15 Comments
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Janie Braverman's avatar

". . . out of the barn / and into the static ..."

This is just so delicious. I first saw "attic" then "static" then had to think about it. Thanks so much for the digression and the poem.

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d.w.'s avatar

I had the same encounter with that line.

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Mary Roblyn's avatar

So much to love here: “the flags and honking cars” and “howling down a spiral staircase” bring a strong sense of the wail of grief. Also, starting with wine and ending with tea, a reversal of what’s expected. Thank you.

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X. P. Callahan's avatar

Thank you, Mary.

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Mike Speriosu's avatar

Marvelous.

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X. P. Callahan's avatar

Thank you, Mike.

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Mary Holscher's avatar

Wow!! Amazing cento. This wow section blows me away:

(someone dying of love, someone from whom time had taken

flags and honking cars,

the various and gathered families)

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X. P. Callahan's avatar

Thanks, Mary. I keep hoping you will try a cento. It’s a fantastic practice, and easier than it seems.

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Mary Holscher's avatar

I’d love to try sometime, but it seems unbelievably difficult to me! Perhaps not for someone with a very wide knowledge of poets and poems, but my own knowledge feels quite limited.

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X. P. Callahan's avatar

All you have to do is pull a few poetry books off your shelf, or download a few poems from the web, and start seeing what fits. Collage. When I started writing centos many years ago, I was often using texts by poets I had never heard of, and that’s how I came to know them.

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Mary Holscher's avatar

Well, if I do write one, you’ll be the first to know!

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Mark Rico's avatar

So interesting what you can do with borrowed lines! Much to ponder.

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LeeAnn Pickrell's avatar

I’ve got to try one of these. This is marvelous.

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X. P. Callahan's avatar

I hope you will. If you write one you like, I will guest-post it here.

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LeeAnn Pickrell's avatar

That’s so sweet. Thank you!

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