Wednesday, April 30, 2025

NPM 2025 - Poem 30

For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. The only rule I have set for myself is that I choose forms I am unfamiliar with. Here are some of the resources I am referencing. 

Today, I'm sharing a Zeno.
In 2009, I had the pleasure of introducing a new poetic form invented by J. Patrick Lewis. Here's Pat's explanation.

I've invented what I had called a “hailstone," after the mathematical "hailstone sequence." It has nothing to do with Mary O'Neill's Hailstones and Halibut Bones, but it would no doubt instantly be confused with it. Hence, "hailstone" is problematic. So I call the form a "zeno," so named for Zeno, the philosopher of paradoxes, especially the dichotomy paradox, according to which getting anywhere involves first getting halfway there and then again halfway there, and so on ad infinitum. I'm dividing each line in half of the previous one. 

Here's Pat's description of a Zeno:
A 10-line verse form with a repeating syllable count of 8,4,2,1,4,2,1,4,2,1. The rhyme scheme is abcdefdghd.

You can read the original post, which includes examples Pat wrote at Monday Poetry Stretch - the Zeno.

The pitcher stands upon the mound 
the crowd awaits 
he throws 
fast 
bat connects - CRACK!
ball flies 
past 
the outfield wall
 homerun
BLAST!

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.
(1908) Roger Bresnahan, catching for the New York Giants while a Pittsburgh Pirate player is at bat. , 1908. [Sept. 18] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/89714219/.

And that is a wrap on another National Poetry Month project. I hope you've enjoyed exploring some new forms this month. You can find all the poems written this month on the page NPM 2025 - Uncommon and Unusual Forms. Thanks so much for joining me on this journey. Until next time ...
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Tuesday, April 29, 2025

NPM 2025 - Poem 29

For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. The only rule I have set for myself is that I choose forms I am unfamiliar with. Here are some of the resources I am referencing. 

Today, I'm sharing a sidlak.
A sidlak is a 5-line syllabic poem that includes a color word. The first four lines are written in 3/5/7/9 syllables, with the syllable count of line 5 left to the poet's discretion. Line five includes a color that portrays the whole poem or the writer's feelings without any syllable count restriction. You can learn more about this form at Poetry Magnum Opus.

A Sidlak for Summer Rain

thunder rolls
lightning splits the sky
heavy raindrops driving down
to earth, rising scent of petrichor
day wrapped in gray

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.

I hope you come back tomorrow to see what new poetic form I've chosen. You can also read the other poems I've written this month.

To see what others are writing this month, check out  Jama Rattigan's 2025 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup.            

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Monday, April 28, 2025

NPM 2025 - Poem 28

For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. The only rule I have set for myself is that I choose forms I am unfamiliar with. Here are some of the resources I am referencing. 

Today, I'm sharing a solage.
A solage is a very short poem that has two small lines that rhyme and ends with a single word. It was invented by Australian poet Cameron Semmons. I learned about the form in a document written by Cameron entitled How to write your own Solage. 

A Trio of Solage Poems

peacock struts with tail unfurled  
surveying pieces of his world  
ego  


parrots mimic every sound  
echoes of the voices found  
gossip


in the reeds, the heron stands  
fishing on the wetland strand 
breakfast

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.

I hope you come back tomorrow to see what new poetic form I've chosen. You can also read the other poems I've written this month.

To see what others are writing this month, check out  Jama Rattigan's 2025 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup.            

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Sunday, April 27, 2025

NPM 2025 - Poem 27

For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. The only rule I have set for myself is that I choose forms I am unfamiliar with. Here are some of the resources I am referencing. 

Today, I'm sharing a raccontino.
Helen Frost used this form in her book Spinning Through the Universe: A Novel in Poems from Room 214. A raccontino is a form that follows these rules:

  • composed of couplets (any number)
  • even number lines share the same end rhyme
  • the title and last words of the odd numbered lines tell a story

Since the title and end words need to form a story, I chose a proverb to be my story. That means this form wrote like a golden shovel with a few extra rules. I have highlighted the title and end words so that you can more easily read the story.

Absence

the quiet months of winter makes
the world seem still, wrapped in frosted hue

but as the Earth awakens, the
sky welcomes wings that once withdrew

the swallows return and my heart
finds joy in pairings where two

in graceful arcs their swift flights grow
into a vibrant pulse of life anew

despite deep love for snow, I am now fonder
of the sights and sounds that spring imbues

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.

I hope you come back tomorrow to see what new poetic form I've chosen. You can also read the other poems I've written this month.

To see what others are writing this month, check out  Jama Rattigan's 2025 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup.           

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Saturday, April 26, 2025

NPM 2025 - Poem 26

For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. The only rule I have set for myself is that I choose forms I am unfamiliar with. Here are some of the resources I am referencing. 

Today, I'm sharing a naani.
A naani is a 4-line poem containing between 20-25 syllables. There are no other rules or guidelines. You can read more about this form at Shadow Poetry.

In morning's soft light,
heron casts its shadow—
gracefully poised, waiting
for the river’s secret catch

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.

I hope you come back tomorrow to see what new poetic form I've chosen. You can also read the other poems I've written this month.

To see what others are writing this month, check out  Jama Rattigan's 2025 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup.           

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Friday, April 25, 2025

NPM 2025 - Poem 25

For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. I'm deviating a bit from that today as I join my poetry sisters in writing a poem to a vintage photograph. 

I have so many great photographs of my grandparents and great grandparents, as well as photos my father took while stationed in Hawaii during the war that I had a hard time choosing. On Sunday, when we met, I selected photos, but my writing was too messy and I wasn't happy with the free verse I'd written. When I selected a form, everything fell into place. I love triolets, so that's what I went with. A triolet is an eight-line poem with a tightly rhymed structure and repeated lines. Here is the form.

line 1 - A
line 2 - B
line 3 - A
line 4 - line 1 repeated
line 5 - A
line 6 - B
line 7 - line 1 repeated
line 8 - line 2 repeated

You can read an example and learn more about this form at Poets.org.

This first photo is of my grandfather. 

When I saw this, I wondered where my grandmother was. I imagine she was off in the kitchen cooking or cleaning, so this poem is about the two of them.

While Grampa Sleeps
In dreams, he finds his gentle rest 
while she, through toil, must bear the day 
a world where labor's lines are pressed
In dreams, he finds his gentle rest
her hands, though weary, still invest
in keeping house, the mess at bay
In dreams, he finds his gentle rest
while she, through toil, must bear the day

My second poem is written to a photograph of the art on a WWII plane. My father had an album of photographs from his time stationed in Hawaii during the war. We never knew it existed until after his death. The war was something he never discussed. The album had several pages of nose art, most sporting half-naked pin-up girls. I chose a less racy image for my poem.

A Flying Ace's Dream
On metal wings, her image stays
a pin-up dream for skies of war
she graces flights in daring ways
On metal wings, her image stays
through battles fought and skies ablaze
by his side through engine's roar
On metal wings, her image stays
a pin-up dream for skies of war

Poems ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.

You can read the poems my Poetry Sisters have written at the links below. 
Would you like to try the next challenge? We are writing Golden shovels using a line from the Elizabeth Bishop poem Letter to NY. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on May 30th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! 

I hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe. 

I also hope you'll come back tomorrow to see what new poetic form I've chosen. You can also read the other poems I've written this month.

To see what others are writing this month, check out  Jama Rattigan's 2025 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup.    

Happy poetry Friday all!

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Thursday, April 24, 2025

NPM 2025 - Poem 24

For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. The only rule I have set for myself is that I choose forms I am unfamiliar with. Here are some of the resources I am referencing. 

Today, I'm sharing an haiku sonnet.
A haiku sonnet combines the syllable count and three-line stanzaic structure of the English haiku with the fourteen-line structure of the sonnet. You can learn more about the form at Writer's Digest.

blank page waits in still
silent echoes of ideas
ink's journey begins

words flow like a stream,
carving paths through paper's edge
stories start to breathe

passion guides the hand
whispers turn to vibrant scenes
life in every line

characters take shape
worlds unfold in quiet scribe
imagination's flight

crafting dreams with every word
endless tales yet to be heard

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.

I hope you come back tomorrow to see what new poetic form I've chosen. You can also read the other poems I've written this month.

To see what others are writing this month, check out  Jama Rattigan's 2025 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup.            

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