The Poetry Page: On The Bummel with Mrs. Hudson

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Hello, holmes_minor! Welcome to the brand new version of my poetry page!

It will be appearing here on the 20th of every month, and we are going to be doing something a little different from the previous regular weekly page.

You may recall that on one occasion at sherlock60 we went on an excursion to that famous music hall YouTube, in order to hear a song as inspiration for our poems. This was so enjoyable—apart from temporarily losing Mrs. Small-Hobbit of course—that I thought we could build on that idea.

And so each month we will be all going on a trip together: maybe to an art gallery or a concert hall. To the seaside or out to the country.

This first time we won’t be going far though. We will be strolling over to the nearby Regent’s Park, where a ladies-only activity is going on—archery! (Do not worry—I am certain we can smuggle any non-ladies in as well.) All equipment is supplied, so let us enjoy the sport, the fresh air and the convivial atmosphere, before retiring back to Baker Street to write as the muse directs us!


Regent’s Park is in this direction.


Everyone back? Excellent. Paper, pens and ink can be found on the side table.

Here as well is a quotation from Dr. Watson’s story ‘The Yellow Face’ as a little extra inspiration:

One day in early spring he had so far relaxed as to go for a walk with me in the Park, where the first faint shoots of green were breaking out upon the elms, and the sticky spear-heads of the chestnuts were just beginning to burst into their five-fold leaves. For two hours we rambled about together, in silence for the most part, as befits two men who know each other intimately.



As always you are free to use any poetry form you like. Here are a few suggestions:

221B verselet, abecedarian poetry, acrostic poetry, alexandrine, ballad, barzelletta, beeswing, blackout poetry, blitz poem, blues stanza, bref double, Burns stanza, call and response, chastushka, cherita, cinquain, circular poetry, clerihew, clogyrnach, colour poems, compound word verse, concrete poetry, Cornish verse, curtal sonnet, débat, décima, descort, diamante, doggerel, double dactyl, echo verse, ekphrasis, elegiac couplet, elegiac stanza, elfje, englyn, enuig, epigram, epistle, epitaph, epulaeryu, Etheree, fable, Fib, florette, found poetry, free verse, ghazal, haiku, hay(na)ku, In Memoriam stanza, Italian sonnet, jueju, kennings poem, lanturne, lies, limerick, line messaging, list poem, lyric poetry, mathnawī, micropoetry, mini-monoverse, musette, nonsense verse, palindrome poetry, pantoum, Parallelismus Membrorum, poem cycle, puente, quatern, quintilla, renga, rhyming alliterisen, riddle, rimas dissolutas, rime couée, rispetto, Schüttelreim, sedoka, septet, sestina, shadorma, sonnet, stream of consciousness, tanka, tercet, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triangular triplet, tricube, trine, triolet, Tyburn, villanelle, xenolith


And so—embrace the muse! All poems should be left as comments on my page!

Comments

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Lovely idea! Question: do we have til the end of the month or 19th of next month?

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

It's up to Mrs Hudson, but I'd be happy for it to keep going until the next month.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

You do all indeed have until the 19th of next month. Or even longer than that - the page remains open indefinitely for submissions!

Doggerel

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

The arrow was primed and flew quite true
Into the air, and back down too
Through the trees, and fancy that,
It speared itself in Mr Holmes’ hat

The doctor had persuaded him to go for a walk
Mostly in silence, Holmes didn’t care to talk
When all of a sudden, out of the sky
Came down an arrow which had been flying high

Mrs Hudson told him not to complain
A quick brush over and it would be fine again
But Holmes exclaimed he was not going to stay
In case another arrow came heading his way

RE: Doggerel

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Doggerel or not, I think you captured the rhythm of the ramble quite well. And good on Holmes. Maybe Aemelia can mend his hat.

Re: Doggerel

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm sure Aemilia will soon have it looking better than it did befoe.

Re: Doggerel

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

(Dear God, what has Mrs. Hudson started...)

Very nice amalgamation of the prompts, madam ^___^ Particularly fond of that opening verse - it's no wonder Holmes prefers to stay at home waiting for clients ^___^

Re: Doggerel

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Mrs S-H would be fine in a band of archers opposing a large force, as she would hit someone. A target is slightly too narrow a field. She's looking forward to next month's outing!

I'm glad you liked it. I can see Holmes using it as a perfectly valid reason for not going out next time Watson suggests it.

RE: Doggerel

[debriswoman]

A hazardous stroll, but great fun in the telling:-)

Re: Doggerel

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I imagine it will take a while before Watson can persuade Holmes to go there again.

Xenolith (by I. Quill)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Of skills, a range of generous variety
Of song, stage, friend to one and all
the London Ladies Archery Society
foresees a need for aide stood tall.
Some green aquiver with anxiety.
Such nerve! Fletching fledglings stir
at poise in pedestal of fur.
while others show a veteran sobriety.
The target’s placed atop flat head.
The Ferret stills like something dead.
Arrow to bow with dignity, propriety
The shot flies straight to apple’s core.
The target’s consumed with respect and piety.
Applause. Crowd, creature cheer for more.
The Ferret’s here for snacks, not notoriety.

Re: Xenolith (by I. Quill)

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Inky, once again your poetry is impressive.

The Ferret eating the target is par for the course.

Re: Xenolith (by I. Quill)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

And I believe that is the way they convinced him to be the pedestal but of course it didn't take too much arm twisting when he saw the watermelon (for the beginners).

Re: Xenolith (by I. Quill)

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

At that point he would have been drooling almost as badly as Mouselet does ;)

Re: Xenolith (by I. Quill)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I've just been doing a bit of copy and pasting in order to fully appreciate all three of Inky's poems ^__^ The technical stuff and the poetry itself are both perfect.

I love the idea of the Ferret volunteering to be the target and have the apple on his head. And I just love the image of him standing there and all the ladies lined up ready to shoot their arrows at him.

Favourite lines:

the London Ladies Archery Society
Fletching fledglings stir
while others show a veteran sobriety.
The Ferret’s here for snacks, not notoriety.

RE: Re: Xenolith (by I. Quill)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yes, that's the beauty & challenge of the xenolith, I think. Getting the two poems to mesh as neatly as possible. The 12 syllable poem is about the archers and the 8 syllable about Ferret, except for the zinger at the end.

Yes, sort of like an artist's model, but he's in it for the chopped fruit as targets. Appeals to his appetite for danger as well as snacks!

I miss writing weekly poems. So I decided to just go backwards up the list.

RE: Xenolith (by I. Quill)

[debriswoman]

Very clever work, and the two poems merge beautifully:-)

Re: Xenolith (by I. Quill)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. That's the trick, no?

Once upon a spring-day ramble (villanelle)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Silent stroll through din-thorned bramble.
Friends who knew each other well
once upon a spring-day ramble.

Through the Park, the two did amble,
side by side, as robins knell.
Silent stroll through din-thorned bramble.

Elms break out in Nature’s gambol,
faint green shoots toll springtide’s bell
once upon a spring-day ramble.

Chestnuts burst without preamble;
sticky heads ring five-fold pell.
Silent stroll through din-thorned bramble

Theirs, the aimless, graceful shamble-
shuffle ‘neath the chirrups swell
once upon a spring-day ramble.

Puzzles left to piece, unscramble,
Secrets left for time to tell,
Silent stroll through din-thorned bramble
once upon a spring-day ramble.

Re: Once upon a spring-day ramble (villanelle)

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

What a beautiful picture of Holmes and Watson out for a walk.

Re: Once upon a spring-day ramble (villanelle)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!

Re: Once upon a spring-day ramble (villanelle)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Oh, some wonderful lines in your villanelle. Particular favourites:

Silent stroll through din-thorned bramble.
sticky heads ring five-fold pell.
Theirs, the aimless, graceful shamble-/ shuffle ‘neath the chirrups swell
Puzzles left to piece, unscramble,/ Secrets left for time to tell

Re: Once upon a spring-day ramble (villanelle)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!

RE: Once upon a spring-day ramble (villanelle)

[debriswoman]

A lovely descriptive poem...impressed with the variety of -amble words, too:-)

Re: Once upon a spring-day ramble (villanelle)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Ha. Thanks! I used every single one that rhymezone offered.

Tyburn

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Higher
Flier
Wrier
Sprier
Archer aims with higher flier-straight
whilst sleuth sports a wrier, sprier mate.

Re: Tyburn

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Very clever description.

Re: Tyburn

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I am torn between starting a new poetry only collection post on AO3 or attributing all of this to Inky. But it isn't really his style.

Re: Tyburn

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think a new poetry only collection is called for. And you're right, this isn't Inky's style.

RE: Tyburn

[debriswoman]

You are on a roll here...very nicely done:-)

Re: Tyburn

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am going up the list backwards. Once again rhymezone came to the rescue.

Re: Tyburn

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I especially love wrier and sprier ^__^

Re: Tyburn

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Not precisely the best fit for Watson but pawkier doesn't rhyme with many words!

Tanka

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Trees showing their leaves
Soon the horse chestnut will bloom
Spring has now arrived
New life, new puzzles, new thoughts
There is promise here for all

Re: Tanka

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Beautiful. I like how the last line is both concrete and philosophical.

Re: Tanka

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much.

RE: Tanka

[debriswoman]

An elegant mix of seasons and ideas:-)

Re: Tanka

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much.

Re: Tanka

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I do love those last two lines ^__^

Re: Tanka

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm delighted to hear it.