May Poetry Challenge: Palindrome Poetry

[JaySecrets]

So this is a difficult but fun challenge. I will post a great link to help you at the end of this. A palindrome is a word or phrase that spells exactly the same forward and backward. A palindrome poem also known as a mirror poem does essentially the same thing with words. What a palindrome or mirror poem does is to read the same way forward and backwards.

Essentially, the challenge in a palindrome poem is to be writing from the end to the middle and the top to the middle at the same time.

Yeah this one's tough.

Super adventurous among you, please take on the full palindrome challenge. I will actually post a couple of mine on here so that you can see that it can be done. And it can be done beautifully.

However, for those of you who are a little freaked out by this full challenge, the challenge is to have a phrase inside a poem that does this. I have a few poems that I have done this where what I do is to, when I want to emphasize a thought or a phrase, have that phrase inside the poem read the same forward and backwards. What's interesting is that when you do that, the flip version of that phrase actually takes on new meaning... if you do it right.

Again, this is a very tough challenge, but when you pull it off it is absolutely fulfilling. I hope you guys enjoy this. I hope you take it on. You may find yourself, as I did, deciding that you are only going to do this full challenge once or twice and never touch the form again. But it's going to give you a whole new set of tools to play with in your writing. Enjoy.

Now here's the link...

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/poetic-form-palindrome-poetry-or-mirror-poem

 

[JaySecrets]

Lol @Wat_Tyler

Look, brah, I could have just done interconnected haikus, but where's the challenge in that?

 

[JaySecrets]

Okay guys and gals, just to prove it can be done, here is piece 1 of 2:


Palindrome #1
RAW WAR

Roads home, broken, bleed warriors wounded
by conflicts, hopeless drowning men left
behind, those lost, then found, then
lost. They cried rivers of blood, of
tears, wept death. Rejoicing with dawn's disrupting
sounds, home-sent birdsongs springing, singing
loss over grounds gained, buried brother's
letters speak ghost's stories. Hero forged
in fire learns nobility and sorrow, cruelty
and compassion. Shattered sword's half-lost
gleam, midnight's last stolen lie, goodbyes
to innocence that SWITCHES that innocence to
goodbye's lie, stolen, last midnight's gleam,
lost half-swords shattered. Compassion and
cruelty, sorrow and nobility learns fire in
forged hero stories. Ghosts speak letters;
brothers buried gained grounds over loss,
singing, springing birdsong's sent-home sounds,
disrupting dawns with rejoicing. Death wept tears
of blood of rivers cried. They lost,
then found, then lost those behind,
left men drowning, hopeless. Conflicts by
wounded warriors bleed broken home-roads.

 

[JaySecrets]

So now let us make this more interesting, shall we? Here is, in fact, a series of 11 interconnected haiku, but they work together as one big palindrome poem.

Unheard Melodies Unheard

Unheard melodies
songs soft-sung in silenced sighs,
these pulse sweetly pure.

Soundless music made
muted, craft twilight in strain,
deafened mutterings.

Love wounded knows death,
but still, hushed tunes' healing hands
create life, restore.

Sommelier of notes
storing grace's needful flows:
sunlight held as rain.

Retrace abstract words,
find lost lyrics penned in blood,
precious breaking touch.

Curse, or maybe gift,
your song, seducing, song your
gift, maybe, or curse.

Touch breaking, precious
blood in penned lyrics lost, find
word's abstract trace.

Rain as held sunlight
flows, needful graces storing
notes of sommelier.

Restore life, create
hands' healing tunes, hushed, still; but
death knows wounded love.

Muttering's deafened
strain in twilight-craft, muted,
made music soundless.

Pure, sweetly pulse these
sighs, silenced in sung-soft songs,
melodies unheard.

 

[Hotcoffee123]

A Challenge for sure

 

[JaySecrets]

So a few more examples of how this works here, but first I wanted to give you what I think is the most genius piece in this form. It is one long palindrome, is words AND in spelling! Friggin' brilliant!

“Dammit I’m Mad” by Demetri Martin

Dammit I’m mad.
Evil is a deed as I live.
God, am I reviled? I rise, my bed on a sun, I melt.
To be not one man emanating is sad. I piss.
Alas, it is so late. Who stops to help?
Man, it is hot. I’m in it. I tell.
I am not a devil. I level “Mad Dog”.
Ah, say burning is, as a deified gulp,
In my halo of a mired rum tin.
I erase many men. Oh, to be man, a sin.
Is evil in a clam? In a trap?
No. It is open. On it I was stuck.
Rats peed on hope. Elsewhere dips a web.
Be still if I fill its ebb.
Ew, a spider… eh?
We sleep. Oh no!
Deep, stark cuts saw it in one position.
Part animal, can I live? Sin is a name.
Both, one… my names are in it.
Murder? I’m a fool.
A hymn I plug, deified as a sign in ruby ash,
A Goddam level I lived at.
On mail let it in. I’m it.
Oh, sit in ample hot spots. Oh wet!
A loss it is alas (sip). I’d assign it a name.
Name not one bottle minus an ode by me:
“Sir, I deliver. I’m a dog”
Evil is a deed as I live.
Dammit I’m mad.

 

[JaySecrets]

From Masterclass....

4 Tips for Writing Palindrome Poetry​

Palindrome poetry is fertile ground for both new and experienced writers. There’s no better way to improve your palindrome poetry skills than by diving in and trying your hand at it. That being said, here are some tips to get you started:

1. 1. Do your research. There are relatively few examples of famous palindrome poetry. If you are writing your own palindrome poem for the first time, look up a few examples to see what techniques you like and dislike from other writers’ work.
2. 2. Combine forms. Combining forms like haiku and free verse with line or word palindrome can be a great entry point for new palindrome poetry writers. Palindrome poetry is a great way to explore ideas of self-reflection and changes in perspective. Using a form you know can give you a bit more comfort and familiarity as you approach palindrome poetry.
3. 3. Perfect your first line. The first line is arguably the most important part of a palindrome poem. It will introduce your premise and themes to the reader and set the tone for the first half. Perhaps most importantly, the first line will reoccur and become the last line. Make sure your first line is strong and sets up both an evocative beginning and a conclusive ending.
4. 4. Read other poetry. Reading short poems outside of the palindrome form will help you with any sort of poetry you write. If there is a particular American poet that you like, such as Walt Whitman or Sylvia Plath, think about the aspects of their work that you enjoy and try to incorporate that into your palindrome poetry.

 

[JaySecrets]

An AWESOME video workshop on the form....

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...QtwJ6BAgwEAI&usg=AOvVaw1vthiuJe2sVJRGowna8ao7

 

[JaySecrets]

A simpler example:




Love me.


Show you can


sprout wings when


darkness hovers


TONIGHT


hovers darkness.


When wings sprout


can you show


me love?


~Donna J. Sanders

 

[JaySecrets]

I'm going to post some examples of the tool used INSIDE other forms or pieces later on today or tomorrow, but for now I think this give you a great start point. Enjoy, my eloquent wordaholics!!!!

 

[JaySecrets]

In Jay’s first link there is a simple set of rules. Anything more defeats an age old witticism, Keep It Simple…

This, in the end, is how I finally mastered.... sort of.... this form. Best advice you could have given.

I love that you went to the root of the word, btw. I love my language nerds!

 

[butters]

loops of time
time in loops
spool, unspool
ripple globally
cumulative effects
shadows and worlds
pulled pools tidal
circling consciousness
responses frame by frame
flickering moments
frame by frame responses
consciousness circling
tidal pools pulled
worlds and shadows
effects cumulative
globally ripple
unspool, spool
loops in time
time of loops​

 

[AlinaX]

coming together
you and me, ohh, me and you
together... coming...

 

[butters]

^^thanks for introducing the words lemel and murdrum to me!

 

[JaySecrets]

Murdrum.


a condom is a mind
in a lemel flash
deified in a racecar body
with a rotator tail for a tale
built to seek and level

with murdrum in every minim

and built level to seek
a rotator tale in a tail with
body in a racecar deified
lemel in a flash
a mind is a condom.


Note: obscure palindrome definitions:
Murdrum, especially: a killing in secret.
Lemel. A sliver or shaving of silver or gold.
Rotator. That which gives a rotary or rolling motion, or turns some part on its axis.
Minim. Measurement for a single drop of liquid / water / bead.

Simple palindromes used i.e they spell themselves backwards.
Level. Level (level has more than one meaning).
Racecar. Racecar.
Deified. Deified.

You used the word murdrum!!!! I haven't read that word in much since Poe!!!! You rock!!!

 

[JaySecrets]

Thanks Jay,
I wanted to explore a question, namely if abortion is murder what is it when men expend sperm in condoms? Many cultures including Christians consider the male ejaculate a divine God given power to procreate. Therefore is the use of condoms Murdrum as it were?

I am not getting into a debate about abortion on this thread. I won't even blast a poem by someone who support it on this thread. That isn't what this thread is for. The forum is a poetry forum. The goal is to help each other hone our skills and voices in sharing our stories and beliefs and values, even if we disagree on the positions themselves. Poetry is not conservative or liberal, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Atheist. It's just poetry. It is sharing our lives and stories with one another. I ask that you respect that space and not try to introduce the debate from a political thread onto this one. I respect your work and skill as a writer, and I will show that respect without bias. I request you do the same here. Thank you.

 

[JaySecrets]

It’s not about abortion. A condom denies freedom of exit while providing freedom of entry i.e a condom is a Palindrome just like a wave must come in to go out… Palindrome.

Poets write what they write right?

I get it, it just rides too close to the line of the debate. I genuinely do respect your work as a writer. Please don't ask me to engage in a discussion on this thread that could taint the purpose and discussion on this thread.

 

[JaySecrets]

Brah, why are you upset? I am simply trying not to engage on one topic on an open thread. If you would like to discuss it, pm me and I am happy to have a conversation in private. I just don't feel this thread is the time or place for that particular discussion. I am sorry if that offends you.

 

[Winter_Fare]

all that's
sense defies experience
purity apes blindness
aesthetic an anaesthetic
ignorant innocence pathetic
either ether or pain
pain or ether either
pathetic innocence ignorant
anaesthetic an aesthetic
blindness apes purity
experience defies sense
that's all​

 

[vagrantx]

Indescribable.
It's pain, all-consuming.
vision clouding, auras forming,
mind screaming, argh, for relief.
No, there is none.
"Have you no mercy, God?!
Please God, Please! God!! Mercy!!"
"No."
"You.. have none..? Is there no relief for- ARGH!!"
Screaming mind forming auras, clouding vision
All-consuming pain, it's...
Indescribable.​

- migraine​

 

[JaySecrets]

Indescribable.
It's pain, all-consuming.
vision clouding, auras forming,
mind screaming, argh, for relief.
No, there is none.
"Have you no mercy, God?!
Please God, Please! God!! Mercy!!"
"No."
"You.. have none..? Is there no relief for- ARGH!!"
Screaming mind forming auras, clouding vision
All-consuming pain, it's...
Indescribable.​

- migraine​

Okay, this one is brilliant! Bravo!

 

[Hotcoffee123]

Waves and sand

Waves and sand
Castles on high
Children playing
Moments passed by
Come here darlings
Shells of plenty
Lunch and snacks
Sun kissed kids
Lotion covered backs
Sand and waves
High on castles
Playing children
By passed moments
Darlings, come here
plenty of shells
Snacks and lunch
Kids kissed Sun
Backs covered lotion


​

 

[Hotcoffee123]

Waves and sand

Waves and sand
Castles on high
Children playing
Moments passed by
Come here darlings
Shells of plenty
Lunch and snacks
Sun kissed kids
Lotion covered backs
Sand and waves
High on castles
Playing children
By passed moments
Darlings, come here
plenty of shells
Snacks and lunch
Kids kissed Sun
Backs covered lotion


​

I think I mucked this up..should it end the way it starts lol. Yikes

 

[vagrantx]

Okay, this one is brilliant! Bravo!

Thank you! Been a while since I wrote anything. Thanks for this monthly challenge, it was... a challenge.

I think I mucked this up..should it end the way it starts lol. Yikes

Hehe yes. It should read the same front to back as it does back to front, balanced around a center point. I still enjoyed the imagery
123454321

 

[Hotcoffee123]

Thank you! Been a while since I wrote anything. Thanks for this monthly challenge, it was... a challenge.


Hehe yes. It should read the same front to back as it does back to front, balanced around a center point. I still enjoyed the imagery
123454321

I’m going to rework it…
But I’m cracking myself up..