitching the lines of other poems together to form a brand new poem. Each line must come from a different poetic source.
Below you’ll find a short Cento I’ve created and the source for each line of poem.
* * * *
Down at the water’s edge, at the place,
I dream [...]

Writing Challenge - Week of May 7, 2007

Challenge #12 comes from Indie Bloggers. Below is my response to this challenge.
Scene: A flotilla of black limousines blocks the street to a row of brownstone apartments. People are collected in various groups on the sidewalk. A woman in a red t-shirt and blue jeans struggles through the crowd to reach the entrance of an [...]

Conversations with Dead Celebrities - Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn’s last words on film were, “How do you find your way back in the dark?”
Scene: Outside, rain is coming down in sheets. Thunder rolls like half-full oil drums across a ship’s deck. Lightening radiates and cracks the sky. Electric power has ceased. The old pendulum clock in the corner of the living room counts [...]

Tanka - 31 Syllable Poems

Older than Haiku, Tanka is another form of ancient Japanese poetry. Traditional Japanese Tanka is written in one straight line, but in English the line is divided into five syllabic units: 5-7-5-7-7. In the best Tanka, the five lines flow seamlessly into one thought. Tanka poems were traditionally written to evoke a moment or mark [...]