Here are poems written by some members of the writing circles this week. First we wrote gibberish. Then we called upon our "expertise" in our own made-up languages and translated nonsense syllables into small poems. This was a quick warm-up and lots of fun.
Annie Wexler:
soola toni soola klimish
donish woomino nils
Jashi tuglaki
this is mine, all mine
give it back to me
Jashi, I beg you
Barbara Cartwright:
gleeg ow nombi
chimamba
sluisha
ninakabindi ninakabindikae
ninaka
flat lake much moving food
busy bird so fast
home now
with those who come from here
gathering their heartbeats to her beating heart
all beat as one
Gabrielle Vehar:
schminga schmonga-blah
ichi cummi est
schminga-fah!
if you are slow to talk
when you open your mouth
others will be slow to listen!
ay-chi wa wa wa-wah
condi schmeary schming —
canda-fah!
let's go have a drink
for old times' sake —
it will be good fun!
Grace Celeste:
su nee zuat
qe buba waet stu na
click click do
ce ce
ya goatye aught
hello sweet
the buffalo greets you
the time is now
goodbye
to each her own
Jayne Demakos:
say la mordid on
il ona on jim
si fomi ish in si nome a shim
if a my in a listo my
kin a line a no-o
say la mordid if a my a go
this morning started wrong
the tiger is in wait
she tears at your heart; she breaks your skin
go in the car and be safe
this morning started wrong; begin again
Kim Falstick:
Atia ma eetog
egraz fo sas
umu elt alpoo
Petunia mama goat
grazing in grass
tummy is lumpy
Liz Burns:
odu iklat emte po
boda ifly jlkwe mo
fleda ikbar nowa ku
emta odu illa su
the hummingbird beat
its wings near
the morning glory and
then flew away
idla upsu gita ly
mobale pumi ina ky
addl opah lima ton
noda ina bede son
the sun set very slowly
purples and pink spreading across
the sky like a field of
lavender and phlox
Margaret Dennis:
Tui Ablia
Musomocha seri
Lablona ar samplioso mo
Su Ma rain-ee
Tatanesee
La
You are all
My beautiful mother
Above land or sea
Or all the rain
Forever
Love
Marty Blue Waters:
ba na bipbo dun cha ha
bo booookie wa na
sashimonogagay jute jute baboo
I love to eat noodles
sucked from the plate like long curly straws
schloopy funny bite bite
Nancy Osborn:
Jemel, jemel
Ila ah gorney
Ena gorneyish mala
The sky, the sky
Filled with clouds
Even the sun is cloudy
Nura imal poosha
Tinto imal poosha
Pooshama heela oo-rah
The fog is damp
The mist is damp
Dampness surrounds me
Notingle palam cur-eesh
Zenka kalat
Oo-me salenga bash
The cherry tree blossoms
Are they ready to fall?
Let them fall on me
Paula Culver:
durka bombi essi dorki
makka mukka moorda memmbe
ika oka ponzilla perqoi pantifica
lumkaykay omnowica u lozairna
oh you sweet thing
making much of my swollen heart
i offer you a long gaze
kisses under the waterfall
Rob Sullivan:
ma ya ki
ma ya ki
be bye swin-ka
qui chi lan
tu kal yan
lu shan bun
wa clor pon
lon de fon
gi chla hun
ma ya ki
ma ya ki
be bye swin-ka
night of glory
night of glory
all will be as will
to the heart
for the soul
be true — expand
let go of boundaries
never mind negation
you are free now
night of glory
night of glory
all will be as will
Sara Robbins:
Eee Ya Ki!
Eee Ya Ki!
Ono bolo toptop hehe
Krakka kolo ooh la po
Ono bolo hehe yaii
Ee Ya Ki!
Come and play!
Come and play!
One boy stands alone
Frozen pond, skates in hand
One boy alone cries
Come and play!
Moomie scolo
Yaya plando
Avu! Avu!
Moomie carpo o ploto
Moomie scolo panga
Woman cries
Baby howls
Wah! Wah!
Woman dries her tears
woman cries again
Stacey Murphy:
owsa owsa ow
bolo ee-ya dombobo
da jala eeya
yes yes you
climb in, here, my heart
here we rest
(alternate translation):
shake shake jump
twirl with me in the this dance
there is no dance without you
* * * * * (clicking sounds)
shaaaah plee donda da da
* * plee-ya
sun sun sun sun sun!
butterflies we lift the sky
sun sun . . . lift us
Sue Crowley:
jabe ul omno voyum skl en tabik ummm
given all, to live as the water moves
nimo skl nelinosum faykun un satolaria
now, rest in the tall grass and behold the sky
crunelum omnu dadicat illexelum
come all unto the ruler who declares himself most excellent
Susan Lessser:
gamal ong ha ting derong
mcdoodle nak eks frambik
tak a mern ushk sabrot cloing billintor
faram stamsik — mik, mik, mik
the cat tells tales with swinging tail
no one thinks them true
but he knows much and wants to share
the mouse peeks in — again, again, again
Yvonne Fisher:
ik bluge grooge nikt
imba badeem tevi
bligmu upin drakski
indigo bunting eats dinner on the feeder
at night we watch TV
in bed bright blue iridescent
big moon dark sky
ber bru blik blee bla
brighter than brightest bird indigo bunting behold!
Zee Zahava:
ling
pat taku shi
meeegrim
lost
in garden shadows
gecko
pep swool unk dri
wishi aloo
seei o'kum
girl and her frog
water's edge
young love
whim whim whim
toto ha
lamma ta
inhale inhale inhale
this street
so sweet
smee cri otchum
kili ma tomay
deevit olfa
the sun on my face
the way you
kiss my cheek
way hay skillie
mini mini tomay
pin jette
hello cardinal
i was waiting for you
now here you are
opo: k'k'k'k
oh how i miss you: pineapples
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This poem was written by Margaret Dennis. She took a group of random words that had been scattered across a piece of paper, and transformed them:
drops rain taste fall splash tears water heal wet
taste the drops of rain as they fall
water splashes: wet
tears heal
