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Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: Poetry Tag

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It’s Poetry Friday, and this week I’d like to tell you about the poetry game I play with my friend Rebecca Newman, called Poetry Tag. The game, which was Rebecca’s idea, involves each of us taking turns providing the other with a set of words which must then be included in a poem and posted on the Poetry Tag blog.

We’ve been playing tag for just over a year and it’s a lot of fun – though both of us have had times where the set of words we’ve been given has caused consternation. But we always come through, and along the way we’ve stretched ourselves in surprising ways.

The most recent set of words Rebecca set for me were: supper, my and virtue

It took me a while to come up with a poem I’m happy with, but here’s the opening lines of The Last Supper:

At that last supper
the men ate and drank
and hung on your every word
Little knowing it would be
their last meal together –
even when you, my heart,
told them one would soon betray you,
one deny.

(You can read the rest of the poem here).

A poetry challenge is a great way of stretching your poetic muscles. I would never have written a poem on this topic if Rebecca hadn’t chosen those words. What writing challenges do you set for yourself or others?

Looking for more poetry? The Poetry Friday roundup is at Tabatha Yeatts’ Blog.

 

Comments

    • Thanks Doraine. Just like physical exercise, being stretched this way sometimes seems too hard, but then I struggle through and the effort is worth it 🙂

    • Thanks Mary. I like the idea of a chef. I love the untold stories of history. So often we forget who else might be have been witness.

  6. I love how being given those words sent you off into unexpected directions! Thanks for sharing this with us.

  7. Poetry Tag sounds like lots of fun! I thought at first it might be a Renga, but having random words to use would certainly be a challenge! Might have to check into this!

    • Thanks Donna. Yes, it is a challenge. The first temptation is to try to get them all in the first line or stanza. I’ve gradually got better at using them more naturally, I think.

  8. This is a great project, Sally. I have a poet friend who keeps a word box — filled with random words — to use as a poetry prompt.

    I like how you found space in the story of the Last Supper to add a female character and voice.

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