I took the sestina challenge: (if you'd like to take too it see my next post in this thread)

My sestina made from the following six words:

1 - Plastic
2 - Pancakes
3 - Teasing
4 - Brunette
5 - Gossip
6 - Mom

Here it is:

Plastic Pancakes, Teasing Brunette, Gossip Mom

Lyrics formed from words of plastic,
like butter melting on pancakes.
A recipe for teasing,
with lockets of pure brunette.
Oh! Such kindling for gossip!
Please don't tell my mom!

Speaking of my mom;
she has a Jesus made of plastic.
But don't believe the gossip,
that it's used to stir my pancakes!
I know she's blond and not brunette,
but please don't start the teasing!

I'm tired of all the teasing,
about the blond I call my mom,
and yes I wish she was brunette,
and her persona wasn't plastic.
She makes the greatest pancakes
so please add that to your gossip

I get so tired of gossip,
and all the stupid teasing.
I'd rather eat my pancakes,
that were made for me by mom
Her character's not plastic
just 'cause she's blond and not brunette

If she died her hair brunette,
would that terminate the gossip?
Is it maybe other people who are plastic?
Will they ever stop their teasing,
and poking fun at mom?
Cause she really makes such splendid-tasting pancakes!

Oh I love her pancakes!
She cooks like a hot brunette!
No one really knows my mom,
they only know her from the gossip.
All the stupid teasing,
from the people made of plastic.

So have a plate of pancakes as you rattle off your gossip
and keep teasing that my mom's a dyed brunette.
But when you get to know my mom, you'll see she isn't plastic.

Ok, believe it or not, the above poem was actually written in a particular format called a “sestina” (brought to my attention by Plastic Pancakes).

I went to the following web site to get the TEMPLATE for how the Sestina has to be written! (at least in form)

http://dilute.net/sestinas/

When you get to the page, you can browse other sestinas written by other people. Just use the little black arrow to the right of the 'browse box', select a sestina to view, and click on the VIEW button. Then you can use your BACK button to get back to this window.

When you think you're ready to write your own sestina choose any six words. (hint, the simpler and most common words will be easiest to work with) Especially if you're going to take this seriously and try to write something truly profound. (I was just goofing around with my poem)

Another hint would be to choose words that work well at the END of a sentence, because that's precisely where they are going to end up in this style of poem.

Type your six words into the six boxes under where it says "create a new sestina based on your own six keywords"

Then to the right of the "Create Template" button, choose "Basic" or "Rhyming" (the produce slightly different arrangements of the words). Then click on the "Create Template" button. You'll get a template to work from.

Copy that template into a word processor and start writing your poem!

Then come back and post it here!

If you don't know whether to use "basic" or "rhyming" just created a template for each, and see which one works best for you.

I'm looking forward to seeing the results of anyone who takes the challenge.

Come on people! Don't fail me here now!

I wanna see some PARTICIPATION!

I loved it !!!!

Very good

Well, don't stop there!

Go to that site I gave, type in six words, and come back and post your own sestina.

If you need a kick in the butt owl give you six words.

Just thought I'd post some more information on sestinas for anyone who might be interested.

Here's another site that explains them (but doesn't offer an automatic template)

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-sestina.htm

Also a more sophisticated version of a sestina is supposed to have a particular cadence to it called an iambic pentameter. That's explained at the following link. (but I wouldn't even worry about that if this is your first sestina. Just stick to the word patterns and write 'freestyle' around that) Trying to write in a particular beat too would drive you bananas. (at least it would drive me bananas ) Just the same, I thought I should post this for completeness should anyone be interested.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-iambic-pentameter.htm

Here's another site that gives step-by-step instructions.

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-write-a-sestina-poem

But again, it's probably easier to just use that template generator I posted in the second post of this thread for starters. Then all you need to do is write.

In fact, you can even break the rules even more if you like and just use each word in each line, but not necessarily at the end!

Hey, why not? It's all just for fun right?

The idea is to get your feet wet. No one is going to lock you up for breaking that rules.

Ok, here's a really bad one.

I did this one thinking that if I used some words that rhymed I might be able to get something going. But it didn't work out that way. (at least I tried)

Picking good words to start with is the key I guess.


1 - thoughts
2 - dreams
3 - clouds
4 - themes
4 - heart
5 - seems


You're always in my thoughts,
and in the visions of my dreams,
and when I think of you, my mind is in the clouds.
I imagine unimagined themes,
and feel the pulsing of your heart,
and my body floats in air, or so it seems.

Is it really as it seems?
Is there magic in my thoughts?
Or does it emanate from deep within my heart?
Is my life enhanced by dreams,
and hopeful silly themes,
and does it pay to keep my head up in the clouds?

Sunshine falling through the clouds,
like fairy dust it seems,
persuades me to pursue such lofty themes.
Plotting thoughts
inside my dreams
to satisfy my heart.

The pounding of my heart,
as tears fall from the clouds,
and dampen all the luster of my dreams.
You'd think, or so it seems,
that I'd abandon all my thoughts
and give-up on pursuing all my themes

But I swear that all my themes,
will never leave my heart,
for they are the foundation of my thoughts.
Not the nastiest of clouds,
as repulsive as it seems,
could ever drive your spirit from my dreams

You're always in my dreams,
you inspire all my themes,
everything should be just as it seems.
The beating of your heart,
drives away the clouds,
and sprinkles happy sunshine on my thoughts.

I'll keep you in my dreams, and in the middle of my heart.
I'll elevate our themes above the clouds.
And no matter how it seems, I'll always hold your love, as the treasured stimulation of my thoughts

(This is fun, I found a new hobby, to play with. )

Abracadabra,

you are my new favorite person. Hehe.

I'm blown away that you wrote two sestinas! Like... cool!
Your efforts reduce a poet to awe.

I like the first one more than the second. I didn't think it was "silly." Playful, but not silly. I really liked it.

You totally made my day/week/however long we write sestinas.

I'll start working on mine! It might take me a couple days, though.
I find writing them draining in a way. A pleasant way.

Cheers!

Thank you Pancakes,

I too, like the first one I wrote better than the second one. The first one was a "natural" because the words I chose came from the thread where I got the inspiration to write it.

It's always goes best when the inspiration is hot.

The second one I wrote was uninspired. It was also a really lame attempt at picking some words that rhymed just as an experiment to see how that would go. The words I chose were so hot.

I posted the second one, in part, to let other people know that it's ok to fail.

When starting out with a new format like this it's best to just write a bunch of junk until you start getting the hang of it.

I'd like to download some audio sestinas to listen to for cadence, Then maybe owl be inspired to write another one.

sestina..who knew...like it alot..teasingbrunette

I'm going to attempt-be patient.

loved it

I just found something rather interesting.

Here is a sestina poem written by Deborah Garrison and narrated by Garrison Keillor. There is actually an mp3 file to listen to.

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2008/02/15

I thought I was going to hear a particular 'cadence' as was suggested on some other sites called an "iambic pentameter" (that I posted a link to eariler.

However, this poem that is narrated by Keillor doesn't appear to have any particular cadence. In fact, even though the poem is written out to have each of the six words at the end of each line, they aren't necessarily at the end of a sentence.

So in the case of this sestina the format was merely used to dictate how these words should appear in a 'story' without any concern about cadence.

So that's interesting.

You can listen to this poem narrated by Garrison Keillor.

I'm still searching for a sound file of a sestina that actually has an "iambic pentameter" candence to it. If anyone happens to see one please post a link to it.