2015 Sound Poem Project Wrap-up

Happy March, everyone. We’re celebrating the end of our sound poem project today.

On January 29, I invited everyone to join me for a month-long project, writing in response to sounds (the original post is here). This is the third time I've celebrated my February birthday with a daily project that gives back to the writing community. 

In 2013, I sent original postcard poems to 44 friends. Last year, Author Amok turned into a poetic version of a Color Run, with poets doused in all the shades of the rainbow for writing inspiration.

And for 2015, we wrote to the sounds of music, bird calls, reptiles, theremins, outer space, trains, even a stairwell. I know some of you were skeptical about writing in response to a non-visual prompt, but this month's poems  have been amazing.

Let's talk statistics.

During the 28 days of sound poems, this is what we created:

177 original poems by

14 poets about

28 sounds

The poems have covered such topics as mythology, history, war, childhood, rock concerts and reptiles. We've had a huge variety of forms and experiments, from pantoums to illustrated poems.

The most-written-about sounds were:

Stairwell (Day 19, 8 poems)

Reptiles (Day 20, 9 Poems)

Chinese Music (Day 21, 9 poems)

Heavy Metal (Day 23, 9 poems)

Least popular were:

Bubbling Cauldron (Day 9, 4 poems)

Fireworks (Day 10, 3 poems)

It's interesting to me that my two favorite days -- because of the rich responses sent in -- were Stairwell and Chinese Music. Why is that interesting? Both sounds evoked places. (P.S. I am a geek, so the Outer Space poems were my third favorite.)

Huge thanks to this whole community, whether you contributed one poem, wrote every day, or cheered the poets on with your comments. I’ve got some prizes for you...

As promised, I am a Gargoyle literary journal spoken word CD to the top contributor. And that is...

**Charles Waters, who sent in 31 poems!**

And (surprise!) I have a second Gargoyle CD for our other high-flyer...

**Patricia VanAmburg, with 24 poems!**

Congratulations to both of you on a great month of writing.

Once again, I'm sending vintage postcards -- they make great writing prompts -- to our other frequent contributors: 

Margaret Simon

Diane Mayr

Linda Baie

Mike Ratcliffe

Thanks also to Matt Forrest Esenwine, Buffy Silverman, Karin Fisher-Golton, Heidi Mordhorst, Michelle H. Barnes, Carol Varsalona, Donna Smith, and Robyn Hood Black. Each of these fine poets shared a poem or two this month. And to everyone who wrote alongside and posted on his or her own blog, or in the privacy of a notebook -- I'm glad you joined us.

Would you like to go back and revisit all the sounds of our project? 

Click on the day to hear the sound prompt.

Click on the description of the sound to read the poems.

I hope you find something to inspire your own writing.

Introductory Post

Sunday, February 1

Read Water Wheel Poems by Laura Shovan, Margaret Simon, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, and Charles Waters.

Monday, February 2

Read Angel Chimes Poems by Diane Mayr, Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, and Charles Waters. 

Tuesday, February 3

Read Knife Sharpening Poems by Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, Charles Waters, and Patricia VanAmburg.

Wednesday, February 4

Read Thunderstorm Poems by Margaret Simon, Diane Mayr, Patricia VanAmburg, Laura Shovan, Linda Baie, and Charles Waters.

Thursday, February 5 

Read Ballet poems by Diane Mayr, Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, Patricia VanAmburg, and Charles Waters.

Friday, February 6 

Read Theremin Poems by Matt Forrest Esenwine, Charles Waters, Patricia VanAmburg, Margaret Simon, Diane Mayr, Laura Shovan, and Buffy Silverman.

Saturday, February 7

Read Endangered Sounds poems by Patricia VanAmburg, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, and Charles Waters.

Sunday, February 8

Read Sound of Waves Poems by Patricia VanAmburg, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Laura Shovan, Margaret Simon, and Charles Waters.

Monday, February 9

Read Bubbling Cauldron Poems by Diane Mayr, Charles Waters, Laura Shovan, and Buffy Silverman.

Tuesday, February 10

Read Fireworks Poems by Charles Waters, Diane Mayr, and Laura Shovan.

Wednesday, February 11

Read Classic Typewriter Sound Poems by Patricia VanAmburg, Diane Mayr, Charles Waters, Mike Ratcliffe, and Laura Shovan.

Thursday, February 12

Read Mockingbird Poems by Linda Baie, Mike Ratcliffe, Laura Shovan, Charles Waters, and Margaret Simon.

Friday, February 13

Read Cape Eagle Owl Call Poems by Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, Laura Shovan, and Diane Mayr.

Saturday, February 14

Male Woodcock Mating Call Poems by Diane Mayr, Patricia VanAmburg, Mike Ratcliffe, Laura Shovan, Linda Baie, and Charles Waters.

Sunday, February 15

Read Santa Fe Church Bells Poems by Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Diane Mayr, Laura Shovan, and Charles Waters.

Monday, February 16

Read Quaking Aspen Poems by Diane Mayr, Charles Waters, Laura Shovan, Patricia VanAmburg, Mike Ratcliffe, Linda Baie, and Karin Fisher-Golton.

Tuesday, February 17 -- new poem!

Read Laughing Child Poems by Charles Waters, Diane Mayr, Laura Shovan, Michael Ratcliffe, Linda Baie, Margaret Simon, and Heidi Mordhorst.

Wednesday, February 18

Read Mysterious Space Sound Poems by Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, Mike Ratcliffe, Laura Shovan, Linda Baie, Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, and Margaret Simon.

Thursday, February 19

Read Museum Stairwell Poems by Linda Baie, Mike Ratcliffe, Laura Shovan, Charles Waters, Margaret Simon, Diane Mayr, Patricia VanAmburg, and Karin Fisher-Golton.

Friday, February 20 -- new poems!

Read Reptile Poems by Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, Mike Ratcliffe, Donna Smith, Robyn Hood Black, Buffy Silverman, and Charles Waters.

Saturday, February 21

Read Traditional Chinese Music Poems by Diane Mayr, Mike Ratcliffe, Laura Shovan, Robyn Hood Black, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Carol Varsalona, Charles Waters, and Margaret Simon.

Sunday, February 22

Read Footsteps in Snow Poems by Laura Shovan, Margaret Simon, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, and Mike Ratcliffe.

Monday, February 23

Read Heavy Metal Poems by Laura Shovan, Margaret Simon, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, Mike Ratcliffe, Heidi Mordhorst, and Carol Varsalona.

Tuesday, February 24

Read Sea Turtle Poems by Laura Shovan, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, and Karin Fisher-Golton.

Wednesday, February 25

Read Ugandan Panpipe Poems by Laura Shovan, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, and Mike Ratcliffe.

Thursday, February 26

Read Train Sound Poems by Laura Shovan, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, Mike Ratcliffe, and Karin Fisher-Golton

Friday, February 27

Read Cracking Lava Poems by  Laura Shovan, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, and Mike Ratcliffe.

Saturday, February 28

Read Fox Poems by Laura Shovan, Margaret Simon, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, and Mike Ratcliffe.

Before you know it, National Poetry Month will be here. Time for another project. I’ll announce the project and put out a call for guest bloggers soon. Meanwhile, enjoy the 2015 NPM poster:

2015 Sound Poem Project Day 28: Fox

Yesterday was Day 28 of Author Amok's 2015 poem-a-day project. We spent February writing in response to sounds.  

For a full description of the project and how to participate, please read this post. I hope you'll join us. I'll continue posting poems from Day 28 and the rest of the project as they come in. Thanks to everyone who wrote with us.

Our Day 28 prompt is the sound of a fox.

Many years ago, I was at a local friend's house for critique group. As I walked to my car, I heard what I could have sworn was a woman screaming. I froze. Was that what I thought it was? I returned to the house, but the host hadn't heard anything. It was probably an animal, she said. After hearing the opening sound of today's clip, I know she was right.

Here's a helpful video that breaks down the types of fox calls.

What does the fox say? Let's find out what our poets have to say about that.

Our friend Patricia VanAmburg was a longtime professor of world languages, literature, and fine arts at Howard Community College. Her great area of interest is mythology, and there is plenty of mythology surrounding the fox.

VIXEN

by Patricia VanAmburg

Voiceprint of the Mother Goddess

Ishtar moaning at the Fertile Crescent

Xenociea cursing Hercules

Echo howling for lost expression

Naiobe bewailing her dead 

I like the way Linda Baie wove words we usually associate with religion into her fox poem.

The Forest As Church

Red fox’s barks and bays

serve as vigils for the forest,

matins celebrating the morning feast

before sleep.

Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved

The fox in Charles' Waters poem is a male fox, known as a reynard. I picture him wearing a fedora.

DOO WOP GROUP

Foxes, festooned in rusty fur,

Settle on low hanging branches

Lift muzzles, jaw out

Multisyllabic trills for the ladies.

(c) Charles Waters 2015 all rights reserved.

I've been trying to write about this long-ago fox encounter for several years. A tanka seemed to be the right form for this conversation which, admittedly, happened in silence.

Fox Tanka

by Laura Shovan

Early morning walk,

the dog halts. Edge of the woods,

a fox in mist.

He watches us, pondering

the choices his cousin made.

Diane Mayr of Random Noodling is also considering the fox and the dog.

Fox at the Edge of Suburbia 

by Diane Mayr

This is no goofy red dog
who has outsmarted
mistress or master,
escaped a collar,
and is now out enjoying
a half-hour of freedom.

The slight tilt of the
slender red head suggests
a constant awareness
of its surroundings.
The loose-limbed
ease in its gait
suggests it has walked
this corner of field
before before before.

Before the farmers
stripped the woods
and plowed the field.

Before we came to this
edge of Suburbia.

Before offers of a treat
bring the goofy red
dog home with tail
between his legs.

Before before before.

And Margaret Simon observes how her dog reacts to the wild cousin outside.

Vulpes, red fox cry
upsets the dog
who whimpers at the window
watching for danger.
The red fox sounds
too much like a lost child.

Our last poem for today is from Mike Ratcliffe of the Skimino Cycle. Mike has some big news -- a poetry chapbook coming out from Finishing Line Press! Congratulations, Mike.

This poem tells a story, but also captures fox's personality and energy.

Red Fox

by Mike Ratcliffe

Run, red fox, run.

The chase is on.

Riders in red pursue,

but cannot hear your cries

over blaring horns

and galloping hooves.

Go to ground, sly fox,

go to ground.

The hounds will clamor

at the entrance to your den,

while you, ever the clever one,

slip quietly out the back.

I can't end today's post without this...

That crazy song we couldn't stop singing last year,
it's now a children's book.
Find it at IndieBound.

That's all, folks! If you've enjoyed writing in response to a daily prompt, stop by Heidi Mordhorst's blog, My Juicy Little Universe, for a March poem-a-day project.

Here are all of the sound prompts for the last week of February. I am working on a list of participants, getting ready to award a prize for our most prolific poet.

Sunday, February 22

Footsteps in snow

Monday, February 23

Smoke on the Water

Tuesday, February 24

Sea Turtle

Wednesday, February 25

Ugandan Music

Thursday, February 26

Train

Friday, February 27

Lava

Saturday, February 28

Fox

Sunday, March 1: Project Wrap-up

If you'd like some poem-starters to wake up your muse, you'll find them at the bottom of this post. Drop in any time with a poem. I’ll continue to post your work throughout the month, no matter which sound you are writing in response to.

Would you like to read what we’ve written so far? Here are links to the week 3 poems. Each of these posts links to the week 1 and 2 poems.

Sunday, February 15

Santa Fe Church Bells Poems by Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Diane Mayr, Laura Shovan, and Charles Waters.

Monday, February 16

Quaking Aspen Poems by Diane Mayr, Charles Waters, Laura Shovan, Patricia VanAmburg, Mike Ratcliffe, and Karin Fisher-Golton.

Tuesday, February 17 -- new poem!

Laughing Child Poems by Charles Waters, Diane Mayr, Laura Shovan, Michael Ratcliffe, Linda Baie, Margaret Simon, and Heidi Mordhorst.

Wednesday, February 18

Mysterious Space Sound Poems by Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, Mike Ratcliffe, Laura Shovan, Linda Baie, Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, and Margaret Simon.

Thursday, February 19

Museum Stairwell Poems by Linda Baie, Mike Ratcliffe, Laura Shovan, Charles Waters, Margaret Simon, Diane Mayr, Patricia VanAmburg, and Karin Fisher-Golton.

Friday, February 20 -- new poems!

Reptile Poems by Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, Mike Ratcliffe, Donna Smith, Robyn Hood Black, Buffy Silverman, and Charles Waters.

Saturday, February 21

Traditional Chinese Music Poems by Diane Mayr, Mike Ratcliffe, Laura Shovan, Robyn Hood Black, Linda Baie, Patricia VanAmburg, Carol Varsalona, Charles Waters, and Margaret Simon.