Acrostic Poem
An acrostic poem is where you use the first letter of every line to spell a word or phrase. In this example the first letters of each line spell out the word “Heart”.
Hold me close on this sofly raining afternoon. My
Ear pressed to your chest, like a seashell whispering ocean waves.
Are you listening to the hungry
Rumbling thunder? Or the branches of the willow
Tree tap-tapping out a morse code love message from the wind.
Golden Shovel Poem
A golden shovel poem is inspired by an excerpt from a poem, passage of literature, or another quote. It is constructed so that the ending word of each line, when read from top to bottom, composes the quote. In this poem the last words of each line spell out the title of the book No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood.
I always say yes, when I wish I would say no.
I can’t be the only one?
Why is
it that when everyone else is talking,
opening their souls like windows on the first of spring, I’m thinking about
how quickly I can leave the room. Why am I like this?
Cento Poem
A cento poem is composed of lines borrowed from other poems. The sources for this poem are listed at the bottom of the page.
When we enter this world we are born hungry,
until the last hour,
that girls who read too much
hopes to cross
across oceans
and centuries,
Burn cedar, sweet grass, sage—
after a snowfall
for we have been gifted these ways since the beginning of time.
But the mountains I raise
portals
carrying me
Flowing over my arms
the enchantment
the ease of dawn.
Never forget you were put on this earth for a reason—
Sources: A Blank White Page by Francisco X. Alarcon, Being by Tanaya Winder, School—12:15 by Tina Boyer Brown, Gathering Leaves by Robert Frost, Tula [“Books are door-shaped”] by Margarita Engle.
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