And not the full four seasons of the year
~Edna St. Vincent Millay
Sometimes I like to use songs as writing prompts (like here and here). This one talks about beer and cigarettes, so it's not as kid-friendly as usual, but it's writer and teacher-friendly :-)
A half-truth's still a lie
"I need my space" is still goodbye
A wrong-sized shoe could look good on you,
But you'll be cussin your feet at midnight
A half-cold beer ain't cold
"I'll be back soon" is still gone
A half-smoked cigarette is still smoked
And a half-broke heart's still broke
**********
So can you think of any couplets that go:
A _____'s still _____
_________ is still ________
or
A ______ ain't _______
_________ is still ________
Maybe you can come up with another variant?
**********
The Poetry Friday round-up is at Dori Reads. Thanks, Dori!
22 comments:
Wonderful post today.....and I love a prompt the way you give us one. I have exactly 30 minutes before leaving for school. You don't have to guess what I'm going to do! Thank you!
Tabatha, I am loveloveloveing those Edna lines you opened with... doesn't that just say it all and perfectly? And I will give this little script a try. Thank you! xo
This was fun!
The Reason for Hangin' In
A drunken text's still writin'.
A cold shoulder is still fightin'.
We always threaten goodbyin'
Until the day we're dyin'.
That is a hard prompt! I can't think of one with my daughter squirming around reading Little Bear's Little Boat out loud. Oh, my, well there's my inspiration.
Whispering is still reading out loud.
"I'm tired" is still not doing homework
"I was looking at a cat-shaped cloud
was not getting your spelling done.
A broken butterfly newly found
is still touched under hands tented.
Humming incessantly is still sound,
and dented trust is still dented.
Hmm, not as much fun as one with ciggies and half broke hearts. :-)
It's another kind of goodbye from the one I shared, and sad for those long past relationships one still remembers. Fun to try, Tabatha. Here's one:
A lover still takes a chance;
it’s still a fine romance
until the cue is missed
that you wanted to be kissed.
Fun, fun Tabatha! I will give it a go!
Oh, no! I'm preparing to say goodbye, good luck to my eldest. And you have two heading away to college soon, my friend. Hang in there. Let's hope they're all thinking "Be back soon."
What fun to read everyone's creative responses to the prompt. "Humming incessantly is still sound," sounds like, "You told me not to sing, you didn't tell me not to make any noise!" :-)
Need to give this some thought, Tabatha. I hope to be back later with something brilliant! Or even something adequate.
That song had me tapping my toes, Tabatha...but no lyrics to tap out quite yet!
Thanks, y'all! What fun versions you came up with! Mine's not very serious:
A half-hug ain't a snuggle,
and a half-wizard's not a Muggle.
A half-baked idea might still work,
and a half-jerk's still a jerk.
Levity and big truth! Wow! I have to try your frame!
Let's see. Can I combine this prompt/challenge with an Olympic sport poem and an unsung hero and send it to my last poetry swap person?!?! Nah. Too much multi-tasking. :-)
Come on, Mary Lee -- that would be so awesome! Four birds with one stone ;-)
I like yours, Tabatha. I can see mine needs editing. :-) I should have added something about a cookie is not dinner.
I do love the way you fuse music and poetry!
A drizzle of rain ain't much water under the bridge,
A jaunt around the block may not be a pilgrimage,
And while these words are not epoch-making,
who knows what they'll be with a little renovating.
HA! And you thought I wouldn't come back! (Love yours, BTW.)
A tomcat ain't a lion.
An excuse don't mean I'm buyin'.
A kiss at night ain't worth the fight
when you're not even tryin'.
Seems like we're just about ready to start the Poetry Friday Songwriters Association...
When you planted pears, but it’s apples you’ve gotten,
half a grub is still rotten,
and the worm has turned when the early bird
is caught out napping with the night owl herd.
I think I got a little off the track, but I had fun, anyway. :) Thanks for this, Tabatha.
Clearly an inspiring prompt--goes nicely with the poems I call "no poems," and I too will try it out.
I'm listening to a "fresh & chill" playlist right now and liking these lyrics from "Starving":
I didn't know that I was starving 'til I tasted you
Don't need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo
I'll work on this too!
Ooh, a prompt to savor...what a gift! I'll need some time to think about this, which is blessing so as to not think about other things. Thank you, Tabatha! =)
Always up for a challenge, Tabatha, and this is a fun one!
A half-day's work's still work,
A booty-bump is still a twerk,
One lone banana don't make a bunch,
but half a spider still can crunch.
Never said my poems make sense, now, did I?? ;)
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