I.
Inner myth
sense magic
Brave mind
crazy fierce
Masterpiece
open
Original artwork by B.L.D. 2012
II.
Sunless sea
blue dawn
Willows tremble
catching gold
Photo by: c.b.w. 2012
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“Poeticals” is a series a free-write poems inspired by book and magazine titles. See where it all began, here.
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c.b.w. 2012
Sometimes inspiration is a subtle little creature that wanders through your subconscious. This was the lesson I learned after completing a Wreck This Journal page that instructed me glue down a page from a magazine and circle the words I like. I dutifully finished this page a long time ago, but the significance of what I had done didn’t hit me until this week.
Grab a highlighter or a pen and start circling words that speak to your muse!
I literally followed instructions and circled words I liked without really thinking that they could or might fit together. And there they sat for months until I read through them the other day. To my complete surprise, the words I circled actually fit together to create two interesting little poems.
experience antique country
passion beauties
character past
roamed feisty skies
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symmetry beautiful
flowing array
authentic faux
enable discerning
create luminaries
learning
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Granted, these aren’t perfect lines, (my inner editor wants to revise so badly), but they still have something interesting to say. My voice is there and speaking very loudly! To me this little exercise really showcases the power of random association and free-writing! If I’ve learned anything, its the importance of shutting off my filter every now and again in order to explore new possibilities.
Stay inspired!
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c.b. 2012
Just as it did every year on this day, Malcolm’s cane rattles across the cobblestones. He knows where the walkway is uneven and how many steps it takes to get from the flower market to the clock tower. Fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven. For the last ten years, the number has always been the same.
The roses smell stronger than usual, their sweet, musky scent hangs heavy in the foggy air. The treads on his old shoes struggle to grip the stones still wet from the street washer’s hose. He tightens his hold on his cane and feels for the wall behind him. A chill seeps into his spine as he leans on the stone bricks.
He knows he’s in the right place when he hears the soft tick-tock of the clock tower. The steady tempo calms his pulse and soothes his nerves. It’s been so long, but the thought of her still makes his hands clammy and his knees wobble.
Footsteps approach and they could be hers . . . but, no. Too heavy and too far apart. They belong to Jakob, a waiter from the café across the street. A large gentle hand squeezes Malcolm’s arm with the assurance of friendship. He says nothing, but gives Malcolm a warm cup of coffee before walking away.
The steam warms his nose and weaves through his thick mustache. It’s enough to warm his bones, but not much else. She said she’d be here and he still believes her. People get lost or wander away, but they always end up coming home. Don’t they?
As the minutes tick by and his coffee cup empties, he listens carefully for the sound of her voice calling his name and sniffs the breeze for a hint of her perfume. He would know her touch anywhere as there is nothing like the feel of her hand in his. If he tries hard enough he can imagine her phantom fingers caressing his skin. Though, he cannot see her face. The memory is no longer vivid and his eyes are a thing of the past.
She would come, he knew she would.
Side street view of the clock tower in Old Town Square, Prague, 2008, c.b.w.
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This is a little experiment in free-writing with the assistance of a prompt and a partial story it inspired in one of my journals. I played with both a bit more and filled in some blanks. The photograph comes from a trip I took to Prague a few years back.
Prompt: They’d agree to meet under the clock on Valentine’s Day. That was four years ago, but he still came very year on that date to wait for her.
Source of prompt: First 50 – I’ve had the prompt tucked in my journal for a while, but never checked out this blog until today. It’s an amazing source of writing prompts and I highly recommend it for any writer looking for a little inspiration!
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c.b. 201
I’ve heard “blind as a bat” so many times, I’m ready for that bat to be “dead as a doornail” just to put him out of his misery. Clichés seem to invade everything from first drafts to finished novels and they will continue to do so until writers stop relying on them.
I’m just as guilty as everyone else, but a piece of wisdom I picked up a couple of years ago has reminded me to be a little more diligent about recognizing my cliché habits.
If it sounds like something you’ve heard before, you probably have and many times over.
This is not a new idea, but it’s one every writer should consider. I don’t want to bore my readers and I certainly don’t want my writing to fall flat because I chose to use a cliché instead of conjuring something original.
While reading through Rip the Page by Karen Benke, I came across an exercise that fosters the ditching of clichés in a very interesting way. Instead of avoiding them altogether, she challenges writers to put the zing back into these worn-out phrases:
Benke insists “your own golden language” is hiding underneath all those layers of cliché antiquity. Clichés are simply a place to start digging until the individual voice can speak. She offers a little encouragement, by creating small prompts that give a new direction in which to think about each cliché.
I found this challenge irresistible and was immediately inspired to give these clichés a makeover. Here’s what I came up with:
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How would you remake the above list of clichés? Join in the fun and post your creative makeovers in the comments or post a link. Stay inspired!
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For a great list of clichés, go here. I was surprised at some of the phrases that made the list and you might be as well!
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c.b. 2012
Whenever I think of words and math hanging out together, I instantly think of story problems, which were the bane of my existence in grade school. However, after reading a short segment in Rip the Page by Karen Benke, my perspective has drastically changed. Story problems don’t have to be lame plot lines designed to confuse my ability to add or subtract. The poet in me has been awakened to the possibility of adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying words.
In a section entitled, “A Note From: Betsy Franco,” the concept of mathematickles is introduced as the fusion of poetry and math. She gives a few examples to get the muse juice flowing:
rooftops
porches
+ under cars
___________
where the neighborhood kitties are
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puddles – rescued worms = cloudy mirrors
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Franco’s initial idea was to use haiku as a base, but she encourages poets to take risks by playing with form and language. The more broken rules, the better! I found the idea of math poetry so whimsical and inspiring I couldn’t help but free write a few of my own mathematickles.
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millions of words
+ thousands of pages
________________
reader on board
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tiny bladder − all but four teeth + a wagging nubbin’ = one forgiven and spoiled dog
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Old stove × high burn ratio ÷ low cuisine IQ = kitchen meltdown
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Pile of paperwork² + reluctant adults + ornery (slow) computer × surprise variables =
Yay! Taxes are done.
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seeds aplenty
sunflowers
sweet peas
× snap beans
__________
songs of spring
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Betsy Franco has written an entire book dedicated to math poetry, called Mathematickles! Creating word equations has never been more fun! Endless inspiration is sure to ensue and no calculator is required.
Are you inspired to be a math poet? Post your mathematickle or link in the comments.
Happy free writing!
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c.b. 2012
