COME ONE, COME ALL/October 8
by Carolee, Deb & Jill
It’s show time! It’s time to post your original poem, written in response to Monday’s prompt — borrowed lines as a springboard! — 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.)
What did you write? Please leave a link to your blog post, or leave your poem itself, in the comments!
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.
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.
I love these kinds of prompts–they always send me in an unexpected direction. Thanks!
Dave
I’m not exactly thrilled with this. beside the highway, on the way…
Here is mine. http://dishwaterdreams.com/2010/10/waiting-be-told/
your site doesn’t work with my iPod, but I do like your rebel girl
I decided to go with Charles Bukowski.
Thanks for an interesting prompt.
http://flaubert-poetrywithme.blogspot.com/2010/10/some-evenings-big-tent-poetry-23.html
This prompt took me in several directions and different poems. I only posted one, but am grateful for the inspiration,
http://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/like-job/
I’d like to wish you Good Evening, Mr. Magpie
Here’s mine:
http://troublebeingstrong.blogspot.com/2010/10/moonburn.html
Mine can be found here:
http://inthecornerofmyeye.blogspot.com/2010/10/question-without-answer.html
Love the prompt.
my father’s dying is not evil
I couldn’t get away from Emily Dickinson. Here’s my link. http://victoria-andnowpoems.blogspot.com/2010/10/big-tent-poem-from-springboard.html
Good prompt – lots of room to cast around for the ideal line. I’m leaping into the unknown with the Metaphysicals. Click on my name to join me.
Two little poems and a true story here: http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/borrowing-lines-for-big-tent-oct-4/
I just loved this prompt.
‘Roulette d’Amour’
I used a few lines from Jacques Prevert.’Cet Amour’
http://rallentanda.blogspot.com
Even Ginsberg can’t resist the eggs at: Scrambled, Not Fried
Here’s mine:
http://melrosemusings.blogspot.com/2010/10/melodic-enchantment.html
[...] prompt for Big Tent this week was to borrow a line from someone else’s poem and use it as a springboard. This is [...]
And mine: http://thelaughinghousewife.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/i-could-be-happy/
a little explanation and a very small thought
http://wysfool.blogspot.com/2010/10/quantum-charlie.html
I borrowed a line from a wonderful poem by Heid E. Erdrich, and wound up with
Choice
http://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/2010/10/another-mother-poem-with-a-line-borrowed-from-erdrich.html
I borrowed a line from an Amy Clampitt poem. I couldn’t attribute t to a specific poem since all I had was the line copied into a notebook.
http://word-painting.blogspot.com/2010/10/misplaced-in-time.html
http://ladynimue.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/love-yours-and-mine/
Hi Lady, I’ve been away and haven’t had a chance to welcome you to the Tent. Glad you found us!
http://systematicweasel.blogspot.com/2010/10/work-of-systematic-weasel.html
Bit of a rule breaker this week, lol! Instead of a line of poetry or a poem, I received a picture as a gift, and thought it best to be inspired by it. =)
Inspired by Robert Frost in Divergence.
This week developed quite nicely as a reply to the Big Tent prompt. I asked Rachel for her permission and so I am posting our conversation as an example of poetic collaboration.
Go to http://northernwall.blogspot.com/2010/10/poetry-conversation.html
[...] Submitted to Big Tent Poetry [...]
Good Morning All, I hope this finds you well. I hope everyone had an inspired week of writing. I know I sure did.
http://wp.me/pSOYe-DZ
Love and Light,
Sender
My poem can be found at
http://Marianv.blog.co.uk
Based on a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay – I have changed the title several times
“The wild hawk stood with the down on his beak,
And stared, with his foot on the prey” – Alfred, Lord Tennyson from ‘The Poet’s Song’
From the book: ‘Interludes: Lyrics: And Idyls: From the Poetic and Dramatic Works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’ 1889
The Pause
What could cause the world to pause,
To stop all pursuits –
Does your mind swiftly think
Of evil works that pollute?
What if the world did pause
Because everything was right –
Just stopped and listen
Feeling good, everything alright.
The beauty of the written word,
The lyrics of the song –
The natural gifts from God
Oh how could we go wrong.
The Poet’s Song sings to me
My heart is filled with joy –
Pause and listen to the world
Go out and enjoy!
Lovely and uplifting poem, Michelle!
Love it Michelle
Iain
Thank you Laurie and Iain!
Welcome to the Tent, Michelle. Thanks for your poem, and the shift from prey to praise. Sometimes those springboard lines take us to completely different places than the inspiring poem. Love that!
Thank you Deb!
Nicely done Michelle “What if the world did pause Because everything was right” – love the optomistic sound of that – actually gives me goosebumps – very lovely rhyming scheme
My entry is http://ibrewhaiku.blogspot.com/2010/10/tumbling-dreams-subside.html
With a line from Robert Bridges’ poem Awake, My Heart.
Thanks for the innovative prompt.
my prompt-based poem isn’t ready yet. ok. i haven’t started it yet. but i started to start it. i intended to start it. but this came out instead. i *hope* to work on the prompt later on, but i’m going to go with this one for now.
http://caroleesherwood.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/a-birthday-poem-for-ben-based-on-a-true-story/
it’s sweet and sappy. don’t get used to it!
I took a line or two from a lesser known poet. Here is mine:
http://firmlyrooted.blogspot.com/2010/10/subtle-hint.html
I took a line from Robert Browning’s “Among the Rocks” and since it’s my first time posting here, I will post the entire poem here. But you can also find it on my blog, http://lkharris-kolp.blogspot.com/.
No Worries
Oh, good gigantic smile o’ the brown old earth,
this autumn morning!
Must not you worry ‘bout a thing
Of this material world so greedy;
Rest thine eyes on nature’s beauty,
Its wonderment will make you sing.
Like the cardinal that shrills on high
Or the rhythmic wave of a cool breeze,
Warming timbers your senses please,
Red, orange, yellow against blue sky.
*Oh, good gigantic smile o’ the brown old earth,
this autumn morning!
~Robert Browning’s “Among the Rocks”
Welcome to the Tent, Laurie.
What a lovely ode to fall; I particularly like the warm colors pulled clear, and the hint of cold to come, blue sky.
That’s great Laurie
Iain
Very much in keeping with Browning’s rhythms and lilting tones Laurie – I quite like this and especially the line “like the cardinal that shrill on high” – they do tend to do that, don’t they?
anti-love poem (after Grace Paley)
I jumped through a zillion different hoops to log in and leave a comment on your poem, sadly only to finish where I started. For what it is worth, I did like your poem, very much, and if that was written on your way out of the door, you are some clever poet!
I’m so sorry for the difficulty, and thank you for your kind words!
I would love to just simmer in this.
Thank you, Big Tent and Mary Oliver… my loves…
http://juliejordanscott.typepad.com/jjspoetry/2010/10/i-wait-again-big-tent-poetry-and-mary-oliver-stir-my-words-.html
Great prompt! Jean L. Connor’s “Of Some Renown”…
http://turtlememoir.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/god-snapped-her-fingers/
Thanks
Thanks for the terrific prompt. My response –
Faulty Map
Oh my gawd, do I have writer’s block at the moment… :-(
I have had a number of false starts with this prompt, and I am excited to pull something together — but until, here’s this: No First Ink
While I am working out my current creative constipation, here is another offering from my past that borrowed three lines from Norman Dubie’s “Of Politics & Art”: The Nature Of Fire
As Good as Rocks
Here are the beginnings of two poems from the line A tree trying to shake off the past from Debora Greger’s poem “Eve in the Fall” (links to read her poem are on my post).
[...] Big Tent Poetry’s [...]
It took me a while this week to find an inspiration but here is my poem:
Passing Time
Inspired by AR Ammon’s poem, “Configurations”
Here is mine:
my poem
Melanie
My poem is inspired by the first line of W.H.Auden’s wonderful “Night Mail” and written in the style of the first part of that poem. The link is: http://almerimarlife.com/forum/topic/1042/the-night-male-a-poem-by-iain-douglas-kemp/
Cheers all!
Iain
Here is my poem : http://umaathreya.blogsome.com/2010/10/10/while-bread-and-butter-biscuits-are-being-baked/
By Anne Sexton
(Several lines, not necessarily in order or together, from her poem,”Words”, from her book The Awful Rowing Toward God.)
“Be careful of words
They are doves falling out of the ceiling
Once broken they are impossible
Things to repair”
Beware: Fragile – Wordswork
Into the darkness after hearing
The poetess weave her dark magic
The listeners stumbled blindly
Ducking as if for cover, dodging
Perceived in-coming explosives
Trying not to cower, or pray, or weep
To a one, they had been damaged
As truly as if, like any unsuspecting
And innocent, ordinary audience
While they sat quietly, in anticipation
Of something knowable, if not predictable
They had instead received grenades
Grenades lobbed so casually and with
Such unerring accuracy and deadly aim
They remained frozen in place as if dead
Even as the shards disguised as words
Blew every facade of normalcy to splinters
Leaving even the most banal thoughts
Tattered as dying crows or used motel towels
Too complexly difficult to reassemble
Anywhere within breathing distance of the one
The perpetrator; she who reeked
Of things rotting or near-dead,
Not poetry, not nicely crafted verse, no.
This is amazing. I often cower under an onslaught of words. But I do take issue with the word “complexly”!
PS Yes, nicely crafted verse!
Thanks so much for the kind words. Just wondering what issue you take with the word “complexly”? I know many poets don’t like adverbs period, but I guess I’m not one of them – complexly is an adverb in at least two of my dictionaries and means what I needed it to for the line (involved, complicated)… Still, I’m happy you liked the poem!
…great challenge with this week’s prompt… look forward to reading the choices of authors…
Hello, Circus. I just discovered your site today, thanks to vivinfrance. Here’s my first poem, largely unedited, fresh off the press:
http://liv2write2day.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/big-tent-poetry-my-first-time/
Thanks,
Victoria