Leftover Micro-Poetry: Four Elfchens
Writers' Pantry #79
Almost too late I noticed that Wednesday's Weekly Scribblings prompt was limited to ONE poem! I was so enthused writing elfchens (even though I ended up posting an American Sentence) I wrote several. Here they are.
This first was inspiration for the American Sentence.
Lantern
Light throws
Shadows of fear
Down the hall tonight
Death
My puppy
Snowy white fur
Spot on one eye
Adorable
Geese
from Canada
on the move
single file waddle walks
roadblock
Listen
Hear me
Open your mind
Hold these words close
Learn
©2021 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved
I love them all! Hard to choose a favourite, but those geese do amuse.
ReplyDeleteI hear they take that same route every morning. Fortunately, drivers here are patient.
DeleteHow good it is to express oneself in poetry in unusual ways. Viewing the world and being able to express ones thoughts in poetry is such a gift for us.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is. Expressing thoughts, sharing with others, taking in their thoughts, maybe opening a world in ourselves and others. I don't think that's too much for poetry to accomplish!
DeleteI love that first one (and your dog is so cute)
ReplyDeleteThank you. I got him not long ago, and his cuteness was a big factor, but not the first, that was being a Border collie mix.
DeleteLove the mix. I did listen!
ReplyDelete:) So many close their ears to anything "new" or what they don't want to hear.
DeleteThe Scribblings prompt inspired many a micropoem! I enjoyed them all.
ReplyDeleteThey were fun!
Deletewell these are wonderful, i've never heard of "american sentience", the form looks a lot like cinquain, is this a syllable-based form? and where can i find out more?
ReplyDeleteHere is the American Sentence I referred to:
Deletehttps://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2021/07/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html
An American Sentence was created by the poet Allen Ginsberg. It is
17 syllables written as a sentence. I have seen them with more than one sentence, 17 syllables, in one line, but I believe the "rules" are one sentence.
The poems here are elfchens, which are 11 words, 5 lines. Line 1 is one word, 2 is 2, 3 is 3, 4 is 4, and 5 is one again.
ok, so elfchen is like cinquain then, good to know, and thank you lisa for the info, and again really enjoyed the poems=)
DeleteIn that they both have 5 lines, yes. Elfchen is by words though, any number of syllables. The syllables in cinquain allow it to be centered and make a nice shape. They both begin and end with the shortest line. Elfchen words per line are 1/2/3/4/1 and Cinquain syllables per line 2/4/6/8/2.
DeleteOh, and thank you! :)
DeleteEach differently wonderful!!!! Glad you got to share with us.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThank you, Lisa, for this delightful treat. the one about the geese brought a smile to my face.
ReplyDeletei was about to say this form looks like a cinquain, and then Phillip beats me to it. Thanks for the explanation.
Those geese were so cute! I love the one that has a bit of problem going up and down the curb! I thought they were so lazy not to fly! I suppose one could write a cinquain that is also an elfchin, if one is careful!
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