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Hoarding Ideas Like a Squirrel Her Acorns

Today’s post is written for Dora from Dreams from a Pilgrimage for a round of Poetics!
Hosting at dVerse, she sets the stage for an interesting challenge:

Your challenge for today’s Poetics?

Using Duffy’s and Hughes’ poems as examples, write a poem using any animal of
your choice (real or mythological) as a metaphor for how ideas and words take
shape for you on a blank page.
[Hint: Do we approach the blank page with stealth and craft, or a burst of attack?
Hoard ideas like a squirrel her acorns? Drag glyphs onto our laptop screen in
exuberant abandon to later edit and score into shape, beaver-like? Capture a
stray thought like a . . . Well, you get the picture.]

Here’s my contribution
for
Poetics: Creatures of the Blank Page

Thanks for the fun prompt, dVerse.
Thanks for reading, everyone.

Selma Martin
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This Post Has 44 Comments

  1. ben Alexander

    Selma, this is delightful, cleverly using creatures as metaphors for the birth of ideas on the blank page. Your witty portrayal of the playful dance with words and the constant interaction with your literary creations is engaging. Well done!

    ~David

    1. Selma Martin

      I so appreciate your lovely input, David. Thanks for reading and for this encouraging comment. Blessings.

  2. Laura Bloomsbury

    a marvellous metaphorical on your Ars Poetica Selma – some divine lines:
    “to the write space—
    dangling driblets of prose”

    1. Selma Martin

      Hey Laura. Xoxo Thanks for bestowing me this lovely compliment. Bless you.

  3. LuAnne Holder

    Thank you, Selma, for this playful response. Loved it.

    1. Selma Martin

      You’re very welcome, LuAnne. I’m honored you read and loved it. Blessings

  4. Sadje

    A wonderful poem Selma.

  5. Robbie Cheadle

    Hi Selma, this is wonderful. A fabulous poem.

  6. dorahak

    I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this poem, Selma! It’s like a midsummer night’s dream, with “masquerading prose” parading about, costumed, uncostumed, with the bard (that would be you) marshaling them about to show them in their best light, your thoughts that “swoop in to cull the crumbs” they leave in their wake. The brilliant metaphors abound in this rendering of your creative process and I, forgive me, drooled over each one. And the ending is most Bard-like, the Shakespearean one, leaving us wanting more of “the background actor/in the nebulous afterglow—pretending.” What a denouement! Gorgeous creaturely writing. How glad I am to have you join in this prompt!
    Blessings to you, Dora

    1. Selma Martin

      You’re too kind, dear Dora. It was a spectacular prompt that stretched my muscles. I’m so grateful to you.
      So glad you liked it. Xoxo 🙇🏽‍♀️

  7. Helen

    ~~~ an absolute delight!!!

  8. Oloriel

    This is the second poem from the challenge I read that is about squirrels, and I love that yours gives of a sense of watching a theater play, and I especially enjoyed the image of the moustache dangling driblets of prose!

    1. Selma Martin

      Oloriel, thanks so much for reading and commenting. So pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks for the lovely encouragement. Xo, blessings.

  9. zipferlake

    That’s a lovely poem, Selma.
    Love this line:
    “dangling driblets of prose on mustaches”, hit a mark and also made me smile.

    1. Selma Martin

      That line was a winner, it seems. So happy you mention it. Bless you. And thanks for the encouragement: it made you smile. Aww—Precious.

    2. Selma Martin

      Hey, Zipferlake. You bless me 🙇🏽‍♀️. That line was a winner, it seems. So happy you mention it. Bless you. And thanks for the encouragement: it made you smile. Aww—Precious. Blessings.

  10. Sunra Rainz

    Lovely poem, Selma. Especially the last stanza and that perfect last line 👌🏼

    1. Selma Martin

      So pleased you enjoyed it, my lovely. Thanks for encouraging me so. 🙇🏽‍♀️

  11. memadtwo

    Squirrels are gatherers; as are poets. (K)

  12. Baydreamer - Lauren Scott

    This is excellent, Selma! A wonderful use of the metaphor and response to the challenge. Love it! 🤗

    1. Selma Martin

      Hey, Laura. 😉 so glad you liked my response. 🤗 blessings.

  13. msjadeli

    Selma, I’m surprised you see yourself that way, but it’s good to know more about your writing process.

    1. Selma Martin

      You’re sweet 🙇🏽‍♀️

      Salivating
      and drooling I awake
      impressionable

      Thanks for commenting. 🤗

    1. Selma Martin

      Belladonna. So pleased you enjoyed this one. Bless you, lady 🙇🏽‍♀️ xox

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