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March Madness - Incontinent

4/4/2014

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Well, I've made it to the Semifinals in the March Madness Poetry Contest currently underway at Ed DeCaria's blog, Think Kid Think. Yup, just four of us left! I was reluctant to try doing the contest because I am not good under pressure, but I am surprising myself on this one. True, I did have several  panic-stricken hours when I thought I would not have a poem for Round 3 with the word "pseudonymous," but in the end my wacky poem, "The Amoeba Gang," won the round. With the exception of that very difficult round, however, I am finding that I'm doing well under pressure and also discovering what a work-horse I am!


I'm very grateful for being in the contest this go-round because I had been in a bit of a writer' slump. Last year, I participated in the 12 X 12 picture book challenge and, in the end, I was so burned out on picture books, I turned away from them entirely to focus solely on poetry. I may go back to my picture book manuscripts, but at this point, I am thinking poetry and maybe finishing my YA or adult novel(s). I find picture books to be extremely difficult for various reasons which I'll save for another post. So I was feeling at loose ends with my writing "career" such as it is, with no poetry collection yet published and no picture book yet published although I do have a slew of poems published in magazines and about seven poems anthologized. I got a bad case of writer's block and a worse case of depression. We are also in the process of moving, fixing up our old house, and putting an addition on our new house so that has been very disruptive as well. Our old house goes on the market on Sunday, which is very exciting!


March Madness has given me back my drive, reinforced my love for poetry, and given me a desire to press on and see what I can do. It also taught me that, if I get 'stuck' again, simply go in a different direction, take a class, get out my watercolors for awhile, work on my novel. Just do something, something different, and I'll eventually find my way again.


Here is the poem I have submitted for Round 5.  I went a few different ways with the word "incontinent", but in the end decided to go with it's secondary meaning rather than write potty-humor, which is sooo not my style. I hope you are finding the time to enjoy the contest. I think Ed is doing a wonderful and very hard thing at Think Kid Think. We all thank you, Ed! I also wanted to thank those who have been supporting me, voting for me, sharing and liking my face book posts and retweeting my tweets. I feel very connected to the poetry community as well as other writers and it's a wonderful feeling. 


Here's the poem:

Spring has Sprung: A Villanelle

It’s time for a party to celebrate spring!
Let’s run with abandon, let’s race with the breeze.
A boundlessly joyous, incontinent fling

will let winter know he’s no longer the king!
Let’s fix up our bikes and let’s put away skis.
I’s time for a party to celebrate spring.

Let’s fly our kites high, holding tight to the string.
Let’s welcome the butterflies, beetles, and bees
with a boundlessly joyous, incontinent fling.

Let’s soar to the sky on the seat of a swing.
Let’s dance round the lilacs and crabapple trees.
It’s time for a party to celebrate spring.

The migrating birds are all back on the wing.
More crocuses, tulips and daffodils, please,
to brighten our joyous, incontinent fling;

for springtime is here! Let’s clap and let’s sing!
Let’s tumble and tussle and green-up our knees.
It’s time for a party to celebrate spring--
a boundlessly joyous, incontinent fling.



B.J. Lee 2014 All Rights Reserved

Please stop by and vote for your favorites! Here is the direct link to my match: 
http://www.thinkkidthink.com/incontinent-vs-kerfuffle/ Thank you #MMPoetry
                        


 


12 Comments
JoAnn Early Macken link
4/4/2014 01:35:58 am

I love the idea of a joyful spring celebration as well as the form of your poem, which suits the topic perfectly. "Let’s tumble and tussle and green-up our knees." Yes, let's!

Reply
B.J. Lee
4/4/2014 07:38:59 am

Thank you, JoAnn! Yes, do let's green-up our knees!

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Tara Smith link
4/4/2014 12:53:45 pm

Your lovely poem makes me all the readier for the joys of Spring.

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B.J. Lee
4/4/2014 02:53:15 pm

Thanks Tara! While we live in Florida and enjoy a pretty wonderful winter, I am always commiserating with my northern friends (in CT,MA, and MI (Michigan), and remember the rapturous spring-times up north.

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Mother Streusel link
4/4/2014 01:33:47 pm

I loved this blog post. I loved your honesty and found it very relatable. I'm so glad this has been such a positive experience for you and that you are doing so well. It's nice to get a glimpse into who the poet is as a person...beyond just a small photo and a handful of exceptional poems. I look forward to keeping up with you beyond just the competition.

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B.J. Lee
4/4/2014 02:55:51 pm

Thank you Karyn. I'm nothing if not honest. I needed something to kickstart my writing, and MM has been it! We can keep in touch through Poetry Friday, the very best place to hang with poets.

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Mary Lee Hahn link
4/5/2014 11:03:27 pm

I was SO glad you went with a secondary meaning (my students have been consistently voting AGAINST potty humor, a little offended that a poet would try to "buy" the kid vote with a "butt" or a "fart") and I am SO proud of you for making it this far!!

I concur that writing under pressure for MM flips a kind of switch in your brain. Work it for all it's worth!

Reply
B.J. Lee
4/11/2014 12:43:11 pm

Hi Mary Lee - I'm glad to hear your students are voting AGAINST potty humor. It seems ironic to me that, with my word, I didn't go for potty humor, while my opponent, thinking that I would, decided to try to trump my assumed potty poem!

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Michelle Heidenrich Barnes link
4/6/2014 10:03:19 am

What's more, BJ, is that besides lifting you out of your funk, you are inspiring a heck of a lot of other people as well. I was happy to see my Dad shared your link on FB today... and that was not at my request, BTW. :)

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B.J. Lee
4/11/2014 12:46:07 pm

Thanks so much, Michelle! I'm amazed at the outreach of support I felt! It felt wonderful! And thank your father for sharing my link with no prompt from you! This is what is incredible to me - that people I don't even know have gotten behind me. I had one real estate agent promoting me big time and I didn't even know her. To feel that your poetry can reach people, that is what it's all about!

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Amy Ludwig VanDerwater link
4/6/2014 08:18:06 pm

B.j. - I am with Mary Lee! Way to choose an alternate meaning - and oh, how this matches how I feel right now. Well played and good luck! It has been a treat to watch you!!

Reply
B.J. Lee
4/11/2014 12:47:15 pm

Thank you, Amy! I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed reading my poems in the competition! That means a lot!

Reply



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    B. J. Lee is a children’s author and poet. Her picture book, There Was an Old Gator Who Swallowed a Moth, is launching with Pelican Publishing on February 15, 2019. She has poems in 25 poetry anthologies published by  Little, Brown, Wordsong, BloomsburyUK, National Geographic, Otter-Barry Books, Pomelo Books, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has worked with anthologists Lee Bennett Hopkins, J. Patrick Lewis and Kenn Nesbitt. She has written poems for such children’s magazines as Spider, Highlights and The School Magazine. Follow her on Twitter @bjlee_writer.

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