World Poetry Day

The excellent Duc proposed that we compose some poems together, line by line, for World Poetry Day. This is the Age of C19 however, so we had a live thread in my Facebook Writing Group, and it worked surprisingly well. Devoted readers and Facebook friends alike will know that I love a good live thread, whether that is for The Voice, the Jubilee or Q&A.

The first poem was pleasingly symmetrical, the second quite melancholy ... they started out as Follows -

-1-
how precarious the life of the tree by the road
precarious and precious, said the poet
the poet with the last roll of TP
precarious and precious, said the poet
The TP from the tree by the side of the road

-2-
Hands made to touch, cannot touch, cannot be touched, but must wash, be washed, wash, be washed, wash
Birthdays unmarked,
But we sing, sing the song, the birthday song
when we wash, washed, wept, wash

Claire: Emily would be prouder of us if we added some capitalisation and dashes, but otherwise, I like it

Duc: Happy for you to do it -- and add dashes --

Claire: Thanking you Kind friend --

Then we started a terrible/wonderful game of reformatting them in different styles - and I squished everything into one of my favourite formats - Miss Dickinson’s Midnight Missives To Those She Loves ...

-1-
How Precarious the Life of the Tree - by the Road
Precarious and Precious - Said the Poet
The Poet - with the Last - roll of tp
Precarious and Precious - said the Poet
The tp - from the Tree - by the Side - of the Road

Duc: what a ballad!

Claire: Emily is Rolling in her Grave - Under the Tree

Duc: There are Victorian-era poetic images of skulls and skeletons under the roots of oak trees in church graveyards. I’m thinking of Tennyson’s In Memoriam

Duc: Also, I haven’t laughed this hard all week. Thank You, Friend—

Claire: I am honoured you were laughing!!!

But I kept going ...

Part One: Death Dickinson Version

How precarious the Life -
Of the tree by the Road -
Precarious and precious - Said -
The poet -

The poet with the - Last
Roll of - tp
Precarious -
And precious -

Said the poet -
The tp from the Tree -
By the side of the Road

Part One: Essence of Emily's Garden Version

How Precarious the Life
Of the Tree -
By the Road!

Precarious - and - Precious
Said the poet -
The Poet with the - last
Roll of tp!

Precarious and Precious -
Said the Poet -
The tp -
From the tree -
By the side -
Of the road!

Duc: I like the second version best. It’s arboreal after all! But I think also suits. Are you happy to edit the second part a la Emily arboreal?

Claire: oooooh. We are literally branching out - multiple versions of each. I like your Hopkins-like version, but will try Dickinson Arboreal for a laugh ...

Duc: Dickinsonise the Hopkins

Claire: Nooooooo, number two is DEFFO a Death poem ... Emily does NOT put the word 'cannot' in her Garden Poems. I spend a LOT of time thinking about Emily's poems, please understand ...

Part Two: Emily's Admonishments to her Household at this Time

Hands made to Touch -
Cannot Touch -
Cannot be Touched - but -
Must wash -

Be washed - wash - be washed -
Wash - birth Days unmarked -
But we Sing -

Sing the song - the birth Day song -
When we wash - washed -
Wept - wash

Claire: It works so well as a Death Poem

Duc: 💯

Claire: I think it would be hilarious to do both in another format all together ... I enjoy the joke-format of Part One in its first incarnation, and the Dickinson Arboreal. Part Two as Hopkins and Dickinson Funereal?

Duc: Can we do a Hopkins version of I heard a fly buzz when I died? And a Dickinson version of Hopkins’ morbid/“terrible” sonnets??

No worst, there is none. Pitched past pitch of grief | Gerard Manly Hopkins

I wake and feel the fell of dark, not day | Gerard Manly Hopkins

Claire: Hooley dooley, our man hopkins likes his synonyms! That was ... intense and full

Claire: Emily would prune those poems like a rose bush

Image includes Arabian Bronze Hand and Seated Buddha from Gandhara

And if you are curious; my other poetry work and poems that other people have written about me ...