Okay, here's the deal: you sit down and write 10 three-line poems. You have three minutes to write each one. The title for each one is something your eye falls upon. The title is not to be repeated in the poem. Find the title and write it, then without thinking, just write three lines. Give yourself permission for them to suck. Pause. Do the next one. (This exercise, along with the previous one, was taken from Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg, which is an AWESOME book!!!!!)
here's mine:
Blue Envelope
I have been so overhwelmed
and cannot ask for your help;
I got furious about the ice cream bars.
Monkey
The giraffes and gorillas were the best
I remember, that day at the zoo
where you screamed and we threatened to go home again.
Remote
I could kill the TV I swear
Turn its skeleton into an oversized planter box
Turn its guts into an art project
Checkers
My rubber belt was just 10 dollars
But I almost paid 30 for the buckle alone
And I think we could use a good board game sometimes.
Straw Hat
You boys and your boy clubs
And us ladies got ours, they sing me that song
"Indie's mom's got it goin' on"
Telephone
It is almost eleven and the baby's asleep
And I'm wondering when you'll get here
And if there'll be time for a cigarette.
Couch
Our living room is cut in half
It must be terrible feng shui
I always feel so stuck in here.
Pillow
We went camping again and we left you behind
And it wouldn't have been good for you
But we felt terrible anyway.
Kitchen Sink
Every night I am fucking tired
You sleep on the satisfaction of a hard day's work
I'm so pissed I could spit sometimes
Blank Book
I have over twenty volumes of my story
And I cannot bring myself to read
All the gory details of my own humiliation.
This sounds like fun. Let me see if i can do this. I usually like to make my stuff rhyme but in 3 minutes? omg..lets see how these turns out.
Calendar.
Big picture of a car, you aren't mine
like a clock but not telling the time
Just counting the days away.
Curtain.
You block out the sun and the rain
Cant close you forever coz i wanna see the world again
I can just close my eyes!
Blanket.
You cuddle me when i am cold
Thru a scarey movie you give me something to hold
You make me safe from the monsters.
Book.
The story that you loyally hold
The page im on has a neat little fold
The words that flow before my eyes.
Video Camera.
The memories that are in your mind
The days that from our minds are forgotten
Your cap is on so you are sleeping.
Fireplace.
So empty, so cold
Seeing as its summer we dont need you
Enjoy resting for this short period of time.
Painting on the Wall.
I cant see what u r of
The sun is shinging in your eyes
The tiger that i know u are shud be wearing shades.
Piano.
You are so noisy, but in a wonderful way
Until the kids start punching out tunes
But they are happy in their own way.
Desk.
Nice and woody, hard to the touch
just like something else might be tonight
oh how i wish i didnt feel so poo.
(omg lol i dont know where that came from pmsl)
Tobacco.
How i long for your fumes in my body
The cravings that make me feel tense at times
I wish i could let myself indulge.
Were they right?? lol
phone
my nose is ringing
you told me
sunrise killing you
poster
i love cross my heart
the paper on the wall
you are breathing
cup
the pens that fill you
the color of you
and my head ran out to space
computer
my eyes are burning from you
the lines are confusing
the plum on the desk
paper
don't forget to rot
disqualify future potentials
i ran into the cloud
printer
i'm at work
can't you tell
the buzzing
frame
it's been that long
drank, sunset, drunk happy
our pain, fear and admitting to that
drawer
passing out from alcohol
warm freezing both awake
being naked in the lake
jacket
broken hearted selfishness
set aside my feelings for that
hell knows
button
the sun outside
hidden by the clouds
and my stomach ached for you
ok I am going to try this, but let me warn you these will probably suck
Hairspray
helping women everywhere
acheive false hopes and dreams
of big sexy hair
baby food
they say you are natural
but little do they know
how far you are from the orchard
computer mouse
how ironic
you share your name with an animal
that people are afraid to touch
cell phone
why arent people scared of this peice of machinery?
I dies every once and a while
but we can always bring it back to life
tree
you have been here before i ever was
you will be here after I am gone
do you even know how long that is?
letter from childcare assistance
i hate your existance
but its not your fault you were next in the printer
for this delightful piece of information
checkbook
you are my best friend or my worst enemy
depending on my finances
dont you dare call me fickle
work schedule
what is the point of getting paid
if you never have any days off
in which you can spend all the money?
emoticons
finally!
we dont have to crane our necks
to understand how people feel
cd case
shattered windows
anger
cloud my vision
Skylar, I like emoticons. Heather, I like button and drawer. Elli, I like calendar.
yikes.. lets see how this turns out
Panda Magnet
Its so very nice of you
to hold onto that overdue bill
i think its been there for a year or two
Tea Candle
You smell so very good
like rasberries and vanilla
i wonder if you really taste like food
Little Flower Thing
You're so pretty just not real
But you make my day better
Because I like how your yarn petals feel
Calendar
your filled with so many appointments
you make me want to rip you up
and yell out obsene comments
Ferret
why must you steal all my stuff
pens, make up, important papers
i think they should make ferret handcuffs
Photo Album
oh your filled with so many memories
some from the time at the lake
when there was such a nice breeze
Keyboard
the clicking of your keys
drives me up the wall
so could you just be quiet, please?
Bookbag
its almost time for to be used again
theres one year left of school for me
i just dont know what i'm going to do then
Phone
sometimes i can't stand your ringing
unless its bd calling
his voice makes me feel like singing
CD
I don't care for the songs you play
I listened to you today and you made me cry
I will put you away, and try again someday
wow.. thats really.. stress relieving.. lol
Sami, the ferret handcuffs is really cute!
hahaha sky I love the mouse and the hairspray one!! I feel dumb, do you just make up random stuff about what you look at???
sort of. I mean, it doesn't even have to be about that item, but something that item reminds you of. It's not like "ode to the telephone pole," but like you see a telephone pole, you make that the title, and then you just spit out three lines without thinking much.
a relationship between the title and the poem just sort of happens, even if you don't try.
i like this thread! good idea!
(i'd do it but i'm not creative at all and my brain shuts off at 5 pm every day.)
zap
you are such a cute little bottle of pills
i wonder what products with superhero names other people take
just to make it through their day.
nude art
millions of people in millions of moments
arrange themselves just, so
and i can't even tell if you're looking at me.
houseplants
as i take these little pieces of life
and arrange them carefully in their new homes
i wonder who it is up above that is doing that with me.
visa
sign your name on the dotted line and i will give you freedom
thats what they said in the beginning, before i owed them everything.
they make money telling the same lies we tell each other every day.
bra
the moment i walk in at the end of my day
you are the first thing i lose
how i love the feel of my own skin.
crayons
i can't make sense out of modern art
the stuff they hang in galleries
but my 4 year old child is an absolute genius.
headphones
take me away
to the far corners of my mind
where nothing mattered but the beat in my soul.
fan
when i lay in my bed with my eyes closed
i want to feel air rushing over me, always
i have never stopped wanting to fly.
shoebox
all these neat little things we collect and store away
just waiting for the right moment or person, so we can pull it all out
thats what i think my brain looks like.
seashells
they say if you hold it up to your ear
you will hear the ocean
i just want to hear the way she was laughing that day.
(this is the first poetry i have written in about 8-10 years. be nice! i think i was only able to do it because it was totally random).
i just looked at the object and put whatever came to mind.
Be warned... Mine are probably either wrong or really weird.... Anyway.. it's a good cure for boredom.
kitty
You think I don't know what you're saying
so you tell me your secrets just to get them off your back
little do you know, I speak cat fluently..
book
do you open yourself willingly to be heard
or do you feel forced and naked
as people casually read your every word
ice
I bit my tongue chewing you
then I used you to calm the pain
if that isn't irony...
penny
you feel worthless as you are tossed aside
but when someone has the heart to pick you up
you find it in yourself to bring them good luck
journal
I don't trust you
you have a tendency spill
whatever feelings I tell you I feel
boyfriends work schedule
kindly fuck off and leave us alone
who are you to tell him that he can't stay home
I hate how you remind us of time
speaker
you are too damn loud in my ear
you don't have to shout
to tell me what you want me to hear
freckle
an angels kiss
or an imperfection?
I'll take you either way..
clock
stop rushing me through life
stop telling me when to do what
you act like you're helping, but really, you're not
belly button
Of all the things I thought I'd lose
I never thought it would be you :shock:
one day we will meet again
ahh ... how weird it is just to spit out whatever comes in your head
Britt, my favourite one of yours has to be "book". I really like it.
Desk Lamp
Why are you there
you have no lightbulb
useless piece of junk
Speaker
Are you hooked up
i dont hear much sound
oh, you're not on
Dog
You're asleep and I want to wake you
I'm going to blow in your face
Ew doggy breath
Ashtray
Smokey clouds arise from you
a cigarette left burning in you
joe needs to quit
Candle
Upside down, why?
oh right, you've captured a spider
that freaks me out
Mirror
Quit staring at me
I'm not staring at you
Yes you are, now stop
Headphones
Muffled noise of Quake III
The enemy has your flag
joe's addicted to the enemy
Screwdriver
Aria stuck you in her nose today
that was fun for you, i bet
now go fix something
Couch
The dog is on you and she smells
now you will smell, too
but i'm going to lay on you anyway
Chapstick
you're my only friend
you keep my lips moist
what would i do without you?
Haha, wow I suck!! But it's fun to pass the time.
Kaya, I love seashells
Wow, you guys are all really good! I dont think I have the imagination for it....
Tweety Bird Plate
I asked for my birthday
What a wonderful gift
That I've proceded to destroy
Disposable Baby Bottle
What a wonderful concept
I've never seen anythin quite so
a disposable milk disposal
Wine glass
Filled with diet pepsi
I swear I have no class
Couldn't cut it
Bathtub
Child sized porceline
No room for me inside
I hate this house
Mirror
Where do you find
A bathroom without one
Thank you Value Village
Guitar
I used to think
I'd eventually play
Yea, right. I suck
Pullout Couch
Was this my idea?
How could I have?
Wasting a real bed
Pop Bottle
Looking through the empty bottle
It wasn't worth it's weight
Have to stop wasting money
Baby Rocker
They're all getting too big
I can no longer hold on
They are not my possession
Water Cooler
Picked from the trash,
Barely used at all,
Taking up too much space