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 Proud of Alarms.
The rules for writing a Blitz Poem and Proud of Alarms
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.
Proud of Alarms There is something about a lighthouse Lighthouse standing tall and proud Proud to shine a light Proud to offer protection Protection on a cloudy night Protection from the storm Storm on a restless sea Storm-raging wicked and loud Loud clashes of thunder Loud waves crashes of waves Waves on the rocks Waves against the cliffs Cliffs in the distance Cliffs that offer danger Danger to ships close to shore Danger that is disguised Disguised as a lighthouse Disguised as safety to a stranger Stranger seeking shelter Stranger coming to harm Harm from an illusion Harm comes in the form of a horse Horse with a lantern attached to the neck Horse bobbing along the shore Shore that is rocky with a steep cliff Shore that is dangerous to the deceived Deceived by the moving light Deceived to travel in that direction Direction of the deadly dance Direction of the dangerous cliff Cliff that will bring a sailor to deaths door Cliff of rock and stone Stone that will tear a ship Stone to rip from brow to stern Stern bleeds water into the haul Stern damaged beyond repair Repair the damage of deception Repair the things you once believed Believed in the existence of a safe port Believed in the goodness of man Man who operated the one true light Man to guise you through danger Danger unseen by the naked eye Eye to guide you home Eye to keep you safe Safe from all life’s storms Safe from false alarms Alarms that sound in the night Alarms that awaken me Me… Night….
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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