The March Challenge, in honor of the start of the Iditarod Race, was looking for works about races and competition. Writer's Island was all about secrets and Poetry Tow Truck wanted us to choose a book and then use the book itself as the writing prompt.
In the spirit of 'winning' (thank you Charlie Sheen!) and all that other good not-so-secret competitive stuff, I'm posting four poems today. The first two are 5/7/5 Haiku. The third is an Irish Celtic form called Debibhidhe (pronounced jay-vee) which is a poem of quatrains with rhyming couplets and lots of alliteration. The fourth (and final) poem is an Envelope Couplet which, although employing rhyming couplets, is actually a 6-line stanza'd poem.
 |
| Image courtesy of Picture Book |
Dogsled Race
It is oft said, if
you’re not the first in the pack,
the views never change.
###
 |
| Image courtesy of Bravo Engraving |
Tongue-in-Cheek Competitive Advice
Sure, I have advice for people starting to write. Don’t. I don’t need the competition. ~Robert B. Parker
Think you might try? Don’t.
Do we actually need
another poet?
###
 |
| Image courtesy of Writer's Island |
Shhh!
Of course I can keep secrets. It’s the people I tell them to that can’t keep them. ~Anthony Haden-Guest
Secrets passed and secrets sold
are two sorts of secrets told.
Clandestine? Covert? Nay.
Secret mysteries? I say,
“Listen! Lordy! I just heard
whisperings. Wherefore, the word
is that so-and-so did such.
Do not tell. Shhh! Thanks so much!”
###
 |
| Image courtesy of Ryan D'Mello |
Juggling*
Make bats and balls fly in the air.
Learn the tricks. It’s in this quair.**
The stance and jugglespace, you’ll get.
Cascading’s also in this set.
So, one ball, two balls - tossed with flair…
make bats and balls fly in the air.
Make bats and balls fly in the air.
You’ll learn how-to; this book will share
High Throw, First Tricks, Over the Top,
Under the leg, The Snatch, The Chop.
Classic Three-Ball Tricks, you’ll dare.
Make bats and balls fly in the air.
Make bats and balls fly in the air.
Juggle clubs, rings anywhere!
With well-timed catch and great upswing,
hey - you can juggle anything!
This book can aid and help prepare -
make bats and balls fly in the air.
*This poem used the book Juggling by Stuart Ashman as its prompt.
**According to Webster’s 1913 Dictionary, a quair or a quire is a synonym for a book.
###
