ready
five by eight once enough
twenty cent journals held
ballpoint ink, keyboards, glue,
mag clippings, thoughtbytes
media to remember, process,
now shrink to insufficiency
I found a box and put a room inside
to obsess posters, billboards
iron skyward, field-installed
monuments, to hail impossible
survival beyond life’s hell-all
relentless, warping onslaught
by exploiters and opportunists
–that includes self most of all–
to relate, celebrate purple reign (of soul)
I found a box and put a room inside
venue swells, exists to tell
”life is real! life is earnest! and the grave is not its goal”
to see now how small the coffin,
how feeble the scratches to lift lid.
first, a way to no — and then to yes,
heaven’s ready seed germinates
I found a box and put a room inside
line 2 in 3rd stanza is from, “A Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Laura is today’s host of dVerse’ Meeting the Bar. Laura says:
write a bop poem and include this 1 line refrain after each stanza:
‘I found a box and put a room inside’
Tao Talk 
what a collaged collection LIsa from the physical to the metaphysical – this has such momentum and that line is gold:
“heaven’s ready seed germinates”
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<3 Laura, thank you, and thank you for this form; it's one I will use again.
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glad you liked it – I think I may have another go though have to loosen up a bit more
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Charged with energy, Lisa, and packed with all that allows life to swell in “survival beyond life’s hell-all.” Your use of the bop form is simply exhilarating. Loved it.
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Dora, I’m glad you got that feeling from it <3
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“a way to no — and then to yes,”–that twisted path. I love your collage! (K)
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Kerfe, glad you connect with the poem and love the collage. It’s one of the clan mothers collages, and it seems to fit here.
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It does.
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I found a box and put a room inside… thats one of your best lines Lisa….ever
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Max, I wish I could say it was mine. It was the prompt line given to us to write to and a specific form to use.
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It is a good one regardless!
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Very interesting progression
much🤍love
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Gillena, thank you. There are quantum leaps between stanzas :)
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All the complexity of the world starting from the notebooks expanding until we have to let it loose… so many great poems to this prompt.
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Thanks, Bjorn, for seeing where I was going with it. Yes, a whole garden of poetry along the trail…
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The first thing that struck me was the illustration – it really fits your bop poem, Lisa, which is also similar to a beat poem. I love the list in the opening stanza – I have a box with similar contents – and these chilling lines stood out for me:
‘to see now how small the coffin,
how feeble the scratches to lift lid’.
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Thank you very much, Kim. The collage is part of a group I’m working on inspired by Jamie Sams’ book The 13 Clan Mothers. About those lines, the realization came to me while writing the poem.
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My pleasure, Lisa. I’d p be to see the rest of the collage group.
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I’ve only got a few of the 13 done yet. Once they are finished I will probably do a post on them.
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I look forward to it.
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A very deep and thought provoking poem my friend
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Sadje, thank you and glad you connect with it.
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It’s my pleasure. 💞
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Beautifully done, Lisa.
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Thank you, Robbie <3
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This was fabulous, Lisa! I love the progression and that returning line – what a cool type (genre?) of poem.
Your collage rocks, as well.
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Thanks much, Dale. The returning line was given to us by Laura and is part the form we used. Laura says it’s a modern form. Follow the form link to learn more about it. Happy you like the collage also. It’s part of a series I’m working on.
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Yes, I saw that. I have been contemplating this one (like I always say I am but don’t go through with it when I say I will but that doesn’t mean I won’t!!) I love your collages. What do you do with them? Other than share them with us on your blog!
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This form took a little longer because I chose a deeper “problem,” but now I think the form would work well with an easy problem and then bop along with it. With the collages, I just keep them in a stack and look at them from time to time :)
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Of course you went with a more difficult one ;-) And you handled it beautifully.
None get framed and put on the walls?
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Not at this time, Dale, but I’ll keep it in mind <3
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😊💞
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p.s. some also have been shared with folks in my dream group and also in the clan mothers group.
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Oooh… Dream group…. and clan mothers group (both sound so interesting)
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They are. When you get a bunch of crones sitting around and sharing, magic happens.
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I don’t doubt that for a second!
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A nice flow to your bop, I could feel myself bopping from word to word Interesting form.
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Truedessa thanks for the feedback. I’ll have to read through again to get the bop :)
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What a fabulous poem! This is a cool form. I love the first stanza.
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Colleen, thank you :)
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Small coffins are great for ashes, some for two. I will also bury my dogs, Adi, along with me. Adi link to read.
..
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It must be comforting to have your “afterlife” plans put in place, Jim. The link didn’t take me to your post on Adi.
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I’m sorry, my mistake, I left the previously saved “copy” text. ’This one will work better, “ Adi ”. She was a very nice dog, we were a ‘certified Pet Therapy Team, certified by the Delta Society.’
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Awww, I just read the story. Adi sounds like a great addition to your family. Sorry to hear she’s passed on.
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Wow Lisa —.A veritable smorgasbord of reality. A very deep write my friend… ✌🏼🫶🏼
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Rob, it created itself and brought new insight to me. Thanks much <3
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What a lovely collage of thoughts, Li and that last stanza is stunning. ❤️
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Punam, thank you <3
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Love this complex Bop of a poem, Lisa! Huge BRAVA from Bend!! My theatre group of ladies and my book club group as well …. we are the wisest, grooviest group of 70-80 year old women I have ever known …
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Thanks so much, Helen. I can see that your book club group has to be a lively one with you and your cohort in it.
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A progression to that final box…we do love our boxes. All the things that contain us…our thoughts, loves and musings that’s what came to mind as I read this and then the seed to heaven perhaps!
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Di, so happy you have shared what you see in the poem. Much appreciated <3
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Wonderful poem, Lisa. I love your ending.
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Thanks much, Sara.
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Thank you for sharing such a vivid and thought-provoking exploration—it’s truly a journey through creativity and introspection!
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Thanks much, IP.
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