Tag Archives: cleave poem

Front row seat

IceTea
ColdTimes
HarmonyLost in Space
IntimidatingAbomination
Innocent visitors of lifeOur big bang cost only two bucks

This was meant to be a parallel fibonacci poem that also works as a cleave poem. It almost is…

A fibonacci poem is a six-line form, its the syllable count is based off the Fibonacci sequence of 1/1/2/3/5/8. After years of ignoring every promt with a syllable count due to lack of knowledge, I decided to finally give this one a try. Someone had informed me that websites exists that help with the syllable count, so i figured I could manage. I found a great resource: http://www.yougowords.com/.

A cleave poem can be read as a poem on the left, a poem on the right, and a third poem consisting of the two combined. I managed a cleave, but I forgot the two syllable line in the fibonacci. Since the fibonacci poem has received the name ‘the fib’, I’m kind of on prompt anyhow. A fib means a lie, after all. My fib’s a fib!

Object Details Title: Marble Statue Group of the Three Graces Period: Imperial Date: 2nd century A.D. Culture: Roman Medium: Marble Dimensions: Overall: 48 7/16 x 39 3/8in. (123 x 100cm) Classification: Stone Sculpture Credit Line: Purchase, Philodoroi, Lila Acheson Wallace, Mary and Michael Jaharis, Annette and Oscar de la Renta, Leon Levy Foundation, The Robert A. and Renée E. Belfer Family Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Moran, Jeannette and Jonathan Rosen, Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation and Nicholas S. Zoullas Gifts, 2010 Accession Number: 2010.260

Art work found on The Met.

Remember

our starting point
point of view
view from the top
top of the bill
bill of rights
rights of way
way too complicated
complicated matters
matters over minds
minds unlocked
unlocked secret
secret view
view, hidden
hidden thought
thought, remember?
remember our starting point
our first step
step into the unknown
unknown fields of pleasure
pleasure of getting to know each other
other senses, other bodies
bodies in motion
motion of the heart
heart in wonder
wonder of wealth
wealth of touch
touch our core
core revealed
revealed emotion
emotion bared
bared our love
love our first step

One of the suggested forms today at OctPoWriMo was loop poetry. I wrote a poem, noticed it was from the head, realised we were asked about the heart too. So I wrote a second one, from the heart. Combined them in a table. Only in the process of putting them together, I realised this was going to be a cleave poem too if I played my cards well… A cleave poem is a poem that’s split in the middle, where the left part forms a poem, the right part forms a poem, and together they form a third poem.

So with a surprised face, I present to you for #OctPoWriMo day 9 my loop cleave table poem – or something like that 🙂 The right column should be outlined to the right but the block editor and I are no friends yet.

April 14, inspire me

April 14th, inspire me

scattered everywhere take two

the ghost of I’m not good enough

you won’t like it

you won’t like it

lost property, prompt not included

fracture strength to the none

April 14th, inspired me

The prompt at napowrimo.net today was “to write a poem that deals with the poems, poets, and other people who inspired you to write poems.” After ample consideration, I realised that my biggest inspiration is #NaPoWriMo, and specifically the prompts and community at napowrimo.net.

The poem combines some of the things I learned and developed during 7 years of National Poetry Writing Month:
– The lines are a compilation of titles of poems (in this case all of them published on napowrimo day 14)
– The formatting is a table
– The poem is a cleave poem

Just to be clear: I’m not claiming that I am my biggest inspiration 🙂 I’m just celebrating today’s prompt by leaning into 7 years of napowrimo inspired writing. I was surprised to find out that some of my favourite ones (The ghost of I’m not good enough, Fracture Strength and You Won’t Like It) were born on this very day.

I lost connection

at the pharmacy

while bombs fell

I worried when

you texted me

good things

you’ll miss

in life

the feeling of being alive

seemed to fall apart

beyond repair

the news broke

your last selfie

my train of thoughts

shattered

I switched off

your dreams

and apologised

Jane Dougherty wrote a fabulous cleave poem today, for the silence prompt on octpowrimo.com. Hers made me want to try one too. It turned out to be contagious. SMSaves wrote a very good one, called Working Mind Wanders.

How to read a cleave poem?

1. Read the left hand poem as a first one.
2. Read the right hand poem as a second one.
3. Read the whole as a third one.

I guess I could claim I’ve invented a new form, with the title and last line turning the poem into a diamond shape – if your fantasy is rich. I’ve been experimenting with tables before, I suspect I may have written one or more cleave poems before. I’ll search through my site and see if I can add some links or tags, so they are easier to find.

Update: no cleaves found yet, but two table poems, one diamond and one square:
i is a number (I’m not)
Disposition

Today’s prescription

three lunges—————————–be told
two planks——————————- what to do
five seconds —————————- to get better
times series —————————–reduce fatigue
stress reduction ———————–feel fit
neuro plasticity ————————cope

Tomorrow’s schedule
will be different
yet the same

outdoor activity ————————-helpful indeed
never mind the weather ————my body is thankful
individual session ———————-someone finally got it moving
group session —————————-my mind reassured
yanking ourselves———————- to get help
out of our misery ———————–and not struggle alone
by the hairs ——————————-yet I’m irritated
it’s between the ears ——————to the bone
what messes us up ———————full of resistance

Each day I’m exhausted
proud of making changes
fed up with the time it takes

writing poems —————————prescription followed
is an act of defiance ——————-check
protesting the void ———————escaped into creation
reclaiming imagination—————-check

The prompt for #OctPoWriMo day 9  is to write about why you are choosing to continue to write poetry now.