Tuesday, April 10, 2012

WordParty Poetry Challenge - Writing Prompt #10

Day #10
List Poem
by Ingrid

List poems are one of my favorite forms.  Here are some examples with varying, lengths, styles and ideas for list poems:

  • Signage on the highway (don’t do this while behind the wheel)
  • Facebook or Twitter messages
  • Items/label in your pantry and/or bathroom
  • Questions
  • Take lines from various poems/songs
  • Business jargon
  • Academic jargon
  • Warnings your parents gave you

I love these Richard Loranger poems:
I WANT A POETRY and WE HAVE TO BECOME HUMAN


THINGS NOT TO SAY TO A PREGNANT WOMAN
by Ingrid Keir

Are you having twins?
At which hospital are you going to give birth?
When are you going to pop?
Looking at you makes me tired.
Is that baby here yet?
I really don’t like that name. It reminds me of an old person.
Wow you are big as a house!
My friend was in labor for 40 hours and had a 12 pound baby. You should call her to talk about her labor experience.
You look really uncomfortable.
How much longer until that baby arrives?
You are just acting this way because you are hormonal.
Can I touch your bump?
Wow your boobs are huge! Hopefully they won’t get too saggy.
Should you be drinking that?
Do you know what you’re having? Is it what you wanted?
Are your ankles swollen yet?
You ARE waddling aren’t you!


TO-DO LIST
by Jennifer Barone

pay rent
lose 10 pds.
do laundry
open a 401k
cash checks
figure out what to do with your life
sign up for meditation
meditate
become a better listener
call your friends back
take italian lessons
get italian citizenship
move to italy
stop obsessing over that boy
type up and organize your poetry
organize your whole house,
especially your papers
go to the dentist
try to relax
practice yoga
learn ayurveda
get to sleep at a decent hour
stop being late to work
eat healthier foods
drink more water
take your multi-vitamin
fix your portfolio
quit your job
stop worrying so much
get a pedicure
sell all your stuff on eBay
get health insurance
update your website
become a samurai warrior
practice positive thinking
stop being so negative
buy a plane ticket



GOOD NEWS

by Dan Brady

 

I want some good news people

No, not that “born again”
Bible humping bullpucky you’ve heard tell of … nope
I want good news … and not just for a minute here or there
Like you get during a KPFA fundraiser
Not what you get on Faux News during a slow day
No, by God I want the real deal
I want a whole workweek stuffed full of it
With each book-ending weekend fit to bursting
I want to know what it’s like turn on the TV and feeeeel good
I wanna feeeeeel good very time I think about … anything I can think of
I want to be double dipped, full up, schmeared, with good news
I tell you I want to look at the sky
And not think about “chem-trail” conspiracies
I want to feel the wind in my hair
Without wondering what kind of toxic crap is being carried along in it
From the sewers of India, China’s deserts or Japan’s nukes
I want to wake up, turn on NPR and hear about wonderful things
Expanding forests, glaciers coming back along with fish populations
Safe cell phones that pay YOU to use them
Free food being given out, rent reductions running rampant
I want to hear Obama talk
About giving back trillions of dollars to the people
Closing Guantanamo, giving up on nuclear power
Bringing troops home from Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, Balochistan,Turkmenistan, Nepal, Venezuela, Columbia, Mexico and the other 123
I want to hear him go on about perp walking Bush
And his whole suffering asshole crew
Placing a stay on every act that rim jobbing bunghumper ever made
That prisons are being shuttered
Because millions of people have decided to care of each other
That godless heathen multi-nationals are hiring shit loads of people
Because they’re bringing rock solid, plan your retirement on them
God blessed union jobs back the good old US of A and by the millions
I want to hear about green houses, green cars, green factories,
Green make up, green jobs and a greening self-sustaining world

I want to hear about how every person entering the job market
Says the same ding-dong thing,
“Gee, I don’t know which of all these jobs I want?”
AND “Say, why don’t all you companies take a number for crissakes!”
And, mind you, I want the good news to go on every frickin’day
I want to hear how millions are giving up smoking
Taking up Pilates, volunteering for charity work

That everyone has two chickens in every pot
A good, well-built, American car in every garage
And by that I mean one that gets 500 miles per fuel up
Takes a 50 mile an hour crash with no damage
Or injury to its passengers
Last as long as you frickin’ want to keep it
And gets free tune-ups, brake jobs and tires while you own it
I want to hear about scenic passenger trains making a come back
How scientists are being listened to … Hello!!!
Got global warming on the run
Replaced oil, nuclear power and natural gas
Found a way to prevent alcoholism
Using the cure for cancer that we already have
And have begun to terra-form the Earth for god sakes

I want to hear day after day of good news
So that by the time the fourth day dawns
I’ll have some idea of what life is like in a world that makes sense
So that I’ll be looking forward to the next damned day
So that I’ll be glad to wake up
Donate to good causes, of which there’ll be thousands
And every one of them will be doing very well thank you very much

I want all the guns in the world to be turned in
Broken up and melted down to make … anything else!
I want to hear that every soldier, intel wonk, officer
Commando or insurgent
Has renounced violence and are getting busy …
Building shelters, planting trees, cleaning beaches
Counseling hopeless, caring for the needy
Handing out bread, bringing in water
Giving emergency care to the destitute
Rescuing cats from trees and kissing babies

I wanna see them all get busy
Fixing every leaky toilet, broken window, noisy refrigerator
And every god blessed pothole in the known universe
That they are working with farmers to grow more food
Unlocking potential, opening floodgates
Applying bandages, splints and helping, helping helping!

I want to hear about bastard banksters making micro loans and giving grants

That defense departments have been shut down!

That research and development funding
Is going to making better computers

Cars, planes, trains, tractors, shoes, lights, batteries, houses, cities, colleges, schools, basketball and food courts!

I want to hear about better understanding
Between religions, races, politicians, historical enemies
I want to hear about borders being erased, hatreds evaporating
Ignorance giving way … reason running rampant
And every form of love being accepted by everyone everywhere!

By god, I want a week of such good news

As people have never ever, ever, EVER had

So when I go outside
And get my free cup of fair trade, organic, sustainable coffee
And an organic “everything” bagel with a wild caught salmon schmear
Everyone will be walking about more than a bit dazed
More than a bit confused
But each and every one will be happy, happy, happy!

Hallelujah,
Brothers and sisters, but I yearn, dream and pray for such a week
I say I want a week of good news
A flood, an ocean, a sky full of wonders
So that every memory of this time; this horrific, festering butt hole
This stupid-assed, jack shit, fucked up universally acclaimed
And God awful world of unholy, rank, festering, pustulant oozing scabs
Is gone.   I say I want a week of good news, my friends
I say, I want a week of such good news
That glory unbounded I know, I say, I just know, we all want to see!