Experiment with a Short Form

Family Button Box

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Today's poem blossomed from an old family cigar box full of buttons and a chance opening to a page in Kyle Vaughn's inspiring book LIGHTNING PATHS: 75 POETRY EXERCISES.

The short form is inspired by the landay, a thousands-of-years-old, two-line poem form with nine syllables in the first line and thirteen syllables in the second line. (Go ahead...count.) Vaughn explains that such poems are "simple and deal with common, earthly concerns: love, suffering, war, nature, beauty, death." Landays often criticize elements of life, are anonymous, and are shared by and among Afghan women, shared orally as a way to express anger and grief, frustration and love. 

I am not living in Afghanistan long ago or today, composing and speaking these words with my neighbors and in-person community, but I too wish to learn to express a feeling with a certain number of syllables - twenty-two. My small lines speak to the grandmother who died before I was born, who died before my parents were even married. I believe that the button box belonged to her, Geraldine Pappier Ludwig. I wish I could bring Grandma Ludwig back to life for a day with this box of buttons on the table and a kettle of water brewing for tea we could share.

You might wish to try writing a poem inspired by the landay form. If so, draft two lines about one of these big ideas or another big idea of your choosing:

love

suffering

war

nature

beauty

death

Consider choosing a feeling or a memory or an object or a small moment of time related to the big idea to get started. And try counting syllables. Work toward nine syllables in your first line and thirteen in your second line. Writing only two lines allows us to focus on the count more easily than when we are writing four or eight or sixteen or thirty-two lines.

Thank you to Tabatha for hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at The Opposite of Indifference with a perfect monologue from Shakespeare's HENRY V and her ever-generous thoughts. Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

Hmmmm. Perhaps each of those buttons yearns to have a poem written about it. Back to the box I go!

xo,

Amy

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Looking, Thinking, and a Poetry Peek

Family Album Page by John Conolly

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Today, on St. Patrick's Day, I am finding myself thinking about my family and how they traveled over the ocean at different times to live here in the United States.  I took a bit of time to look at my mother's mother's father's photo album...and it got me thinking.

Consider taking time to look at some old pictures or old family belongings.  See what new thoughts they give to you.  You never know....

And now, a Poetry Peek!

Last week I was very lucky to visit several schools in Northern New Jersey.  One of these was Radburn Elementary School, and they held a poetry contest the week I visited.  Here are the two poets whose poems were selected by the school for sharing here at The Poem Farm.  So many congratulations to all who wrote....writing a poem is a present to yourself.  

Today, welcome to Ulee and Thanvi, whose poems explore questions and wonders. Enjoy their thoughtful poems, shared with us by Radburn principal Jill Lindsey.

Never Nothing

Thinking about nothing is thinking about something

Doing nothing is doing something

Being nowhere is being somewhere

When I'm up to nothing, I'm up to something

Because there is never nothing

An empty room is filled with air

Just as every head is filled with hair!

Wait...

If an empty room is filled with air

And the action of doing nothing is doing something

What is an empty thought?

Without nothing, without something

Is that possible?

No, because there is never nothing.

by Ulee K., grade 5

What do Parents do?

What do parents do?

do dads work or

eat pizza all day?

what do parents do?

do moms cook

dinner or

watch TV until

they're asleep!

I do not know

what parents do

when I'm at

school but I

sure want to

now what they

do.

by Thanvi Y., grade 2

Reading these poems may have reminded you of some questions that you wonder about.  As Ulee and Thanvi show us, things we wonder about can inspire strong poetry.

Happy week!

Please visit Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge this week for the Poetry Friday roundup, a weekly celebration of poetry and all of its goodnesses.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

If you are under 13 years old, please comment only with a parent 

or as part of a group with your teacher and class.