We who with songs beguile your pilgrimage / And swear that Beauty lives though lilies die, / We Poets of the proud old lineage / Who sing to find your hearts, we know not why ... (James Elroy Flecker)

17.2.21

Following Blackout

Following Blackout

Be an uncrushed flower!

Burst into constellations of dance!

Love can be a monster, or not …

the choice is always yours.




Written for Weekly Scribblings #57 at Poets and Storytellers United, where Magaly invites us to 'scribble new prose or poetry inspired by one (or all 3) of the following lines (which are blackout poems, created by her)1. Be an uncrushed flower. 2. Burst into constellations of dance. 3. Love can be a monster, or not. Feel free to use the exact words, or not—the choice is always yours.'


As you see, this is basically a straightforward found poem, found in the above instructions – with a bit of erasure to create title and last line. Which seems kinda appropriate for this prompt ... as well as, perhaps, the lazy way to approach it. (I can't help it; it just jumped out at me when I read the prompt, and would not be silenced.)


[Is it bad when the process notes are very much longer than the poem?]

27 comments:

  1. I can totally understand why it just jumped at you. I'm quite certain that I blacked out all three lines around the same time, maybe while in the similar mood...

    And I completely agree with your closing.

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  2. Here I sit, staring glassy eyed at those three lines .... which together actually are a poem. And, like you I knew it. We are not lazy, we know great lines when we read them !!!! Don't want to be a copy cat, I will head off in another direction, though not as satisfying as the road you took.

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  3. Bravo, nice one Rosemary

    much love...

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  4. I love the title, Rosemary, it does what it says and presents us with a perfect found poem.

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    1. Nice that you got that meaning of 'following' too. (Smile.)

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  5. This is one of those times I say: "I wish I had thought of that!" Good one, Rosemary!

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    1. I feel as if I hardly even thought of it: it was just there.

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  6. If brevity is the soul of wit...then you seem to have achieved this:)

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  7. Wow! I totally missed that! Great closing. The title has two meanings for me, at least today. The literal blackout poetry, but then I'd just been reading about Texas and how many are in another literal blackout, that they will emerge from.

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    1. I was thinking of possible metaphorical meanings, and also of friends in Texas.

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  8. you can’t fight the muse 🙂

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  9. I think this minimalist approach worked pretty darn well! LOL, and I've been guilty more than once of having my notes be longer than the piece.

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  10. That was fun, Rosemary. Yes, we've had blackouts and blackouts this week here in Texas. The first lasted 48 hours and very cold. After that the longest was only 12 hours and not so cold.
    I used those lines slightly blacked as introductions to my three stanzas, it went well for me.

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    1. Thinking of you, and other friends in Texas, with prayers you survive all this. I loved your poem arising from the three lines.

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  11. Can our "monster" be an uncrushed flower? I think it all depends - sometimes we really need the "monster" to survive and thrive ...

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    1. Good point! (I would have loved it if you'd signed your name, dear Unknown, but am delighted to receive your comment in any case.)

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