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.
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Good ‘un 😊
Thank you.
Wow this is cool and seems so difficult
Thank you.
You’re welcome!