Roberta Writes – Two poems: Reena’s Xploration Challenge #291 and Tanka Tuesday #poetry

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I wrote two poems while driving Michael to school today (I keep them in my head until I get to the school and then jot them down).

This is a shadorma but I have written it using the style of flowing thoughts from one line to the next.

Complexity

When pieces

of the puzzle move

Out of reach

or are lost

Adaptability rules

Think laterally

This poem is for Reena’s Xploration Challenge #291 which you can join in here: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2023/08/03/reenas-xploration-challenge-291/

Colleen’s challenge: Select one of the animal collective nouns and write your syllabic poem using the collective noun. I used poetic license for my poem.

Survival

Communal

life is for the birds

No flocking

instincts left

for those who survive on wits

Each man for himself

You can join in Tanka Tuesday here: https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2023/08/08/tankatuesday-weekly-poetry-challenge-no-332-8-8-23/

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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81 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Two poems: Reena’s Xploration Challenge #291 and Tanka Tuesday #poetry”

        1. I write poems in my head sometimes when I go out walking. Sometimes whole poems, and sometimes just a few lines to build a poem around. I repeat the lines I like in my head then write them down when I get home.

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          2. I don’t think it’s that uncommon at all. Didn’t Wordsworth do it–write poems in his head while out walking? I don’t write poems in my head so much when I’m driving, but I often do when I’m a passenger. Sometimes whole poems; sometimes random lines.

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    2. Thank you, Vera. I keep everything in my head even at work. I never take notes in meetings and I never have. I’ve never needed too. I do believe my memory is unusual – something I’ve discovered at a walk life’s path (if you don’t know other people generally remember differently, it comes as a surprise by way of explanation).

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  5. Wow! Robbie both of these are just great!
    I envy you being able to remember poem in your head…. I seem to do everything Stream of Consciousness because if I don’t it just goes!! ,💜💜

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  6. Your post reminded of Marcus Aurelius when he wrote in his Meditations: “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” Your thoughts involve the beauty of poetry! You create happiness in your life and share it with us. Love the poems.

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    1. Thank you for your interesting comment, Rebecca. I always love your quotes. I find that when I write prose I can’t write poetry. It doesn’t come because my head is full of my story and I’m writing it all the time in my head. When I am in poetry mode, poems come left, right and centre. You may have noticed – haha!

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    1. Hi Balroop, I was teasing Colleen a bit with that poem. I may post another about animals. I found your email in junk mail. Outlook does that sometimes – so annoying. I have responded but I checked and see I pre-ordered your book so I will read it when it comes on the 11th. I’ll be nearly finished my current read by then as it is a short one. Hugs.

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  16. I wasn’t familiar with the term “lateral thinking,” so I looked it up. I tend toward linear thinking,but when dealing with problems in my career, using logic was pretty much a Mobius strip of “yeah, but”s. I usually came up with a viable solution through casual conversations with colleagues.

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    1. HI Liz, I am delighted I could introduce you to a new concept. I am a lateral thinker and rarely discuss anything with colleagues. I went so far on Monday as to tell my work partner that I will rewrite a document for her provided she doesn’t make me use a junior resource – aren’t I naughty!

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  17. Those were fun poems. I am impressed that you could make them up while driving and remember them. If it were me I would have had stop and write it down making Michael late for school. But I don’t know how to write poems.

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    1. HI Thomas, syllabic poems are great for logical thinkers so you could if you applied your mind to it. It’s like putting a puzzle together with words. I always remember things in my head. It’s funny, because I see most people don’t do this from the comments. I didn’t know it was unusual.

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  19. I like how you capture the essence of change and adaptation in #291. The verse’s simplicity heightens its impact, conveying the idea that life’s puzzle is constantly shifting. You emphasize the importance of adaptability through succinct language, implying that when life rearranges its pieces lateral thinking becomes our compass.
    I loved how your poem encourages readers to embrace change with a resilient spirit, reminding us that the key to navigating life’s shifts lies in our ability to adjust and find new paths.
    Well done!

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  21. I wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I enjoyed reading your poem, Robbie. Your words transported me to a different world. The imagery you painted with your verses was truly captivating, and the rhythm and flow added to the overall beauty of the piece. Your talent for crafting subtle metaphors and thought-provoking symbolism is truly remarkable. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful poem with us.

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    1. HI Diana, that is actually why I wrote that comment that has elicited so much conversation. I didn’t want people to think I wrote or typed while driving. I’m glad you enjoyed my poems. I think I am generally pretty dark with my writing unless its for children.

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    1. Hi Terri, I wrote that comment because I didn’t want people to think I typed on my phone while driving which I do not do. It has resulted in a lot of conversation which really surprised me. I thought everyone wrote their poems in their heads but it seems that they don’t.

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  25. Robbie, I’m amazed by your ability to remember what you write in your mind. I often awaken very early and think through pages of material. But if I don’t get up immediately and write it down, it’s lost. 🙄 I loved your poems.

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  26. Wonderful poems, Robbie, and I’m in awe that you can remember them until you can write them down. I write in my head too while driving, but I don’t always remember them if too much time passes. Sometimes, at a stop light, I’ve recorded thoughts into my phone. 🙂

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  31. I can ‘jot’ haiku in my head… but anything much longer and I (would) should stop to write it down. 🙂
    Very nice verses. Life is a constange challenge of continual change.

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