Cardinal Ideograms
by May Swenson
0 A mouth. Can blow or breathe,
be a funnel, or Hello.
1 A grass blade or cut.
2 A question seated. And a proud
bird’s neck.
3 Shallow mitten for a two-fingered hand.
4 Three-cornered hut
on one stilt. Sometimes built
so the roof gapes.Read the poem in its entirety.
I love the notion of writing about the shape of things. What do you see in the number 6? Or the letter Y? What kind of ideogramatic poem can from the word L-O-V-E? (Ideogramatic? Yeah, I just made that up!)
Visit Joyce Sidman's site to see how she used the words in her name to write an ideogram poem. Now it's your turn to write an ideogram poem. Leave me a note about your work and I'll share the results here later this week.
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ReplyDeleteHmm. Tabs didn't show. Trying again.
ReplyDeleteIdeogram #1
K One-year-old. Stepping slowly.
A Wizard. Muttering magic.
T Weightlifter. Heaving higher.
E Driver. Prodding pedal.
Ideogram #2
K Starfish, hurt. Will it grow back?
A Dunce. Committed to corners?
T Death of a street. Right or left?
E House, tornado tipped. Lost?
—Kate Coombs, 2013
Oh well. You get the idea.
ReplyDeleteLAST NAME IDEOGRAM
ReplyDeleteW - The letter M falling into bed.
A - An archway getting poked.
T - The letter I being incomplete due to bottom half
Going on strike.
E - A pitchfork whose handle is on lunch break.
R - A strike line connected to a unmotivated Z.
S - A snake on the lookout for tonight's supper.
(C) Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
T - lightning slices
ReplyDeleteH - window flashes, rattles
U - gutters spill
N - you sit up small in bed
D - wrap arms ‘round
E - wind whips, rages
R - run for cellar
S - sirens bay
T - pines sway
O - cellar damp black nothing
R - match touches candle, illuminates
M - you huddle, wait
© 2013 Stephanie Parsley
K - Beak against the wall.
ReplyDeleteA - Scaling mountains.
R - Pliers, holding on for dear life.
Y - Funnel, slowly sharing its contents.
Stephanie--that's brilliant!
ReplyDeleteJane
http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2013/06/a-public-librarians-summer/ I've posted my poem for the day, "The Public Librarian's Summer," over at the ALSC blog. Happy Monday!
ReplyDeleteHere's part of an ideogrammatic alphabet book I wrote called yogabets--
ReplyDeletea . . . teacup resting on its side—
or…
earring for a tiny lobe.
b . . . Mama with a baby-bump—
c . . . baby-bump all by itself.
d . . . proud new Papa, pitching in,
e . . . combination lock, unhinged...
All so creative! I'm new to this, but loving it.
ReplyDeleteLindsey McDivitt
So Creative! I'm new to this, but love the ideas!
ReplyDeleteLindsey McDivitt