I've been inspired by my cousin's example and Stephen Fry's book, "The Ode Less Travelled". From the moment I read the first line of the Forward, " I have a dark and dreadful secret. I write poetry." I was sold. I got myself a notebook and am now taking spare moments to put pen to paper and start practising the craft of poetry. It'll at the very least give me a greater attention to words and hopefully make me write more carefully even in everyday speech and writing. And it's also fun.
Here below are the results of the first exercise: a batch of iambic pentameter lines which are non-rhyming.
On an Aikido (Japanese Martial Art session):
I went and threw my uke so he fell
And hit the mat with an almighty bang
NB: an uke is one's partner and crash dummy in aikido as we practice in pairs co-operatively
On my cafe du chocolat from the Japanese bakery:
This choc-filled bun is wonderfully yum
On waiting by the phone:
I wait and wait: my mobile does not ring
On my new pair of dress trousers recently purchased from GG>5:
My trouser legs have seven buttons each
A show of leg and ankle they do line
On email missent:
In office land I stare at my computer screen
Aghast that I have sent an email wrong
On my dogs greeting visitors:
My dogs are runing up and down the stairs
Excited, barking: strangers they proclaim
On waiting for my prennially late friend:
I can't believe she's *always* late, and then
she goes and does it yet again. O hell.
On prayer:
I pray my prayers each morning, noon and night
Awaiting God, His Presence, Love and Grace
My prayer go forth, an arrow seeking light
From darkness bursting doubt and into faith
On work and frustration:
I try and try but nothing's going right
My boss's words of comfort scarcely heard
4 comments:
Oh, did you buy the book? Fun isn't it and something to do whilst waiting for late friends :-)
I saw a copy of it in the library so borrowed it. Thought I'd join you as it sounded like fun.
Yah, poking gentle fun at friends' foibles helps take the sting out of waiting :).
That last sentence can be reproduced when you reach the exercise on accentual- alliterative verse.
To all of you: We are just starting to work through the book together on the Great Writing website (formerly the BBC website). I am Josie. Please come to this website and contact me, and you might like to add some of your exercises to ours, to encourage people to join. We have just got this far:
http://www.greatwriting.co.uk/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,117/page,viewtopic/t,1569/
We really look forward to hearing from you, and it is a great place to post poems you have done relating to what we have all learnt.
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