*Ain't you got no rhymes for me?*

[janeaustenfreak]

I'm not quite sure what is up with me and bad poetry recently. I suppose I was feeling really down, and when I'm feeling blue, I always write horrible poetry. I'm not quite sure why I post it, really. I guess I'm hoping it's somehow a masterpiece.

Comments

[theanimalmother]

Claire: I am in a poetry workshop right now, so maybe this will help. I might be just a bit of an idiot, though.

Cut your conjunctions.
Cut ideas that you have repeated.
Make your poem skinny.

All I did was erase things:

Like this:

paint,
brush thick strokes of grey
blinding canvasses.
sing,
wail like thunder
punctuate notes like rain on roofs.
write,
use words like "grave"
"empty"
fool myself about the depth of grief.

instead,
contemplate
silence of tombs.
chew my fingers until I see pink,
like bellies of shells.

cry in streams and rivers
perhaps with enough tears
I can validate my sorrow.
It is not real unless you can
taste the sea.
I become dying children,
grieving mothers.
I could make my pain poignant.
instead, I pretend that it is
something else.

[janeaustenfreak]

Ooo, I like it! Gracias, mi amor. Poetry workshop, eh?

[theanimalmother]

Yeah, it's pretty sweet. We all turn in poems and talk about them every week. We also read poetry and watch Dead Poet's society. College is awesome.

[janeaustenfreak]

That is pretty much the most awesome sounding thing ever. I am SO SO SO jealous. I love poetry, despite the fact that I'm incapable of writing very good poetry.

[ms_polly]

I think you write lovely (if a bit depressing) poetry.

then again, I can never really write poetry when I am in a good mood. I am usually longing after something or sad.

[janeaustenfreak]

I can never write poetry when I'm happy either. What is it about grief that elicits the thoughtful and creative?