Rode and Grave

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 Rode and Grave.

 The rules for writing a Blitz Poem and Rode and Grave

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.

Rode and Grave

Somewhere down the road
Road the Rooster and I rode
Rode that we traveled
Rode when we were young
Young and didn’t know better
Young on an old shovel head
Head that was filled with dreams
Head that likes to feel the wind
Wind in our hair
Wind on our face
Face wearing smiles
Face that didn’t show a care
Care for what was around the bend
Care that we might end up dead
Dead because we ran the risk
Dead because the wind blew brisk
Brisk in the summertime
Brisk and without a trace
Trace of snow
Trace of thunder
Thunder that would bring lightening
Thunder that would bring rain
Rain to make the road slick
Rain to make us take shelter
Shelter from the storm
Shelter from the pain
Pain that can silently fall
Pain that makes fools of us all
All good bikers must stop
All bikers lay it down
Down leaning into a turn
Down when a tire blows
Blows without notice
Blows and leaves you on the ground
Ground because of gravity
Ground that is hard at times
Times that test the soul
Times when you don’t want to roll
Roll with the punches
Roll with everything you got
Got to the place 
Got to stand on your feet
Feet adorned with biker boots
Feet that know how to stand
Stand solid on steady ground
Stan tall beyond the grave
Grave where we all will rest
Grave that takes even the best
Grave…
Rest…





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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