“There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” (W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM)

Friday, May 15, 2015

More on collaborative poetry

There are probably thousands of ways that collaborative poetry can be approached. My suggestion; mix it up. A recent project between myself and two of my co-poets explored one facet of collaboration. This project was a lot of fun and, we all three agreed, turned out some pretty good pieces.

The parameters we set were minimal, we were each to write a 20 line poem on any topic. Next, we sent one of the others  only our even lines and the other, only our odd lines. The second poet was to fill in the blanks, keeping each piece at 20 lines. The only other caveat was to not create too long of a line compared to the ones preceding and following for the sake of symmetry and visual appeal.

Today, I will share my original 20 line poem. The revisions or fill-ins will follow shortly.

Sunday Morning

sips of coffee
and subtle glances
take the place of
morning conversation
under the table
dog lazing between
our feet, not seeking
attention,content
to just be still
in the morning light.


in no hurry to start
the day, mugs refilled
and sections of newspaper
exchanged, the silence
finally broken by the whine
of the dog needing
to relieve herself
back door opened
and sun on face, you ask

“What do you want to do today?”




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