This week I ducked into Amherst Books, one of my favorite emporiums of words both new and used. As I perused the shelves, I came to the end of an aisle near the children’s section. There in the corner was what looked very much like an old postage stamp machine. It was. And it wasn’t. Someone with a poetic heart had turned the machine into a device that delivered a poem for fifty cents. Imagine! Two quarters for a poem! Even better, there were choices: a short poem, a general public poem and a poem for more mature audiences. When I placed the coins in their slots and slid them into the body of the mechanism, a cardboard folder emerged below the coin slot. Within the folder was a perfectly typed, original poem. Who could turn away from such a surprise? Who could not reach deep and scrounge desperately for the two magic discs that would procure rhythmic lines of metaphor? Actually, the poem machine reinforced what I have always loved about poetry, every poem is a surprise, whether it’s the unique use of language or syntax, the combination of imagery, the line breaks, the play of meaning, the comparison of an unlikely object to an experience, or the way heart and mind break open in a sudden surge of emotion.
Poetry is a surprising genre. No matter whether it is penned or delivered via a slot machine, it engenders unique self-expression and a form of communication beyond story telling. So, what are the poetic surprises you have encountered? What poem would you hope for if you stood before the machine? What poem would you write to surprise someone else? For the cost of loving words, your own poetry machine is waiting.
Upcoming Events
Heat Wave Workshop! Need a reprieve from simmering temperatures? Join me for a two-day, in-person, open-genre, all-out spree of writing past the humidity and scorch. We will meet in Amherst, Massachusetts on July 11th & 12th and write in response to prompts that can only be delivered in person. We will follow the Amherst Writers & Artists workshop method of trust and respect; writers of all experience levels are welcome; space limited. Cost: $300. Information: maureen@maureenbjones.com
Prompt Photo
