Friday, August 22, 2014

Swap Poems



The Summer Swap 2014 poets were very entertaining, thoughtful, clever givers, as you can see from the poems below. Thank you to Irene, Keri, and Robyn letting me share these!


Summer Poem Swap
by Irene Latham
for Tabatha

Poems flip-flop
across 13 states,
dive into the hands

                         of poets

who savor words
the way wind
relishes treetops.

Sometimes
the poems arrive
lemondrop-light;

other times
they belly-flop,
meaty as pork chops.

Each poem quenches
like a fat raindrop's
kerplop.

Why, oh why
does the swap
have to stop?

**************


Victoria Inner Harbour Panorama 2012 by Gord McKenna

VICTORIA, B.C., JULY 2014
by Keri Collins Lewis
for Tabatha Yeatts

Seagulls
screech high above
mercurial waters
as the ferry slips into place:
welcome.


**************

JABBERDOGGY *
by Robyn Hood Black

Twas breakfast, and the slimikin cur
Did tremefy the gray cat away:
All mowburnt was the bacon
All misqueme, the one who groaks
"Beware the scelidate, my son!
Epalpebrate, with kexy fur!
Beware the aquabib, and shun
the crebritous rogitator!"

* Or "Watch Out for the Small Dog Who Begs at the Table"
(thanks/apologies to Lewis Carroll and Tabatha's "Pets in the Kitchen" series)



Lucy, wondering whether she misquemed the cat

(Note from Tabatha: Maybe I should mention that one of the optional prompts was to use obsolete words in your poem? Linda shared my crazy obsolete word poems.)

Glossary:
slimikin - small and slender
tremefy - to cause to tremble
mowburnt - spoiled by becoming overheated
misqueme - to displease, to offend
groak - to silently watch someone while they are eating, hoping to be invited to join them
scelidate - having legs
epalpebrate - lacking eyebrows
kexy - dry, brittle, withered
aquabib - water-drinker
crebrity - frequency, period between two occurrences
rogitate - to ask frequently

**************

Irene is our Poetry Friday host today. Hope you are feeling better soon, Robyn!

16 comments:

Linda B said...

Well, the crebrity of the swap seemed just right for our summers, Tabatha, and I adore the idea of the poems 'flip-flopping' across states, perhaps delivered by ferries! You've been blessed by a marvelous gathering of words!

Diane Mayr said...

I'm doing a mini-round-up of Swap poems today, too! So much fun, Tabatha!

By the way, I think we should reinstate some of those obsolete words like aquabib (especially not that nearly everyone comes with a water bottle attached) and rogitate (everyone knows a child who rogitates).

Robyn Hood Black said...

Honored to be in this mix today, Tabatha, with Irene's too-fun flip flops and Keri's gorgeous ferry! Thanks so much for coordinating these Poem Swaps. Glad my shoulder/arm waited to give out until after Round 5... ;0)
xo

jama said...

What treasures you're sharing today. Loved all the poems. So much talent in the PF group. The obsolete word prompt is brilliant. :)

Donna Smith said...

The poem swap was absolutely the most fun ever. Can we do another one for Jan./Feb.? Something to chase the ho-hums of the doldrums way? Or is it too much of a great thing? I could host/organize it if there were interest.
Great poems here today that you shared.
I, too, think we should use a few obsolete words more often, before they become extinct or atrophy from lack of use!

Doraine said...

Love these! Maybe one summer I'll manage to join in.

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

O.M.G. What are we going to do now that the summer's over and we don't get to enjoy anymore of these summer swap poems??? Irene's presentation was crazy awesome, Keri hit a homerun with her cinquain, and Robyn... oh my, inspired puppy brilliance!

Linda said...

Loved the poems, and it was fun reading all the posts about the swap this summer.

Tara said...

Oh, these were fun to read! Robyn's was a revelation -
we forget how many words have just disappeared from usage or morphed entirely. I shall have to try this with my students!

Irene Latham said...

Oh my goodness, what wonderful company that rainbow flipflop finds itself in! Keri's is so very... welcoming! And Robyn's so wildly creative... I may have to dip into this glossary. And LUCY. ADORABLE. YOu're having fun, aren't you. xo

GatheringBooks said...

Loved Jabberdoggy by Robyn. So many lovely words moving through the world and landing in poets' mailboxes through this project of yours, dearest Tabatha. Truly inspired. :)

Mary Lee said...

Thank you for inventing this marvelous way for us to share with each other! It was so much fun!!

Jone said...

These were all so great. I loved the poem by Robyn with the obsolete words. Thank you again for creating the opportunity t write poems this summer.

Joyce Ray said...

I love reading the Summer Poem Swap poems. Such creativity! So glad for the glossary for "Jabberdoggy!"

Keri said...

I laughed so hard at Robyn's poem. No matter how obsolete the words are, the age-old battle between dogs and cats rages on . . .

Bridget Magee said...

Wow! Each poem in the swap was a true gift. What a fabulous experience and what a treat that you all shared your gifts. Thank you! = )