Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing.
~Banksy
Happy Poetry Friday! I've got two poems for you today. The first one is mine and has a side story. I'm doing a Coursera poetry class with Denise (called Sharpened Visions) and one of the prompts was to take the rhymes from someone else's poem and use them in the same order. I picked Longfellow's The Arrow and the Song.
At first I had trouble coming up with a poem because his was stuck in my head. I had to think of a very different topic to send me off in another direction. I picked graffiti, which must have come to mind because I am going to be making graffiti for my birthday in a couple of weeks. (Although this is a lawless age, mine will be law-abiding, never fear.)
Rap it, as best you can:
GRAFFITI
Spray paint shakes, shoots through the air--
A word from a can freed to go where
It lands on a wall and gives in-sight--
Not every wall catches words in-flight.
Go outside, breathe unplugged air--
What you seek finds you out there.
Start out weak and wrap up strong,
Listen up hard for a skeleton song--
That's all you need to sprout a mighty oak--
The bones, the seeds, your acorn unbroke.
It's not like the end is even the end--
The painted-over wall is still your friend.
***********
Our second poem is by Sophia Thakur:
Laura Purdie Salas has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Laura!
10 comments:
Love the vibe and energy of the Graffiti poem. You've made the rhymes all your own. Well done!
Fabulous, Tabatha! "Not every wall catches words in-flight." That's brilliant. xo
Feels like a lot of song in your post today, Tabatha. Though I can't always understand the words, I love rap and watching rappers. I read yours aloud & tried! And, it felt like it was working! I enjoyed that 2nd verse so much! And, the video, lovely to see and hear!
Sophia Thakur is amazing - just amazing. I love how your words and hers danced together. I can sense you dancing along - words freed. How lovely. I hope you have an AMAZING time doing graffiti. What a gift to yourself!!
What a fun and energy filled poem GWow, beautiful and Sophia Thakur's energy is contagious, "You are deserving of such Joy!"
That's me, Michelle K above, Tabatha, the comment slipped out before I had a chance to finish typing GRAFFITI, hope you have fun with creating some for your B-Day! Thanks!
Love all the freedom, creativity and joy over here this week, Tabatha - thanks for sharing your and Sophia Thakur's upbeat works!
So much groove to this graffiti poem, Tabatha. And looking forward to hearing more about your graffiti project!
A word from a can -- so fascinating! That reminds me, I need to go see the Banksy exhibit at the Hirshorn...
"Start out weak and wrap up strong"-I must remember this line of yours. I am leaning in on the wrap up strong part. I not only love what your wrote but was amazed by Sophia Thakur's presentation. I started looking her up. Happy Upcoming Birthday.
Post a Comment