Shane Koyczan is a talented poet from Kelowna, my home town. You might have heard him at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. In case you missed him, here’s one of his slam style love poems called Stop signs:
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encircling silence July 30, 2012
This silence is a circle.
Mine says,
“wrap me with warm words!”
Yours says,
“huh?”
So silence encircles,
Mine says,
“compassion is in companionship.”
Yours says,
“shh.”
Silence circles.
her with him July 27, 2012
It’s not truth,
but danger.
Not what is real,
but what’s perceived.
The excluding
exclamations
of laughter
contrasted by
bored eye brows
and sighs.
An amused knife
slicing through
her security.
© Shawn L. Bird
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Being a free verse, there is no strict rhyme or rhythm pattern in this one, but you’ll see lots of examples here of consonance, assonance, and alliteration. Notice in particular the pattern of growling of the /r/s, the explosive /ex/s and the sighing /s/s which reflect the narrative persona’s emotional experience.
There is a circle pattern with the 6 sections (not quite stanzas, not being separated) being strongly consonant /r/, then assonant /e/, then alliterative /ex/, and then reversing: alliterative /b/, assonant /i/, and finally consonant /r/ again. How does this pattern reflect the persona’s emotional state?
You are welcome to use this poem in your class room, crediting the author. I’d also be pleased to see a comment indicating where and when you did. Thanks.
The value of poets June 21, 2012
Discovered this great quote on the blog “Greater Umbrage”
“You see, in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was made flesh in the weave of the human universe. And only the poet can expand this universe, finding shortcuts to new realities the way the Hawking drive tunnels under the barriers of Einsteinian space/time… To be a true poet is to become God.”
~ Dan Simmons
Wow. It makes me feel crazily powerful! How daunting. How magnificent. How humbling!
A Year in Love May 27, 2012
I have published an e-chapbook of 22 haiku poems. It is entitled A Year In Love. You can purchase it here. It’s 99c, but if you use coupon code QK59P, you can have it free, my gift to you.
she says, he says May 21, 2012
I’m sad, she says,
her head resting
upon his shoulder.
Words greeted by silence
that hovers
like a malevolent precipice.
Why, he says, are you choosing
to make yourself sad?
I did not choose to be sad, she says.
So then, why did you say, This is sad? he says.
What? she says.
You said, This is sad, he says.
I did not, she says.
I said, I’m sad. She says.
No. You didn’t, he says.
Yes. I did. She says, sighing.
Silence weaves around them like water
filling between the cracks.
Now,
I’m angry, she says.
inspire haiku May 15, 2012
Inspire means ‘on breath.’
Let your words be in your breath.
Breathe inspiration.
poetry is May 13, 2012
poetry is art in words:
the visual spoken,
essence distilled,
passion
revealed.
Shawn L. Bird 