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March Madness - Pseudonymous

3/27/2014

22 Comments

 
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I was given the *delightful* word, "pseudonymous" in the 3rd Round of the March Madness poetry contest currently underway on Ed DeCaria's website, Think Kid Think. I almost cried. Then I got down to business. I stayed up till 6 a.m. and wrote several poems, one of which I thought was quite good about Lemony Snicket (a double dactyl). My crit group, The Poet's Garage, pretty much panned it (although I later found out that Buffy liked it.) Back to square one. 


On Thursday, I was busy with contractors at the house we are getting ready to put on the market. I was sleep-deprived and impatient because I wanted to get back to my computer. Finally, I got back to the house, after stopping at Starbucks for some caffeine and the library for some Dr. Seuss. I needed to refresh my memory since I was now considering writing a double dactyl about Dr. Seuss (double-dactyls on the brain). But, back at the computer, nothing would come together. I gave up in despair and took the dogs to the dog park. When my husband got home, I told him I didn't think I would have a poem for the third round, or at best, a poem that my crit group did not love. I read the Lemony Snicket to him; he didn't like it either. In fact, he said it was boring! :(


But he also said he would make dinner so I could maybe come up with something else. I forced myself to put put the double-dactyls aside and focus on other ideas. I wrote several other poems, but nothing special, then I had a brainstorm. I quickly roughed it out. My husband thought it was hilarious. I expanded, I tightened, I tweaked for several hours and read it to him again. He laughed! Music to my ears, and it is what I posted for the 3rd round of March Madness:



The Amoeba Gang

Albert the amoeba, a microscopic thief
had stolen from the hydra clan and now had come to grief.
The Unicellular Police were hot on Albert’s trail.
His pseudo-feet moved oh-so-slow. Would he be thrown in jail?
He tried to hang with slime molds, but they swam away from him.
The rotifers rejected him; his prospects now looked grim.
But suddenly he had a thought, a bright, pseudonymous plot--
a perfect way to slip and slide from this tight, ominous spot.
He fissioned once. He fissioned twice, and quick as one-two-three,
Al and Hal and Sal and Cal, all said, “It wasn’t me.”




~B.J. Lee  All Rights Reserved  c March 26,2014


I'm glad I persevered because I am truly proud of this poem. My opponent's (Darren Sardelli) poem is also good, though, and at last look, he is beating me in the Public Vote. Voting is open for another 22 hours or so. Please have a look and vote for your favorites. Our own, Buffy Silverman has a poem in Round 3 as well. Here is a direct link to my matchup - March Madness - Pseudonymous vs Insubordinate. Thank you! 
22 Comments
Buffy Silverman link
3/28/2014 02:48:59 am

I love Albert! And thanks for the shout-out.

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B.J. Lee
3/28/2014 03:35:58 am

Thanks and your welcome, Buffy!

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Robyn Waayers
3/28/2014 03:13:39 am

I LOVE this! Enough to warm any biologist's heart ; )
So creative -- I'm feeling creatively challenged just reading it.
(and I just voted)

Robyn

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B.J. Lee
3/28/2014 03:37:06 am

Thanks Robyn. I'm glad it warmed your biologist's heart and I'm glad you voted! Thank you!

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Ed DeCaria link
3/28/2014 03:57:15 am

Love your story, B.J. Thanks for sharing!

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B.J. Lee
3/28/2014 06:02:26 am

Thanks Ed! See what you put us through! Pseudonymous. I'll be having nightmares for years over that word! Just kidding, of course!?!

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jone link
3/28/2014 05:50:17 am

I voted. I love the word usage in this poem. You should be proud. Hang in there.

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B.J. Lee
3/28/2014 06:03:12 am

Thanks so much, Jone! I appreciate it muchly! :)

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Linda Baie link
3/28/2014 08:46:01 am

I love it, B.J., & love hearing your process through it too. It's such a clever story, using the science too. Brings me back to high school biology, oh my! I hope you win, & voted for you, but I agree, your opponent's is good too. Argh! I'm a fan! Of you & Buffy too! Maybe you'll be the Final Two!

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B.J. Lee
3/28/2014 09:49:59 am

Thank you, Linda. At this point it is neck and neck. A real nail-biter!

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Mary Lee Hahn link
3/28/2014 09:45:30 am

Looks like a nail-biter at this point! Just wait 'til you see how the classroom vote turns out -- this poem could be paired with the Squish series by Jennifer Holm!

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B.J. Lee
3/28/2014 09:50:38 am

Yes, a nail-biter to be sure. I'll have to look up the Squish series. Sounds like fun!

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Michelle Heidenrich Barnes link
3/28/2014 11:03:29 am

Oh BJ, even if you don't make it to the finals (which I hope you do!), I think you deserve some kind of award for the amount of time and effort you're putting in! 6 am?!?! It's paying off, though. You're really coming up with some beauties. Wishing you luck, luck, and more luck, my dear.

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B.J. Lee
3/28/2014 11:11:45 am

Yes, I agree. I just had insomnia because I was so hepped-up after learning my difficult word.

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Diane Mayr
3/28/2014 12:48:59 pm

Those creature names just roll off the tongue. I'm glad you persevered.

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B.J. Lee
3/29/2014 01:40:20 am

Thanks Diane. It was fun working with the unicellulars!

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Bridget Magee link
3/28/2014 01:29:04 pm

Wow! Wonderful poem, BJ! I love hearing about the journey to your amazing tournament poem. = )

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B.J. Lee
3/29/2014 01:41:22 am

Thanks Bridget! This was my toughest round because the word was sooo difficult - pseudonymous. I had to keep checking how to spell out even after writing several poems.

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Tabatha
3/29/2014 02:00:38 am

I LOVE it, B.J.! Thanks for taking us on a tour of your day. Sounds rough! So happy that it worked out in the end.

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B.J. Lee
3/29/2014 08:42:14 am

Thank you, Tabatha! It is very rough, but I also feel incredibly alive! That last round was the toughest by far because the word was so difficult. We'll see what Round 4 brings.

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Myra from GatheringBooks link
3/31/2014 06:59:38 pm

I love how supportive your husband is! My husband cooks too. :)
Are you familiar with Pseudonymous Bosch? Middle grade author whose writings resemble that of Lemony Snicket's (well... just a wee little bit). I love his Secret Series. :) Best of luck, BJ!

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B.J. Lee
3/31/2014 11:44:00 pm

Myra - Husbands who cook are the best! I did research Pseudonymous Bosch (great name) but couldn't come up with a poem. I like the poem I eventually posted to March Madness but it was a very difficult round, no doubt about it.

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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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