NPM 2015: What Are You Wearing, Catherine Johnson?

Let's talk verbs, writerly friends. Active, meaty verbs.

We're celebrating National Poetry Month
at Life on the Deckle Edge this week.
Thanks, Robyn Hood Black, for hosting
the Poetry Friday round up!

How many verbs does it take to get dressed for the day?

Maybe you:

                     pull off, push down, lift up, or peel away

your jammies, then you:

                                             select, admire, organize, create

the day's outfit, and finally you:

                                                            slide on, zip up, button, brush off, smooth, layer

your clothes.

Throughout April, guest bloggers are dressing up in their poetry finery as we feature poems about clothes. Why clothes? Read this post.

In addition to the guest bloggers, every Friday in April I'll post a round-up of original and recommended clothing poems. (Send those via email to laurashovan at gmail dot com or leave them in the comments). You'll find this week's writing prompt at the bottom of this post.

Today, we're talking about the act of getting dressed. Carefully chosen verbs, like a carefully chosen outfit, can help set a poem's tone and voice. Let's hear more about style (poetic and personal) from our Poetry Friday guest blogger, poet Catherine Johnson. 

When Laura said she wanted poems about clothes I thought:  Interesting. I love clothes! I dressed better in my teens that at any other time, but let's see ... I had  couple of small jobs and still lived a home, so my mum bought us nice stuff and we had spare money to get nice clothes too. We lived within an hour of York, Doncaster, and Leeds. All great cities for shopping. 
 
My favorite clothes shop was The Warehouse. It was funky! Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share a few photos. I'm afraid I can't find one of me in brown patterned pants and brogue shoes, or the time I wore purple doc martins and purple flared corduroys. Those were the days. These days I just go to Walmart and a second hand store where people drop off super nice clothes they bought in the nice shops ;) I also hit the closing down sale at Target for a nice dress for a wedding.
 
I came across this poem real quickly in my search for a clothes poem and I love it. I hope you do too.
 
Getting Dressed

by Alexander Resnikoff

 

Isn't dressing depressing?

 

Button the buttons

Snap the snaps

Hook the hooks and

Zip the zippers

Tie the ties and

Strap the straps and

Clasp the clasps and

Slip the slippers

Buckle the buckles and

Knot the knots and

Pin the pins and

Lace the laces

Loop the loops and

Lock the locks and

Belt the belts and

Brace the braces-

 

What I like the best is my own skin-

That is the dress I'm always in.

 

Catherine Johnson is the author/illustrator of three books of poetry for children: Weirdo Zoo, The Everglades, and Zompoems.

Catherine's zombie is wearing a vintage,
hand-distressed T-shirt in snot green.

I am enamored with this poem, Catherine. I love the idea that getting dressed takes so many verbs! And loving the idea made me slow down and think about the act and complications of wearing clothes.

ICYMI: In our poetry closet, you will find...

Introductory Post

Jane Elkin looks in her childhood closet. Poems by Mark Irwin and Ron Koertge.

Tabatha Yeatts shares an ensemble of clothing poems by Greg Pincus.

Margaret Gibson Simon tries on orange high heels. Poem by Ellen Bass.

Robyn Hood Black borrows Alice Schertle's "Hand-me-down Sweatshirt."

Jone MacCulloch wears her Grandma Mac's aprons.

Heidi Mordhorst pulls on some big, black boots.

Linda Baie's outfit would not be complete without a poem in her pocket.

*Your suggested clothing poem prompt for Friday, April 17: Secret Identities.

Have you ever had an outfit that made you feel like a super hero? Or a pair of boots that, whenever you wore them, made you feel powerful? Whether it's a lucky shirt or a pair of jeans that fits you to perfection, write about a piece of clothing that makes (or made) you feel like you could take on the world.

Send your poems any time. I'll post original work and recommended poems on Friday.