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Oct

2009

Thursday Read Write Poem

Posted on 17:52, October 22nd, 2009 by EKSwitaj

Read my latest story, "A Tale of Two Birthdays", at 52|250.

No Cut-Ups

listen      I have no
objection          to breaking
language                especially language
my bank sent
but what's the point
if you put it back together
if you can cheat
randomness

then there's desire
to     or not
to

and I don't any scissors
and my fingers will not break
these papers into words
even letters will divide
into little ink cells
and lines
of shattered
ESC

written in response to read write prompt #97

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Tags: language

Posted in poetry | print

8 Responses to “Thursday Read Write Poem”

Paul Oakley on October 22nd, 2009 at 6:14 pm

Elizabeth, I like the refusal this poem is centered on. And your lines and spacing are wonderfully conceived:

then there’s desire
to or not
to
Paul Oakley’s last blog ..Perspective

Like or Dislike: 1 0

David Moolten on October 22nd, 2009 at 8:58 pm

I like the title with its play on words, and the application of the poem itself on the bank correspondence, decidedly not so poetic, which you successfully defy by writing the poem.
David Moolten’s last blog ..Christina’s World

Like or Dislike: 1 0

Tumblewords on October 22nd, 2009 at 9:27 pm

Terrific formatting for a cut-up…this reads so easily. I love the idea of cheating the randomness.
Tumblewords’s last blog ..Read Write Poem #97

Like or Dislike: 1 0

Cynthia Short on October 23rd, 2009 at 4:54 am

Very wittily done…where do you stop? Exactly!
Cynthia Short’s last blog ..Waterworld (RWP #97)

Like or Dislike: 1 0

Nathan on October 24th, 2009 at 1:41 am

This is wonderful. I love the line about language the bank sent.
Nathan’s last blog ..examination

Like or Dislike: 1 0

EKSwitaj on October 26th, 2009 at 11:56 am

Thanks everyone. I was out of town for the weekend so didn’t get to respond until now (and have a lot of things to catch up on–including reading everyone else’s Thursday poems!).

I am a big believer in making space for randomness and synchronicity in poetry but never do want to let go entirely, not out for any ideological reasons but (if I am honest) because it bores me (to write, not always to read) unless I can “cheat”.

Like or Dislike: 0 0

Therese Broderick on October 28th, 2009 at 4:25 pm

I really like this because the appearance of the words on the page resemble closely the appearance that my paper cut-up words had on the floor! You transferred the “cut-up” prompt into a visual equivalent.
Therese Broderick’s last blog ..ReadWritePoem #97 (re-do)

Like or Dislike: 0 0