Thursday, March 13, 2014

Don't Quote Me Poetry

Slice of Life Challenge, Day 13

It's time for the recycling to be placed on the curb.  Another week of newspapers gathered up with cans and cardboard.  But before I take the bundle outside, I pull open the "Sunday Review" section of the New York Times, and I stumble upon an op-ed article titled "Don't Quote Me On This" in which the writer laments the ease with which we are distracted while reading online. In our rush for efficiency while researching online, we decontextualize ideas by ripping the most quotable moments from their context.  So, I decided to spend a great deal of time with the op-ed article...decontextualizing it.

I love black-out poems.  Using the words of someone else to create a new piece, to craft meaning, is liberating.  It is a moment to get outside of my writing habits, my default topics and manners for crafting meaning, to find inspiration in another's way of making meaning. And so here it is, my black out poem from today:


"Don't Quote Me on This"

We reach for the easy
perspective,
millions plus one
decontextualized,
disappear.

Steppingstone for thought,
        for my sanity.
Fragment to fragment.
Limitless content.
Precious and
rationed truisms
strip away.

Approach
best intentions
vowing
speed,
brevity and immediacy.
Who shares nuance?

Carry your context
with you
so thoughtfully.

2 comments:

Lee Corey said...

What a great poetry idea! Thanks for including the pictures. This was really a nice topic choice. I love the final result.

Chris said...

I am an avid newspaper reader. I've never seen a blackout poem... looks like something I should try! Glad to have your mentor text and the video. I'm up for the challenge!

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