Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)
This month, we Poetry Sisters wrote poems inspired by Lucille Clifton’s notes to Superman. When we met up on Zoom, Liz Garton Scanlon mentioned the power of relying on the collective memory/knowledge of a group of people as a kind of shorthand. That’s so true. It’s also hard because things I assume everyone knows (like the European-based fairy tales that I grew up with) are NOT things everyone knows. So you begin to winnow down who your poem can have any resonance for. A bigger question to ponder sometime.
I wrote three skinny poems to different fairy tales. I’m planning to share a skinny poem each day that I can during April for National Poetry Month, so I figured I’d start warming up now. Here ya go!
I wrote this first one last. It kind of sums up my feelings about the world at the moment!
I’m on the road for some celebrating and exploring and will be kind of off the grid. I HOPE to start posting National Poetry Month posts on Tuesday, but we’ll see how my internet access goes :>)
Can’t wait to see more! I only took part in our live write for the hi-how-ya-doin part, because I’d already written my drafts the day before and knew I had no time for revising before creating/scheduling this post. So I probably went in a very different direction than how some people interpreted this challenge. I didn’t think of it as “in the style of” Lucille Clifton at all. Instead, I just took the premise of speaking directly to mythical/pop culture figures.
Tricia
Click here to see all our previous Poetry Princesses collaborations.
Our Poetry Friday host is the unbelievably productive and adventurous Marcie Flinchum Atkins! Read and be awed!
18 Responses
I really like the skinny poems you posted. I like short poems so this would be a good form for me to try! I look forward to reading more of your poems in April.
Loved these!
I didn’t write “in the style of” exactly either, Laura. I just thought about the “notes to…” part, which you handled so beautifully here. There is something about the pain of change in each of these, the loss, the damage, the struggle along the way. Thank goodness for poetry helping us make sense of it all…
These skinny poems are so fun, Laura! Looking forward to reading more during NPM. xo
I have the same questions about the touchstones in fairy tales…and yet I can’t let go of them. Your poems help freshen the old tropes, though, and ask new questions about loss and brokenness. (And bravo for skinnies…I find them impossible!)
Love these, Laura! Looking forward to reading more during the month!
Man, skinnies are something I always *want* to do well, but never manage. I really like how you deep dive on things, and I feel like you accomplished what you intended with these. I especially am amused by Goldilocks. That’s got to be one of my least favorite fairytales because SERIOUSLY, chick: you didn’t think.
Meanwhile, I haven’t even really thought about my NPM plans and it’s Tuesday!!!
Clever and timely, Laura — Thank you for sharing. You Poetry Sisters always rock. Safe travels and celebrating to you and your Fam!
Enjoyed these skinnies, and looking forward to more! I’d like to join Mr. Van Winkle too …
I love that you tackled these three characters. I bow to your skinny poem prowess. Love the Goldilocks poem, especially the rearranged words in the last line. Bravo!
Here’s some more applause for your skinny poems! Goldilocks is my favorite. What a ditz.
My favorite is Rip Van Winkle with its palpable envy and images. I see prompts as a guideline and going your own way seems just fine to me.
I love reading your skinny poems, Laura, and looking at another side of characters we think we know so well! Now you’ve made me wonder if that frog wouldn’t really be by and in the water, eating tasty insects? Happy travels!
Hi Laura,
I really enjoyed your Rip VanWinkle skinny poem and how the mountains are cradling him. Look forward to reading more.
Laura, Thank you for your kind words. I love these skinny poems. They also feel really doable for students! I hope you enjoy your time off the grid.
Enjoy your celebrating and exploring, Laura! I love these skinny poems. The idea of writing to mythical or pop culture figures is full of possibility.
Laura I liked all your poems here but that last one with Goldilocks “splintered pride” “careless thinking” really resonates with all being taken away each day, thanks for these carefully thought out skinny poems!
What fun, Laura! I forgot about skinny poems! Thanks for the reminder.