Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Poems in Progress

Belly-down on McCamus Road--image copyrighted, Isadora Gruye Photography.





Greetings Garden Dwellers!
Welcome back to Out of Standard, where I will call upon you to write out of the standard and find new places in the everyday.  It is in that spirit in which I present August’s challenge...


POEMS IN PROGRESS 
Today, my muddy buddies, we are defying the norms of our very own Garden.  We are going to break all the rules....by focusing on the work we never post in the Garden:  those which aren’t done.  And I am not talking about ones which are basically done but just needs a few flourishes to give it that zing.  No.  Not those.  And I am not taking about the ones you’ve written but don’t feel are the absolute best you’ve done.  No not those.

I am talking about poems that end mid sentence.  Perhaps the ones you started with a wowza first stanza, but then it just unraveled and fell flat.  The poems you think about once in a while with a twinge of guilt for leaving them to unfinished

Those poems.
I want them.  Posted to today’s Mr. Linky.


AND NOW FOR YOUR CHALLENGE--
When posting your poem in progress, leave very specific instructions about where you are stuck, and let us know what you want feedback on.  Maybe even why you stopped writing or what you don’t like about what you have so far.

We toads will respond in kind with our feedback and thoughts to help you finish the poem (huzzah!).


NOTE:
Your linked poem doesn’t have to be new, or written specifically for this challenge. They only need to be unfinished (not a first draft...they must not even completed yet) and you need to share where’d you’d like some feedback. 


SECOND NOTE:
Those who visit the poems in progress, make certain to read each poet’s request for feedback and  give them the support they were so brave to ask for.  

So go now, my muddy buddies, bring us back your broken and lackluster.  Together, we’ll make them shiny and new!


15 comments:

Fireblossom said...

I adore the idea...but I am really doubtful whether I have something like that in my notebooks. I'll search and see, though.

Magaly Guerrero said...

I am an Aries. I will kick my brain until I finish something. Even if it isn't grand finale. But I'll look around and see... If nothing comes up, I still love this prompt. I will remember not to feel too overwhelmed when I'm stuck next time.

Kerry O'Connor said...

This is a very worthwhile exercise. Thanks, Izy.

Margaret said...

Honestly, I don't have any poems "in progress". I always sit down and finish - I rarely spend more than a half hour on a poem. Perhaps that is something I should change. So I don't have anything for this prompt, but I will come back and participate with commenting.

Helen said...

Back to school, how timely! Great challenge.

Unknown said...

Ah! thank you for this izy!! i hope i get some inspiration from here for my sadly discarded poem!! thanks a lot!!

Jim said...

Izzy, I could use a lot of help. My count on Jim's Little Photo and Poem Place is Draft 431 and Published 764. So I went down the Drafts until I found one incomplete that I could ask about.

There is a cute one towards the top of the list but it is complete, at least second draft, about the first day of school (it's coming again!).
..

Hannah said...

How wonderful, workshop with poetic friends!! Thank you Izy for the excellent idea!

Isadora Gruye said...

wondering offerings so far....thanks to those who are participating. My misshapen work is up!

Susie Clevenger said...

I always have poems I haven't finished. Thanks for the prompt Izy...maybe I can get help with what to do with this one.

Marian said...

i've shared something that was hard for me to share. eek! i'd love some help with this. thank you, Izy. xo

Helen said...

The thing I love most about Izy's challenge? Keeps us coming back to read comments as they are added. These are works in progress and collaborative!

Marian said...

lordy, i am SOOO insane, sorry friends. i took down my link because i can't tolerate it being up there. and THEN i realized that i have ALREADY worked with that ranting thing about my grandmother's death, and wrote a substantially different poem that i actually like, in response to Shay's epic free verse challenge more than a year ago. if anyone wants to see, it's here: http://www.runawaysentence.com/2013/02/what-i-remember-about-when-you-died.html

i wouldn't say the above is in final form, but it's FAR better than the original version. sorry to be such a space-cadet, and i really appreciate all the very helpful comments. SHEESH Marian, take a rest will ya? xo

Outlawyer said...

A super idea, Izy. Thanks. k. (Manicddaily)

Susan said...

This prompt turned out to be difficult and fun in different ways than I anticipated. I learned how many assumptions I had about what words mean, but prayer and time in prayer mean many diverse things. I loved your questions and the protests about imagery lost with change. But the result is more food for other poems than a completion of this one. So, thank you again.

I wrote a poem about what I mean by prayer (http://susan60.blogspot.com/2014/08/lets-talk-about-prayer.html) just to start a dialogue--or end one. I am not sure which.

Thank you to everyone who gave me input. I'm sending lots of love your way, hoping I was useful to you too. I wish we could discuss this exercise and its outcomes.