Skip to main content

Wordplay, Fun And Introspection


I am experiencing quite a productive writing time at present following a few slow writing days. Days where I felt I was pushing the words out and onto the page. The flow of words had diminished. 

 Part of the answer for my renewed writing energy may lie in starting a new notebook. I am always energized by the prospect of a new notebook. It is gleefully receiving my words across its unmarked, hungry pages. 

It may also lie in the fact I have been reading lots of poetry. Poetry prompting me to think and consider form and idea. There has been much rehearsing of words in my head and lots of daily walking to clarify my thoughts and determine my preferred actions. 

The extended Covid Lockdown has no doubt impacted my thoughts and responses of late. A range of heightened  and varied emotions have made my recent notebook entries range from more introspective pieces through to light hearted fun filled and frivolous entries. I recognize wordplay as a strong motivator for me. I embraced it with relish. It is important to remain aware of the influences on your writing and where that may deliver you. So, here are three fresh and varied poems lifted from my notebook. 

This Very Day

Nothing miraculous

Occurred yesterday

I had not a single epiphany

There were no great adventures

Nor  any close encounters with venomous snakes or philistines

I had no clear vision of striking out in a new direction

There were no close shaves

Near misses

Not a single thrilling chase to recount…

However,

Priceless, simple gifts coursed through my day-

The strengthening spring sun on my back

Amid the sounds of the garden waking

With leaves emerging on sleepy spring branches.

I sat surrounded by aromas of coffee in a cup,

While the dogs lounged outside the shadow line, snuffling

-And then the chance to dance, joyfilled

with baby Isabel.

We twirled to the stirring strains of King Curly.

And in those simple and satisfying moments

I chalked up another beautiful day.

Alan j Wright


A Penny For Your Snorts

Gloves for the mermaids

Sloppy kisses for the frogs

Sirens for late sleepers

And a penny for your snorts

 

Marmalade for the Martians

Three cheers for the pond

A blurt for big red buses

And a penny for your snorts

 

Slippers for the salamanders

earrings for the ducks

Biscuits for the blabbermouths

And a penny for your snorts

 

Petunias for the tough guys

A pillow for your thoughts

A skeleton for the jellyfish

And a penny for your snorts

 

©Alan j Wright



Testing Times

The results are in…

Health workers deserve credit

Farmer Giles has been out standing in his field

Spring rainfall is above average

Madame Sadina is a medium

My coffee is average

Kyber is a pass

Jeffrey was below Pa in a photo taken with his grandfather

Scott failed to turn up on numerous occasions.

Alan j Wright


Some recent notebook poetry entries -September-October 2020



Labels:

Comments

  1. Linda Mitchell2 October 2020 at 10:57

    You HAVE been productive. I love times like that. I wish I could just turn them on when I was ready. More times than not, I have to give into them when I can. A penny for your snorts made me laugh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 October 2020 at 09:15

      When the flow of words and ideas is fully operational it's quite something to experience as you say Linda. We must respond accordingly when it comes calling. Glad you had a laugh...

      Delete
  2. Linda B3 October 2020 at 03:34

    I like seeing your notebook, Alan, & enjoyed all the poems. It's good that your encounters were not with "venomous snakes or philistines" but dear ones with Baby Isobel. I really enjoyed the list poem at the end, an 'ordinary' day that is simply a good one. Happy Spring to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 October 2020 at 09:17

      Glad you like my latest poems Linda. Thank you for your remarks. May the colours of Fall be bountiful.

      Delete
  3. Tabatha3 October 2020 at 05:03

    "A penny for your snorts" has so many interesting images and sounds. It's exciting when the writing energy just flows! Thank you for sharing yours with us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 October 2020 at 09:18

      Tabatha, it's true to say I had a smile on my face while writing those wacky words. It brought some energy to the process.

      Delete
  4. author amok3 October 2020 at 05:20

    It's always so much fun peeking into other writer's notebooks! I am still laughing about the marmalade for Martians, Alan!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 October 2020 at 09:22

      It is always interesting to view other notebooks as you say. A chance to view up close similarities and differences and to glean possibilities. Before Covid struck, I shared my notebooks on a regular basis with kids and their teachers. I think its important to let kids see what another writer is 'collecting; from the world around them.

      Delete
  5. Karen Eastlund3 October 2020 at 06:49

    These are fun! Thanks for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 October 2020 at 09:23

      Fun is a good thing for a poet to experience. My pleasure Karen.

      Delete
  6. Carol Varsalona3 October 2020 at 22:09

    Alan, I can see that this line is absolutely true about your work flow: "There has been much rehearsing of words in my head." Thank you for sharing your work with us. I think A Penny For Your Snorts is a delightful poem for children. I can even see middle schoolers enjoying the fun produced in this poem. Word Play is an art so continue to have fun with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 October 2020 at 10:11

      Thank you for your kind remarks Carol. I often remind children that writers frequently spend a lot of time rehearsing their words- particularly poets. Word play is an art that requires practice, as you say. I must admit, I love the practice. Glad you liked the Penny poem. I very much enjoyed the making of it.

      Delete
  7. Bridget Magee4 October 2020 at 00:20

    Thanks for the peek into your notebook and process: "daily walking to clarify my thoughts and determine my preferred actions". I, too, enjoy a good wordplay and your words play very well together. : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 October 2020 at 10:14

      Happy to share aspects of my process Bridget. I shall endeavour to keep my words playing nicely. Wordplay is a such spark. In schools we would do well to increase the attention given to this important aspect of language development. For me, it was the influence of my father, who was a champion of wordplay.

      Delete
  8. Ruth4 October 2020 at 05:39

    Thanks for sharing your fun wordplay!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 October 2020 at 10:15

      My pleasure Ruth. There's a joy that resides in that place that is always worth sharing.

      Delete
  9. Mary Lee4 October 2020 at 22:05

    What a variety! I love that turn in the middle of This Very Day. The "However..." I live for those moments.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright5 October 2020 at 09:34

      Those simple yet beautiful moments sutain us Mary Lee. Glad you enjoyed the mix.

      Delete
  10. mbhmaine5 October 2020 at 01:35

    "This Very Day" mirrors some of my thoughts in recent days. I'm actively trying to recognize moments of quiet, simple joy and beauty. I love this line: "Priceless, simple gifts coursed through my day." Thanks for sharing from your wonderful notebook. Happy Writing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright5 October 2020 at 09:36

      Thank you Molly for your thoughtful reflections and generous remarks regarding my notebooks. Simple joy and beauty is there awaiting discovery.

      Delete
  11. Jone5 October 2020 at 13:20

    Loved seeing your process. New netbooks always enticed me to be productive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright6 October 2020 at 13:28

      Thank you Jone. sharing our respective processes is illuminating. I absolutely agree with you regarding the stimulus a new notebook engenders. Never fails to spark my writing efforts.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poetry Inspired by Images and Objects

There are many ways pictures and photographs can be conscripted to support the writing of poetry. Allow me to share a few ideas with you: Old photographs are a great source of inspiration. Cynthia Rylant explored this idea with great success in her book 'Something Permanent' where she employed the Depression era photographs of Walker Evans to add a new voice to the starkness to the lives of people experienced under extreme circumstances. I have used this strategy to spark many individual poems. In ' I Bet There's No Broccoli On The Moon,' I used a photo I had taken in 2004 while living in New York to inspire a poem. The poem was based on a story related by a friend who grew up in New York.  I regularly combined poetry and pictures in my writer's notebook, drawing on inspiration from the photograph and my personal memories. We can also utilize existing cartoons and illustrations to create ekphrastic poems. I frequently use the illustrations of Jim Pavlidis to co
20 comments
Read more

Opposite Poems

O pp o s ite P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,'  Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will  notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not e
26 comments
Read more

Powerful Poetry, 'Refugees' by Brian Bilston

  This week, Poetry Friday is hosted by Janice Scully  @ Salt City Verse where Janice shares some original words and offers us a taste of Thomas Carlyle to ponder. I encourage you to join a host of poets from all around the globe and visit Janice's page... Almost two years to the day, I wrote a post featuring the poem 'Refugees' by Brian Bilston. The poem was included in Brian's first book of poetry, 'You Took The Last Bus Home.' A very powerful Reverso poem and technically brilliant.  A Reverso poem can be read from top to bottom or bottom to top. It will often express opposite opinions depending on which way you read it. Such poems really make us think. A Reverso poem is like a picture turned upside down, a frowning face upended to reveal a smiling one. The poem read in reverse, contradicts itself with an opposing message. In 'Refugee' Brian Bilston focuses on a societal issue that tends to polarize feelings and the opposing views are clearly in eviden
14 comments
Read more