Ta-Da!! Another month’s gone by and we’ve pulled ourselves together again, just in the knick of time! We’re happy to present “Found” poems this time around. Found, as in extracted in bits and pieces from text that already existed.
Some of my pals pulled theirs from crossword puzzles and classic literature. Mine comes from pharmaceutical drug warnings — the ones that come as inserts when you pick up a prescription.
Prescription
If you experience severe
persistent
sudden
sharp
increased
painful
irregular
unusual
recurring
impulsivity
restlessness
fatigue
pain
or vivid dreams
Do not
Do not
Do not
crush
or chew
Do not
use exactly
or take more
or skip
Do not continue
or discontinue
Instead, watch
seek
ask
undergo
apply
And rise slowly
rise very slowly
You won’t want to miss the others:
Kelly Ramsdell
Andi Sibley
Laura Purdie Salas
Sara Lewis Holmes
Tricia Stohr-Hunt
Tanita Davis
You can also see them laid out together at our padlet this month.
Fancy, huh?
Still hungry for poems? Go read dozens at the Poetry Friday Round-Up, being hosted this week by TeacherDance!
You totally nailed the ironic thing, Liz! I love the Do not, Do not, Do not…the mindless repetition giving way to watch, seek, ask…Just beautiful and wonderful. A celebration of wondering and grabbing life. Love.
There is something ironic about the whole thing — the being prescribed a healing remedy and then being barraged by dire warnings. Right?
I don’t know if I’ve ever really written found poems before. It was fun!
Liz, you rocked this. I think this is funniest because it also reminds me of the gobbledygook that’s at the end of all of those drug commercials, said in a quick-paced monotone so you don’t really hear too clearly the “possible side effects.” I like!
I think “Do not use exactly” is my fav of your admonitions…. I shall make that my motto! While rising slowly, of course. Now that you’ve found “found poetry,” do you think you’ll write more? This was my first time doing an erasure-type of found poetry, and I found it challenging—my found poetry tends to be more of the highlighting of unexpected beauty. But I liked it. 🙂
I cannot, cannot bear to read those things, or listen on TV. After reading your poem gleaned from them, even though I love the irony and strong voice, I still won’t take the pill!
I laughed out loud when I read this. In large part because William cringes every time drug commercials come on, particularly when they talk about side effects. I heard those admonitions while reading your words.
I love this bit:
Do not continue
or discontinue
Because really, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
And honestly, this is one damn fine poem.
Best poem of the lot, in my opinion (and that’s saying something, since everyone seemed to rock this). Love the “do nots” and the concluding couplet. *swoon*
Oh my goodness! You made something beautiful and true out of a garbage drug insert?!?! Amazing!
Oh fun! Great humour.
Great job! I like how all the side-effects you might experience pretty much cover all the things you might experience (unusual things, recurring things, persistent things).
It is amazing to me that you created a poem with awesome voice from a drug package insert. I usually toss those out. I love what you did.