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.

• Tanita Davis
• Mary Lee Hahn
• Sara Lewis Holmes
• Kelly Ramsdell
• Laura Purdie Salas
• Liz Garton Scanlon
• Andi Sibley

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.