Tag Archives: NAPOWRIMO

Day 29 – Flowers of Sun

Watched the 2010 episode of Doctor Who “Vincent and the Doctor”. A strange episode, with a monster that doesn’t really work — but such a lovely character piece that you overlook that (or I did anyway).

It ends with a sentimental, though for me, still deeply moving scene, where a lonely misunderstood Van Gogh (who sold only one painting in his life) is whizzed through time by Amy & the Doctor to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, to see an exhibition of his work & hear a beautiful (if slightly mawkish, so what!) speech by Art Historian disguised as Bill Nighy on his place in the history of art.

sensing sadness

who would not : given the chance : like to be whisked : jimmy stewart : wonderful life style : into your future : to see that : your love of strong sunlight : your thick brush strokes : your colour : your colour : your colour : your ability to transform : torment : your understanding : of ecstasy : the swirling double life : of your stars : your need to create : something greater : than yourself : was a masterpiece : despite : your doubts : despite you : not knowing : the sadness : actually : won’t last : forever

sunflowersCROP

Day 28 – Sand Trek

Today was about recuperation. I didn’t realise how stressed I’d become, so most of it was spent reading & catching up on some binge tv.

About 10 o’clock, the dawg & I went for a moonlit beach walk. Once we got home, this came out. & although it’s not strictly one of the Word Games (do I even have to use them now my Residency is finished?) weirdly, last week I read several chapters of Sand: A Journey through Science & the Imagination by Michael Welland, so there is a tentative link.

sand

love  :  taking sand … into the house … on my soles … fugue of beach … summer counterpoint … on this cool … autumn moonlight  :  the thought … of this sandalful … of golden grain … an ankledust’s worth … of microscopic rocks … fleeing the sea … to shipwreck … on my carpet … makes me feel … more connected  :  to everything

microsandCROP

27 – Waving to the Big Day

Well, the reading went today & it went pretty well. Though I really am exhausted now.

Today’s entry is really a series of very fast games. Because it was my last day, I wanted to choose a book in a different way to usual … so, to the irritation of a librarian who didn’t like me looking at books in the reserved collection, I found a book waiting for someone that I myself have been wanting to read for ages. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy.

I selected it because of its great last line. Then again because I liked it’s opening line. Again because of its chapter titles. & finally, just to make me day complete, I wrote out the first & last sentence of each chapter (or at least a bitesized phrase thereof). Then I played a number of games — that number, of course, was predetermined before I began!

five waves

i — first & last lines of every chapter (in order they appear)

aliens are stupid …
… i am the battlefield
call me zombie …
… you will be my battlefield
it should have been easy …
… and ran
as ways to go …
… you saved me
through the smudged window …
… if you want to see, i can show you
Ben Parsh is dead …
… in the spirit of vengeance
you saved me …
… you have to find something you’re willing to die for
the world is screaming …
… we’re plugging you into wonderland
we fell asleep last night …… the siren goes off
two hours …
… flash flash flash blinkblinkblink
the siren’s blare is so loud …
… his smell, sayings, my brothers
the green eye looked at me
… & yes, he’s toast
i want to drink in …
… obliterating the dark in a burst of golden light

ii — first lines of every chapter
aliens are stupid …
call me zombie …
it should have been easy …
as ways to go …
through the smudged window …
Ben Parsh is dead …
you saved me …
the world is screaming …
we fell asleep last night …
two hours …
the siren’s blare is so loud …
the green eye looked at me
i want to drink in …

iii — last lines of every chapter
… i am the battlefield
… you will be my battlefield
… and ran
… you saved me
… if you want to see, i can show you
… in the spirit of vengeance
… you have to find something you’re willing to die for
… we’re plugging you into wonderland
… the siren goes off
… flash flash flash blinkblinkblink
… his smell, sayings, my brothers
… & yes, he’s toast
… obliterating the dark in a burst of golden light

iv — chapter titles (in reverse order, both in name & chronology, with some licence)
the hole is dark & black — because of kismet or chance, i don’t know — the sea infinite in its ways — thousands of raindrops go into the flower — with a vengeance of spirit — that would kill a lesser heart — the day humans know they are winning — is the day the fly may fall into — silence — land — wonder at our last intrusion — i do not want to be, earth’s final historian

v — first & last line (put together as the first line) followed by chapter mashup
there will be no burst of golden light
through your window
reminding you of the world’s wonder
there will only be a winnowing
a thousand ways of silence
a loss of wonderland, mayfly days
black holes of human hearts
vengeance spirits flowering
rain in infinite seas
intrusions, last histories
because …

invasion wavesCROP.jpg

Day 26 – Seeing Things

What with tomorrow being tomorrow, & plenty of work to do to get ready for it, today’s poem & Game are both going to be as brief as poossible. I’ll be using a variation of one of the Word Games I’ve played before, Last Line (Gone) – except this time it’s First Line (Gone; to be the last line of my poem) :).

The line is taken from  The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. A truly glorious wonderful book that made me laugh, made me cry, made me weep buckets. Told by Enzo, who is a dog, this is a book that is a delight to read & one which will no doubt linger for days.

the art of not facing the truth

it’s easy to pretend
i’m waiting for you

easy to say
i’ve learnt

easy to argue
next time will be better

easy to acknowledge
every wrong

because
now you are gone

empty gestures
are all i have

racingCROP

First line of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. “Gestures all that I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature.”

Day 25 – The Year of One Day

Today is a controversial day for many. But it’s been good to me. The past 2 years now, I’ve got good poems out of it. Today I re-read Alan Seymour’s “classic Aussie play” The One Day of the Year, about the changing face of Anzac Day in the 60’s. I haven’t read it since uni, & ironically while it has dated, many of the issues it explores are still ones that people argue about today.

I began with its last line (Last Line, Gone) & continued from there…

the last post

i.

love its haunting frail warbly wobbly squeaky somehow off-key, off-kilter
voice trying to be courageous to death’s face but never quite succeeding
forlorn melancholy brassy vulnerability half-farting battlefield bravado
but most of all the strange perception that no matter how well played
it always sounds like there’s a note wrong in there — somewhere

ii.

yes, it’s time to turn off the taps we’ve had our last warning
your duty is done your time is over your rest deserves peace

last postCROP

The last line of The One Day of the Year is: “i’m a bloody Australian & i’ll always …

Day 24 – Inspired by Last Week Tonight

Today entry is a bit of a laugh.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has twice made fun of New York News Channel, WCBS 2 & their somewhat, um, quirky, is perhaps the nicest way to put, teasers; the first was in November last year & again this week (I just saw it today).

They’re almost too weird to believe (though I have linked them, so you can watch for yourself). So this is a Title Poem Game based on these headlines.

WCBS2 News @ 11

if, in the last hour of the day, you find yourself wanting
answers to questions your regular news cannot provide.
never fear — the team at WCBS2 have got your back
we are not your typical news service

we go — inside a dog’s mind
& rate afterlife tourist traps — ghost rest stops

we’ll help you
— shock yourself happy
— freeze yourself fabulous
— shaming your name

& reveal the heartbreaking
— secret lives of suburban wives
(& how to cope when the supermarket’s
run out of on-special peanut butter)

mirrored pain — we finally address that fear of your reflection
the vampire facial — obviously last night’s program is not an issue for you

cover all the big health trends
— younger hands
— younger eyes
— women: shaving face
— scalp botox
— the man flu: the truth (hey it really is worse for men)
— viagra for kids

get our heads around all that fandangled
new, teckermonology
— the digital breakup
— digital amnesia
— digital anxiety
— digital dentistry
— text walking
— barcode bandits
— the atm panic button

now, we don’t want to scare you
but have you considered
— dog danger (if you got in their mind with us
a few weeks ago, you should be okay)
— keyless danger
— danger underground
— virtual kidnapping
— high heel self defence
— dry drowning
— water overdose

wanna know what’s inside something
we got it (un)covered
— what’s in the water
— what’s in your wine
— what’s in the box
(no, we’re not running out of ideas:
the contents of boxes are big news)

we’ll incite a bit of pogonophobia
(which ironically has nothing to do with bouncy sticks
— are beards bad?

but sometimes are just
lazy — sick of food
poignant — summer sadness
alliterative — spiked spices

titlescreenCROP

What In God’s Name Are They Covering On WCBS News At 11?

What In God’s Name Is Still Happening On WCBS2 News At 11

Day 23 – Ode

Given that Billy Boy’s birthday (maybe) & death day falls in the middle of NaPoWriMo, I usually like to write something Bard-related.

This year, I’m focussing on the famous joke about the school kid who was studying Macbeth complained: “I dunno know why my teacher says Shakespeare was such a good writer.  Everything he writes is a cliché.”

As is often the case with these collage poems, it has clunky patches (which would have been softened if I didn’t give myself Game 1, below) but I think in a future rewrite could be smoothed out to give me sense.

Two games for readers:

1. How have the clichés been arranged?

2. One play is not mentioned … this is not for want of trying, but dozens of websites listing famous phrases that have passed into cliche territory, not one listed a recognisable or common phrase people would easily recognise. Very strange. I even skim read most of the play, trying to find one I could pinch. Nada. There is a prize for those who can name the play (haha, there is no prize except the joy of satisfaction).

The Bard of Cliche

i.
& so I step Into thin air, a Brave new world
Such stuff as dreams are made on —
Strange bedfellows, Make a virtue
of necessity As good luck would have it
I am no longer a Laughing stock
The world’s mine oyster I Refuse
to budge an inch Something in the wind
Makes me As merry as the day is long
& that’s the Obscene Zany Naked truth
Fancy-free, Swift as a shadow
But With bated breath, I wait
Even though Love is blind Truth will out
I could Hold a candle to your Pound of flesh
Forever and a day Cannot get
Too much of a good thing
All the world’s a stage
All of a sudden, Bedazzled
You Break the ice Kill with kindness
It’s Cold comfort to know
All’s well that ends well
As you Laugh yourself into stitches
Out of the jaws of death Leaving my face
— As white as driven snow.

ii.
I must Play fast and loose
There is no Elbow room To keep
my Spotless reputation as a Night owl
Yet Give the devil his due
Set my teeth on edge The game is afoot
He has Eaten me out of house and home
It’s an ill wind which blows no man to good
A heart of gold, Faint hearted
Mum’s the word, Tongue tied
Tongue, Dead as a doornail
Tongue, A tower of strength
For goodness sake

iii.
It’s Fashionable to say Good riddance
to the Devil incarnate
A fool’s paradise A wild goose chase
Parting is such sweet sorrow
We have seen better days
A dish fit for the gods Masters of their fate
Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war
I am constant as the Northern Star
Milk of human kindness
Live long day All our yesterdays
in One fell swoop we Double double
toil and trouble Be-all and the end-all
Crack of doom Knock knock! Who’s there?
To thine own self be true
In my heart of hearts
In my mind’s eye There’s the rub
Nothing can come of nothing
& so we Come full circle
Where everything is
A foregone conclusion

drippyshakesCROP

Day 22 – And now for something completely different …

This began as a draft in January. I have redrafted, edited  & posted it today for obvious reasons. It is the first poem this month not generated via Word Games.

grieving kangaroos

we live in a world, where, when a beloved famousity
dies, social media bloodbaths into a whirlpool : wailing
wallowing, teethgnashing, pedastooling, & deifying —
alongside attacks, assassinations & ruthless debunking.

since we have capacity to celebrate celebrity demises
en masse, it has become de rigueur to do so : vehemently
& publicly with status updates & changed profile pics
alerting the indifferent world of your immense loss.

trolls rumble from caves, dragging into the light
their democratic right to demonise — reminding us :
fame isn’t bestowed solely on saints & that as much
darkness lurks under the skins of those we idolise.

meanwhile, the day-to-day tragedies go ever on, untweeted
— as do the friends, daughters, grandsons of those left …

kangaCROP

Day 21 – Taking a Stone Away

I’ve played with a couple of ideas today, but none have truly impressed me. So I’m just going to go with this one. The poem pretty much tells its own story.

NOTE: This is the first poem of the month not inspired by a book (I think after scouring dozens of books for inspiration for the past 21 days, I’m temporarily over them. To be honest, I’ve hardly read anything for pleasure this month, which is quite sad).

This game is called Song Title (so not that much different really 🙂 )

Stone Heart

side 1: a heart
ever since the resumed after
twenty years love affair failed
before it began — a stone
has sat on my heart ; despite

all your claims of missed love ;
soul mates separated ; being one
that got away & comparing
me to every lover since — none

of that meant anything once
you arrived — & so for two long
sad years , i couldn’t bear
listening to the band you said

we would dance to when married

side 2: break
no more death defying acts to please
you as you laughed from the stalls —
you delighted in making our love
crash & burn in the middle of main

street — so everyone soon knew
what a grizzly bear you were not
the wonder i’d sold them — so ,
i drank a little whiskey — & sure ,

whenever i wonder wherever you are
my heart beats slow — other things
slow my broken heart too — but
take my word for it — at long last

i have been able to get home

boat CROP

Day 20 – All the Games, All at Once

Today was Day 3 of my Poet’s Residence (yep, already 3/4 of the way through it) & it was a wonderful day. When I arrived there was already someone waiting to start (Christine), and within a minute Kim arrived (I had spoken to him last week & he came back to participate this week). Within an hour, both had written quite lovely poems. Kim said he will post his on his blog. I hope he does & if so, I will link to it.

Neither Christine or Kim could stay for the whole session, but overall I had five people in today, including my friend & fellow poet Sarah Radford, who whipped off a wonderful poem based on the Last Line (Gone) of one of the books Kim chose (“bleed like me” was the line.) Kim also wrote a great poem using that prompt. My “bleed like me” poem, however, needs further work before I’ll share it.

The day ended with another new arrival, Rohan – who created in under an hour, a very sparse, elegant landscape poem which he also promised to put on his blog.

I also wrote a poem I was extreeeeeeeeeemmmmllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyy pleased with (tentatively called lift, the title’s the main thing that needs tweaking). I’m not sharing that one day here, but will read it next week during the performance phase of my final day.

But here’s the one I will share. It was made by combining the games Judging a Book By Its Cover, Last Line (Gone) & even, First Line to End It.

game of thorns

to live a life — where you are happy — more often — than you are not — where the jagged thorns — don’t puncture skin — too often — where your world is framed — by bramble — hidden away — in a castle — long ago abandoned — by disney — where the darkness — reflects — where stars salt the sky — where the cold — is sharper than sleep — where the zig zag path — always leads — to the crescent moon — & where — ‘once upon a time’ — actually meant something

thorn closeup CROP

Games played with the cover, first line & last line of Spinning Thorns by Anna Sheehan (reworking of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale). Last line: “And that really is all anyone can hope for” & first line: “once upon a time”.