Poetry Challenge #56.5-Nano-Nano
Nano-Nano! That’s alien speak for hello, goodbye, cheers…whatever. (Mork pronounced it “nanu-nanu” so that’s how it came to be known.) Robin Williams, the unpredictable, hilarious, wacky, innovative comedian, got his break as the alien Mork in the late 70’s sitcom Mork and Mindy.
I read somewhere (sorry but I can’t recall exactly where…if you know, tell me) that Williams cinched the role when he walked into the audition and sat on the couch upside down—because that’s how an alien would sit. Talk about getting into character!
Which sort of has nothing to do with this challenge, except that nano-nano came to mind when I read about an alien poetic form: Zeno.
The poetic form “Zeno” was created by children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis. Here’s what he had to say about it:
“I call the form a "zeno," so named for Zeno, the philosopher of paradoxes, especially the dichotomy paradox, according to which getting anywhere involves first getting half way there and then again halfway there, and so on ad infinitum. I'm dividing each line in half of the previous one.”-J. Patrick Lewis.
Here are two of J. Patrick Lewis’ zeno poems (or better zeno-zeno)!
Poetry Challenge #56.6
Nano-Nano Zeno-Zeno
Let’s take seven to stretch our creative muscles with a Zeno.
Zeno is a 10-line verse form with a repeating syllable count of 8,4,2,1,4,2,1,4,2,1.
With all of the one syllable words/lines rhyming.
Just for grins, title your poem “Mork.” As it’s a made up name for an alien. Let it be your inspiration to let your poem go where none has bravely gone before.
Nano-Nano! (or Nanu-Nanu, depending on your planet of origin).
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge at least 3020 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole dang poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!