An American paragraph*
(an experimental form)
He wished that not everything had to be so challenging all the time. Clearly, it didn’t matter whether he combed his beard thrice; he knew that. Plus, why wake up each morning at seven twenty-seven on the dot? Why should he leave the crust on only one side of his cheese sandwiches? He knew all of this was crazy, as was stirring tea with his steak knife. Nevertheless, he’d never been able to suppress his obsessions. The more he tried to conquer his disorder, the worse it seemed to get. Just recently, he’d realized that he’d come to hate books of haiku… He couldn’t stop reading them as seventeen syllable sentences.
*What’s an American paragraph?
This is something that I just made up! It’s a paragraph comprised entirely of American sentences.
Whatโs an American sentence?
Allen Ginsberg, inventor of the American Sentence, felt that the haiku didnโt work as well in English. Ginsberg decided to remove the line structure of the haiku, maintaining the requirement of 17 syllables total. He felt that removing the line count freed the American Sentence up for the idiosyncrasies of English phonemes.
The requirements:
- Composed in one line;
- Syllabic, 17 syllables;
- Condensed, written with no unnecessary words or articles;
- Complete sentence or sentences;
- Includes a turn or enlightenment.
Let’s write poetry together!
When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
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The Skeptic's Kaddish ๐ฎ๐ฑ 
I like the details about the cheese sandwiches and stirring the tea with the steak knife
๐ฅช Thanks! ๐ช๐ต
Four score and seventeen syllables ago, MacArthur bombs haiku.
A Beatnik poet hammers the outrage into one-liners for wordsmiths.
Then one’s paragraph of American sentences blows me away. ; )
โค Thanks, CES โค – that's very cute.
-David
LOL – “He couldnโt stop reading them as seventeen syllable sentences.”
๐ Ron ๐
And I marvel once more at your successful experiment. Great form! I’ll have to try out more American sentences in the future ๐
๐ Veera ๐
I love it David! โค๐งก๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ค๐ค
๐ค Filipa ๐ค
I like that you made it into a story. Seems right. (K)
Well, I started off with the idea of somehow poking fun at the idea of an American sentence within the paragraph, Kerfe, and the rest sort of flowed from there…
โค
David
๐ I like it!
๐งก Jenn, thank you! ๐งก
-David
This was a great fun read. Maybe you are becoming obsessed with American sentences. Lol ๐
๐ Lauren ๐ – I’m so glad you enjoy this!
-David
๐ LOL! Very good, David.
๐ Thanks, Misky ๐
interesting write, I haven’t tried this format yet but it seems to appeal to you ๐
yes, it does! I’ve tried a lot of short forms, and this one stuck most ๐
then I will try it soon, even if only to find your attraction ๐
I find your work attractive just the way it is, Kate
โค
David
thanks so much but I do like to explore what attracts others ๐
I’ve also explored using American sentences in Waltmarie form… here’s one of them:
thanks!
I only wished I had a profile picture with tongue sticking out – like so ๐
Alas… The emoji shall have to do!
Grinned all the way through this! I think you’re onto something here, David. *reminds self to stop stirring tea with steak knife* ๐
Thanks, Mike!
it’s a very self-aware paragraph ๐
โค
David