Poets think differently than other people. They see possibilities everywhere. I have used as the basis of my own pieces: 80 common clichés, idioms, lists, random phrases from books, lines from rejection letters I’ve received, even a page from Consumer Reports magazine with the non-poem words blacked out. I’ve done a poem shaped like a bathing suit. A poem in the style of a Psalm. A recipe poem. Acrostic, Anagrammatic, Epitaphic, Palindromic, ABCDarian and more. But this guy blew me away. The following clip from New York Times Magazine contains samples from Nasser Hussain’s new book, SKY WRI TEI NGS, poetry comprised entirely of airport codes. You know, those three-letter designation codes (LAX, JFK, etc) they fasten to your checked luggage so it ends up (hopefully) at the same destination you do. The author compares a poem made from airport codes to “a model of the human genome built out of Legos.”
Last week, crapping Christmas logs and caganers in Nativity scenes in Catalonia, this week, airport code poetry. Every week, a new beehive puzzle to share with my sister. Alas, my NYT’s subscription has come
to an end — the price quadruples after 12 weeks at the “teaser” rate.
SOL ONG NYK TMS
TEN BKS FOR THE
SUN DAY PAP RIS
TOO FKN XPN SVE
(Any resemblance of these letter groups to actual airport codes is completely coincidental.)
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Love it 😊
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Thanks, Joyce. A really ingenious idea. I’m gonna miss my New York Times; wonder how long I’ll have to wait until they offer me the teaser rate again? 🙂
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Ha! Very funny. I would write a poem for you, in return, but today I’m feeling LAX.
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Thanks, Tippy. Naptime, huh? We’ve got snow halfway to our knees here in Ohio, so LAX pretty much covers my plans for the day. When you remove the restriction of using real airport codes, this type of poetry is as easy as teenage texting. 🙂
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You slay me! I had to chuckle and then the more I thought about it the funnier it became! I guess that is the first sign of cabin fever…
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Just think, Muri, next time you fly, you can distract yourself from worrying by writing airport code poetry! As a matter of fact, I think the “Sky Mall” catalogs in the seat pockets should include a complete listing of every airport and its code. How about an airport code thesaurus, too? Can’t find GOD? Try IAM or JAH or ABA. I gotta admit, I love the idea of building a model of the human genome out of Legos. I’ve enjoyed my run with NYT’s, but you’ve probably bought five complete outfits at Goodwill for less than what they’re demanding for ONE Sunday paper. Hope you’re able to get out before you go completely nuts. 🙂
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I think your poem would make a great letter to the editor.
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A great idea, Snoozin! I think cancelling my subscription probably got the message across, but some pointed follow-up might clarify the reason. I’ve done the “teaser” before and was surprised at the jump in price after the 12 weeks was up: $40 a month for Sundays only! True, they’ve got to transport it all the way from NYC, and then somebody has to slip it in a plastic sleeve and throw it on my driveway, but geez. I’ll get my news from NPR for a while. They’re maybe a little left-leaning (not a problem, I am too), but listening is free. No doubt, NYT’s teaser rate will be offered again. 🙂
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What is FKN? Lol, Joan, you are so funny. Airport codes you say, guess now I’ve heard of everything. It must be great exercise for the brain. I agree it should go to the editor 😀
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Fargo, North Dakota–because it’s FKN cold up there; BFE was already taken. LOL, JK. I thought I had cleared all the high hurdles in poetry, but creatives are always coming up with new things and challenging themselves in new ways. NYT Mag often prints letters they get in response to their articles, maybe my pseudo-airport code poem would appear there and rocket me to fame and fortune. Or maybe not. 🙂
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Hey it just might be the ticket, haha! They are always coming up with something new. Life is just one big word puzzle!
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OMG lol this the best one yet!
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THX, KE! GLD YOU ENJ OYD MY LTL RNT. RLY, THE POE MWS JST ANA FTR THT. 🙂
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Hysterical!
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