National Poetry Month Issue 11

It happens every National Poetry Month. I start April 1 so excited about my blog project. Then, life gets in the way.

Let's just have a sense of humor about it. To help us, here is a school-friendly (if gross) poem from one of my heroes -- Maryland poet John Hayes. This poem and writing prompt fall in the wordplay category.

John is 89 years old. He's a photographer (which is the subject of  his poem, "Pixels," in Life in Me Like Grass on Fire), a sculptor, playwright/director/actor and a wonderful poet. He's also diligent about sending work out to literary journals, which means dozens of acceptances a year.

John a twisted sense of humor that often involves werewolves, zombies and other strange beasts. Here is John's poem, "Parasite Lost."

Parasite Lost

By John Hayes

Sarah and me

loved our pet flea.

She taught her to read.

I taught her to plead.

We fed her our blood

let her hop in the mud

but one frosty day

she jumped away

to live on the butt

of a friendly white mutt.

Published with permission of the author.

previously published in Kids Vision, September 2005

Kids' Writing Prompt (Elementary School and Up)

This poetry exercise starts with a title. Pick a well known book, movie or TV show and change one of the words around. Once you have a silly or strange title, write a poem to go with it.

• iCarly could be "iSnarly" -- a poem about a cranky cat.
•  Mission Impossible becomes "Mansion Impossible" -- a poem about the unusual rooms in a magician's home.
•  The Lost Hero of Percy Jackson fame, could be "The Lost Zero" -- a poem about an adventurous number with nothing to lose (get it?!)

Have fun with these! More poems from Maryland poets to come.

Blood Sample

Warning: Gory Poetry Alert

Recommended for 12 and up only Look at the writing exercise from last week’s Poetry Friday. http://authoramok.blogspot.com/2008/09/poetry-friday-writing-exercise_12.html

I was writing about a performance of the epic poem Beowulf at the 2004 Dodge Poetry Festival. If you can’t wait for Halloween, here is a gory Blood Sample poem: “Haunting Hands.” It’s by my friend, Maryland poet/writer/sculptor/actor and overall Renaissance Man, John Hayes. You might find the photo of his sculpture (below) surprising after reading this horror fantasy poem.

YA writers, take note. The horror/romance genre is hot right now, with the upcoming release of the movie version of Twilight, the vampire series by Stephanie Meyer (http://www.stephaniemeyer.com/). I hope John's poem inspires you to write your own "blood" poem. Haunting Hands By John Hayes Her severed hands drip blood wake me from my sleep as they creep across my face I grasp the fingers hurl them from my bed follow, as they race into the dusky night. Flickering gaslights cast shadows on the gory trail they set a corner turned at Amity Street four houses more upon her porch they are restored to Sigourney. Wildly creaking in the gloom her body sways in merciless delight. I clutch my breast and plead, "I swear my love, I did not mean to hack you so that night spare me now this pain." She grins. Her cackle quakes inside my brain her bloody hands possess me smear my ashen face. I shrill into the endless night. I love how Sigourney Weaver and the Amityville Horror house slip into this poem.

John is a true Renaissance man. I forgot to put playwright on the list of his creative efforts. This is one of his sculptures.

Check out more art and poetry at John's website. http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7w3iq/johnhayessculpture/ Want to try the bloody writing exercise? Here it is again: http://authoramok.blogspot.com/2008/09/poetry-friday-writing-exercise_12.html