Since a tritina is just half the size of a sestina, it should be super easy, right?
AHEM.
This form sort of bullied me, honestly. I felt kind of pushed in one direction or another until suddenly, poems! That I had nothing to do with! And that I didn’t necessarily love.
But ok. It’s all about the stretch.
Tritinas. Here are a few….
Hopeless
I roll ice around in my mouth
and even as it melts it is heavy as stone.
I want something light, like hope
something soft, a wafer maybe, hope
held like a promise in your mouth
or tossed tenderly, a skipping stone
but lighter, not this cold stoning
iciness that won’t melt, sitting hope-
less and hard to swallow in the mouth
of the river, mouth of the stone wolf holding out hope between us.
Stone Soup
The room sits empty and the night is cold.
With aching bellies we cry open-mouthed:
This is the time for soup made from stone!
What else is there? Pot, sea water, stone.
Who will bring it up to boil from the cold?
Who will add potato, something for the mouth
something real and holy for the mouth
that won’t break teeth or spirits – not stone
nor greed, not ego nor ignorance nor the cold
heart of a cold neighbor mouthing no, no like a stone.
Recipe
Butter and sugar creamed = sweet.
Winter and morning married = cold.
Each blank page = hope.
I whisk and write with high hopes
in the still dark sweetness,
hands flying through the cold
making something of it. Cold
comfort, but what else is there? Hope
for a warm tart, weak light, words sweet.
Yes, that. Sweet words cut the cold and equal hope.
Ready for more?
Go see the amazing versions my pals did…
Tricia
Tanita
Sara
Laura
Andi
Kelly
And Poetry Friday is here!
Delish!
Enjoy!
For someone who felt bullied, you stood your ground and made three powerful poems.
My favorite line is this simple one:
“hands flying through the cold
making something of it”
Yes. This is what we do, as we write and cook and create the hope we NEED. Thank you for reminding me so beautifully.
Or at least that’s what we TRY to do. This month felt like trying to me, instead of necessarily accomplishing. But that’s ok….
You, my dear, are a glorious overachiever. Each of these so wonderful – and of course you went and changed your end words a bit for tense, when I didn’t dare!
I especially love that last one. I believe I’ll have to print it out when I get home for inspiration.
I don’t know if I was daring or just a cheater!! 🙂
You’ve made this work, Liz! My favorite line: “Hope
for a warm tart, weak light, words sweet.”
That’s it, exactly. What you’re doing, and sweetly.
Oh, thanks, Andi… I might revisit these at my leisure to see if I can grow to love them….
Sweet words cut the cold and equal hope. That’s worth a cuddle in itself.
The Stone Soup one is now even more painful. not stone
nor greed, not ego nor ignorance nor the cold… You’re kind of killing me, here. This form lends itself well to the enigmatic as well as the rollicking, which is cool.
OK, see, that’s the power of positive thinking — that the form is open and offers up diverse opportunities. That’s the spirit!! 🙂
OK, I already loved the ice and the stone wolf in your first poem, and now I see Recipe–did I miss this in our Google Doc? It’s stunning. The last stanza and envoi…I don’t know how you manage to say big things, important things, great good things:>) , without ever sounding sappy. Thank you for this poem today.
Ha — that was a late add since I didn’t love my first two. Thanks for the love 🙂
I think being bullied, at least this time, must be a good thing if it helps created such energetic poems. If I had a favorite, it would be stone soup, for me, speaking for those who would need a potato instead of only that cold, cold stone. Beautiful along with poignant, Liz.
Oh, thanks, Linda. Yes, that one feels at least in synch with what I WANT to say, whether I quite hit the nail on the head or not 🙂
What a trio! The first and second…ouch! But the third…ahhh!
Thanks for stopping by to celebrate Poetry Friday with us, Liz. And thanks for sharing your process so openly too. I agree– what a trio!
These three poems show a pretty good grasp of the tritina – in my humble opinion. Must learn more about this form. =)
Oh, thanks, Bridget — it was a new form to me too!