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May 10, 2013

Poetry Friday--Poetry Retreat Inspired

Last weekend I attended the Monadnock Pastoral Poets retreat held at the beautiful Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center in Greenfield, NH. It was a great time!

I had some fears about attending since I'd never had my poetry "workshopped" before, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I needn't have been afraid. My assigned group and mentors were welcoming and supportive--just like my good old children's writers' group.

Unfortunately, I wanted my question about enjambment--what the hell the term really means, and how do you know you've done it right?--answered definitively. I found, however, that enjambment is one of those elusive terms that can't be defined beyond "line breaks." I was hoping there was some secret to breaking a line that I had missed along the way. Silly me. I came away knowing I should trust my instinct and forget about my invitation to the Secret Society of Enjambment that somehow went astray. However, if YOU know the secret and are willing to share it, I'm all ears...

Here are a few little poems that were inspired by the weekend and my surroundings:


Poetry Retreat

Why did he look for a loon
when a robin will do?



The Enjambment Problem

The
solution
would
appear
to
be
simple--
add
a
break
after
each
word.



No, Nay, Never

Not perfect, but harmonic
strains of Irish pub songs
drift down the corridor
through the closed door
of my exhaustion to
linger long enough for
me to regret the haste
with which I had changed
back into my comfort zone.




Poems and photo © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Now's the time to head to Booktalking where Anastasia is hosting the Round-Up. Have a great weekend!

18 comments:

  1. So glad you had a positive experience, Diane - and I love these poems you've shared today. (Will be chuckling over that Secret Society of Enjambment for a while, too!).

    Great concept in your "Workshop" poem.

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  2. LOL! Well, yes one word at a time is one way to handle it! Thanks for participating in Poetry Friday!

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  3. I knew it! A Secret Society of Enjambment and I wasn't invited!

    Enjoyed
    your
    poems.
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Now everyone is waiting for invitations to the S.S.E. The Enjambment Problem made me laugh out loud. Enjoyed your others too.

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  5. Sounds like a productive weekend! I really like that last poem, too...glad you were so inspired by the retreat!

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  6. Thank you, everyone!

    I'm serious, though, about the enjambment "thing." If you can recommend a site, or a book, I'd appreciate it!

    Maybe, we should form our own Secret Society of Enjambment? I'll work on creating a membership card. I suppose we'll need a mission statement, too. Anyone want to tackle that? Come back next week.

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  7. Great, Diane! So glad you had a good time. LOVE the poems you created. I also had a good laugh at The Enjambment Problem.

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  8. I'm glad it was fun! And I like the poems that came out of it!

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  9. Since I'm going to a workshop in the autumn, I'm glad to hear you had a good time, Diane. Your poems often linger with me, and I too would love the enjambment secret. I love that "No, Nay, Never", at least it's decided!

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    Replies
    1. Okay, so your mission is to get the answer at the workshop you attend and pass it along to the members of the S.S.E.

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  10. "Workshop" is my favorite.

    Someday, I'd like to go to a poetry workshop with you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So, we'll have to find a spot about mid-way between me and you. That would probably be in Amy VanDerwater's neck of the woods!

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  11. I love that last line of No, Nay, Never. It's so perfect in those retreat type situations. I'm so glad you had a good experience. And yes,
    please send
    my invitation
    along to the first
    Enjambment
    Society meeting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The official invitation is ready to go for Friday, 5/17. Stop by!

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  12. What a fun post, Diane! Glad you had a welcoming, supportive experience :-) Who's making the Secret Society of Enjambment t-shirts? Maybe we can pass them out at our (currently imaginary) Poetry Friday retreat.

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    Replies
    1. Our meeting is scheduled for this coming Friday! Stop by and become a founding member of S.S.E. And, since you brought up the idea of t-shirts, it is now your job to handle t-shirt design, manufacture, and sales! Lucky you!

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