The U.K. poet, Philip Gross imagines a vessel built from poems. In a way, his poem teaches us about the process of writing a poem, plus what it takes: passion, determination, and skill. With a bit of cheek, he suggests “there’s really nothing to it, ” but in reality, it’s an investment. What else do you think Philip Gross is trying to say in this poem? As a poet, what is involved in your poetry-writing process?
The Boat Made of Poems
sings and hums and talks and whispers to itself.
It never sleeps.
It groans, it shudders to the rhythm of the waves.
Its timbers creak
in the language of every port it has put into –
the backchat, the patois,
the babble, the Babel, the smuggled rich lingo
of each dockside bar.
But hush: don’t tell the captain or the bosun
or the loosely rhyming crew:
there’s really nothing to it, poetry,
just air, hot air and paper, oh, and skill
and love and hope, between them
and the deep dark silent sea.
Try It
Think of the parts of a boat, ship, or sailing vessel. Use your imagination and experience to craft a boat made from your writing process, favorite poetry form, or technique. What would a boat made of your poetry look like?
Featured Poem
Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here is part of a poem from Elizabeth we enjoyed:
Mad Sea
We could tie the past to each and
Every one that has ever owned us
(Don’t be fooled, you never really own a boat)
anchoring us to secrets of our misplaced trust
Bind it up
Tether it with a reef knot
And for insurance’s sake
Place a well-formed Turk’s head
In the stern line
Last night we marveled at the flood tide marsh,
Heading home under the night sky
of summer
post-storm
from safe inside our little nameless vessel
at her mercy
still
Photo by Marco Monetti, Creative Commons via Flickr.
Browse more Ship, Sail, Boat Poems
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Jody Lee Collins says
Elizabeth’s poem is beautiful. I have no sailboat, tho’ I do love watching them sail….
Heather Eure says
A sailboat on the water does invite us to gaze– a moment to pause and be still, doesn’t it?
Monica Sharman says
As an origami enthusiast, I had to write about a paper boat. While Philip Gross had his boat on the waves and the sea, I put mine in a small, temporary pond. Thanks for another great prompt!
Paper Boat
First, a clean sheet.
Then precision alignments, edge
to edge or corner to corner—
as storyteller matches word
to word—to make the paper
take shape and, at least, stay afloat.
Then come the folds, the flat of the thumbnail
pressing creases into the paper’s memory.
The boat will remember these undergirding folds.
Now off to the pond that’s there
only because of the flooding storms—
a place to set down the story
folded and unfolding.
Wind pushes tight wrinkles
into the skin of the pond’s surface.
Fleeting ripples pass; the pond
is young again, smooth like a clean slate,
and the boat, set down with a gentle nudge,
is let go and sails.
Heather Eure says
Monica, there’s so much to appreciate here. The contemplative ritual of folding paper and the hopes of a writer, that their words “stay afloat.” Both an art, to create something meaningful.
Rick Maxson says
Monica, this meets the challenge both ways as you build the paper boat and the poem. So true about both when you say, “The boat will remember these undergirding folds.” The ribs of a boat and the ribs of a poem to hold and steady the heart of each.
I liked the isolated moment of the last line, the launch; it made me think about something in a different way in that usually it is the ending of a poem that “launches” it for the reader; everything before is preparation: the setting, the details and their metaphors, the turn, and, finally, how it registers with the reader, the field of perceptions (the moment the poem sets its sails).
Wonderful poem!
Laura Brown says
The Writing Process
Materials enough to craft an ark!
Embellishments to spruce up fore and aft!
Grand notions, keen descriptions will embark!
Yet once more I shove off with just a raft.
Heather Eure says
Ah, so clever … and so easy to relate!
Prasanta says
This made me smile!
Donna Saliba says
Watercraft-ed
Boat’s belly
Rides upon waves
As poet’s ink
Dries atop parchment,
Blown about to drift at sea
Words and thoughts
Flow from fountain pens,
Dried by sands of time.
Guided by a sea of stars
And language.
Donna Dissauer Saliba
Professional Prose
Prasanta says
This is my first attempt at building a “pantoum”. It was fun constructing this poetic boat. 🙂
Switching
Adjust boom windward
As storm approaches—
Gales and waves toss us
Like a child’s toy boat at bath time
Can you see the storm approaching?
Jibe, tack, plant cautious feet
Don’t play around like a child at bath time
Mind the mature and callous sea
The crew, longing for land, plants cautious feet
After breathing seasons of salty air
Stranded with thirst in a callous sea
Windswept, sunburned, and surrounded
After salty seasons of standing aft beside rudder
With keen eyes, wiser ones keep watch
Windswept, sunburned, surrounded–
Lest we end up in irons, going nowhere
With keen eyes, wiser ones exchange places
After long years of standing aft at rudder
Caught up in the movement of going nowhere
The journey repeats, swapping places, switching storms
L. L. Barkat says
I particularly like that last phrase, “switching storms.” Made me go, “Ah.” 🙂
So glad to see you trying out a pantoum!
Prasanta says
Thanks!
Robbie Pruitt says
This is a poem about my daughter Grace who loves singing “Row Row Row Your Boat”. Yesterday we came across this little pond at a children’s museum where you could steer little sailboats. She was so excited! It was poetic. This was the little poem that happened. I hope the formatting works here. The poem is supposed to be shaped like a sailboat.
Grace’s Sailboat
A
Poem
Grace wrote
With her love
Of the little sailboat
As she whispered and
Steered the little vessel as
She watched from the shore.
My
Turn.
“My turn to steer the boat—my sailboat.” She watched as the little
vessels blew across the pond. With the wheel in her hand she
navigated with childlike glee—with whispers in her sail.
© July 25, 2015, Robbie Pruitt