Sunday, September 20, 2015

Upside Down, Rightside Up!

After a 3 month summer break, Wicklow Writers returned to meeting last Monday 14 September from 7.30p.m. at Kilmantin Arts, Bridgestreet, Wicklow. If you are interested in writing, pop down and say hello!

This week the members tried out another idea for a poem's structure. It was to create a poem that you could not only read from start to finish but also from finish to start! An 'upside down, right side up' poem , if you like.
This was J. Ted Voigt's attempt:

Seasons                         by J. Ted Voigt

coming up
Temperatures are 
Falling
No longer are
Leaves
On their branches
Buds
Ended with
Frost

The idea stemmed from a poem by Chanie Gorkin called 'Worst Day Ever?' that was posted on poetrynation.com

Worst Day Ever?               by Chanie Gorkin                
Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don't try to convince me that
There's something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don't last.
And it's not true that
It's all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be attained
Only if one's surroundings are good
It's not true that good exists
I'm sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It's all beyond my control
And you'll never in a million years hear me say
Today was a very good day


Now read it from bottom to top, the other way and see what Chanie really felt about her day. Pretty clever, don't you think? 
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On 16 August, Nora Fleming visited Gorey Writers to partake in their meeting. They came up with a group poem where each individual that attended gave one line towards the poem. They then put all the lines together to make one group poem. The poem was entitled "Courttown Woods".

Courttown Woods 
Back in the 50’s going to Courtown
Fishing for crocodiles
Throwing a stick
When I imagine a tree
True happiness can be attained
It brought back happy memories
We are dragons, we are real
Found a place, so good to be here, all enriched by each other’s participation
Each supporting each other, in fresh bed
Today was the worst day ever,
Caught a silver trout
There is something good in everyday
Two roads diverge in yellow wood
In leaves no step had trodden, black
Clears the mind.


by the members of Gorey Writers (that attended their meeting on 16 August 2015) 

Some of the members of Wicklow Writers put a spin on the Group Poem (above) and tried to see if they could rearrange the lines to make another poem.

Give it a try!