A Revision Challenge ... Should You Choose to Accept It

Hello folks! Today is Poetry Friday! Come join the fun over at Heidi Mordhorst's blog my juicy little universe! Thanks for hosting Heidi!

Early on in the pandemic, I wrote A Thing. It was a poetry collection for a picture book, and I loved it. It was pure escapism and fun and joy in a little package of words. But friends... gosh, it needs a lot of work. So here I've been, revising and revising... and let me tell you, the number of times I've rewritten that one limerick...

I've been noticing that, lately, I gravitate towards metered poetry. Something about the boundaries of form is acting like a weighted blanket for the chaos in my brain. I can just focus on it better! But, I love free verse. Free verse poetry is my first writing love, and I miss it. So, I've decided to set myself a challenge that, maybe, will help me get back into a free verse state of mind. You're welcome to join in, if you wish!

I have a small pile of free verse poem drafts that... aren't quite poems yet. They're more fuzzy snapshots of scenes that could become poems. I'm challenging myself to rewrite each one using three poetic devices. Which three? I don't know yet. That depends on the poem, and my mood, and the state of my Long Covid brain fog when I pick them. But, I'm hoping that doing this will provide just enough structure for my brain to brace itself against... just enough focus to get rooted in words.

If you'd like to join me, please do! Pick a poem that needs revising, pick three poetic devices, and use those devices in your revision. I hope you'll let me know how it goes! I'll keep you all posted too...

Happy writing!