I just enjoyed the first presentation of Crime Writer’s Week with author Leigh Russell. She had lots of tips for writers and mentioned poetry often. I’m looking forward to the next panel. I hope you will find time to enjoy some of this free conference this week. I have crime in each of my novel manuscripts from literary fiction to science fiction and even in some of my poems ;). And I’m having fun thinking about all of them.
Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt is to write a humorous rant.
The PAD challenge is to use an animal title.
My Janus word for the A to Z Challenge today is the phrase “put out” which can mean to create or produce, or to extinguish (a flame) or injure.
A perch inspired my story “More than He Could Chew” which is available in the Anthology Writer Shed Stories (Volume 1).
Put Out by Perch
There you are
swimming to the surface
as I want to dive in
Laying some eggs
–that will be tiny
fish by the thousands
soon swarming the ladder–
leaving a trail of excrement,
flaunting your occupancy
You slimy, slippery, carnivorous
cannibal, yeah, I saw you
slipping into shallow waters
under children’s feet to
freak them out with your
slithering slime, then
shimmering off to hide
in the shadow under the dock
Don’t you know that’s why
you’re so easy to catch?
but that’s another tease
isn’t it? The excitement
of the tug on the line
then your scales are sharp
and cut and you’re so full of
bones, not enough to fry
you’re only good for
choking on
You swim in a school,
but you skipped class
Ah, perch. Only second to the pike…
Goodness, I never realized perch were such stinkers! I enjoyed this.
Black and White: P for Plurimiregia
Heartfelt congratulations to you on this feature. There’s so much good stuff to read here but for Time… I’m so grateful for this mention of your story today as I would have gone my whole life without the pleasure of knowing it. I win, today, so thank you so very much.
Also, thanks to your mention, I purchased the anthology you mentioned. Yay! Another win for me, you see. You’ve created ripples. Thanks.
Oh, and as for the poem, oh gosh… simply lovely.
I had me a punch-bowl with these tiny translucent living things, once. Yes, they laid eggs. The tiniest things I’d ever seen with my bare eyes (no, I lie. I had to wear my reading glasses to see them) — I had to move the eggs to a new bowl, lest … you know what they do! So yes. Long story shortened, I got me a new batch of transparent things floating in the new bowl (the ones I could save). Felt good.
Oh, wait. The last laugh’s on me. Are we talking different fish? Sheesh. Maybe. Anyway, so as not to be the waster of good words, I’ll let them stay (as opposed to slaying them)
Be well. Thanks for the fun poem. Loveloveloved it. Thanks for this holy connection. Keep going. I wish you miracles.
Thank you. Enjoy all the great stories in the anthology. I’m glad to be part of it.
Hihhih, clearly you made the right choice since you are featured today! 🙂 I was really glad to see this, well deserved.
Thank you so much!
This is so good. Loved it. And funny …
gramswisewords.blogspot.com
“You swim in a school,
but you skipped class”
Ha! Sick burn! I enjoyed this one a lot.
Hahha!! Brilliant all but the last stanza a riot!
Thank you. Was the last stanza, too forced, or? I watched the Skeletor video, and the school of fish thing kinda got stuck. Better to just end without it?
Nooo! I meant riot as in very funny indeed. 😀 I’d certainly leave it.
Oh, the internet. I deleted it and like it better. I’ll put it back, for now. I am laughing so hard!!! It’s the school part I’m talking about. I wasn’t sure about it.
Hahha!! The poem is great with or without it, I think, but for me it was the perfect ending. I’m glad that you’re laughing, this is what counts.
I was happy about a good critique, you don’t get one much these days, but I’m also happy for a great misunderstanding solved. Thank you.
I think I put it back as a mean girl (still haven’t watched).
Thank you. Just got rid of it. It made a little sense during the process, but thank you for helping me see how the whole poem is funny without it.