Friday, August 26, 2022

Poetry Sisters Write Bop Poems

This month's challenge was to write a Bop poem. This form requires 3 stanzas, each followed by a refrain. The first and third stanzas each have 6 lines, while the second stanza has 8. What's interesting about this form is that presents a problem, explores it, and then resolves it or describes the attempt to solve it. You can learn more about this form at Writer's Digest.

We decided that we would use the common refrain "Let's kick that can down the road."

I spent some time brainstorming ideas, and they were all political, and depressing. When I dug a little deeper and more literally, I couldn't stop thinking about summer nights playing Kick the Can. Do you know this game?

With this game and others in mind, this is the poem I came up with. I'll admit I did alter the refrain a bit.

Choosing teams was always hard
no one wanted a little sister tagging along
but mom insisted 
they were so much older
I adored them
what could they do?

They kicked that can down the road.

I didn’t think I was annoying
though they often swore it was true
running faster than I ever could
they tried to lose me or hid
but I heard their whispered voices
wondered how I could fit in
wanted so badly to play their games
what could they do?

They kicked that can down the road.

In the fading light of summer
they sometimes humored me
let me join for hide and seek
but they never searched me out
eventually, they moved away
no thought for the sibling left behind

They kicked that can down the road.

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. Tanita also happens to be our hostess extraordinaire this week.

    Would you like to try the next challenge? Next month we are writing Definito poems. You can learn more about this form at Heidi Mordhorst's place, my juicy little universe. We hope you'll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on September 30th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! 

    I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Tanita Davis. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

    BTW, Tanita's blog is a bit wonky this weekend. You can check out all the Poetry Friday posts here.

    7 comments:

    1. Your modification of the refrain made it fit your poem perfectly! I love the summer vibe of this poem. It brings back all kinds of memories of outdoor play.

      ReplyDelete
    2. Oh, that ending is such a gut punch, Tricia. You really did lovely, moving work here.

      ReplyDelete
    3. Tricia, this one got me (I'm the youngest of four kids by a 5-year gap). It's hard being a kid sometimes! I did smile at "they were so much older / I adored them / what could they do?"

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. My brother and sister are 9 and 10 years older, so I always felt a bit out of step with them, but just wanted to be with them. They weren't as unkind as the poem makes them sound, but when they both went off to college, I was lost without them, and it did feel like I'd been forgotten.

        Delete
    4. Well done, Tricia! I was that older sibling and HATED my younger sister always tagging along. Your poem is making me feel guilty all these years later.

      ReplyDelete
    5. Tricia, I am enjoying all the Bop poems. Yours is a wonderful memory that is touching.

      ReplyDelete
    6. I used to play kick the can with a whole neighborhood of kids when I was growing up in Eugene, Oregon. Do kids still play it? I am stopping by to say hi. You and I are partners on the Cybils panel to evaluate the Round 1 poems. I will request a friendship on Goodreads, so please say yes. Anne@HeadfullofBooks

      ReplyDelete