Swagger, Stagger, Poem, Prayer
I’ve been writing lots of prose and missing
linebreaks, the way they have of making words
swagger and strut like runway models or
stagger like love-drunk college kids in clubs
that I couldn’t get into, too old and
plain and prosaic like a cloud shaped like
a cloud, cumulonimbus, hovering
above an outdoor wedding. Have a heart
the bride says to the sky, a form of poem,
a prayer to the winds that redirect us.
34 thoughts on "Swagger, Stagger, Poem, Prayer"
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Incredible.
This feels like you painted across every line.
Loved the percussive choices, and the unfolding of direction and redirection.
It’s hard to write a poem about writing poems. And then to write something unique and memorable about clouds.
You’ve done it.
Happy LexPoMo.
Thanks for your encouragement!
Bang out of the gate, Tom! Droolworthy poem.
St-
art
This is wonderful – aan ode to line breaks!
I’d been missing linebreaks.
“like a cloud shaped like a cloud” is a sequence that doesn’t feel like it should work, but it’s a genius way to move the poem from the first half to the second. Marvelous work.
Thanks!
That cumulonimbus cloud hovering over the wedding is such a perfect, graceful image. GREAT WRITE!
TY!
“too old and
plain and prosaic like a cloud shaped like
a cloud, cumulonimbus, hovering
above an outdoor wedding.”
This poem is fantastic. What a start to June!
Thanks!
why not a metapoetic poem
I’m not sure what you mean. Your comment could be taken different ways due to the lack of punctuation.
Really really like this one, Tom!
TY!
Great, as always!
I appreciate you, Wayne.
Love words that swagger and stagger! Your beautiful flavoring of insanity hovers over us all.
Thanks!
Have a heart
the bride says to the sky,
My outdoor wedding almost got rained out, and my bride wasn’t pleased.
Love this!
Thank you!
I love the movements you make and the line breaks too. My favorite is “Have a heart/the bride says to the sky, a form of poem,”
Thanks for lending your keen eye, Shaun.
Really cool ways of thinking about line breaks! Really like the runway models simile. I’m a sucker for enjambment, and there’s some nice uses of it throughout.
Thanks!
The power of poetry
stagger and swagger
love drunk
Thanks Pat!
Love everything about this poem. Including the line breaks.
The title is great.
Thanks!
Yes, I’ve been missing it, too! Love this poem. Now, if I can get myself going…
You can do it!