The other day my friend Jay was telling me how he wants to incorporate more words into his visual work and one of his inspirations in exploring how words can create different pictures was a poem by Wallace Stevens called “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.”
Later on I looked the poem up and right away realized, “This’d be an awesome writing prompt!” and I didn’t have to wait long because I had two groups to facilitate that weekend.
<SPOILER ALERT!!! DON’T READ IF YOU’D PREFER THE PROMPT FRESH>
We started out by listing some items or places or animals which we’d like to explore more in depth. Then I read through “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.” Then we settled on something on our list and wrote our own thirteen-part exploration.
<SPOILER OVER>
Part of the fun of hearing these read aloud was figuring out what everyone’s theme was over the first few mini-poems. Mine’s no great mystery, but I’ll keep this writing untitled so you get the effect.
I Fudge mountains, craggy cliffs Which would melt in my mouth If only I could get in there! I'd drown in cocoa rivers. II There were variations so in the cooler Triple chocolate was separate From chocolate-chocolate chip But my eye was on the plain, scooped Craggy brown from the steel Dropped in a mug of cold root beer. III Did you know German chocolate cake isn't named for the country? Just some guy! I didn't until earlier this week. IV Dip the spoon in the powder No use leveling off the heap Stir right into the white Keep from clumping at the bottom Add marshmallows to the top. V Love is what it approximates, they say The same chemical reaction Except there's no one there, besides Disintegrating beans and milk and sugar VI Don't feed it to the dogs! they say Though I haven't seen a dog So low down and cocoa drunk That his life could ebb out. They seem to know what we do! VII Do they poison us? The bars, Or is that the fat and the sweet? The additives which cool out The char of the cocoa bean Ground down for our pleasure. VIII "And one Dilly bar, please," Dad would add to the order A bulging disc, obscene center curled outward, Frosted in ice from the freezer where they sat No longer the standouts: the young people Wanted cherry-dipped cones, swirls, Blizzards dense with crushed Oreo and Nerds All but Dad, for whom the Dilly bar was home. IX Wax coating on a four-pack of Twix Purchased for lunch at the Plaid on Division And maybe some football cards besides Packs picked up across the street The sugar highs and lows of open campus. X Chocolate malt on the train to Seattle With Joan, the other J name And Lewie, who bought us Mariners hats And took us to the Space Needle So the taste of malt and chocolate Takes me there, and to made memories Of Seaton's in the '60s or '70s And the blonde girl pouring soda. XI Chips stashed in the pantry Chocolate, yes, but for baking. Respectable. XII I don't get chocolate At fro-yo It's the fruit for me Less filling, I'll scarf it all. XIII Tony's Choco-lonely Perfectly segmented, a puzzle A game, a rush of sugar and love Approximated, for just a while The Sadness at bay.
Dilly Dilly!