Hi all!
So this Friday's prompt is Being the Perfect Ex. Further to the extra stimulus material on our Challenges Page, I found a poem, a Quatern, which got me thinking on this Perfect Ex thing. I just happened to read the Prologue to Jodi Picoult's Mercy this morning which was all about selling her partner's clothes in a garage sale unbeknownst to him, so I thought well, is there a message here to share with you?
A quatern is a French poetic form comprised of four quatrains (four-line stanzas) sixteen lines in all. It has no rules for rhymes or iambics (but each line should contain eight syllables) and it repeats a refrain throughout the poem but with a different pattern and syllable count. Varying the punctuation makes it more interesting.
Purple Heart
I gave away your clothes last week.
A truck rolled up and took six bags
to some forsaken warehouse where
they'd be passed on to people who
cannot afford to buy them new.
I gave away your clothes. Last week
I couldn't stand the closet full
of coats and dresses, hung like ghosts
and so I yanked them off their racks,
stuffed plastic bags with memories
I gave away. Your clothes, last week,
went to a world that never knew
how fine you were, how beautiful
in that red dress, that silken blouse
some stranger walks the street in now.
I gave away your clothes last week.
For further information on the quatern, go to Poetic Asides blog @ http://bit.ly/spa5aY.
I can't wait to see what you'll all come up with for Friday's prompt. There are so many ways to demonstrate PERFECT!
Linky goes up Thursday AUS time...
PS: Found a great Flash Fiction/Poetry call for submissions for Microw Fiction. 1,000 words of prose or a maximum of 3 poems. Go here for the guidelines...
So this Friday's prompt is Being the Perfect Ex. Further to the extra stimulus material on our Challenges Page, I found a poem, a Quatern, which got me thinking on this Perfect Ex thing. I just happened to read the Prologue to Jodi Picoult's Mercy this morning which was all about selling her partner's clothes in a garage sale unbeknownst to him, so I thought well, is there a message here to share with you?
A quatern is a French poetic form comprised of four quatrains (four-line stanzas) sixteen lines in all. It has no rules for rhymes or iambics (but each line should contain eight syllables) and it repeats a refrain throughout the poem but with a different pattern and syllable count. Varying the punctuation makes it more interesting.
Purple Heart
I gave away your clothes last week.
A truck rolled up and took six bags
to some forsaken warehouse where
they'd be passed on to people who
cannot afford to buy them new.
I gave away your clothes. Last week
I couldn't stand the closet full
of coats and dresses, hung like ghosts
and so I yanked them off their racks,
stuffed plastic bags with memories
I gave away. Your clothes, last week,
went to a world that never knew
how fine you were, how beautiful
in that red dress, that silken blouse
some stranger walks the street in now.
I gave away your clothes last week.
For further information on the quatern, go to Poetic Asides blog @ http://bit.ly/spa5aY.
I can't wait to see what you'll all come up with for Friday's prompt. There are so many ways to demonstrate PERFECT!
Linky goes up Thursday AUS time...
PS: Found a great Flash Fiction/Poetry call for submissions for Microw Fiction. 1,000 words of prose or a maximum of 3 poems. Go here for the guidelines...
Love that quatern Denise. Almost inspires me to poetry. Almost . .
ReplyDeleteI've got my Ex entry written, just have to proof it and add a little intro. I'm also looking forward to all the submissions, especially with the awesome poem you showcased here. I'm sure it will inspire lots of poetry ideas :)
I want to read more Jodi Picoult novels. I have a few on my book case and in my kindle and haven't gotten around to them. I love her conscientious writings.
I'll see ya'll over the weekend :)
......dhole
One day I'll check out this Picoult chick. I've been mulling an idea for the challenge over in my head, might be time to put it on paper :)
ReplyDeleteSee you tomorrow! My favourite day of the week!
Quatrains feature in my novel Love Walked In: as penned by Omar Khayyám (1048–1131; Persian philosopher ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit,
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it
See a classically read chick...
best
F
Quatrains feature in my novel Love Walked In: as penned by Omar Khayyám (1048–1131; Persian philosopher ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit,
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it
See a classically read chick...
best
F
Cool feature! I love the Persian poets. Came across a lot when I was researching Afghanistan. Another classically read chick, hahahahh.
DeleteDenise
Hello.
ReplyDeleteJodi Picoult is one of my wife's favorites.
Now for this prompt...hmm...wonder what I can come up with? This week promises to be a lot of fun. See you all in a few!
Oh cool...I'm actually going to be allowed to leave a comment. I'm with out computers or internet at the moment folks, but I hope to have them both up sometime in July. I can't wait. In the meantime, when I can actually make it to the library I will post. Today it was on American Politics...kind of a joke and sure to offend some. It seems politics just do that anyway.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing the old fashioned way right now. A novella that takes place before my epic fantasy and two children's stories. I hope to have them finished and ready to transcribe by the time I have my computers. Writing is great therapy and my health is almost 100%. I plan to keep it that way.
Good luck and God bless.
Nancy
Hi Nancy. So cool that you were able to talk to us. Won't you ever be looking forward to July! Have missed hearing from you.
DeleteNothing like a bit of politics to get people riled up. American politics is so different to Australian.
Great that you've found a way to write - the old fashioned way! Hope the stories are going well.
Denise
Wishing you well Nancy, and looking forward to reading your stories again.
DeleteAdura x
Great poem! I am trying to think up a post for Friday :)
ReplyDelete@ Charmain: I'm biased, I'm sure you will like Jodi :)
ReplyDelete@Francine: wow, that's awesome.
@Andy: you wife has good taste :) I'm looking forward to this week's submission from you.
@NR; eeGads, you poor woman. No iternet? Just shoot me and be done with it, lol. I'll have to go read your post . .
@Heather: I know you will succeed. My answer 8 ball thingy said so ;)
@Denise: love you. I'm working on it all :)
...........dhole
......dho
I love the quatern, Denise. Beautifully dripping with grief. You certainly portray grief well. 'Often felt the loss of (what might have been ) a great relationship is grief that could last a lifetime if one isn't careful. You can tell I've been there! *Cough cough*.
ReplyDeleteParticularly admire your craft in these lines:
"I couldn't stand the closet full
of coats and dresses, hung like ghosts
and so I yanked them off their racks,
stuffed plastic bags with memories
I gave away."
Cool imagery and play on ideas. You should write more poetry.
Hi Denise .. great post on the Quatern also combining it with "The Perfect Ex .." - well done I'd love to write like that ..
ReplyDeleteCheers Hilary