Poetry Challenge #264-Judith Kerman by Definition
October 5th is bling-ringed on my calendar—in metallic pens with sparkles—and always has been as it’s my big brother Joe’s birthday and my recently departed mother-in-law, Adele’s birthday. Add to that BIL Paul, SIL Ryan, on the 6th & 7th respectively, and Grandboy Jack on the 11th. Libras all—born under the “idealistic Air Sign.” It’s written, and is true of them all, that “you will hardly come across a Libra who is anything but nice.”
“For me, poetry is at least partly a visual and musical art form. Or at least, it comes out of those parts of my mind.”
Poet and Artist, Judith Kerman, born under a Libran sun, also on Oct 5th, is likewise probably very “nice.” (I’ve just “met” her through poems and Google-search). Judith was born in Bayside, NY and still lives in NY. Her favorite authors include Mary Oliver, Robert Haas, Umberto Eco, Herman Melville and Ursula LeGuin; she identifies as “Disabled, Feminist, Jewish;” and has published at least 10 Chap Books as well as translated several volumes of Spanish Caribbean poetry and fiction by women.
Poetry Challenge #264
As Defined By
Judith Kerman poems are totally “Libra” in that they explore fairness, social justice, meanings of things in a “nice” way.
What’s a “Nice” way? Instead of telling us what to feel, they offer definitions of a word and so let/invite/lead readers to draw our own conclusions as in her poem “air.”
Ala Judith Kerman, choose a word, any word and define that word in a poem. You might choose a more abstract word, as Judith did in “Air” or you might choose a concrete word as in her poem, “Elephant.” (Scroll down for the YouTube of Judith reading “Elephant.”)
Include as many possible definitions of the word as possible—feel free to use a dictionary. And bust out with your own definitions of the word.
Form-wise you might choose to simply list definitions ala Webster, as in “Air,” or shape them into Free Verse as in “Elephant,” or choose some other poetic form.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just Define It!
Find out more about Judith Kerman at her Facebook page.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #263-Upside-Down, Backwards, Sideways Shel
We’re shaking things up the week so we can celebrate Shel Silverstein’s Birthday, September 25, 1930…1931...1932…some year around then (at some point Shel refused to give more interviews and forbade his publishers—and everyone else—from revealing more personal info.) That alone is worth celebrating, right? What we do know is that Shel Silverstein, known most-well to us as an author, playwright, and poet, a self-proclaimed lousy baseball player, former Comiskey Park hot dog vendor, started out drawing comics for Playboy Magazine and writing country songs, one of which, “Boy Named Sue,” is Johnny Cash’s all-time best-selling single! Shel Silverstein passed away in 1999, but through his poems, stories, songs, lives on.
Poetry Challenge #263
Upside-Down, Backwards, Sideways Shel
Here is one of Shel Silverstein’s poems from his collection A Light in the Attic, called “Backwards Bill”. While reading it, can’t you practically see how the alliterative BBs in that name “Backwards Bill” was the driving force behind that poem. But why stop there?
In honor of this rule breaking, risk taking, rhyme making poet, let’s push alliteration as far as we can go by crafting a Tautogram! A quick search didn’t turn up any of Shel Silverstein’s tautograms but can’t imagine he never tried his pen at one. So…This one’s for you Shel!
What’s a Tautogram you ask?
Tautogram, from the Greek words, “tauto” meaning same and “gramma” meaning letter, is a puzzle of a poem in which every word starts with the same letter.
That’s it! That’s the only rule!
Variations on a tautogram include: creating a poem where each line or stanza starts with the same letter and that letter changes from line to line or stanza to stanza.
Tautograms are not meant to be “serious” literature, they are written for fun. So have at it and have fun!
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
Reward Time: Click over to listen to Shel Silverstein on the Johnny Cash Show!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #262-State of Mind
It seems like every week there’s a National “State” Day. With 50 States in these United States, not to mention all the other geographically defined states in the world, it makes sense! There are lots to states to celebrate. This National State Day , Sept 22, 2022 . But which state you ask?
It could be a physical “state” but… it could also be the “state of denial” or the “state of unrest” or maybe the “state of disarray”… it all depends on your state of mind. we dare to ask the tough question: Which state? It could be the “state of denial” or the “state of unrest” or maybe the “state of disarray”…sometimes it all depends on your state of mind. . .
Poetry Challenge #262
State of Mind
Today let’s honor the state you live in.
Make a list of things you like best about your state.
They might be products your state is known for or facts about your state, or they might be special things only you notice.
Write a postcard poem, inviting people to visit the best state.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
In the spirit of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” try setting your state poem to music!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .