Dead-Line

With my word-weaver
clasped tightly,
fingers sweat with effort to complete
the task laid before me.
I lasso the thoughts
pouring from imagination-central
knowing all the while that
the hands of the space-marker
sweep too fast –
there is no leeway,
I cannot knee-bend for
grace and favour.
‘Tsk! Tsk!’
bony digits admonish,
epithet-hurlers curl
ready to strike.
‘Axe-wield afore clock-strike!’
Is all they will say.

Dead-Line

*****

This week, Bjorn, our host at dVerse Meeting the Bar has introduced us to the concept of kennings. To quote Bjorn, ‘a kenning is a very brief metaphoric phrase or compound word and it means “to know”‘. It comes originally from Icelandic, but also exists in other languages such as Swedish and German. I can also tell you that ‘I ken’ is also used in Scots dialect in the same way! So, in brief, it is a way of using a compound phrase in place of the normal word in use.

I really enjoyed this – although it was quite tough to get my brain into the right gear! I hope my offering has worked – do let me know what you think.

44 thoughts on “Dead-Line

  1. Ah I enjoyed writing for this prompt too – and playing with words is always a great thing. Your poem brings out that last busy moment very much alive.

    1. I didn’t know that about Icelandic words. That’s another place I want to visit before too long – it fascinates me (including the knitting!). Thank you for the prompt, Bjorn, it was great.

  2. ha. the kennings give it such a quick pull to is…i like that you wont knee-bend for grace and favour…ha…wield that axe word-weaver…smiles.

  3. Oh how often have my fingers sweat at the task before me, especially in the poetry blogosphere where ‘imagination-central’ really does not always co-operate as I wish it would. I do hope for grace though sometimes & will never throw epithets at someone else’s efforts!! (Ha, we all do the best we can!)

  4. These days I use a keyboard more often than a word weaver, especially at work where I rarely feel I weave words. I hope the epithet-hurlers do not strike too often. The pressure is very tangible in your poem. Hopefully this is not the way you feel too often.

    1. To be honest, I think my epithet-hurlers are my inner critic, rather than people outside of my head! No, I don’t feel that pressure too much, really. Not in the way it is expressed here – call it poetic license!

  5. ‘Tsk! Tsk!’
    bony digits admonish,
    epithet-hurlers curl
    ready to strike.” These words have the nightmarish quality that being under the gun creates. Very good portrayal of pressure and use of the kennings.

  6. A pox on deadlines, even though most of us who run with the dVerse dog-poets do find ourselves under the gun to meet the Pub opening deadline. I missed it by 15 minutes myself today, working on my epic kenning saga; your poem said as much as mine without the length; good job.

  7. I really like it… the kenning part of it is especially wonderful.. 🙂 from word-weaver to epithet-hurlers, nice pairing of words and that which produce clear images.

  8. Interesting as the digit of art and creativity..are in a keyboard..of either and or choice of only one digital key at a time..
    when at one time words..actually flowed without staccato dissonance..
    from a key at a time…in cursive..art..instead..

    But then there is playing a keyboard..which in a way is staccato dissonance as we..peck..
    not like the direct strumming of a string..that hold true in analog..flow…

    But i am one of the fortunate ones..
    my hand writing..sucks..anyway..;)
    no art there for
    me..i’ll keep playing my keyboard..
    for real meaning still…a peck at a time..
    with tapestry flow…

    1. Yes, pen versus keyboard is interesting. I can be equally creative with both, although my handwriting is fairly illegible these days too… sometime seven I struggle with it!

  9. I am so bad about waiting until the last minute to do anything, that I had to smile when I read your poem. You nailed the sense of anxiety and the feeling that you brought it on yourself. I think the Kennings work well and I love the title.

  10. You deftly portrayed the white-knuckle feeling of being up against an inflexible deadline. I especially liked word-weaver.

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