Thursday, November 14, 2013

American Sentences for dVerse Poets Pub

The glory all see shining from inside her life hides from her own eyes.

Rain falls on an empty park bench, an umbrella floats in a puddle.

He rested his head on her memory, the only trace she left for him.

His conscience was the critic sitting in the audience of his life.

She slides her finger across the spines of books on her shelf, deciding.

She refuses to accept a rose without the thorns - and the blood they draw.

We can leave clues to find our way back - if staying lost together fails.

All she would ever be to him was marvelous, distant perfection.

With a torch in his hand, he lined up the straw men for execution.



It's been a while since I've stopped in at the Poets Pub. I'm glad I swung the pub doors open today when I saw that Gay Reiser Cannon had presented us the task of writing some American Sentences. Perfect. I've been experimenting writing American Sentences on Twitter since I stumbled across them in the same book that Gay referred to, Kim Addonizio's Ordinary Genius, A Guide for the Poet Within. I've found this form of seventeen syllables to be less restrictive than haiku and a great way to launch creative thoughts when I feel stuck for a longer form. 

©Eusebeia Philos 2013

17 comments:

  1. mmm how true on the first one, it often does for all of us.
    ha, i like staying lost together as well.
    a marvelous distant perfection...whew...mouthful, but dang thought provoking as well...

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  2. I have been following your american sentences on Twitter - have always enjoyed your poetry and this is no exception - particularly like the spines of books and the getting lost - very cool - K

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    1. Thanks, Kathleen. They're all just a little alteration from haiku to american sentences, eh.

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  3. Good to see you ~ All are really good specially the one with the rose, distant perfection and that last one ~ Have a good week ~

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  4. some real gems in here ~ M

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  5. I love these! They are very good...will be reading them again.

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  6. These are all really, really good! I absolutely Love the little twist in the last one. :-)

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  7. It is nice to read your words again..I too enjoyed the rose one and staying lost together isn't such a bad idea..

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  8. These are wonderful.All of them.
    My favourite.

    We can leave clues to find our way back- if staying lost together fails. Ha ...just brilliant !

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  9. So happy you linked today. These are thought provoking, probing, and really good hooks. Each of them is complete in itself; yet, each stands as a possible doorway to an in depth look at the hows and whys of that starting line. I really salute you with these; they show thought, consideration, and precision of language.

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  10. I enjoyed all these. The fourth is my favourite:)

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  11. Love the sadness of the third and the wisdom of the fourth. Love them all really!
    Anna :o]

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  12. This is great... I love them all, and I read them on twitter.. Let's all enjoy #americansentences

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  13. Thanks, Bjorn. This was a good prompt. It was fun to see everyone try a new form.

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  14. They're al marvellous. #3 particularly appeals.

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