Banned Books Week - Two

-

 The last week in September is Banned Books Week, which this year is Sept. 26 - Oct. 2.  

My library is celebrating (if you can celebrate a banning, perhaps they mean overcoming bans and challenges) all September.  One of the activities is Banned Books Bingo.  

The corner square in the row I'm working on is "Create a blackout poem from a banned book."  I got a late start since the libraries are closed to in-person browsing, and there was no bingo card available online to print out.  I had to wait until there were some left on a table outside my usual branch.  So... late start and no time to order titles, I went with choices on my home shelves.  After several attempts with Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter, I went with Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne.  Yes, Winnie the Pooh has not been spared the challenges and bans!  Talking animals (an affront to the Christian god) and a pig (offensive to Jews and Muslims), not to mention that Pooh wears no pants (why he is singled out I don't know, there are other pant-less characters, and, shockingly, totally nude animals!).  Just hold on a minute...  I understand the dietary restrictions  to pork, but no one eats Piglet!  

So, in honor of Banned Books Week, here are two erasure poems from chapters III and VI of Winnie the Pooh.  

 

The Donkey walked.

The Stream splashed.

Like a riddle,

the Stone

said nothing at all.

 

 

 

two larch trees

going round and round

passing time 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©2021 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Untitled Golden Shovel

-
Image
 Writers' Pantry #52  https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2021/01/writers-pantry-52-years-beginning.html I've been playing with some new, to me, poetry forms.  April is the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and my plans are A-Z of poetry forms.  I like to get a head start, especially since I also participate on my other blog.   This is a Golden Shovel. It was created by Terrance Hayes, an award-winning poet and professor in New York.  https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/terrance-hayes The "rules" are: take lines, or one line, from an existing poem take each word and use it, in order, as an end word in your new poem give credit My poem uses the words from the last line of Edna St. Vincent Millay's Time Does Not Bring Relief (Sonnet II), "and so stand stricken so remembering him."             I had told him “yes” already, and it’s too late to change that now, so I let my words stand though I am stricken at the thought.   I am so cr
Read more

Untitled - a Waltmarie

-
Image
Weekly Scribblings #58  My second attempt (best not to talk about my first) at writing a Waltmarie, this week's Weekly Scribblings prompt.         Do not lack the courage To live Nor be long hesitant To love Let your wildest dreams free To soar And your imagination loose To fly Toward a future replete with Wonder ©2021 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved
Read more

The Morrigan

-
Image
 Weekly Scribblings #45: https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2020/11/weekly-scribblings-45-artistic.html A picture prompt this week, prose or poetry inspired by one or more of three paintings.  I chose two,  'Beautiful, YOU are' by Magic Love Crow, and 'Carnival Dreams' by Shelle Kennedy. 'Carnival Dreams' by Shelle Kennedy      Beautiful, you are,      though your thoughts are dark,      and bitter.      A macabre carnival of emotion      battles in you.        The heart you wear      belies the fury      of the one that beats.        Your face tells.      Tells of suffering,      loneliness,      too much despair      in one so young.      One still hoping.      Yet not daring to hope.   Hope!   The red balloon you cling to. Hope! Straining skyward.       'Beautiful, YOU are' by Magic Love Crow Look outside the gates. Outside your grim carnival and watch the crows at sunset fly in
Read more