Bob Sykora | awritersfountain

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Today’s featured participant is Jane Dougherty Writes.
Our featured online magazine today is *Peach Mag*, among the work that they’ve recently published, I’ll point you to Ai Li Feng’s “echolocation” and Bob Sykora’s “Crying on the Exercise Bike While Watching *The Great British Bakeoff*, February 2021.”

Today I’d like to challenge you to write a poem in the style of Kay Ryan, whose poems tend to be short and snappy – with a lot of rhyme and soundplay. They also have a deceptive simplicity about them, like proverbs or aphorisms. Here’s her “Tok e n Loss,” “Blue China Doorknob,” “Houdini,” and “Crustacean Island.”

Morning questions by Jane Dougherty – a poem packed with ponder and wonder.

Deep night time dark is full of song,

I loved the beginning of echolocation by Ai Li Feng.

The faint scent of fabric softener in every fold

of sky.

In my dreams, I am not afraid of light,
and every truth that it forces me to tell. What I mean to say is that the dark

allows us to be anything, even beautiful.

And what a cracking title Bob Sykora‘s poem has Crying on the Exercise Bike While Watching The Great British Bakeoff – talk about specific! A powerful example of using repetition well, an enticing cascade poem.

The cake turned out poorly.

Someone is going home. The layers

crumbled.

I pedal faster and get nowhere.

Crumbling. Overcooked. Crying,

Because next week your baking

won’t be judged. Because the cake

was perfect when you practiced.

PROCESS NOTES

Coming to today’s prompt very late and tired. So we will see what happens.

Write in the style of Kay Ryan – “Tok e n Loss,” “Blue China Doorknob,” “Houdini,” and “Crustacean Island.”

First I had to read / listen to the example poems. I had my subject in mind at least – just had to attempt the write. I may have to revisit to get the wordplay but used short clipped lines and wrote more in the style of Kay Ryan than myself.