Dear Open Circle Poetry Fans:

This post includes a number of ideas for writing poetry, so this should keep you busy for months! 

• But first, a couple of announcements about “My Favorite Poem” at the Alabama School of Fine Arts this coming Friday, Sept. 23, at 7:00 pm. 1) The writer and curator of fond memories, Jim Reed, will be the M.C., because Mike Royer has a command performance else ware. 2) Our friend, Charlie Kinnaird, is one of the featured readers. Charlie is a member of our poetry group. He wrote “This Is Where I’m From” and brought us the “I Am From” template.

• On October 27 (a Thursday), our poetry group and the Leeds Arts Council will host the quarterly meeting and reading of the Birmingham Arts Journal. We’ll spend a few minutes at next Monday’s meeting to talk about refreshments, decorations, and hospitality.

Ideas for this month’s poetry meeting, Monday, Sept. 26, at 7:00 pm

1) Cats – – One of our poets suggested this topic months ago. Another member (Jonathan) recently adopted two kittens. There’s plenty to write about.

2) Quatrain – A stanza or poem consisting of four lines. In the basic form, Lines 2 and 4 must rhyme while having a similar number of syllables. (The poem can be only 4 lines, or it can have many 4-line stanzas as long as each stanza follows the rhyming and syllable pattern.)

Example from http://www.poetrysoup.com/dictionary/quatrain

The wind doth blow today, my love
And a few small drops of rain;
I never had but one true-love
In cold grave she was lain.

Another example, “Unspoken Words,” by Paul Callus:

I often scribble in the sand 
The words I find so hard to say
And hope the wind will come along 
And blow them all your way.

3) Where to get more ideas for poems:  (from http://www.creative-writing-now.com/poetry-ideas.html)

• Listen to a piece of music and write about the images that it brings into your mind.
• People-watch, eavesdrop, and write about your observations and imaginings.
• Sit in a park and close your eyes. Notice all of the sounds and smells. Write about them afterward.
• Keep a notebook next to your bed and write down your dreams at night to turn them into poems later.
• Make a list of words you think are unusual, then try to use them in poems.
• Watch an animal and write a poem about what it looks like and what it does.
• Smell different spices in your kitchen and write about the memories that they inspire.
• Look through old family photographs and choose some to write poems about.
• Go on a “field trip” — a museum, the zoo, a greenhouse — to hunt for poetry ideas.
• Get inspiration from books on an area of science or history that interests you.

Listeners are welcome and necessary!  We’ll have snacks.

Leeds Area Open Circle Poetry Group
Monday, September 26, 7:00 pm
Leeds Arts Center in Downtown Leeds
8140 Parkway Drive, Leeds, Alabama 35094

 Call or email if you have questions.
Joan Dawson – 401-7077