Saturday, April 1, 2023

NaPoWriMo day one

for my first foray into erasure poetry, i used a random number generator to choose which pages to work with. as i'm using The Three Edwards by Thomas Costain i thought i would set a goal of finding 3 poems in each page. here they are.



 
















*

later, it should be explained,
a beautiful woman
had been given charge
 
a gentle susceptibility
insisted on a careful screening
 
proving a failure
 
a hostile view of eloquence
 
later, the public mind interfering,
it was decided to summon
a serious regard
to stand in high places
 
*
 
Edward generally advanced,
will dictated solely by
his deep desire.
 
He had fallen in love
with a beautiful woman,
and she had fallen in love
soon thereafter.
 
He had insisted
on proving his infatuation:
 
a man of passionate convictions
as well as eloquence,
pursuer of luxury,
his own tangled affairs
empty. There was nothing new
since Edward had come to the throne
reluctantly.
 
*
 
proof of complicity
 
to feel the crown on his brow
 
proving he had fallen
in love and had fallen
 
his mistress insisted
on compliance
 
proving the beautiful
 
always willing to believe
empty extravagances
 
Edward had come to
emptiness, acquainted
with corruption

Saturday, March 25, 2023

april is national poetry month

April is National Poetry Month in both Canada and the United States.

It's the 25th year it's been celebrated in Canada -- and this year the theme is "Joy" -- while in the US it's their 27th year.

This year i will attempt to write a poem each day of National Poetry Month, but will be experimenting with erasure poetry. 

My initial idea was to either use the Psalms or pages from Thomas Costain's The Three Edwards. Alternatively, you may be interested in submitting a page (or two) from your favourite book or books for me to use.

Or, perhaps you'd consider submitting a favourite artwork for me to try my hand at some ekphrastic poetry.

Either way, as reader and/or writer, I hope you'll join me for a daily exploration this April!
 


Saturday, March 4, 2023

the rest of february’s micropoetry part two

Day twentyone

Poem for all the regrets. Bury them if you can. They return in other forms. 


Day twentytwo

Poem for those moments it felt we were one. There’s no such thing as “too close to the sun.”


Day twentythree

Poem for all the wanderers. Poem for all the strategists. Poem for the blisters. 


Day twentyfour

Poem for your favourite mixtape, playlist, collection. How you are captured. All the feelings. 


Day twentyfive 

Poem for all your beautiful edges. Poem for all your dangerous edges. Poem for all your beautiful edges. Poem for all your dangerous edges. 


Day twentysix 

Poem for the ones who do all the talking. So many words. So much waiting. 


Day twentyseven

Poem for the one whose head is heavy with words, ideas, crowns. Whichever. You are not required to respond to every voice. 


Day twentyeight 

Poem for tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. 

Thursday, March 2, 2023

the rest of february’s micropoetry part one

Day fifteen

Poem for that summer we went fishing. Whether the lake was still or not.


Day sixteen 

Poem for rebuilding a life. For rekindling hope. For making a new poem.


Day seventeen 

Poem for the one who collects tears in lacrymatories. Not a competition. 


Day eighteen

Poem for bare walls and empty chairs. Fill them with something good. Let there be the sound of laughter. Share a meal with the one who has become a stranger. 


Day nineteen 

Poem for the moment. Waiting. Everything thick and heavy. Clouds waiting to burst. 


Day twenty

Poem for the moment you wiped away the tears. Pain as a baptism. Welcome.

Saturday, February 25, 2023

more attempts at micropoetry

Day seven

Poem for the reasons we never recognized. They all have their own faces. 



Day eight

Poem for the smoothness of your skin. The way you feel in my mouth. 



Day nine

Poem for the gifts I gave you which you never received. Could we try again? Let’s try again. 



Day ten

Poem for too many memories. Or just the one. Or too few. 



Day eleven

Poem for your perfect feet. Beautiful. On the mountains. 



Day twelve

Poem for the ghost that inhabits every picture I have. It’s always the whisper of you. 



Day thirteen

Poem for every possibility. Choose something. Give yourself to it. Give yourself to me. 



Day fourteen 

Poem for the beginning and the end. All the joy. Please let there be joy.