Poetry Exercise : Writing off the Page

[spacedonkey]

This is from Natalie Goldberg's book "Writing Down the Bones".

Take a poetry book. Open to any page, grab a line, write it down, and continue from there. A friend calls it "writing off the page". If you begin with a great line, it helps because you start right off from a lofty place.

"I will die in Paris, on a rainy day ... It will be a Thursday," by the poet Cesar Vallejo. "I will die on Monday at eleven o'clock, on Friday at three o'clock in South Dakota rising a tractor, in Brooklyn in a delicatessen," on and on. Every time you get stuck, just rewrite the first line and keep going. Rewriting the first line gives you a whole new start and a chance for another direction - "I don't want to die and I don't care if I'm in Paris or Moscow or Youngstown, Ohio".

[spacedonkey]

doh - riding a tractor

[popsycal]

will give this a go spacedonkey!

[spacedonkey]

me too

[popsycal]

will try it this evening
:)

[popsycal]

spacedonkey - I hope that you are thinking about this!!!

do you require any particular style or type of poem???

[anorak]

That's an interesting exercise and a new one for me. I'll give it some thought.

[spacedonkey]

Well I set out to do this exercise, and then I thought "oh no, I know what would be a really cool exercise, to use a thread title (or titles) from the active conversations list to kick off a poem" so I did that instead. Sort of. Anyway here's my effort.

Would it be considered sad
If I lay in bed wearing one sock and my scarf
With tepid tea on a table cluttered
With a glass clouded by fingerprints and
An old train ticket that has fallen from a book?
Rust marked curtains hang limply, skimply
And two insipid towels perch on the bed
I am too lazy to put them away.
My bladder is needling me, pestering
Like an unwalked dog
I am too lazy to empty it.
One sock lost.
I am too lazy to look for it.
Old life gone.
Nothing yet to replace it.

[JaNgLyBELLS]

That is so good! Spacedonkey, you ought to write some more!

[spacedonkey]

where's yours jangly?

[JaNgLyBELLS]

I tried in bed last night, in my head. Couldn't think of a sodding line! I'm gonna sit down with a pen and paper later on and have a go. Watch this space (or don't!)

[JaNgLyBELLS]

The first line's from Thomas Hardy.

If Spring should come round again,
Come round again, round again..
If!? don't give me If!
I planted forty tulip bulbs!
The earth was cold, my hands were numb.
Don't give me If,
The robin said -When.
He needed food, not my company
(I needed his)
Don't give me If!
Give me when!
Eggs, blossoms,leaves, warmth,
Give me When!

[JaNgLyBELLS]

Its a good idea isn't it! Having a starting line seems to kick you off. Popsycal - your turn!

[spacedonkey]

like it!

[JaNgLyBELLS]

Wow! Thanks Spacedonkey.

[spacedonkey]

I like the rather stroppy tone of voice you've used

[spacedonkey]

and i like the way you've gone off into a totally different direction to the one one might expect from that first line - it's funny because it's unexpected

[JaNgLyBELLS]

Thomas Hardy is a bit of miserable sod! Sometimes you feel like kicking against it! That's very interesting feedback. Thankyou.

[popsycal]

wow ladies!

I guess it is my turn but i have nothing to add yet!
might fdo spacemonkey's idea of pinching a thread title,.....as my poetry book are at work.....

hmmmm
BRB!
:)

[JaNgLyBELLS]

I like yours because its very evocative. You feel like you're there in the room. And I can empathise with it!

[JaNgLyBELLS]

Popsycal - that way, you wouldn't have any copyright probs if you ever wanted to publish it!!

[popsycal]

LOL

How about a poem entitled

' what insolves mystery/conspiracy could you solve if oytu wanted? '

[spacedonkey]

I wondered if it would be possible to construct a poem entirely out of thread titles

Would be surreal if nothing else

[popsycal]

oh shall we??!?!?
i lOVE that idea!!!

[spacedonkey]

go for it!

[popsycal]

lol - will try somehting simpler first"
haha
mine wont be an inspried poem by the way - more a daft little ditty type poem today