Yellow Swallowtails

Kayak

paddle

drips

fractures

the water

prisms

crystal

light

rising

like

golden

swallow-

tails

     Today's poem could be called a spine poem because it is long and skinny like a spine.  Each line break is supposed to cause a momentary pause for the reader to reflect on the image of the word.  Each line (except for one) only has one word like the lone kayaker paddling.  The funny thing to me is that normally I use very few articles in my  poems (words like the, a  or an) but I tried removing the and it changed the meaning for me.  

     Normally, I don't break words in a poem, like I've done here with swallow/tails--but that is what the poem has asked me to do. What does this do to the poem to have the last word fractured?

     Would you call this a concrete poem?  Is it in the shape of a kayak for you?   

      Would you like to try writing your own spine poem today?  Or try your own concrete poem.

       Oh, this is fun.  I'm thinking of summer activities and spine poems.  Of course the very first thing that pops into my mind is a book spine.

resting

in the 

hammock

shade

from

two

oak

trees

a favorite

summer

beach

read 

in

my 

hands.

     The words aren't perfect yet, but I have the general idea down.  Do you know what a "beach read" is?  It is one of those quick-read books one reads for fun.

I didn't start this with a capital letter because I wanted the writing to be lazy like the summer day.  I'm going to have to decide if that is a good decision, but that can wait for later after all the words are right.  

     Now I'm thinking it will be fun to see if I can shape this poem into a horizontal banana shape like a hammock slung between two trees.  I hope you have as much fun with your poem as I'm having with mine.  Happy Saturday.