Saturday, April 21, 2012

Poetry Month Mash-Up: Day Nineteen

Rena's at it again - today we had to write a sonnet!  Seriously?  Well, at least she said we could make it funny!  I think it's appropriate that the sign for 'S' is a fist, as if to say "Curse you, sonnet!!"   I really agonized over this one but I think it turned out ok!  What do you think?


S is for Sonnet
I'd easily curse you for giving this choice,
or praise you for making me stretch.
You've forced me to write with a new kind of voice.
A voice that belongs to a kvetch!
I'm not a big fan of this odd form of verse,
the rules seem to change all the time.
The samples I read went from bad to worse -
well, mostly the ones not in rhyme.
And what's up with all the Shakespearean words?
I don't understand them one bit!
The number of words could be cut down by thirds.
Just get off the pot or ____.
I'm now at the end.  I'm done for the day.
I've written a sonnet - hip-hip hooray!!




Here's how to sign STRETCH:



Here's how to sign KVETCH:



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Friday, April 20, 2012

Poetry Month Mash-Up: Day Eighteen


R is for Rhyme - about time!

Today's challenge is to write in rhyme - can you feel me smiling?  On her blog, Rena shared some tips from an article written by Kari-Lynn Winters.  That gave me the idea of sharing some rules of rhyme I always try to follow.  Here they are:



Rules of Rhyme for a Reason

Show - don't tell and don't tell - show.
That's one rule you oughta know!

Meter matters - count your beats,
The only thing worse than bad meter is stinky feets.

 Near rhymes make me go insane,
'M' and 'N' are not the same.

Make sure rhyming fits your story,
Not so great for gross or gory, 

Say things in their normal order,
Blame it, don't, on some disorder.

Be unique - you won't regret it,
If you do - they won't forget it!






Here's how to sign RULE:


Here's how to sign REASON:





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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Poetry Month Mash-Up: Day Seventeen

Rena Traxel had a great post about writing queries and had a link to her first blog interview at The Writer's Block as well as a link to Ishta Mercurio's blog.  Here's the offer Ishta made: If your query letter needs a fresh set of eyes, you can email it to ishtamerc@gmail.com to be featured on Ishta’s Query Workshop every Wednesday on her blog at www.ishtamercurio.blogspot.com.  I don't know about you, but I'm going to send one in!!

Now to my poem for day Seventeen.  Rena left us to our own devices so I'm trying something new.  When I thought of questions, it reminded me of the game on Whose Line is it Anyway, where everything you say must be int he form of a question.  I have no idea what to make of this but I'm keeping it!

Q is for Questions


                     Do you like my poem?                                     
                  Why do you ask?

   Is it a crime to want feedback?                     
                                      What is this, Law and Order?

Don't you just love Lenny?                              
                                                  Wasn't he in Beauty and the Beast?

                      Do you like Musicals?                                     
                                                   They're a lot like poetry, aren't they?

         Oh yeah - do you like my poem?                    
                   Why do you ask?



Here's how to sign QUESTION:



Here's how to sign QUERY:


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2012 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem - Day 19

Today is day nineteen of the 2012 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem and it's my turn to add a line. Thanks to Irene Latham at Live Your Poem for creating and organizing this project!

Let me start by apologizing to all the poets who came before me and those yet to follow!  I was really hoping we'd be building a humorous, rhyming poem - I'm way out of my league here!  Who knew writing one line could be so difficult?!   I'll do my best :-)


If you are reading this
you must be hungry

Kick off your silver slippers

Come sit with us a spell


A hanky, here, now dry your tears
And fill your glass with wine
Now, pour. The parchment has secrets
Smells of a Moroccan market spill out.

You have come to the right place, just breathe in.
Honey, mint, cinnamon, sorrow. Now, breathe out
last week's dreams. Take a wish from the jar.
Inside, deep inside, is the answer...

Unfold it, and let us riddle it together,

...Strains of a waltz. How do frozen fingers play?
How do fennel, ginger, saffron blend in the tangine?
Like broken strangers bound by time, they sisterdance...
their veils of sorrow encircle, embrace

Feed your heart with waltzes and spices.
Feed your soul with wine and dreams.


The last line is mine - now I pass the torch on to Heidi Mordhorst at "my juicy little universe" - can't wait to see what she adds!



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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Poetry Month Mash-Up: Day Sixteen

I was afraid of this - Rena chose Prose as her challenge for today!  I'm protesting the prose prompt - please peruse my pryhming poem:



P is for (not) Prose

I'm bad at prose - heaven knows!
It's really nothing new.

I write in rhyme - every time,
And aren't you glad I do?


Here's how to sign PROSE:

Here's how to sign PLEASE:


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