For a few years, as writing practice, I would do something I called “Wordpluck” where I’d listen to a video or podcast and pluck random words out of what was said and use it to form essentially a stream-of-consciousness poem. Today I’m going to revive that practice and see what we get.
Sleeping after their song. Money created dollar. I find it hard to believe. 2021, 41, 10, 12. Too distant breakdown. Crashes raw. Why? Looking in the mirror. Trying to smile. Gospel Monstrosity. Soul. Bright flashy lights. Way more common God. YouTube is the worst. Months and months earlier, the culmination.
It should’ve been me. I’m gonna drop dead.
Wings. Puke in your big banks. 2013 big horse. Horse horse horse. Trespassing. Apologize. The girlfriend. The hot girl. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. Uncomfortable conversation. Yes. No.
Christmas Eve. Will you Marry Me? Goodbye.
So what do you think? I think I dragged some interesting stuff out of it, that last stanza in particular tells it’s own story.
Gail Low
Interesting strategy… a little like those erasure poems that do the — at times very fruitful — rounds of creative writing sessions… I think all these exercises are useful because they remind us that writing is made up of the building blocks of words, and that one has to be attentive to words.