Tag Archives: Concrete Poetry

Simple Studies # 3

Rapidly: Or As Fast as You Can

Dock da do yes tin toy cheese gig gas go  
inch arch hip zone scraunch beam coo boo bass ball bell 

Fish milk jump bowl thrutch boast screech no oil roof 
nail lip arch moon crawl drift dig gag gear voice 

Beam damp rain inch hep silk sparse scrooch sour neat 
Cry egg bee boost zoo pee bot chop chill drink 

Deem dress kiss be moo ba oak mouth nest peach 
bald air calm gog lunch poem here now be it said cut 

Bath peace game sleep shy tone boot bike dust dew 
leaf mold mad merge fruit fly thick toe hoe mow oh ho  

Cheat dum sheet awk guide dum read coop rope spring 
Near leg far soft flesh scar how can you tell 

Down then turn whole work wide tool toss 
Wet watch beach bow bow. 


(being a transcription 
of Leo Brouwer's 
Etudes Simples #3)

Variations on a Theme

One word at a time.
Onewordatatime.
At a time one word.
At a word one time.

Word data time.
One word one time.
Timeword dow.
Wordtime.

At a one time word
at a me wime tord
da da
ta ta

twon word town time
drown mod me at
meet word time mate
mata mada

one word at a time
at a time one word
a word one time at
a time word one

excuse me sir
you dropped a word
dripping yes
time drow

don’t look
for nonsense
where there is
none

look to the heavens
look to the skies
look where
you’re going

look at the mud pies
stuck in the gutters
rise rise rise down
falling swimming with

outword crescendo
there is no progression
now is the time
to decompress

Counterpoint

This is another table poem – the words and lines formatted within the rectangles of a table inserted into a document. The table consists of 5 columns and 21 rows. A kind of counterpoint is created when the poem is read horizontally, vertically, diagonally. Formatting widgets (spacing, alignments left or right, cuts, etc.) have been added as musical accent marks.

counter

 point part s po sh not
again st

co nter

 culture

priv ate

 lake

mass

 shore

ount

deck

 effect
ass ump tion sit sting out

cou

 entry
un der

palms up

fronds down

 pile green

noucter

prick

 pluck

plectrum

 finger

nails
percussive fingerling

apron

 strings hooks

count

1

 Two

3

 Four
syncopate

swooooons

 c u t
how l o n g

jay sus
woh

how here

 owh
nogl

l o n g

 on
ow
un clear im precise lack s clar ity cri tic

pun

 c

a hack’s ear
∀ u ate shun too smpl not
4
yes

re

 me m ber us

cross

 together

prable

 back when
whole point

told

 aft you

cave out

Ires & Ears & Reader Satisfaction Survey

Instructions: Read each row left to right, then, in each empty cell in the first column, insert a word that irks you. In the corresponding empty cell in the far right column, insert your irky word’s opposite. If you can’t think of a word that irks you, insert a word that feels good to your ears. (Note: You may also read the words by column, top to bottom, or bottom to top – individual reader experience may vary.)

play ear piquancy
ear wig able
ear ate oblige
ear riff hive
ear rev rant
iron browse nose
ear irk sum
ir clothed ears
ear iris bow
ear nose spell
ire oh you
rear reverse ably
wear plus tear
spread sheet foot on
oval ire head
for get it
come out side

 

Reader Satisfaction Survey

In the cell to the right of the comment, indicate your level of satisfaction with The Coming of the Toads blog, using a 1 for “highly likely,” 2 for “depends,” 3 for “no opinion,” 4 for “not likely,” and 5 for “no way.” If the question suggests an “agree” or “disagree” answer, use 1 for “totally agree,” 2 for “agree somewhat,” 3 for “sometimes,” 4 for “I meditate often,” and 5 for “totally disagree.”

1

2

3

4

5
I’ll probably stop reading your blog soon:
I’d rather listen to the radio or watch TV:
I prefer posts that are not poetry:
I want to see more pictures:
You should sponsor some giveaways:
Have you thought of knitting for a hobby?
I liked the recent bicycle post:
I’m not sure what you mean by a post?:
I’m currently reading “War and Peace”:
I’m thinking of subscribing to a magazine:
I’m thinking of buying a new car:
I have enough clothes to suit my needs:
I can never get a plumber when I need one:
I got here by mistake:
I was referred here by my plumber:
My socio-economic demographic sucks:

Thank you for visiting The Coming of the Toads and for participating in the survey.

A few gratuitous pics for this post, because some readers have come to expect pics with words, and, believe it or not, appreciate a good selfie when they see one:

Photo for cover draft
Foggy Day

 

Vowel Motion & Consonant Commotion

Vowel Motion

accelerate encyclopedia inch along
oval verbs Uranus Your > yr
wave  ~ func
funa  [this space left blank] fank
fenk fink Fonk
funk  [purposelessly] California
Faulkner Mississippi Oak Grove
Umbrella  #dearjohn Adieu Aeiou – Ah, You!

Consonant Commotion

Click and clack bicycle rack tongue and tooth
cat myrrh-th parts, spokes and wheels
synth Dry gin groove
Sly tryst Hymnal perpendicular hill
WHY THIS?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 AND NOT WHAT?
 nothing Peaceful city  nothing goin’ on
Slow whisper shy summer down by the wyrm bay
consonants moving by & by

 

Scamble and Cramble Find Readers

“Scamble and Cramble: Two Hep Cats and Other Tall Tales” is finding readers with enthusiastic response.

I gave ZZ a proof copy to test the waters. She dug it, and smiled when she saw the dedication page, and started in reading immediately, and when she got to the song, nothing would do but she had to sing it aloud. “Scamble and Cramble” is a hit!

But I had already decided to change the cover, which has delayed the “look inside” feature, which I had wanted to wait for before saying much more about the book. But I’ve been getting these pics from readers, and they make for a great review! Thanks to ZZ and Briana and Felicia and crew.

Something new happens on almost every page of “Scamble and Cramble.” Readers are surprised as they see the characters take shape and run with the stories. There are pages to read, and pages simply to watch. There are things to find. There’s a parade, a cast of characters, portraits, stories, talking cats and other animals, and Peepa and Moopa seem a new species. There are happy and sad tales, and Nana and Papa make an appearance. And it’s all told with commonly used keyboard symbols.

Happy Readers!

Z with both cover drafts
reading proofs

 A look inside of “Scamble and Cramble: Two Hep Cats and Other Tall Tales”:

A Look Inside

 

  • Paperback: 108 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (June 24, 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1533501084
  • ISBN-13: 978-1533501080
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.3 x 8 inches