An experimental poem

This is an experiment of sorts, playing with words to give them unexpected suffixes or conjugations. This was something I used to do with a friend about 25 years ago. Most of what we came up with has faded into memory; the only example I remember is mobular, which could be used, say, to describe a baby who has learned to crawl, and now is crawling all over the place—e.g., She’s become mobular. I see that particular ‘word’ as a combination of mobile and ambulatory. (Another example might be the prisoner played by Damon Wayans on In Living Color.) Anyway, I thought I would carry things further by trying to write a poem in that style. It was harder than I thought it would be—but here it is:
Continue reading

National Poetry Writing Month, Day #19

Today’s napowrimo.net prompt is to write a ‘how-to’ poem. My poem—a quote of an old typewriter drill (it’s basically a readymade poem)—was inspired by a Facebook post by a Washington state congressman.
Continue reading

National Poetry Writing Month, Day #18

Today’s napowrimo.net prompt is to write a poem ‘that incorporates “the sound of home.” Think back to your childhood, and the figures of speech and particular ways of talking that the people around you used, and which you may not hear anymore.’ This prompt did not particularly call to mind much, so my poem ends up taking a different turn, into a random recollection.
Continue reading

National Poetry Writing Month, Day #17

Today’s napowrimo.net prompt is to write a poem using at least ten words from a specialized dictionary. I used International Paper’s Pocket Pal, a pocket-sized paperback of print and graphic arts terms and concepts. (The terms I used are listed in the tags.) I wrote it in the form of a double viator, a six-stanza variation of the viator in which the last line of the first stanza travels up as the first line travels down throughout the poem; by the final stanza, they have switched places.
Continue reading

A slight break in the action…

Taking a slight break from work on the next book to work on a paying gig (yay, copy editing!) and do a little bit of overdue cleaning. Updates will resume in about a week. (The poetry and love notes posts will continue, however.)

In the meantime, the 2016 Pulitzer Prizes will be announced on Monday. Tune in to hear no mention of my name whatsoever! (The fact that I entered is enough for me.)

(16 April 2016)