January 2, 2007

• Surrealism, Part 1

  I was a facilitator at a workshop this weekend for Surrealist Poetry in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh this weekend.  It was fun, and wrote a few things this weekend along with the students. 

  This was written using the exercise called “20 Words.”  I’m sure its self explanatory, but just in case, you get a list of 20 random words and put them all in a poem.

  20 Words

  The lady in my reservoir

  is shouting Danger

  under the black rumble of sad,

  collapsing beneath the weight

  of black magic

  and mad genius sex.

  The rodents of men

  have crawled on her willing body

  and left her crying at the sight

  of yellow hair.

  Go ahead and scream.

   

  This next poem is quite odd.  It was written using the Paper Bag game.  You take magazines, old books, etc., and you cut out lines and words from them and put them in a paper bag and pull out several.  You have to use all the words and lines in their entirety and you’re only allowed to add conjunctions to connect the lines.

   

  Paper Bag

   

  “Frumenty and mince-pie,” the Gnat replied;

  You are offered a choice between reflect:

  To follow the marvelous psychological break,

  Work like sheepskin,

  Deny himself, carry his cross,

  Be starshine,

  But long of night.

   

  More on surrealism tomorrow…

   

  • 12:07 am
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