What is a list poem? This poetry style collects a list of people, places, things, ideas, or even words strung together somewhere within a poem to form a list. It is not necessary for the list to rhythm, but the words used should be memorable. I find the freedom when creating a list poem fascinating. The wordplay can be wild and free similar to Indiana weather in the early spring. Therefore, in March, I plan to write a series of list poems. I will title this one A Series of Ice Storm.
Ice Storm
Winter weather advisory
I thought we were done with all that
It’s march in Indiana
What more should I expect
It would have been nice to have a little warning
I would have dressed warmer
Delayed working in the yard
At least I knew better
Than to put plants in the ground
Grey sky in the morning
By afternoon ice falling from the sky
Covering car windows
Frozen doors
And icy windshield
The entire car wrapped
In a sheet of frozen precipitation
Too bad I put my ice scrapper away
Now I have to find it again
The tree branches glisten
The tree limbs shone
The roof tops glow
With an electric anticipation
For when the powerlines tumble to the ground
Icicles hang from the stop signs
The traffic lights
And other surfaces
I dread pulling out onto the street
That will be as slick as the floor
At the roller-skating rink
All the way across town
The return of winter weather stinks
But I hear by the weekend
Thunderstorms and tornado warnings
Are predicted
Maybe we won’t get a sectional snow
Only this freezing rain falling from the sky
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.
Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!