2013 Poem a week comment thread

[Remec]

The intent of the challenge was to encourage writing throughout the year, not necessarily new writing (I think most of us agree that the real writing is in the editing), so feel free to revise poems as part of the challenge. If you want/need to spend 52 weeks editing a single poem, I'm perfectly OK with that.

I would also open it to things other than poems. Flash fiction, pretty obviously, but even notebook entries, or random thoughts. Again, the point is to try to think about poetry and produce something each week—the point is to encourage writing as a habit, not just a "occasionally, I throw off a couple poems because I was feeling poetic" kind of thing. Poetry is a craft, and to excel at a craft takes a lot of practice.

And, yeah, we all go on vacation, get sick, have relatives descend on us for a week, so if you miss a week or two, don't sweat it. The main intent is that we try to do something poetic with some degree of frequency.

And Tessie, if it's bad, that's OK. Most of what all of us write is bad, at least the first time around.

But then one of Tzara's Principles of Poetry (not to be confused with the Fool's Rules) is Do not be afraid to be bad.

I think I've probably been pretty bad in every poem so far this year, but I've been both stressed and busy on other things. I hope, though, I've been cheerfully bad.

And that counts for something.

I know I prolly should have pushed myself a bit more and came up with something...anything...each week. But now that I have read this post, I think I will begin that pushing after all.

 

[HarryHill]

Oops!

Ta very much 'arry.

..
Apologies... I was refering to Angelines new piece 'Trickeration' You will find my comment fits that one quite well, whereas yours is more honey caked. Please forgive my dottering.

 

[Angeline]

..
Apologies... I was refering to Angelines new piece 'Trickeration' You will find my comment fits that one quite well, whereas yours is more honey caked. Please forgive my dottering.

Thanks Harry! (Even if I did pilfer my title from Duke Ellington, but it seemed to fit the concept.)

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

..
Apologies... I was refering to Angelines new piece 'Trickeration' You will find my comment fits that one quite well, whereas yours is more honey caked. Please forgive my dottering.

I did wonder about thd bread and butter reference

 

[Angeline]

I did wonder about thd bread and butter reference

Actually I did too but I love crusty bread and salty butter (which is so a Jersey breakfast thing, oddly enough), so it's all good.

You better submit that Biographer poem to a journal. It's a crime against poetry not to!

 

[HarryHill]

I know I prolly should have pushed myself a bit more and came up with something...anything...each week. But now that I have read this post, I think I will begin that pushing after all.

...
Thought your poem in the challenge was quite good. Waiting to see more.

 

[greenmountaineer]

12 Bar Blues

I really liked this by Angeline, the way it all came together at the end, the surprise that left me saying to myself, "Why, of course."

 

[Angeline]

I really liked this by Angeline, the way it all came together at the end, the surprise that left me saying to myself, "Why, of course."

Thanks GM. I'm an admirer of the poems you're writing in that thread. The last two, especially, kinda blew me away.

On another note, Tristesse's new one is terrific: smart and witty and so well put together.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Thanks Ange but it pales in the shadow of yours. My mind spins at the talent this thread has spun out. So many lovely works. Every week I want to gush at what appears. Consider this a cluster-gush.

 

[Angeline]

Thanks Ange but it pales in the shadow of yours. My mind spins at the talent this thread has spun out. So many lovely works. Every week I want to gush at what appears. Consider this a cluster-gush.

Eve would definitely approve of cluster-gushing. For some reason the term made me think of her lol. Sounds like a challenge title.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Eve would definitely approve of cluster-gushing. For some reason the term made me think of her lol. Sounds like a challenge title.

I do so miss Eve.

 

[Angeline]

I do so miss Eve.

Yeah I do, too. I keep hoping she'll just reappear one of these days. Wouldn't that be a wonderful surprise?

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Peoples, if you haven't visited the one-a-week thread recently go - NOW - to read Angelina's latest there.

 

[HarryHill]

Yes, go, go, go!

2013 challenge is on fire. The best ever... Bogus, I gotta tell you, Alien Nation is out of this world.

 

[Angeline]

Peoples, if you haven't visited the one-a-week thread recently go - NOW - to read Angelina's latest there.

Thanks Tess.

I can't listen to/read/watch this news from Boston today without feeling stirred up in my own memories from 2001.

And the thread is very inspiring. I think we're all good for each others' muses.

 

[HarryHill]

Don't miss the Tristesse2 tapes either

 

[Angeline]

2013 challenge is on fire. The best ever... Bogus, I gotta tell you, Alien Nation is out of this world.

I'll second that. Alien Nation is excellent. Also, Bogus wins the two-poems-in-one-day award (which I just made up, but still...)

 

[HarryHill]

Quoting myself for reinforcement

Don't miss the Tristesse2 tapes either

..
I have the answer to cryptic crosswords. who else? or was it 2 easy?

 

[bogusagain]

Bogus, I gotta tell you, Alien Nation is out of this world.

I'll second that. Alien Nation is excellent. Also, Bogus wins the two-poems-in-one-day award (which I just made up, but still...)

That's Ange and Harry. I am now struggling to get my head through the door.

 

[Angeline]

That's Ange and Harry. I am now struggling to get my head through the door.

Take that goldfish bowl off!

 

[greenmountaineer]

Listen. I'm probably going to embarrass the bloody hell out of her, but I have to comment on the last stanza of Angeline's "12 Bar Blues" in the 2013 Challenge thread:

Listen.
I've seen the elephant:
not the trunk or tail, neither
tusk squat feet nor leathery
hide, but the whole mother
thundering thing and it is
bloody hell.


The enjambment is artful. I also liked the "whole/mother thundering thing," because it's such rich word play, not only with "mother/thundering," but I'd expect an alcoholic to call his (or her) disease a "thing," mysterious as it is. I spent a career working with criminals who would say just that, except "mother/thundering," of course, would be said differently.

At a more intuitive level (which is my way if saying I don't know why) I also like the combination of masculine and feminine line endings.

 

[Angeline]

Listen. I'm probably going to embarrass the bloody hell out of her, but I have to comment on the last stanza of Angeline's "12 Bar Blues" in the 2013 Challenge thread:

Listen.
I've seen the elephant:
not the trunk or tail, neither
tusk squat feet nor leathery
hide, but the whole mother
thundering thing and it is
bloody hell.


The enjambment is artful. I also liked the "whole/mother thundering thing," because it's such rich word play, not only with "mother/thundering," but I'd expect an alcoholic to call his (or her) disease a "thing," mysterious as it is. I spent a career working with criminals who would say just that, except "mother/thundering," of course, would be said differently.

At a more intuitive level (which is my way if saying I don't know why) I also like the combination of masculine and feminine line endings.

Well yes, you sort of did but who doesn't love feedback?

I'd been editing this book, GM, on meditation and consciousness. It used the metaphor of the blind men and the camel to describe partial awareness, awareness from pieces and small perspectives. I changed it to an elephant in my poem (I've heard the story that way, too). And I originally did have "mother fucking thing" but hated it. It sounded too easy to me. And then I thought that "thundering" works because it's an association with a sound that elephants do make and it's a big overwhelming sound. It seemed to fit. The MF endings were totally unconscious.

Thank you so much for the extensive feedback. It's good to hear when something works (and when it doesn't, it helps to know that, too).

 

[Angeline]

Tristesse's Boston Marathon Aftermath is powerful writing. The ending, especially, is really moving.

Tzara, you are not only an amazing poet, but your thread is really inspiring me.

s all around.

 

[Angeline]

Tzara, I really like this poem. It's one of those poems where the voice is so distinct, I feel like I'm sitting (on the next bar stool maybe) and hearing you say it.

 

[Tzara]

Tzara, I really like this poem. It's one of those poems where the voice is so distinct, I feel like I'm sitting (on the next bar stool maybe) and hearing you say it.

Thank you, of course, Angie, but I'm curious why you say that. The poem is, in my opinion, trash. Just me writing something to satisfy the challenge requirement.

I've been preoccupied all year, taking courses in other, or similar, things: film history, creative writing. I've been trying to write fiction the last few weeks. Boy, is that a train wreck.

I might be better for a bit because we're on the poetry segment now. Or I might be worse. Writing for class requirements is not something that often inspires good poetry.

My suggestion is y'all read greenmountaineer and Ange and Tess and bogus and Harry and Desejo, wherever she's gone, for the next several weeks. They all actually do know what they're doing.

Me? I'm cadging for tips in a parking lot.

No sir, no, I did not scuff your fender.