COME ONE, COME ALL/ June 18
by Carolee, Deb & Jill
It’s show time! It’s time to post your original poem, written in response to Monday’s prompt — using our mystery poet’s words — or any other inspiration from the week. (We love it when you write to our prompt, but we also love it when you write on a whim. We all know how fickle that muse can be.)
(For those curious, Monday’s words were pulled from the poem “Dangerous Astronomy” by Sherman Alexie. While many know his work as a novelist, short-story writer and screenwriter, Alexie is also a fine poet.)
So leave a link to your blog post, or leave your poem itself, in the comments! And remember: Although we love seeing our badge in the sidebar of your blog, we would appreciate it if you would also link back to the site in each of your poem posts. Linking within your post helps people travel back and forth from your site to the Big Tent Poetry site, and it helps perpetuate Big Tent Poetry “findability” in Google searches — and that helps us all.
Let the show begin! This post is “sticky” — it will stay right here in the spotlight for you all weekend.
Here’s how prompts work under the Big Tent
You’ve got all week to write your poem, based on this week’s prompt. Come Fridays (today!) you’ll find a “Come One, Come All” post (this one!) where you can 1) leave a link to your poem or 2) leave the poem in its entirety.
We want to give you all weekend to post your work and read each others’ work. Take your time. Enjoy all the poems that are new to the world.
Some hints
Hint: We’ve set Big Tent Poetry to Central Time.
Hint: An easy way to check on new post comments is via a RSS reader, if you use one. Here’s the address you would add to your reader: http://bigtentpoetry.org/comments/feed.
Hint: Since we’re a new site, and you’re new to it, your comment(s) will be held for moderation for your first few posts. We’re checking the filters often, so don’t despair! That said, if it takes more than a half a day to see it come live on the site, do email us at info (at) bigtentpoetry.org. (But be patient, okay?)
Circus etiquette
We figure you know how to play in the poetry community, but here are the basics:
Be nice. Have fun. Remember we aren’t a critique forum. We want to support each other as we bring more poetry into our lives. Only provide critique if someone specifically asks for it.
One other thing
So it might be more than one. Read our barkers’ articles, if you haven’t recently. Great stuff. Here’s the list of links.
Astronomy turned into astrology… of a sort. Horoscorpio
[...] Read more of this week’s poems here. I have a deadline in a research project today, so I will be trying to be responsible most of the day, but I’ll be around this weekend. [...]
I’m so excited to finally be participating here! Thanks for the wordle. I had fun with it and am going to go read the original poem now…
http://www.poetryetcetc.com/?p=411
It’s great to see you here, Beth! Yay!
look at all this! this is going to be fun, and just what i needed, i think. good on the three of you for putting this together.
however, the fun must wait a bit… today it’s data entry til the cows come home… but soon! :)
Carolee had this brilliant idea of making it a 3-day party. So wander back when you need a break or the cows come home. :-)
yay! fun that lasts all weekend. :)
so glad to see you here, beth!
It was strangely fun, in its darkness, and not at all the sort of poem I usually write… Underground Vault.
i had fun playing with these words!
http://caroleesherwood.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/wordle-poem-for-big-tent-poetry/
This is my first attempt with the cascade form. It’s on the dark side.
http://bozone-bw.blogspot.com/2010/06/before-you-go-out-in-dark-tonight.html
Here’s mine: PURGATORY
Stan, have you disabled comments on your new layout? I felt every wheeze and cough of your poem.
ViV
Woops! That comment was meant for Jeeves….
What a great set of words this time. They just jumped off the page and I had an instant idea! Here is where you’ll find it… http://cynthiashort.blogspot.com
http://poemsotherwise.blogspot.com/2010/06/cough-it-all.html
I always enjoy your poems but I have never yet been able to leave a comment on your blog. It is so frustrating!
Phlegm aside, I thought this one was beautiful.
http://thelaughinghousewife.wordpress.com
Opps!!!!Sorry for that….shall enable comments…Thanks for the comment and feedback
I couldn’t comment either. Nice work, Jeeves.
See my misplaced comment in Stan’s space…
Now, I really need to place the comments section! Thanks for the comment here
Nice work Jeeves!
phlegmatic?
I’d say that was a “productive” cough!
I really enjoyed this prompt. Thanks!
http://thelaughinghousewife.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/a-scouse-apology/
Mine’s here, the result of my few days grannying last week. http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com
I stumbled in here for the first time yesterday. A really interesting prompt, I thought. Looking forward to reading the other responses.
http://wordsthusarranged.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/call/
Welcome, welcome Sarah! Glad you found us.
hi, sarah! welcome!
Used all the words. ‘ Short and Sweet ‘
http://rallentanda.blogspot.com
Two poems bubbled up from this week’s wordle. You will find them here.
Well, though this is the second time I have been around the Big Tent for a wordle, this is the first time I ever did it RIGHT and used all the words. It was a fun challenge. Thank you.
http://inthecornerofmyeye.blogspot.com/2010/06/looking-for-love.html
There’s isn’t a “right” way, Mary. You get to do what you want with all or just one of the words — but we’re glad you had fun challenging yourself to use them all.
Used a few, but not that good to get them ALL in there…
http://mypoeticlicense.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/under-this-sky/
Have a super weekend everyone!
- Dina
I was inspired by the shape of the wordle itself. Feel free to read the lines in any order you like.
http://theoddinkwell.com/2010/06/16/bed-time/
I managed to use all of the wordle words in my poem, which I think is a first for me! It’s another in my ongoing series of mother poems:
Psalm 5
http://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/2010/06/another-mother-poem-psalm-5.html
A page from The Glass Heart Missalette
You can find my wordle here.
http://herwordsbloomed.blogspot.com/2010/06/big-tent-poetry-prompt-wordle.html
Here’s my take on the prompt. It’s called A Moment of Relief.
http://systematicweasel.blogspot.com/2010/06/moment-of-relief-big-tent-poetry-prompt.html
-Weasel
Welcome to the Big Tent, Weasel.
Thought I’d use all the words, but found one word that I went with —so I left all the other words behind.
http://word-painting.blogspot.com/2010/06/hymn-of-praise-shaker-boxes-were.html
when one word is enough, that’s all you need!! :)
Similar words lead down dramatically different paths. Lovely prompt!
“Fatherly”
http://poemsaboutnothinginparticular.blogspot.com/2010/06/fatherly.html
yes! it’s so great to see how different the responses are!
The victor’s song
Comfort me with warm milk and cookies.
Let the victors rejoice – praise their efforts.
Those who resent our triumph shall remain
In this dark and dangerous world.
The dull stars shall shine brighter.
Those who are hungry shall be fed.l
Give the new wine to those who
Cough and weaken, they too
Sacrificed for our deliverance.
I especially love these lines:
>>>> Give the new wine to those who
Cough and weaken, they too
Sacrificed for our deliverance.
>>>
The tone, at first, reminded me of the boys in high school who were the most annoying, arrogant jerks around and then – surprisingly, I heard compassion in those three lines and my heart and energy shifted. THANK YOU.
“those who are hungry shall be fed” is a great wish: literally and metaphorically.
It reads like a legend, this poem, or a tale — how wonderful would it be to have compassionate victors?
I used all the words!
Thanks for a great wordle prompt!
Pamela
http://flaubert-poetrywithme.blogspot.com/2010/06/imagine-this-big-tent-poetry-wordle-7.html
Oh, hey! A question for yall:
Did you enjoy using these “found words?” I.e., another poet’s words from a poem somewhere out there in Poetryland?
Oh, hey! And a request:
We could use some more words for future Wordles: send one or a dozen to info@bigtentpoetry.org .
I have yet to see the poem which birthed these particular words (I am reading backwards today and don’t remember seeing the poem in the original prompt) AND since i started with Cento from a Mini-Poetry Challenge at RWP I have enjoyed the heck out of crafting from other poet’s work.
LOVE it, as a matter of fact.
(Speaking of which, looking forward to poetry challenges here, whenever they are due to start you will find me dancing in the aisles at the circus.)
Hey, Julie — I don’t reveal the poet’s poem from whence came the words until the Come One, Come All. It’s up there (pointing up to the post). (Sherman Alexie!)
Sherman Alexie is the bomb. And I, too, am looking forward to the mini-challenges.
we want to start them very, very soon. i suppose it’s time for the ring masters to conference and begin weaving them in!!!
me too! i want mini-challenges! (the circus crowd may get a little rowdy on high atmosphere and festival food. :) )
Deb,
have you ever tried Visuwords for random words? it gives you amazing things. (I just got “olympian zeus” when I checked the link.) just click the random button; it also gives you lots of little circles with related words. it could be used as a source for the wordles, or you can just play with it. that’s fun, too.
:D
http://www.visuwords.com/
Oh! Oh! Thank you!
I forgot about this (how could I have forgotten about this?)!
And it’s a great play device for everyone, no matter what. (Hm. Maybe we need a “word play” resource page! Interested in helping to make one for the Tent?)
sure! I can send you my little list; just let me know where.
:D
Oh, that’s great!!
info@bigtentpoetry.org would be super. Thank you for being so generous!! xxoo
uh, yeah!!!!! :) poetry tools, baby. poetry play!!!
i like finding deb has used the word “y’all.” warms the cockles of my heart. :) i am keen on the idea of putting together some wordles (i like these as well). all “found words” ones or are made from scratch wanted as well?
Whichever, whatever. Goes with my laid back “yall.” :-)
I liked the “found words” from another poem. These were good words – and I liked the source poem as well. It’s definitely a win-win.
Mine is called
“Satisfying Reality”….. enjoy!~
and I was so excited to post it, I forgot a link! Here is the link to
“Satisfying reality”….
http://juliejordanscott.typepad.com/jjspoetry/2010/06/satisfying-reality.html
loved the found words, Deb!
I used them all, but I’m not responsible for the outcome.
http://another2doors.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/cough/
Well this my first attempt at the Big Tent. I look forward to reading other’s submissions. Now after seeing where the words were taken from for the wordle I notice my poem went in a way different direction. Thanks for sharing everyone and I hope you like mine.
http://burdensandsmiles.blogspot.com/2010/06/nightfall-in-port-au-prince.html
Welcome to the Big Tent, Robert.
I bet all of our poems went in a completely different direction than Alexie’s. I think that is one of the fascinating aspects of this exercise.
hi, robert! welcome! we’re happy you’re here!!
It’s always surprising to me what the wordle will inspire:
Poorly sketched comedy meets creation myth
Some stand in the foliage, some watch from trees…no matter where you perch, still It’s a jungle out there.
I tweeked Donald’s link, in case others had trouble getting to his poem. (http://woodennickel.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/1317/)
Coming in late, but here I am with my offering…
An Open Letter to a Suicide Bomber”
This is a visual poem, so you’ll need to click on the graphic in my post to enlarge and read.
-Nicole
Late! Late? It’s still early, girl!! (Glad you are here.)
we go all weekend long!
Here’s mine: Applying the Thesaurus to A Middle-aged Life .
Thanks, everyone, for joining the circus!!
I’ll be in and out all weekend to check spam and read your work. Can’t wait! Woot! Party!
Party on, Deb! :)
Intriguing title Deb. :) I’ll be reading on the weekend.
Here’s my poem, The Call To Hunger, with all words in it:
http://troublebeingstrong.blogspot.com/2010/06/call-to-hunger.html
whee I love a wordle.
summer and chairs
Thanks! Mine is here…
Re-Sent
Here is my poem, along with An Angry Pantoum, at: http://sadlywaiting.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-poems-for-big-tent-poetry.html
Hi Mr. Walker: your blog wouldn’t accept my comment as I don’t have a Google account and it didn’t give me the option of name/URL.
I love both these poems – the first for its romanticism and the second for the technical skill you have shown with such a difficult form. (I speak from bitter experience!)
ViV
Vivienne, thanks for commenting here. I appreciate that. I didn’t realize there was a problem with not having a Google account. I’ll see if there are other options I can present on the blog; otherwise, I might have to migrate to wordpress.
Nor mine.
Both so well-written Mr Walker. Of course I like ‘for the dreamers’, economical, simple, sweet.
I like the second’s interrogative style much. (and I cannot comment on your blog.)
oh, I couldn’t leave a comment either. I completely spaced on my google password; I’ll leave it here:
oh, well done mr. walker!
I’m just in live with the last stanza of the first poem — lovely!
and your pantoum was really intriguing — anger as friend and foe. there’s so much truth in there, much more so than most are willing to admit.
My last minute write.
an English muse
For the first time I’ve used all the wordle words in my poem. Here is the link – http://umaathreya.blogsome.com/2010/06/18/savour-this/
Uma, My comment wouldn’t take on your site, so I copied and pasted it here.
Beautiful images…I love “clouds like milk spill the sky.” The dark sand crumbling underfoot is a great sensory image…reader me feels the grains give way.
You liken bats to prayers set free…this is beautiful, Uma. I love this piece. It carries with it truth, and hope, followed by the stinging message of mortality.
~Brenda
Uma – my comment didn’t go through either. I also enjoyed your stunning imagery. I especially like these lines: “clouds like milk spill the sky” and “bats like prayers.” Fantastic.
what a great turn-out! and it’s still relatively early. :) yay!!!!
http://monthofapril2008.blogspot.com/2010/06/associations.html
these words seemed to naturally fall into place… http://jillypoet.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/back-to-our-regularly-scheduled-poetry/
yay! jill’s in da’ house! or should i say, “da’ tent!”?
Leading Up to the End
Your medication makes you dull.
The stars no longer shine
in your cold, dark night.
The moon is nothing
but a white hole in the sky;
it offers no comfort from
the black hole you live in.
You say it is dangerous
to hope; hope only brings pain.
You resent praise; say you are
hungry only for the milk
of human kindness. But here
is the confusing part:
you gave up dairy
because it makes you cough.
“medication makes you dull” starts this off in exactly the tone this piece asks for, i think!
Quite a fine and concise piece that describes depression very well….good job!
I enjoy many of your enjambments, such as “The stars no longer shine” and “The moon is nothing” as they magnify the tone of the piece.
[...] Other responses to the prompt are here This entry was posted Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 at 10:37 pm, last modified at 11:22 pm, 6/18/10 [...]
That Hollywood Sparkle
Loved what the words brought to me this week. Thanks for the wordle. Here is my poem:
The Night and You
hi, circus-goers! keep posting! i keep checking to see what’s new! it’s not too late!
Ice Box Bandit
Hello everyone! I’m the new act in town! Looking forward to meeting all of you and enjoying your poetry.
My new poem is: Rumpelstiltskin Sky
Hi Patience! Welcome to the Big Tent!
Your link is acting up, so for others who might have trouble following it: http://looking-both-ways.blogspot.com/2010/06/rumpelstiltskin-sky.html
Enough to Name