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 Changing the Life.
The rules for writing a Blitz Poem and Changing the Life
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.
Changing the Life I’d like to change the world World that needs changing Changing it for the better Changing it to be what I want Want and need at the top of my list Want and greed would come next Next in the endless parade Next in the rearranging Rearranging who gets what Rearranging while invading Invading yet still evade Invading all the pinnacles of power Power that needs brought down Power that needs to be broken Broken but what will replace Broken and never fixed Fixed to reign again Fixed like a broken shoelace Shoelace that twists and twines Shoelace that temps and binds Binds us to a broken plan Binds us not to understand Understand that nothing ever changes Understand that power corrupts Corrupts good intentions Corrupts the good and kind Kind and caring and capable Kind that could change the world World that needs changing World that is a blue and green ball Ball that bounces in free fall Ball that rotates around the sun Sun that gives light to us all Sun as hot as any fire Fire that keeps us warm Fire that burns within our soul Soul that seeks to do no harm Soul that shines with desire Desire to see us all well fed Desire to help us all heal Heal from the evil and greed Heal from the danger in the air Air that we breathe and feel Air that we all share Share day and night Share the gift of life Life that wants to make a change Life lived for one another Life… Change…
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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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. Thanks so much for sharing this idea.Anita