Lewis Carroll’s lovely square 6×6 poem is the lead in to a request from a friend of mine, composer Emily Hall. If you’re a poet, and like formal challenges here are the rules…
Emily Hall (@emilyhally) is looking for some (sorry fb) twitter-generated text to set to music, for performance by the London Sinfonietta, fame, glory, etc.
Rule 1: All the text should be made of 3×3 square poems *
* to Rule 1: A square poem is one which reads the same horizontally as vertically.
The most famous example of this is by Lewis Carroll.
Rule 2: The poems must be made of only one and two syllable words
Rule 3: All the words for the first line of each 3×3 poem should be taken from a common source **
** to Rule 3: In this call out, we are going to ask for the source to be the Oxford Dictionary definition of “Assemble”.
Please tweet all 3X3, single/double syllable poems to @emilyhally, and tell her I sent you.
Further details in this interview with Emily.
I had a go –
We are here
are you there
here there voices
and
See the eye
the way dogs
see dogs’ bones.
However, these neglected to follow the requirement of issuing out of the Dictionary Def of ‘assemble’. So, I set to work again.
Gather your spirits
Your weary old
Spirits old friend.
People have purpose
have banners with
purpose with hope.
Gather your people
your and my
people my friend.
People or things
Or money for
Things for people.
Moths swirling dust
swirling ribbons of
dust of ashes.
Moths scatter dust
scatter beauty of
dust of flight.
We will fit
will make this
fit this time.
We all try
all squeeze and
try and fit.
Held in common
in hands so
common so strong.
Signing off now
off to work
now work calls.
And I also tried to match Lewis Carroll, six for six.