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 Mind to Out.
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 Mind to Out. Let’s get our spooky scare on right now.
Mind to Out
Fragment of a poem
Fragment stuck in my mind
Mind trying to construct
Mind attempting to sort
Sort all the words
Sort to make them fit
Fit into 50 lines
Fit into a perfect pattern
Pattern that makes sense
Pattern that doesn’t rhythm
Rhythm has always been my ally
Rhythm my perfect defense
Defense against boredom
Defense against sounding dull
Dull like and unsharpened pencil
Dull like a corner dunce
Dunce that wears a pointy hat
Dunce who won’t obey the rules
Rules of the poet police
Rules of the complicated blitz
Blitz poems have a lot of rules
Blitz poems can drive you mad
Mad like Word Daddy
Mad like when he heard
Heard I was attempting this style
Heard he’d have to come up with stuff
Stuff to make people smile
Stuff pleasant sounding to the ear
Ear of the poet
Ear of the spectator
Spectator to my challenge
Spectator in our little sport
Sport of creating something substantial
Sport of posting for an entire year
Year filled with poems
Year filled with adventure
Adventure to the dark corners
Adventure of rambling inside my head
Head filled with passion
Head with a few treasures
Treasures tangled up with sighs
Treasures that come as a suprise
Surprise to Word Daddy
Surprise because they were there
There to mine and cast about
There to discover and take out
Out of the box and unleash on the world
Out of the dark to be unfurled
Unfurled
World
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.
Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!
Very strange poetry, I love it 😍😍😍
Thank you.