Proud of Alarms

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.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!

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Published by henhouselady

I am the author of Saving the Hen House. I didn't know when I started it would turn into a series. I love to ride motorcycles, the blues, my family, and going on adventures. This old hen rocks.

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