I read Joy Acey’s poems every day
and in January, she posted a couple of minute poems (see the ‘how-to’
below). One of those posts is here. I liked Joy's poems and took her challenge to
write my own. It’s fun to try different forms,
and Joy often gives ideas on her blog.
Recently I have started a writing
group for the staff at my school. Since
I now live very close, we will meet at my house and have already met once. For now we’ll only meet once a month, but are
hoping to increase that in the summer. Every one of us does some kind of
writing both for ourselves and with students, and we are excited to share and
receive support within the group. These
poems below are what I shared with the group, who gave me good advice and
response, and I’ve been working “with” the words since. If you have suggestions please share, and try
your own if you’d like!
From Joy: Write a Minute Poem. The Minute Poem is a rhyming
verse form consisting of 12 lines of 60 syllables written in strict iambic
meter. The poem is formatted into 3 stanzas of 8,4,4,4; 8,4,4,4; 8,4,4,4
syllables. The rhyme scheme is as follows: aabb, ccdd, eeff.
Sixty Seconds
Alliteration taps the tone;
assonance moans.
Meter governs
poem forms learned.
It takes more than just a minute,
jumping in it,
yet poetry
shouts out to me.
‘Tisn’t easy to write a rhyme
I’ll take the time
with words galore,
And write some more.
More Than Sixty Seconds
Cones of evergreens hold the
seed
when they’re in need
of newer trees.
It’s a reprise
over time in evolution.
Great solution!
When forests burn,
cones have their turn.
Then blessed water, pouring
rain.
Seeds don’t complain.
Now let us cheer,
the trees are here!
photo credit: Leo Reynolds via photopin cc
26 comments:
Joy is full of inspiration. I wonder if her ears are burning today. My poetry came from her suggestion as well today, triolet.
This looks harder. Rhyme is always a challenge for me. I want it to sound natural and often it sounds forced. You do well in your two poems. I like the second one best, "The blessed rain..."
I also work with a writing group. It is invaluable for the work we do, I think. Wish I could be in your writing group.
You ARE adventurous! I love the last stanza of Sixty Seconds - it captures the joy of poetry so well. And lucky you to have a team to write with at school...I can't get my team to meet for curriculum issues!
How fun that you are trying something too, Margaret. We are, as I said, excited to begin this new adventure. Thank you!
I had fun with these, but it did take more than 60 seconds! I hope you can get some kind of group conversation going, Tara. It means a lot, as you & I know!
How cool that you started a new writing group, and fun that you tried Joy's minute poem idea. Both end on high notes and made me smile :).
Ah, poetry. Love to work "with" words...you certainly can't work without them! Cute minute poems! How exciting to have a writing group come to your home! Great way to make your new place YOUR place!
Always good to try new things, Jama, like Robert Bly's poem on your post today. Thanks for that too!
Thanks Donna. Should be a very good thing for all of us! Hope your trip went well!
Adorable minute poems!
I especially love "Now let us cheer,/ the trees are here!" It gives
me hope that we'll soon see more green and less snowy white.
Your new writing group sounds like a lot of fun.
Thanks for sharing, Linda!
I love that Joy inspired these two great poems that I'm sure took more than a "minute" to write! =) I love the lines:
"‘Tisn’t easy to write a rhyme
I’ll take the time
with words galore,
And write some more."
No truer words were written...Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Sheri! After the fires this past summer, the trees need all the help we can give them! The group will be good!
Thanks Bridget. Joy shares much on her site!
Hi, Linda. The opening of your poem caught my attention: Cones of evergreens hold the seed
when they’re in need
of newer trees.
How lucky your fellow teachers are to work with you in a writing group!
I love the way poetry ideas bounce around our PF community! We really MUST have a PF retreat some day!!
Thanks Laura-I appreciate the thought, but I am also lucky! Thanks for the response to my poem, too!
Wouldn't it be spectacular, Mary Lee? By the ocean, of course!
We are having a "grand" time! Won't be home until next week!
Lovely--I especially like When forests burn,
cones have their turn. Nice!
Thank you Laura. It's a treat to hear your response!
I also particularly liked the same stanza that Laura Shovan pointed out. I would love to be in your writing group! You're supportive and adventurous -- two great qualities in a poet-sister!
Thanks Tabatha, I wish you were too! It's a busy day. I'll be over to "hear" your post soon.
Why does it thrill me so that you are in that writing group?! I know you will grow and grow as a writer, just like those seeds and cones and trees. Thanks you so much for sharing your work. I especially love the exuberance of the second poem. xo
Thanks Irene. I think I have very good models like you online, too! The group will be terrific!
Wow! Who invents these incredibly specific forms? These are great -- thanks for sharing them. I would love to be in a writing group like yours. Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you Ruth. I don't know about the forms; perhaps we should do some kind of research in their history. I loved what you did with your sonnet!
"It takes more than just a minute,
jumping in it,
yet poetry
shouts out to me. " - I couldn't agree more.
I was just recently listening to a colleague do a mass lecture on correlational methods for graduate class (I'm coordinating the course and I've finished with two of my own mass lectures), and I found myself writing haiku while listening to correlational coefficients and variability and Pearson R. Haha. :) I'm hopeless.
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