As I sit here and ponder just what to write,
my deadline is coming right at midnight.
So in quest of a prompt--no, I do not jest--
I head on over to the Writer’s Digest.
And there it is, my prompt for the day:
for under 10 bucks, my favorite possession to say.
It doesn’t take too much of a look
to know that my fave is the paperback book.
Might it be a Burke book by Vachss?
A book which spurs me on to fax
my local state senator to say,
"Make those pedophiles go away."
Or that man of the horses, Francis, Dick?
There are so many that the titles can’t stick
in my brain along with the plots.
But I love those horsey books lots and lots.
A paperback book, the size is just right
to take with me everywhere, day or night.
On a restless day I have only to begin
to read over again one of my dear friends.
Paperback books there are so many!
How do I, among them, a favorite choose?
For one of them to win means
all the others must lose.
Okay, I can't believe I did this, but in quest of something to write, I headed first to The Daily Meme and from there to Writer's Digest.com. The assignment was this:
Write a 20-line poem (rhyming or nonrhyming, your choice) about your favorite possession that cost you fewer than $10.
I cheated. That poem is 24 lines, I think. But still, it is something I wouldn't ordinarily do. Whew. I'm glad it is over and done. The rhyme scheme goes off at the end, but hey, I wrote it in 10 minutes. What do you expect? Anyway, please be kind when you read my feeble attempt at creative writing. I have a very fragile ego!
Until tomorrow,
Mary
8 down, 22 to go
6 comments:
Your poem is pretty good actually. but i kind of don't think you read books the same way i do. i read 10 or 15 all at the same time. Slice and Dice, Baby! Exception: A really good novel. But I haven't read a REALLY good novel in a very long time. Sherlock Holmes doesn't quite count as most of them are a collection of shorts. So, anyway the point is, i don't have just one winner. I do have this one box of losers though. Back in TX there's this box I discovered on my last trip out to the storage unit ... it's full of books I missed in the shipping selection and there was no way they were going then. I can still see their little spines calling out to me. So sad.
So what are your plans for your poem? How many places are you going to submit it? What if their editors get hold of it and require changes? Will you only agree to a contract that allows for no changes?
hmm well my timer is about to go off. Aren't you relieved (yeah I write for 30 ... domicile care for 10 or 15)
have fun,
pam
ttyl,
pam
I liked it, and I can relate. I am a fanatical reader, too. Though I must admit that my obsession with paperbacks has been somewhat alleviated by a new one - eBooks!
Thanks you guys.
Pam, I just posted the poem over at the Writer's Prompts forum at Writer's Digest and post it here. That's it.
This poem doesn't reflect my entire reading habits. But I do like a small paperback. They still cost less than the 13-18 that most trade paperbacks do now. They go everywhere much more easily and I usually buy the kind like an Andrew Vachss or Dick Francis that I think lend themselves to re-reading when you are in the mood for something quick.
Let me try this again without the typos...
Well done! :)
I'm a big fan of the paperback, too. Any book, really, but as you said, a paperback is very portable.
You're probably right about the campaigning. Time for them to get started on the 2008 election. *sigh*
I like this poem! You did an especially good job if you whipped it out in 10 minutes. "But I love those horsey books lots and lots" -- wonderful! And you know what my favorite possessions are :o)
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