The piece below is a BLITZ poem, fifty lines of loosely related phrases and images that read (in my mind, anyway) like a schizophrenic flight of ideas. Click HERE to learn the ground rules of the form, or simply enjoy this blueprint of a journey through the human mind. It was penned in less than fifteen minutes and I changed nothing, save for the insertion of the first two lines after I had completed the rest; I re-read the rules and wanted the title to contain the word “BLUE” (to fit the prompt).
BLUE FROM RUNNING
Black and white
Black and blue
Blue eyes
Blue skies
Skies so clear
Skies of clouds
Clouds in coffee
Clouds in judgment
Judgment passed
Judgment Day
Daybreak
Day of birth
Birthmark
Birth of a nation
Nation gone awry
Nation under God
God is real
God is watching
Watching from afar
Watching birds
Bird song
Bird wings
Wings of freedom
Wings of angels
Angels unaware
Angels among us
Us vs. Them
Us united
United States
United we stand
Stand for something
Stand your ground
Ground is lost
Ground is gained
Gained insight
Gained knowledge
Knowledge is power
Knowledge is sorrow
Sorrow overflowing
Sorrow overcome
Overcome obstacles
Overcome with emotion
Emotion expressed
Emotion bottled up
Up and down
Up and running
Running away
Running in a dream
Dream
Away
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JUST JOAN 42 
I loved this Joan. I read it very fast and got that Stream of consciousness going in my head. I think there’s a number of perspectives and sentiments embroiled here. I was reminded of President Trump’s speech and the references to God. I guess time will tell which sentiments will come forth. You did a great job of it! 😀
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Thanks, Chev. It all just came pouring out. In retrospect, I see pairs of conflicted opposites, trouble brewing, hanging on to concrete images and bits of faith, hoping it is all just a nightmare. PINK would have been a great prompt with all the Women’s Marches going on this weekend 🙂
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Amazing flow that flow works. I can see how one would be conflicted and uncertain. Yes, the pink would indeed be interesting. Great work!
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A flowing stream of consciousness! Well done!
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Thanks, Marissa. Funny what floats to the top of the stream of consciousness in a speed exercise like this. Helps to shut off the internal censor. 🙂
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Impressive poem of free association! It is quite remarkable that you finished writing this poem in 15 minutes. Wow!
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Thanks, Peter. The speed is part of getting past the internal censor. These lines, I feel, are quite telling about me as a person. 🙂
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Poem long. Short verses. Nice flow. Ice flow. Raining down. Words drown. Sounding true. But also blue.
See, I can be schizophrenic too. 🙂
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Thanks, Tippy. I always love it when some verse of mine inspires a reader to write a poem, to let their own truths flow. Speaking of truths, I heard someone (in reference to Trump) call outright lies “alternative truths” and I was like, WTF? This is beyond PC and over the border of FantasyLand. 🙂
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But it does seem appropriate for a man who lost the popular vote, but won in the alternative way.
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I love this poem.
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Thanks, 227. Blitz poetry has a certain brand of honesty that cannot (and should not?) be edited. With all the Women’s Marches going on over the weekend (big and small… I saw a one-woman march in some little town in Austria!), it would have been cool if the prompt had been PINK. 🙂
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I’m always so amazed with how well you write in any form. I just can’t say it enough. On a separate note, this one does illustrate what many of us are feeling. It’s so surreal and paradoxical.
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Thanks, KE! I love to experiment and this one was especially fun, fast and furious. Might try it with PINK, in honor of all the recent women’s marches 🙂
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I love this piece! It makes me move…to places i can only imagine. It is filled with a sense of freshness. Thanks Joan
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Thanks, Aston. Freshness, a very apt description. I felt the same. As always, appreciate your visit and feedback. 🙂
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I’ve never seen this form before, but I love it. You did a super job building that stream of consciousness, Joan!
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Thanks, Lana. It’s an easy exercise, and a good one to get your mind revving or break through a block. Reviewing it is like taking a hard look in the mirror, though. Your inner self will come out. 🙂
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I think it’s good practice, I may try one. I wish my inner self would go out into the sunlight…these are such sad days.
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Joan,
I attended your poetry workshop two weeks ago. Thank you again for your workshop. It was a catalyst to reigniting my daily writing. I just wanted to share my next blitz with you.
“Grown Moment”
Weeds pulled
Weeds grown
Grown Impatient
Grown too wild
wild and lush
wild, and dangerous?
Dangerous to allow
Dangerous to challenge
Challenge old gods
Challenge my view
View inside
View from the top
Top of the heap
Top of the class
Class defines a lady
Class defines your grade
Grade A
Grade curve
Curve in the road
Curve of my back
back in the saddle
Back to back
Back to square one
Back to basics now
Now is the time
Now is your moment
Moment to learn
Moment to bloom
Bloom in new directions
Bloom towards the sun
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Delighted to see you here, Diana! I thoroughly enjoyed leading the workshop and am happy it got you back on track with your writing. Your BLITZ is amazing, many of the ideas in it spoke to me. You pull in elements of Earth Day and gardening, the idea of “allowing or challenging” the weeds, which leads to seeing from more than one perspective, curves in path and self as you re-invent, and living in the moment. I especially liked the “back to back” loop, that leads “back to square one,” very clever! Thank you for sharing, this sort of thing makes my day! 🙂
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Very cool structure, it’s interesting to see how the poem evolves.
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If a Blitz is going to be good, it has to be allowed to flow freely. Fifty lines is long enough to thwart even the best planner and make the ending a surprise. Try one just for fun and see where it takes you, then read it and see what it reveals about you. Uncanny how spot-on they can be. 🙂
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