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This week on dVerse Meeting the Bar, our bar-keep Gay has set us a huge challenge – to create a new form of poetry. I must confess, at first I felt rather floored by this. I’ve never really spent a great deal of time learning form – but then it’s only been a few months since I revisited my love of poetry writing. Its form wasn’t really ever something we learned at school (what a shame), although we did read quite a bit. So… after a little moment of ‘eeek!’ I decided to attack this in a simplistic way.

Rather than trying to research different styles and then getting frustrated at not being able to master the existing version, let alone create something new, I thought about the words themselves, about synonyms, antonyms, that kind of thing (I told you it was basic!). Since I came across this week’s theme just before 7pm UK time (courtesy of Bjorn’s blog), whilst waiting for my train home from Gatwick Airport, I don’t think I’ve done too badly – it was less than two hours ago!

So – my form, which I will name ‘Oppositional Rhyme’ has four ‘rules’:

1) The lines operate in pairs

2) The first word of each line must be the same – in this case, I used ‘I’

3) The second word should be pairs of antonyms – in my example, I used ‘always’ and ‘never’

4) The poem can be any length you like, but there should be four final lines that round off the poem which do not follow the first three ‘rules’. Otherwise it could go on, and on, and on.

Hmm… I thought it was quite simple… but now it doesn’t sound it!

By the way, the theme of this poem has nothing to do with me as such, except that for once in my 4 times a year journey to Jersey, Channel Islands and back (on the same day), I had a little drinky on the flight home. It was very enjoyable – but I do have to be firm with myself because I do have an addictive personality. It’s not too hard for me to imagine the lure of the bottle.

I hope you enjoy my offering – and do take the time to have a look at what the other creative types have dreamed up.