Day 11: Reworking an Old Idea and Having Fun

I was in a form class today. The poetry instructor had us working on some different forms. One was sestina. The group read a modern one where the poet ran together a few stanzas. I should mention that a sestina has a distinct pattern or word repeats and is 39 lines normally. This change got me thinking, thinking outside the box: a great place to play. I wondered to myself what would happen if you used single words as a line and that got me thinking about making a sestina stanza one line.

I wrote a tongue in cheek poem about Jack the Ripper in a dream state. What would a serial killer dream? I called it Ripper's Repose and I read it from time to time at readings. It goes as follows:

Rip
Flip
Flop
Hack Jack Hack
Wack Jack Wack

Well you need six words for a Sestina. Here's my version of my minimalist Sestina:

Ripper's Repose #2

Rip flip flop hack Jack wack
Wack rip Jack flip hack flop
Flop wack hack rip flip Jack
Jack flop flip wack rip hack
Hack Jack rip flop wack flip
Flip hack wack Jack flop rip

Flip Jack hack
Flop wack rip

I think this draft shows the torrid insane mind of a serial killer: quick harsh words, very visual.

I probably will change the wording of the final two lines to reflect the first line as it exists. That will result in the wording order changing throughout the poem. I just like the flow of the first line. Its a better flow for the end line. I'll have to look at puncuation as well.

On a different note, I didn't read this in class because my confidence, my inner critique didn't let me. Should have shut him up and experimented. After all it's all for fun and noone gets anywhere staying quiet. Love your art.Sing it out whenever you get the chance. This was one blown chance for me.