Tuesday, April 6, 2010

TFE's Poetry Bus hits Lucanland


So, the Poetry Bus is back in Ireland this week, and who knows where it'll take us this time?
We've spent the last few hours picking up the petals from between the seat cushions, scraping the medical charts off the windows, and windows and clocks have all been replaced with the original parts. Swiss was an excellent driver, and has entrusted me with the keys, (the power! the power!) complete with stethoscope keyring, it's hard to know how to top his great trip - so instead I decided to do this...

Before we begin you will need:

1. A list of people you know - either use your mobile phone phone-book, or your email inbox (with each sender counting as a different name), or a little black book if you have one.
2. A number between 5 & 10 - write this down
3. Another number between 10 & 20 - also write this down
4. A word from the last text or email subject that you have recieved - write this down too
5. A headache tablet of your choice

Now -

Take the list - using your first number - go down that amount of people in the list - eg - if your number is 6, and your list reads: Ann, Ben, Dad, Elf, God, Ike - you pick Ike - because he's the 6th person in the list.
Then using your second number count up from the bottom that number of people, and again note down the name.

So - you end up with two people's names (or you might have a person and a business say - ie Ike, and a pizza place) plus your word from the text or email subject.

Now -
Take the headache tablet if desired.

Now -
Use some or all of these as prompts to write a poem. You don't have to use both people - ie if one of them reminds you of a strong memory go with that, or one of them plus the word evokes a strong idea, or you could meld them together in your head, imagine if they were one person - what are their strongest personality traits? what kind of mix would you end up with? Would you get any interesting contradictions? Or you can imagine them meeting if they've never met before... or use the text as a starting point to think of a scenario which might involve the two of them and/ or their relationship to you - or just take them and fictionalise the hell out of them.... Don't forget you don't have to reveal who the people were that prompted the poem, or indeed the piece of text... they're just the jumping off point after all.

There ye have it... no one said it had to be easy...
or straightforward...

Good Luck!

26 comments:

Totalfeckineejit said...

You got Ike's number? Wow!

Totalfeckineejit said...

No, sorry, not Ike's number, God's number.I'm always getting those two mixed up -must be the beards.(Except Ike doesn't have one.)

Emerging Writer said...

Oh yeah. I remember this one now. Sneaky.

Cheryl said...

ha ha I like the use for the headache tablet.

I got mum and dad in my list. I won't use this to write a poem as my poetry writing leaves a lot to be desired but I started working on a short story about my mum and dad about a year ago and never finished it. I think I shall give it a visit.

Thanks for posting!

Rachel Fox said...

Oh boy - this really is homework!
x

Niamh B said...

Yes TFE - neither of them are very easy to get hold of, but they've got great answering machines
Ha EW - Recycling is good for the environment...
That's great Lily! Stories and art forms of all kinds are most welcome on the poetry bus - don't let the name of it fool ya!
That's right Rachel! Think I've missed my calling, shoulda been a teacher...

Pure Fiction said...

Ok - I'm lost already, but I'll be back!

Titus said...

I love this! You lost me at instrucion 2! I jumped straight to headache tablet.
Isn't it great having different bus drivers. Who knew that so many of TFE's followers had twisted minds?
See you on Monday.

Niamh B said...

PF, sorry! Hope you do get something (anything) out of it!!
Hiya Titus, i know - coincidence? Looking forward to seeing you on Monday!

Argent said...

This'll be interesting, now where's the Anadin. So you think of a number, take that many headache pills... no, wait, that wasn't it. Bugger! Hehe see ya on the bus if I survive...

Peter Goulding said...

Do we not get to take away the number we first thought of? Please can I take it away?

The Weaver of Grass said...

I've taken the headache pill before I start - just to be on the safe side.

Niamh B said...

Arghhhhh gent!!!! Nooooo..... looking forward to your contribution.
Aha, thanks Barbara, as I say, no one said it had to be easy...
Ok Peter - you can take it away but only if you divide by the number of times the chosen piece of text occurs in your blog - this gives you your second number.
Weaver - you're probably safer that way alright!!! :-)

Heather said...

I've just deleted my last email and can't remember what it was about anyway - shall I send myself another one? See you on the bus. The word verification is BBLOGUL!

Kat Mortensen said...

Mine's an Ibuprophen with a whiskey chaser. This IS hard!

Kat

Niamh B said...

Hi Heather - yes send another to yourself if needs must, whatever it takes, glad to hear you'll be joining in!!! :-)
Yes Kat - sensible choice, looking forward to seeing the results now!

Totalfeckineejit said...

I'm onboard and probably overboard all at once. Much o drinko may haf to haf another go!

Totalfeckineejit said...

No, apologos, correction, I've fallen off the bus. Back on anon.

Niamh B said...

Ah Hate it when that happens TFE!!

Better luck next time

Dr. Jeanne Iris said...

Hey Niamh! Okay, I'm all set. Enjoyed this challenge, especially the two folks involved. Neither knows the other, yet they're my two biggest 'chatterboxes'!

Here's my blog site:

http://revolutionaryrevelry.blogspot.com

Have a great weekend! ~ JIL

Evalinn said...

Excellent, this was fun! I had no idea this map would take me where I ended up! :-)

Here´s mine: www.evalinnsworld.blogpot.com

Niamh B said...

Yay - welcome aboard Jeanne and Evalinn!! Plenty of space!! - your links are up...

The Weaver of Grass said...

My entry for this week's bus is done and posted.

Niamh B said...

Thanks Weaver! glad you could join in, all links are up on today's post

Heather said...

Just posted my bit of nonsense Niamh - thankyou for driving this week's bus.

Niamh B said...

Thanks Heather - the link's up now, it's not nonsense though, so don't be saying that!!!!
Welcome aboard