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 Invisible and Old.
The rules for writing a Blitz Poem and Invisible and Old
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.
Invisible and Old Old people have a superpower Superpower to be invisible Invisible to the young Invisible to the world World around them is unable to look World that refuses to see See old people as invincible See beyond outward appearance Appearance of the frail and the sour Appearance that doesn’t agree Agree with the knowledge inside Agree with what you see at first glance Glance at a wrinkled face Glance at the feeble step Step taken with great care Step taken with a slow sped Sped of a tortoise Sped of hands that tremble and shook Shook not out of fear Shook because of age Age had a purpose Age has its advantages Advantages of going unnoticed Advantage of being ignored Ignored without calling attention Ignored and not even mention Mentioned in connection to a crime Mentioned for an unpleasant task Task that requires strength and vigor Task that requires wearing a mask Mask that hides facial features Mask to wear when pulling triggers Triggers that cause youth to fear Triggers that warn of decay Decay of muscles and bones Decay of memory and mind Mind that wants to deny the truth Mind that denies we all go that way Way of the aged after youth Way of the grave from birth Birth a coming into the world Birth of a realization us Us being fear-filled creatures Us without powerful traits Traits that leave us mortal Traits that offer resistance Resistance to what we know Resistance to growing old Old in mind and body Old with a single superpower Old… Body….
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Wow, lots of rules, as you say. You’ve done a fantastic job with this, Molly! Hugs 💕🙂
Thank you, Harmony.
I think this is a great poetic study on being old. I’ve experienced once or twice (so far) unkind behavior because I am old and should be invisible. But I generally don’t mind invisibility as an attribute or, as you say, superpower. Among other things, invisibility renders observation more potent. Thanks for this!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
You are welcome. Thank you for reading.