Spines

Who started this?  Here’s my version, long past due.  The book spine poem.

.

Where I was from

We wore borrowed finery.

The blood line of little children

Crying at the movies

For a multitude of sins.

.

But we don’t live here anymore.

We went in search of satisfaction,

For giants in the earth

Telling the thirteenth tale,

How to breathe underwater.

Desperate characters.

18 thoughts on “Spines

    1. Teri Post author

      I remember a few bloggers doing this but I forget who! It did it really fast, and was fun, letting the subconscious create something without over-thinking.

    1. Teri Post author

      I remember I didn’t do it back when (last fall, maybe?) because it seemed like it would be time consuming. Like most things, I was wrong. I gathered these books and took the photo and had the poem in about 10 minutes. I love to be proven wrong.

  1. girl in the hat

    Really? I love this! What fun! (For me, titles are the hardest part of writing something–they’re just so freaking important– so it makes sense that together, titles might make something rather powerful.)

    1. Teri Post author

      Titles are the scariest damned thing, aren’t they, Anna? Coming up with a decent one is like taking a test and feeling like you studied for the wrong test.

  2. lisahgolden

    This is wonderful! I love how this fits together so perfectly.

    I’m going to have to try it. Thanks to whomever started this bit of fun.

    1. Teri Post author

      It was a good 10 minutes of fun for me yesterday afternoon. I needed a distraction from my ME-moir.

  3. Josephine

    alright, here’s what i’ve come up with. (and yes, i brought every fucking one of these hard & paper backs on the road with me for a week’s stay somewhere else…there’s a whole level of madness behind these words. In my defense, one of them is actually a book my daughter brought.)

    gone girl,
    le road trip,
    emily of new moon
    taking the leap.
    a year of writing dangerously
    –why be happy when you could be normal?
    torch
    the creative habit,
    oranges are not the only fruit!

    1. Teri Post author

      We miss you, Josey! I hope you’re soaking up that great beach! Now … about that “creative habit.”

  4. Sarah W

    What fantastic poems, Teri, Josey!

    Unfortunately, all I have on hand at work is a big pile of romance novels, and I can’t get The Playboy Sheik’s Virgin Stablegirl to work right . . .

    1. Teri Post author

      Oh man, I wish I’d had that book to work with! Let’s just imagine what our Averil might do with it. Ha!

  5. Susan Partlan (@susanpartlan)

    Hi Teri, Lisa Golden suggested I introduce myself to you so here I am. The book spine poem idea is great! As a writer of memoir pieces (blog only) I’m intrigued that you’re working on a memoir. I’ve added you to my blogroll and am off to read your story “This Trio, Fatal and Valuable” at Half Way Down the Stairs. Encantada.

    1. Teri Post author

      Welcome Susan! We’re an opinionated, feisty bunch over here, but if you’re already at Lisa’s blog you’re in the right spot! Oh the memoir …. it’s an interesting spot, no?

    1. Teri Post author

      Rip the bandaid off fast, Joe! Your subconscious will arrange those books and come up with a great surprise for you.

Comments are closed.