Tonight’s poem isn’t a poem at all. Between my heightened level of exhaustion, some really unpleasant drama that’s kicking off in my life, and my inability to find a suitable news story, I have taken a foolish turn.
Yes, that’s right, I decided to work with an article from The Onion.
No. Really. And the results are … well … ridiculous.
A Transitional Point
(An erasure of some silliness from The Onion.)
Acknowledging
that uncomfortable stage
where no one cares
stuck in a transitional point —
no longer cute
physically and mentally
useless —
this rough patch
is way too long
and adds no value whatsoever.
That is, truly, the best I can do tonight. I guess I am the one who’s at an “uncomfortable stage.” Alas.
It’s National Poetry Month! Every year, I choose a specific form and try to write a poem a day in that form. This year, I am trying erasure poems and I want to use news articles as my source texts. I’ve practiced a few times, and it’s already feeling difficult! We’ll see how it goes.
Here’s an edited version of the Wiki definition of this form:
Erasure Poetry: a form of found poetry created by erasing words from an existing text in prose or verse and framing the result on the page as a poem. Erasure is a way to give an existing piece of writing a new set of meanings, questions, or suggestions. It lessens the trace of authorship but requires purposeful decision making. What does one want done to the original text? Does a gesture celebrate, denigrate, subvert, or efface the source completely? One can erase intuitively by focusing on musical and thematic elements or systematically by following a specific process regardless of the outcome.
Also, Robert Lee Brewer at Writer’s Digest has some good points to add about ethics and plagiarism:
Quick note on ethics: There is a line to be drawn between erasure poems and plagiarism. If you’re not erasing more than 50% of the text, then I’d argue you’re not making enough critical decisions to create a new piece of art. Further, it’s always good form to credit the original source for your erasures.