I decided to live dangerously in October. It’s a scary month, so I’m going to explore a form of poetry with stringent rules that moves at a rapid-fire pace. I’m going to write blitz poetry. This unusual style, developed by Robert Keim, has set rules using connecting phrases to create a 50-line verse titled Day For Suspense.
Line 1 is a short phrase or image. Line 2 is another short phrase or image using the same first word as line 1. Lines 3 and 4 starts with the same word used as the last word of line 2. Then, lines 5 and 6 use the last word of line 4. This pattern is followed until line 48. Line 49 uses the last word in 48. Line 50 begins with the last word in line 47. The title is three words long. The title format is the first word of line 3, a preposition or conjunction, and the first word of 47. You can’t use any punctuation. Luckily, these poems don’t need to rhyme. This poetic adventure will either be a lot of fun or leave me frustrated. I will call this Blitz poem Day For Suspense. Let’s get our spooky scare on right now.
Day For Suspense
Wakeup and smell the coffee
Wakeup and seize the day
Day made for exploration
Day soggy and grey
Grey with overcast skies
Grey without expectations
Expectations of warmth
Expectations of a motorcycle ride
Ride to a forgotten place
Ride filled with fun and adventure
Adventure in a golden countryside
Adventure with a glimpse of fall
Fall colorful display
Fall all red and golden
Golden with the leaves
Golden with the fields
Fields full of grain
Fields ready for harvest
Harvest of a farmer’s dream
Harvest with heavy equipment
Equipment that slows traffic down
Equipment taking up most of the road
Road spread out in my mind
Road we won’t ride in the rain
Rain falling from the sky
Rain followed by the cold
Cold days of winter
Cold stinging the skin
Skin left exposed to the weather
Skin that needs to be covered
Covered by a coat
Covered by thick gloves
Gloves to warm the fingers
Gloves to keep hands warm
Warm inside my four walls
Warm and shielded from the wind
Wind that sings through windows
Wind that leaves a chill
Chill down to your bones
Chill that reminds you to stay inside
Inside untouched by winter’s hand
Inside where you can play with words
Inside beside a burning fire
Fire to help you write your poem
Fire to light hidden desire
Desire for those illusive rhymes
Desire for danger and suspense
Suspense pouring from fingertips
Suspense typed on the page
Page
Fingertips
Who is Molly Shea?
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.
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moving like rolling autumn hills on the way to winter (sigh)
Thank you.
Wonderful poem! Flows smooth like butter.
Thank you.