To Seek the Soft Fog
A simple prompt once it clicked in my head how to do it!
In short, write a found poem of eleven lines from the first lines of
your own poems, one each from months January to November.
The title comes from any month's first lines. I was glad to notice it
didn't have to be December, I only had one fairly reasonable
choice! The title was actually the hardest part.
This August sun scorches.
I fear I am not well, nor have been in years, I languish, I grow weak.
Some mornings
I sit at the end of the pier,
my mind in a fog.
I view my garden.
The crows in silhouette watch, silent as one crow.
On these summer nights
woodsmoke hangs heavy.
A temple offering,
right on time.
©2024 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved
January: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/01/lena-in-two-january-27-2023.html
February: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/02/gertrude.html
March: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/03/untitled-haiku-march-13-2023.html
April: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/04/syllabic-prompt-outside-your-window.html
May: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/05/pure-haiku-theme-orchid.html
June: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-end-of-pier.html
July: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-silhouette-of-crows-imayo.html
August: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/08/tanka-tuesday-weekly-poetry-challenge-no.html
September: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/09/24-seasons-shubun-autumn-equinox.html
October: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/10/whirligig-whirligig-442-prompt-words-in.html
November: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/11/24-seasons-shosetsu-light-snow-no-9.html
Title: https://theversesmith.blogspot.com/2023/03/untitled-haiku-march-13-2023.html
This one works so well, it is truly consistent and I can feel that the fog may soothe when the sun is scorching hot.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, fog is welcome in the summer. I grew up, and lived form most of my adult life, in the San Francisco area. In summer it was very hot, but a trip to SF cooled us off nicely. In fact Ocean Beach would be cold!
DeleteI like that your found poem is set in scorching August, Lisa, the kind of weather that makes me weak and puts my mind in a fog; I can identify with it. I love the line about the crows – corvids are my favourite birds.
ReplyDeleteMine too! We have a lot of crows and ravens in the neighborhood.
DeleteThis one actually works as a poem. Simple, stark phrases that hang together to make a visual.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I kind of liked how it turned out. I would have rather had more choices for the Temple offering month, but I didn't have much else that worked at all.
Deleteso glad you figured it out and created this very atmospheric, inside and out, poem
ReplyDeleteIt was fun once I got straightened out and stopped double monthing!
DeleteThis is just lovely to read and envision. Beautiful. I especially loved the crows, silent as one crow.
ReplyDeleteThank you. The crows were just sitting and watching, waiting for something. It was kind of creepy, since they are usually so raucous!
DeleteThe poem reminds me of a letter in verse, perhaps even a poetic telegram. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteIt does, thanks for mentioning that!
DeleteVery good.
ReplyDeleteOn these summer nights
ReplyDeletewoodsmoke hangs heavy.
A temple offering,
right on time.
Makes perfect sense to me… 😉🙂✌🏼🫶🏼
You were able to tell us a poetic story with the lines you chose!! Great job. And do not give me much credit ... I labored from Thursday afternoon until just this morning trying to figure it out! LOL
ReplyDeleteThese work well and blend into their own poem.
ReplyDeleteThank you. At first I wondered how it could possibly make anything sensible, yet now I see how fun it was! I want to do more!
Delete