Blitz Poetry is an interesting style of poetry with specific rules. I have written this style of poetry in the past. I thought it might be interesting to play with it again in the cold month of February. The rules make this form of poetry challenging. The rhythm of the poems created using this style depends on word choice and placement. This style of poetry, created by Robert Keim, takes thought and precision. My experience in the past is that it can sometimes feel like you are writing on a fast-moving freight train filled with words. Even the title of the poem is found within the word placement. I call this Blitz poem Picture of Lights.
The rules for writing a Blitz Poem and Picture of Lights
A Blitz Poem is 50 lines of short phrases or images
*Line 1- use a short phrase or image
*Line 2-another short phrase or image that uses the same first word as the first word of line 1.
*Lines 3 and 4-short phrase or image that uses the last word of line 2 as the first word of the line.
*Lines 5 and 6, short phrases or images using the last word from line 4 as the first word. Continue until you reach line 48 using the same pattern found in this rule as lines 5 and 6.
*Line 49 will use the first word of line 48
*Line 50 should be the last word of 47
The title should be three words long, using the first word of line 3 followed by a preposition or conjunction and then the first word of line 47.
*There should be no punctuation.
As you can see, there are many rules, but I plan to have fun with this Blitz Poetry style.
Picture of Lights A picture of a family Family in a picture Picture of a time together Picture with smiling faces Faces that weren’t always clean Faces that can sometimes be mean Mean but not unkind Mean without traces Traces of hate Traces that can weather Weather all of life’s storms Weather the an uncertain fate Fate that can lead you far Fate that can keep you here Here in my heart Here where you will always belong Belong to this crazy family Belong in your first home Home where the heart is Home that will always welcome Welcome you back from where you went Welcome you on Christmas day Day to be together Day to understand Understand the meaning Understand the love Love we share with one another Love that lasts despite the distance Distance measured in miles Distance we travel with a single call Call to say your doing good Call to see me wear a smile Smile because I know your fine Smile because I know you care Care in ways big and small Care because you’re on my mind Mind that remembers Mind that knows Knows all the things about you Knows about all the struggles Struggles to become who you are Struggles to grow wings and fly far Far away from me Far to a distant city City that never sleeps City with flashing brilliant lights Lights to distract Lights that can dull with time Lights… Distract…
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!
The progressions of lifelong relationship are perfectly expressed in this style of poetry! Excellent choice of themes 👌
Thank you.
Potent.
Thank you.