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 S-P-R-I-N-G? (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. Won't you join us? Please share a link to your poem or the poem itself in the comments.
Y? An Ideographic Answer
ReplyDeleteMy last name
begins with a question,
as all lives do,
the wonder of turning,
yes, no, maybe,
left, right,
into the dark,
the light.
My last name
begins with a road diverged,
as all lives can,
the wonder of returning,
taken, not taken,
left, right,
into the morning,
into the night.
My last name begins
with the body’s lower half
as all lives must,
hurtling down the birthing
channel, canal, bridge
left, right,
into the shadow,
into the bright.
©2016 Jane Yolen all rights reserved
Jane, that's lovely, especially the last stanza. Your poem inspired mine this morning!
ReplyDeleteDo You C?
The curving, curling
bay of the C
widens into an ocean
and a world.
The C opens her mouth
and out come poems,
jokes, questions, prayers.
Out comes music.
The eye of the C blinks,
looks round in amazement
at the roundness of sky,
at the round earth.
The C doesn’t finish
her sentences, her thoughts,
or her looking. C
is hopeful, always eager
to embrace more,
arms spread out
like the curl of waves,
like the curve of wings.
—Kate Coombs, 2016
all rights reserved
I would love to see that illustrated, especially "The eye of the C. . ."
ReplyDeleteJane
Me too! :)
DeleteWonderful poems, original and in comments. I paused merely to C in the Y a martini glass.
ReplyDeleteThanks to both of you for sharing - wonderful poems!
ReplyDeleteAnd to, you,Tricia for prompting.