Last week on Next Line, Please, the masterful David Lehman gave us a prompt in which we were tasked with writing two lines of a poem every day, and then putting them all together on the 7th day. We were allowed to rephrase, rewrite, repeat, and reposition any and all lines produced during the week. The experiment yielded many different outcomes, including a lovely use of the refrain, and a rather clever repetition of "I've said it before: nothing repeats." I thought it best, though, to copy here the penultimate poem, put together by Mr. Lehman, and which was comprised of all the other selected poems, as well as stellar lines from out there in the field. I give you, "Poem in Three Parts"
1.
I am leaving one for another,
one home for another today. (Ivan Brave)
Solos in the branches begin again,
Once more. (Beth Dufford)
I’ve said it before:
nothing repeats. (Michael C. Rush)
2.
If the eyes are the windows of the soul, (Byron)
You were looted amusement, (Stephanie Cohen)
You were lashed lonesomeness, (Stephanie Cohen)
Peaches in the cobalt bowl. (Christine Rhein)
Sometimes I think I wrote a noose.
Luckily, I wrote it loose. (Eric Fretz)
3.
We found a hole in the ceiling tonight;
it kept us awake, leaking moonlight. (Elizabeth Solsburg)
If the eyes are the windows,
Where is the door? (Byron)
What calm.
Once more. (Beth Dufford)
I’ve said it before:
nothing repeats. (Michael C. Rush)
Visit the American Scholar's page to read the full post, including the original poems in which some of these lines were created!