I recall being super imp ressed with Molly Hogan's wordplay poem 'Splat.' Molly's poem placed this delightful onomatopoeic word under the microscope and revealed it in all its dimensions.  I pasted Molly's poem in my writer's notebook in order to more fully appreciate its powerful use of language.  I promised myself I would try to write in the style of a poet I admire. After much rummaging about in word-land, I settled on the word 'twang.'  It is a well known truism of writing- ' First we imitate, and then we innovate .' It is always best to write under the influence of those you admire. So, here is T-w-a-n-g! Twang Twang, I hear you- What a word, Word, Word. -Cousin of bang Quieter, but you hang around,  -somewhat longer. You, twang Are a reverberating rebel. I hear what you have to say, A little nosy at times, Constantly returning, As sound, To my ears. You only stop, When you are good and ready. Twang, you are a musical soul, It’s clear to me....

Poets are frequently attracted to the notion of wordplay. It can be an irresistible force at times. I am happy to admit, I find wordplay compelling. I give into its call quite frequently. Furthermore, I never tire of its allure... It also explains why I enjoy the poetry of  Michael Rosen, Brian Bilston, Roger McGough, Shel Silverstein, Pam Ayres, Jack Prelutsky, Roger Stevens, Max Fatchen and Brian Moses.  Elements of their poetry radiate with language contortions and a fair degree of fun and humour.  Brian Bilston employs wordplay masterfully in his book , 'You Took The Last Bus Home.' Word play Defined A witty or clever form of verbal expression, meant for fun and amusement.  Commonly used in literature, poetry, and spoken word genres. It involves the exploitation of the meanings and ambiguities of words. There are many forms of word play techniques, e.g., pun, spoonerism, slang, acrostic, euphemism, and oxymoron, just to name a few. So, here are a couple of e...

  We have all experienced a host of things 'just once' across our various lives. The poem presented below grew from a list I compiled in my writer's notebook concerning things I have only experienced once.  My initial quest was to create a list of things and then see what emerged. I did not know, at that time, a poem would rise up and out of my list.  Lists are important to writers/ poets. They stimulate thinking and ideas, and each listed item holds potential as a future writing topic or focus. Our 'Once' lists are not only fun to create, they can reveal hidden treasure... Once upon my time Once, Just once, In a lifetime -My lifetime to be exact I bought a small red car, -because it was all I could afford I had my haircut in Mooloolaba, -a somewhat spontaneous act Owned a cat named, Alice -who suffered strange fits Bought a goat herder’s hat on the recommendation of George Harrison well, through an advertisement to be accurate. Visited Halifax Nova Scotia and met a...

The word unique is often abused and misused. Some people think it needs a qualifier as in - 'quite unique, somewhat unique, or very unique.'   Unique is a word that can clearly stand on its own. Something is either unique- or it isn't. End of discussion! Sometimes we experience events in our lives that present as unique. As writers and poets, we frequently search for our unique experiences, our unique observations. We search for those things that set us apart. We celebrate the uniqueness of our life events.  I consistently encourage young poets to search the realms of their experience to uncover their own unique events. I have at least two- maybe three. Things that have either happened to me, and me alone,  or things I have witnessed.  They are stories for another time, perhaps... It is said we tend to tell our stories many times before we write them down. It is very much the case for the following poem. I have related this event frequently across the years as part ...

Many years ago I read a wonderful and quite clever poem by Spike Milligan. It was a rather short poem, and it has stuck with me ever since... Said Hamlet To Ophelia Said Hamlet to Ophelia, I'll draw a sketch of thee. What kind of pencil shall I use? 2B or not 2B? Spike Milligan I have always enjoyed the challenge of writing short, pithy poems, ever since encountering Spike's poem. Here are a few examples of short form poetry. They are no less challenging than a longer poem. The economy of words means you have to make sure every single word pulls its weight. There's nowhere for any words to hide.  I encourage anyone holding, within, a desire to write short, pithy poetry to join in and have some fun with this short form poetry... You Have Risen In My Estimates You have risen in my estimates You are now at 37 That’s a significant improvement -You started at 11 Alan j Wright Haiku Huffiness Haikus get huffy When you don’t play by the rules Watch… Alan j Wright Mov...

   Dodoitsu:  The Dodoitsu, is a Japanese poetic form that doesn't have meter or rhyme constraints but they do have syllable constraints (like many Japanese forms). This 4-line poem has seven syllables in the first three lines and five syllables in the fourth--and final--line.  The Dodoitsu often focuses on love or work with a comical twist. Here are three Dodoitsu I recently made... Flower Power Blackout I brought my love some flowers To raise her spirits higher However, two hours later They're still in the sink. Alan j Wright Coaxing Forth Poems Unwritten poems hide away Deep inside my pen of choice I tell them it's safe out here And switch on the light. Alan j Wright Clowning About The clown tried to bring forth fun The children didn't buy in But when the clown cried loudly They burst out laughing. Alan j Wright It's Poetry Friday and this week our kindly host is  Mary Lee Hahn at Another year Of Reading . Mary Lee is writing poetry prompted by 'percentages....

  As poets we must endeavour to practice being keen observers of our world as well as our personal relationship with things within that world.  We learn much from reading the words of fellow poets and the way they rise to meet these expectations. This poem is for Billy Collins who possesses a masterful ability for keen observation of these critical considerations and has taught me much.  'Good poetry can penetrate your writing like smoke gets into your clothes.' John Poch Adoration of Things In My World - For Billy Collins   Late in the afternoon As I strolled along the beach I found myself infatuated With piece of sun-bleached driftwood. Later on While walking home along the reserve I fell in love with a butterfly Resting on a bougainvillea And the frenzied flight of rainbow lorikeets.   Back home in the kitchen I felt a yearning for a cup of Earl Grey tea And a growing passion for the last Tim-Tam In the pack. I have previousl...

Ideas are all around us... They often reveal themselves when we sit or stand still in any given place and take time to indulge in a little close and considered observation. Look and learn moments.  A walk of some 300 metres from my back gate along the reserve to the beach delivered this poetry moment on a winter's walk back in July. It reflected a small, yet notable part of that day's events. As poets, capturing small moments others pass by, forms a significant part of our existence.  I have been waiting to share it with you... Morning Mist  Over Fisherman’s  Beach On this grey, winter’s morning Mist spreads across the bay wispy like cigar smoke  It settles just above the water’s surface Hanging like a stage curtain  Over Fisherman’s Beach Cloaking the horizon with an air Of mystery and intrigue. This perfect backdrop for pirates, smugglers Or secretive sailors, -A haunting morning Complete with shivers. I stand at the shrouded shoreline Peering at the sea ...

I have for many years encouraged teachers to not only share their writing, but also the process they undertook in safely landing those special words on the page.  It is vitally important for inexperienced student writers and poets to be shown the tricks up the magician's sleeve, thus answering that enduring question- How did you do that? The poem, 'Poembrew' hopefully shines a little light on my own particular process when writing poetry. You may see yourself doing a number of these things as well, as you prepare to go about your writing. Our personal writing process is a unique undertaking. At the same time it may also involve some universal actions and thoughts that hold the potential to assist young poets to better navigate the writing terrain.  So, let me take you to one of my worlds where I am reading aloud 'Poembrew'  -a poem from my most recent anthology, What The Poemster Found.' It is once again Poetry Friday and our host, the talented  Bridget Magee  b...

Clogyrnach Poems Besides being another intriguing word to say 'clogyrnach ' is also a poetic form, both challenging and engaging to write. A  form of poetry, Welsh in origin, typically a six-line, syllable driven stanza with an ab rhyme scheme:   Line 1: 8 syllables with an a rhyme Line 2: 8 syllables with an a rhyme Line 3: 5 syllables with a b rhyme Line 4: 5 syllables with a b rhyme Line 5: 3 syllables with a b rhyme Line 6: 3 syllables with an a rhyme So when I stumbled upon it recently, I thought I must try this. My desire to meet this new poetry challenge was compelling. Here is my Clogyrnach Poem.   The Wind On A Winter's Night A winter's night, without the moon The wind directs the fall leaves -swoon It rattles the doors Shaking trees, it soars The night roars Wild tunes. ©Alan j Wright It is once again Poetry Friday and our host this week is Irene Latham . Irene is exulting all things autumnal in her post.Please call by to find out...

Kimo poems are an Israeli version of haiku. It is claimed that there was a need for more syllables when writing  haiku style poems in Hebrew. That said, most of the rules are still familiar to traditional haiku: 3 lines.  No rhymes. 10 syllables in the first line, 7  syllables in the second,  6 syllables in the third. The Kimo focuses on a single image (kind of like a snapshot). So it's uncommon to have any movement happening in Kimo poems. So, here is my kimo poem. Give it a try... Nature's Cathedral I stand in awe among the giant trees This glorious cathedral While silence surrounds me. ©Alan j Wright It is Poetry Friday and our host this week is Laura Purdie Salas   . Laura shares some Tankas about autumn for the #PoetryPals challenge. She also has a new book coming out: If You Want To Knit Some Mittens!