Taylor Mali developed an innovative set of dice called Metaphor Dice. I have a set that one of my student groups plays with daily. They’ve made it into a sort of game to end each class session. Each of us grabs a set of three dice, white, red, and blue. Roll. Read the resulting metaphor and talk about how it could work. Some of them are challenging to find a real connection. But sometimes you get something intriguing, like “Time is an impossible super hero.”
We also start each notebook writing session with a quote. This week one of our quotes was “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” Then I rolled an odd combination: My heart is a well-worn wonder.
These types of activities work well to turn off your critical mind and turn on that right-brain creative soul inside. This is the poem that came out on the page:
A well-worn wonder like a beaten path
as in
we’ve been this way before
My heart keeps time
with the meditation tone
like a natural wonder,
a miracle of breath
& air
& blood
pumping
beating
living
waking up!
The poem was shaping up to look like a skinny. I double-checked the rules for a skinny poem. “A Skinny is a short poem form that consists of eleven lines. The first and eleventh lines can be any length (although shorter lines are favored). The eleventh and last line must be repeated using the same words from the first and opening line (however, they can be rearranged). The second, sixth, and tenth lines must be identical. All the lines in this form, except for the first and last lines, must be comprised of ONLY one word. The Skinny was created by Truth Thomas in the Tony Medina Poetry Workshop at Howard University in 2005.” The Skinny Poetry Journal
My heart is a well-worn wonder like a beaten path
as in
we’ve been
here
before
as in
natural
miracle
of breath
as in
a well-worn path of my beating heart is a wonder.
–Margaret Simon
What do you think? Version one or two?
Try a skinny with the phrase “Time is an impossible super hero.”
Matt Renwick is the winner of my extra A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver.
Leigh Anne Eck tried the prompt and posted here.
I love that your students stretch themselves in inventive, imaginative ways. Your second poem is my favorite. I was wondering about changing the first “a” in the last line to “the” — what do you think?
Time has some impressive superpowers! “Impossible” is an interesting adjective to go with it.
Ok, you’ve officially convinced me to buy metaphor dice! I love the phrase “My heart is a well worn wonder”, and I think I’d probably cast my vote for poem version 2. I like your challenge and will tuck it in my notebook to play with when I have some extra time.
I like the second one better. After reading this, I tried my hand at a Skinny, a new form for me! I’m trying to get my creative writing mojo back, so thank you for the inspiration today! I think I need a set of these metaphor dice! 🙂
The second one, Margaret. I like the spareness of it.
I want some Metaphor Dice! I love that quote: “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” Who wrote that? I want to use it!
Thanks for the Skinny poem challenge. I’ll try it today. Have a great weekend of writing!
Jennifer
I think the quote came from our book of wonder quotes.
Hooray! I made it here. I didn’t see your link on Tara’s link ups and when I googled this page got an error message. But, the link from facebook works! Version two is my favorite. I really like filling in the gaps with my own ideas. It’s a wonderful story, the process of getting to this poem and the finished product. I think I need metaphor dice! Just think of the great craft project it could be to make some….hmmmmmm.
The second one, with Tabatha’s suggested word change in the last line, because it is so much like a beating heart in its rhythm and repetition.
I love both, but if I have to choose, I go with the second one. Also, I want some of those dice!
What a fun and rich post Margaret! I may have to get a set of those Metaphor 🎲! And what challenges your students are getting. I like # 2, and will try the challenge—I love travel, thanks!
I like both poems. Even more I appreciate the story behind them and the glimpse into your classes. I’m impressed.
Oooh I like them both–but I do prefer the spareness of the skinny. I like hearing about your classroom rituals, too…
I’m arriving late to Poetry Friday, but I’m glad I stopped by! Metaphor dice sound like a worthwhile challenge. I love the quote and the poems it inspired.