It’s Poetry Friday and Carol Labuzzetta is hosting with a poem and photo of this week’s Aurora Borealis.
Submission Opportunity
I wanted to share a fun submission opportunity with everyone. Tyger, Tyger Magazine‘s next edition will be children’s poems using any poetic form on any topic. The sample poems Rachel shares are great inspiration.
A Series of Sidlaks
On another note, here is a new poetry form that Tricia shared with me. (See more here.) A sidlak is a 5-line poem with syllable counts of 3/5/7/9. The fifth line includes a color word and the number of syllables is up to the poet. These have been fun to write this week.
Can we please
grow through the wild sea?
The sea of indifference?
What will it take to heal in this dry
and thirsty land, so brown and sad?
Phoebe, did
you know something sad?
The brokenness of this life?
I thought you would live long after me,
so pink and hopeful.
Aurora
Borealis, you
are showing off your colors.
Even down south from my desert porch,
your red stretches here.
Clutching your
poems, embracing
you through snail mail sharing of
life, makes me want to share myself too;
blue feelings rise to the surface.
Not what I
wanted, but what I
ordered. I meant to say, “Chai,”
but when asked, I read the counter sign:
“Matcha”–so, green tea today.
Denise! These are great. I don’t know this form at all, but now want to try it out. The Phoebe poem really touches my heart.
Poignant poem today, Denise – especially your thoughts on dear Phoebe. Your use of powerful verbs: showing off, clutching, embracing, sharing,,, are very powerful.
Thank you for this new form and sharing your evocative sidlaks. I especially love the wry acceptance of your chai poem! “Not what I wanted” indeed, but love how you made the best of it!!!
Hi Denise! These are charming, inventive poems. I especially like the first and last poems. Wow! That aurora did reach into the South, didn’t it?! Impressive. I’m debating whether to try with Tyger Tyger again. I saw the announcement just this morning. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks for the alert regarding Sidlak poems, Denise. It is interesting how we poets can’t resist creating multiple examples of these syllabic poetry forms. I see the same with young poets in schools. They ask, ‘Can I try another one?’ ‘Of course’ I respond. While this form has the usual syllable restrictions, it does offer some freedom and choice in the closing line. My notebook is calling me to engage in some Sidlak scenarios. I particularly enjoyed your closing Sidlak, Denise.
I love how these poems are memoir yet universal. I think having a syllable count restriction can be freeing so that we say what we really want to say. I want to save this form in my notebook.
How fun! How lovely…and so personal. “red stretches here.” I love the whole image of that.
Thanks for introducing me to a new form, Denise, and your wonderful examples.
What a fun form! Thanks for all the mentor texts!!
Oh, Denise, your Phoebe poem. I’m in tears again. I’m so sorry. xo
The form has such potential for short, powerful, potent poems (as you demonstrated.) Thanks for sharing it.
Ah, Denise….your Phoebe poem. My heart aches for you. Sending a hug your way.
Denise, thanks for the introduction to this form. I like how you took colors in different directions than we expect. “Hopeful” is such a nice follow-up to “pink.” It just feels especially tangible, poignant. I also like the unexpectedness of red and green. Thanks for the submissions info, too xo