Greetings! Welcome to another Poetry Peeps adventure on Poetry Friday!
Poetry Peeps! You’re invited to our challenge in the month of April! Here’s the scoop: we’re writing “in the style of Pablo Neruda.” What does that mean? That’s totally up to you. We’re continuing with our 2023 theme of transformation, but how you interpret that in the realm of Neruda poems topically is wholly your choice. You have a month to craft your creation and share it on April 28th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals.
WHAT, may I ask, happened to March?!
We are sliding right into April – on a bed of chilly mud, I might add – and wow, I feel unready. My National Poetry Month project this year is Cinquain Stories – I’m going to be practicing making a linked story cycle using the five line form. There are quite a few quintains I’ve never played with, so I’ll tell you more about that when things actually kick off, but since I also turned in a novel today and am ramping up rehearsals with my choral groups (and my autoimmune disorder is kicking the back of my seat like an vexatious child in an airplane), I’m a bit scattered. Forgive me, this post will be super short…
…but, it’ll still be fun. I like etherees, though I freely admit to being terrible at them. I wrote a poem I really loved, but realized, when formatting it for my post, that though it’s perfect as it is, it’s …not an etheree. ☺ Did I mention I occasionally can’t count? Oh, well. Today you get the second run that I wrote in a mad hurry. It’s an actual etheree, at least…
I feel pretty good about the fact that I managed to stay on theme for the year, too! I wrote it thinking of the Terry Pratchett quotation from Hogfather, “Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.” The evolving human grows up, squawking to have the last word.
But, did you see what Laura did? Or, what Sara did? Liz’s poem is here, and Tricia’s is here. Poetry Friday host for this week, Cousin Mary Lee’s poem is here. Denise’s etheree is here. Michelle K’s gloriously photographed poem is here. Linda B’s poem is here, and Carol V’s poem is here. Heidi’s definito+etheree (detheree? Etherito!) is here. More Poetry Peeps will be dropping etherees into the aether throughout the weekend, so do check back for a full roundup.
Be well, dear poets. In a world where you could be anything, thank you for choosing to be kind. Pax.
I cannot believe what you’re doing here in 10 small lines — Darwin and Pratchett and more than a little David Attenborough and, most importantly, YOU. I adore this…
Tanita, I think your etheree reads almost like a call to action – to survive we must speak out, and that’s so important in today’s world. Good luck with your April Poetry project and exploring new variations of the cinquain (new to me). And may you find comfort for your health issues. Hugs.
Doesn’t seem like a second run to me, but hey, we’re always revising–Love the background too! Sounds like you’re carrying a bit presently, hope the autoimmune moseys on its way. I’m excited to hear about your new book, I’m about 2/3 through “Figure It Out Henri Weldon” and loving it, along with all the quirky characters you have in there, especially Vinnie and family. Henri’s older sister sounds a bit like my sister, so your book is really hitting home. Looking forward to reading more about your NPM project– I’ve hooked up with Laura Shovan’s #ClimatePoemProject and offering a prompt on my blog. Thanks for all here!
Falling angels, rising apes–that Terry Pratchett! That Tanita Davis! Cousin, sometimes a mad hurry is what lets truth out squawking. I wish you a moment of peace now at the start of NPM and an unvexed backside!
@CousinHeidi: I wish the same for you. Happy NPM!
You go, Tanita–you are productive and busy, and with that vexatious child kicking your backside as you keep your sense of humor, it seems like you wrote a perfect etheree. I love: “squawking the last word.” Amen!
@DeniseK.: I’m so glad you think so! I’m out of time to fiddle with it, so it is what it is, right? Happy NPM!
Sorry about your first, perfect…non-etheree! That was me with the Inkling challenge for anaphora! But I managed on the fly, and so did you! (heh heh, pun intended!) This whole poem is fierce, which is what we need to be in order to mob the turkey vultures in the political world and steer our country back on its soaring path.
@CousinMaryLee: I almost had the sparrows mobbing a murder of crows — but honestly, the scavenger birds are what keep the death coming. Vultures, the lot of them, with apologies to the birds…
You let rules stop you? I remember the skinny I wrote that I loved. And that I realized several days after sharing was not actually a skinny. I miscounted or skipped a line or something. Anyway, thank you for this. Wow, that Pratchett quote! You last three lines–I feel the wildness in them. Yay for turning in your novel! I hope things settle down a bit soon. xo
@LauraSalas: Once a rule follower… ::sigh:: I probably should have just shared what I had. I feel like this is a bit of a draft, but I do want to keep the ending. I think sparrows mobbing a murder (of crows) would also speak to something…
Oh, the energy of this poem is gorgeous—and those starlings! I can see them, rising, mobbing, squawking….well DONE, you. (Bonus points for the Hogfather quote!)
@SaraLewisHolmes: Aw, thanks. I think that’s the energy of mild panic. Happy NPM!
Hoping you can find the calm this weekend, Tanita! You show the busy-ness of a poet at the end of March for sure! I sometimes miss but so often love the prompts from Poetry Pals but this etheree stuff seems so easy, until it isn’t! For April, we do embrace a “fierce desire to stretch our wings”, reminds me of the book ‘When Women Were Dragons”! Happy April!
@LindaBaie: I’ve heard about this book!! Have you finished it yet? It’s on my TBR. Happy NPM!
Oh, yes, a while ago. It is intriguing!
Tanita, I hope the vexatious child inside settles down so you can enjoy your weekend. After a night of trying to get the etheree format the way it should look, I forgot to add my post to the roundup but it is here now. Oops, #24 does not work but #25 on Mister Linky works. Now, back to your etheree. I love the background that brings spring into focus with a twist on humanity. Your verbs are strong. Words are well-chosen right to the last line, swawking the last word. For being in a hurry, your etheree speaks volumes. (Congratulations on turning in another novel.)
@CVarsalona: Thanks for playing today, even though formatting is a true pain. And thank you for your good wishes. I’m learning to live with the vexation. Happy Poetry Month!