Book Spine Poetry

Today is the last official day to celebrate April Poetry Month!  

So in honor of spring, and found poetry, and books, and procrastination, and cleverness, I bring you...

Book Spine Poetry

"My name is not easy

I'm not who you think I am

Run is not my Indian name

Don't call my Ishmael

I am not Joey Pigza

I am the ice worm

I am David

My name is Mina

Poetry speaks who I am"

From Maggie B. 

I recently discovered this thing. And yes, it is a Thing. It seems that everyone already knew about this; it's been all over the internet, and I'm only just catching on. But fortunately I discovered it in time to stretch my creative muscles and share this last hurrah to Poety Month with you! 

"Everything you need to survive the apocalypse
Blood and chocolate
Love and other perishable items
Riding out the storm
The long wait for tomorrow"
 By Elise Doney 

This afternoon at the Lynnwood Library, I scanned the stacks, searching for those catchy clever titles. I didn't know what I was looking for, so I just gathered as many books as I could carry and sat down in the Teen Center to assemble my spine label poetry. 

"Take me there

I'll be there

All the way

Wish you were here"

By Elise Doney

I fumbled the books, and muttered to myself, and was not at all a natural book spine poet. But the people in the Teen Zone totally helped me out. Together, we created this beauty:  

"Confessions of a serial killer

Tell me a secret

Little black lies

Will work for prom dress"

By Elise Doney and Lynnwood teens

What do you think? Maybe next year for Poetry Month, we can have a spine label poetry contest!

 Would you enter?

Find Poetry in Unexpected Places

As an occasional dabbler in poetry, I like writing exercise that give you a good kick to get going. Nothing is better for this than writing Found Poetry, where you look around at already existing word groupings, and pull or break them apart in new and interesting ways. Can you make a poem off a box of cereal? Yes! How about from an instruction manual? Totally! What about an issue of the New York Times? Certainly...plus, you can be featured on their website, if you enter their Second Annual Found Poem Challenge! Be sure to check out the website for all the rules and examples of last year's winners. Over 200 people entered last year. If I was between 13 and 25, I would totally do it, but alas, I'm old. ;)

In the meanwhile, if you think this sounds fun, but need a little boost to get going, or prefer writing with a group, come to the Mountlake Terrace Library this Wednesday at 4pm where we will have a free creative writing class focused on this topic: Recycled Words - Found Poetry.

Hope to see you there!

Dawn