Without actually meaning to, the Poetry Sisters have done great service to the Poetry Friday community by shining a spotlight on our current Poet Laureate, Arthur Sze. Were you, like us, not very (or at all) familiar with Sze’s poetry? We were delighted to dive in and discover his distinctive style of close focus on minute details in combination with big expansive ideas. We hope, if you joined us in the challenge, you were similarly delighted. And if you are just along for the ride and reading all the various takes on this challenge, again, we hope you are treated to a sense of delight.
I chose Sze’s poem “The Chance” because I loved the way the speaker ponders while they drive (as I am also wont to do). I loved the double meanings — “And as I approach thirty” can be miles per hour, or an age. As I approach my next birthday that ends in a zero, I absolutely agree that “the distances / are shorter than I guess.” I whole-heartedly agree with “I want a passion that grows and grows.” And those last two lines — swoon!
Rather than using those last two lines as the striking line for an acrostic (aligned vertically on the left), or a Golden Shovel (aligned vertically on the right), I used a new form (still under construction) that Heidi Mordhorst is calling the Fault Line Form, with my striking line through the middle of my poem.
On the topic of new forms, in March, the Poetry Sisters will be attempting to unravel the Ovillejo!
I look forward to reading what the rest of the Poetry Sisters, and all who are joining us in conversation with Arthur Sze, have written!
Laura @ Laura Purdie Salas
Liz @ Liz Garton Scanlon
Sara @ Read Write Believe
Tanita @ {fiction, instead of lies}
Tricia @ The Miss Rumphius Effect
Margaret has this week’s Poetry Friday roundup at Reflections on the Teche.
A(nother) Year of Reading 
Oooh, the fault line form. I am intrigued! I like your February poem so much, Mary Lee, and cheered by it, too.
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I love this striking line and the poem you’ve built. I particularly love that some of your words are found inside other words (evening, glorious). The last 4 lines are lovely.
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Oh, I want to try a fault line poem. So clever to use two words at a time or part of words like glorious and evening. It looks like you put a sweet poetic puzzle together there. Thanks for sharing the poem by Sze. You are right, he is knew to me. Your photo is perfect for the poem.
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