Showing posts with label pantoum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pantoum. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Day 15 ... NaPoWriMo / Poem-a-Day 2020


Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-a-Day prompt: “write a dream poem. The poem can be a remembered dream. Or it could be a dream about the future (like getting out and about without worry again). Of course, some dreams are good, but there are nightmares too. So let’s get dreamy with our poems today. After all, Blondie said it best: ‘Dreaming is free.’”

Maureen Thorson’s NaPoWriMo prompt: “write a poem inspired by your favorite kind of music. Try to recreate the sounds and timing of a pop ballad, a jazz improvisation, or a Bach fugue. That could mean incorporating refrains, neologisms and flights of whimsy, or repeating/inverting lines or ideas — whatever your chosen musical form would seem to require! Perhaps a good way to start is to listen to your favorite piece of music and ‘free-write’ for the duration of the piece, and then use what you’ve written as the building blocks for your poem.”
Alan's poem today is an interesting mix of song lyrics in pantoum form. Great play with syntax! Friends, can you identify the lyrics and who sang them?

And That’s What Tortures Me

He turned the water into wine,
and flesh and blood need flesh and blood.
“Because you’re mine, I walk the line,”
I pray, but hang my head and cry.

And flesh and blood need flesh and blood;
I miss when all the love was there.
I pray, but hang my head and cry—
you live to see the lights uptown.

I miss when all the love was there,
’cause I smell frost on cotton leaves.
You live to see the lights uptown.
That’s why I always dress in black,

’cause I smell frost on cotton leaves.
“How do you do?” You’re gonna die.
That’s why I always dress in black.
Into a burning ring of fire,

how do you do? You’re gonna die
because you’re mine. I walk the line
into a burning ring of fire.
He turned the water into wine.

—Draft by Thomas Alan Holmes    [Do not copy or quote . . . thanks.]

I wrote my poem after receiving Alan's poem today, and I was influenced by his use of lyrics and also the word “tortures” in his title. Thanks, Alan!

House of the Rising Covid
—to be sung to the tune of
   “House of the Rising Sun”

There is a dream that’s haunting me.
It’s of the world outside.
I’m trapped inside my “living” room
And now my brain is fried.

With one foot on the threshold
of my ajar front door,
I fantasize a quick escape
but fear the covid more.

And so, I guess I’ll just stay here
and Zoom with all my friends.
I’ll play guitar and sing off-key
until this quarantine ends.


—Draft by Vince Gotera    [Do not copy or quote . . . thanks.]

Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you're doing okay staying home. And if you're not staying home, may God have mercy on you.


Friends, won’t you comment, please? Love to know what you’re thinking. To comment, look for a red line below that starts Posted by, then click once on the word comments in that line. If you don’t find the word “comments” in that line, then look for a blue link below that says Post a comment and click it once. Thanks!

Ingat, everyone.   


NaPoWriMo / PAD 2020 • Pick a day:
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Friday, April 27, 2012

Day 27 ... NaPoWriMo / Poem-a-Day


Day 33 — 3·3·3 — THREE CUBED. Prompts — Maureen Thorson: "nursery rhyme or clapping rhyme" — Robert Lee Brewer: "The Trouble Is ________" as a title — Andrea Boltwood: pantoum. Too bad each of them didn't give three prompts; then I could have said "THREE POETS CUBED."

Today, I'm taking on Andrea's suggestion of a pantoum. But first, some back story. Twenty days ago, I posted a poem titled "Black Encounter on the Eve of Easter" which deals with aswang, those Philippine monsters who have so many avatars: vampire, ghoul, shapeshifter, and more. Those of you familiar with my aswang work (both in poems and in illustration) know that my favorite is the manananggal, a woman who breaks herself apart at the waist and whose top half then grows wings to fly. The following poem is a response to that earlier NaPoWriMo poem . . . you might want to take a look at that one before reading this. In the comments to that Day 7 post, I had bantered with readers about the possibility this might be a love story in the offing, and perhaps today's poem below may be the start of that story. We'll see.

How the Aswang met Jesús on the Eve of Easter
— in Cutud Village, north of Manila, 1921
(a reply to "Black Encounter on the Eve of Easter")
So there's Jesús de los Santos in his bedroom, sleeping.
I've been watching Jesús from a distance for many days,
so handsome, his black hair glowing in the sunlight
when I would see him at market selling his vegetables.

I've been watching Jesús from a distance for many days,
and tonight I decided I would visit him, see him at home,
and not just when he's at market selling his vegetables.
So I split my body, breaking in half as usual at the waist,

since tonight I decided I would visit him, see him at home.
I stood in my bedroom, slowly unfurling wet black wings
as I split my body, ripping in half painfully at the waist.
Then I looked towards the wide beautiful moon, so free

after long minutes in my room, unfurling my wet wings.
I launched myself into night air and headed into the sky,
then flew towards Jesús’s house, so beautiful, so free.
The village was lovely, candle lamps glowing in windows.

I turned down toward the earth, falling out of the sky
and alighted gently, so gently, on his woven thatch roof.
His house was lovely, a lamp gleaming in his window.
I took care not to upset even the flame as I entered

and floated gently, so gently, up near the woven roof.
Now I watch Jesús, his sweat glistening as he lies in bed.
I took care not to awaken or disturb him as I entered,
but now his eyes open, dark brown irises glowing.

I watch Jesús, keeping very still, as he stirs in bed.
I stay as still as I can, my wings softly fluttering.
His eyes are open and staring, brown irises growing.
And then I see he has spotted me. He can see me.

I stay as still as I can, slow my wings' fluttering.
From the way Jesús's brows knit, his arms tensed,
I know he has definitely spotted me. Can he see me
trying to blend into dark ceiling, blend into black?

Then his brows grow more black, his arms tensed
with spreading darkening fur, his teeth growing long.
I try to hide in the ceiling. His body grows black
and blacker — his body distorts into a giant wolf

with black fur, feet and hands clawed, his fangs long.
And then I realize the truth: we're both aswang!
We both start to laugh and laugh, this huge wolf
and I. Waving blithely to him, I turn to fly away.

This truth will open up our lives: we're both aswang.
He's so handsome, black fur glowing in the moonlight.
Knowing I will see him again, I turn to fly away.
And there's my Jesús, head up to the sky, howling.

—Draft by Vince Gotera     [do not copy or quote ... thanks]

By the way, if you're interested in learning more about the pantoum, you might consult my article on pantoum form and history in the book An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art, edited by Annie Finch and Kathrine Varnes (Michigan, 2002). This is available at Google Books, but my article (page 254) is not displayed, alas.

No poem from Catherine yet. I'll post her poem for Day 27 when it's ready.

Our featured poem-a-day blog today is Susan's Poetry where Susan L. Chast has been very faithfully producing more than a poem a day during the month. This April is a crossroads for Susan who very recently retired and whose NaPoWriMo poems are the start of a new life in art and performance. I particularly like Susan's "Nursery Medley" for today: a light-hearted "zombies and vampires" reboot of classic nursery rhymes. Take a peek . . . you'll be charmed.


Okay, three days to go, friends. Please leave a comment below. Also, do go back a day to see the sixth-graders' NaPoWriMo site I featured yesterday. Ingat.




Added 4/30/12: Everyone, here's Catherine's poem for Day 27. She'd like the sixth graders of Griffin Lit to know that she was inspired by them and their Day 30 prompt to imitate George Ella Lyon's "Where I'm From" poem to write this one. Wonderful, Catherine! And great for you, Griffin Lit kids, you inspired another poet!

Where I’m From
— after George Ella Lyon
I am from the red dirt seat of cut-off jeans,
from Hostess Ham on weeknights
always served with quarts of green beans,
mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese.

I am from an out of plumb, white house,
birthplace of my daddy and his,
where falling rain on rusted tin
serenaded my crowded sleep.

I am from a creek full of salamanders,
almost climbed maple tree, sweet peas
picked while I dawdled to church,
wild violets gathered in tiny bunches.

I'm from guilt trips and tenacity,
from Lela's eyes and Philo's brains,
Pritchards I didn't meet.
I'm from old money and clogged arteries,

from don't slay the King's English,
hair like a stump full of Grandaddy's,
Hellfire and brimstone, Walking through
the valley of the shadow of death.

I am from The Queen City and Curtis's Creek,
egg sandwiches and thickened potatoes,
from my grandfather's crooked pinky
I tried to straighten and my father's lazy eye.

I am from the empty pages
of a third child's baby book,
hidden pictures of kinfolk in caskets,
from the milk table and milk glass
that survived the faces in page after page
of my black and white reflection.

—Draft by Catherine Pritchard Childress     [do not copy or quote ... thanks]

POEM-A-DAY 2012 • Pick a day in April: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30





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