sevenling

I came across a new poem form recently, the sevenling. Roddy Lumsen , a contemporary Scottish poet, invented it. As the name suggests, it's made up of seven lines: three stanzas, the first and second stanza with three lines, and the third stanza with only one. Stanzas 1 and 2 should each contain "an element of three" -- statements, descriptions, etc. -- and Stanzas 1 and 2 do not have to relate to each other. Stanza 3 comments on the rest of the poem.

This Wikipedia entry has a wonderful poem by the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova that apparently inspired Roddy to make it a set form.

I gave it shot. The last line's not right, but that's all I've got right now.

It's a fun exercise -- give it a try, and post yours in the comments!

unseasonable woe

Another group project with the Amazing D and this time the French kit. Here's a translation of what it's supposed to mean:

I shiver in the rain
the wind still snows
my wet skin
sun is never with us
the raw wind has me crying
this stupid week!
if only it was warm
that's not okay
I need a bath by the fire
why autumn?

at least today is gorgeous

"dark shower," a guest post by the Amazing D!

K.D.

collaborative activity

So the Amazing D and I wrote a poem together, each of us taking a turn writing a line. It was fun! We made heavy use of the detective kit.

The tiles are pretty tiny in the photo to get them all in, so here's a transliteration. Think it needs a part 2?

we got some blow from somebody with translucent yellow skin
nothing like a femme fatale near killed by smoke
his giggle created a shiver across my neck
perhaps a needle? he says all business devouring a pie
we are delirious to be in this alley
it smells like small time preachers shooting up
she whispered I want to get free of this repulsive hole
my gun blazed & red sprays on the street
no compromise for me and honey we go
I love our dirty life we are fast and loaded like poison
we make tracks away into the night we dance

virtual RePo, now available!

Many thanks to Elizabeth, who discovered this and posted about it on her blog.

There are online refrigerator poetry magnet tiles that you can make poems with, here. How exciting! Now anyone can play!

Give a whirl and let us know how it went!

forsythia

Kerouac in the tub

and a bonus! Portrait of the artist, searching for the right word: