The Etheree, or: Form verses creativity

Posted on by ben Alexander

Sangeetha & David’s new poetry project

Once upon a time, two poets who’d never met in person spontaneously began writing verses back and forth to one another over the Internet. Their first poetry project took them some nine months: a 100 verse Hyakuin.

Once they’d completed their oeuvre, the two decided to continue their creative journey together; and Sangeetha came up with a fun new idea, which David loved – to explore different poetic forms together, working through the Alphabet from ‘A’ to ‘Z’.

Every week, for twenty-six weeks beginning in January of the year 2022, they would take turns selecting poetic forms beginning with the letter corresponding to that particular week (1=A, 2=B, etc., etc.) and write poems to one another using that form.

David suggested they call their new project ‘Form verses creativity’, and so it began.

E for Etheree

Sangeetha’s Etheree to David

what
inspires
you to make
magic with words
conjuring stories
delightful daisy chains 
of life, love, humanity
rhyme and rhythm interlacing
infinite worlds to wander carefree 
in the caprice of imagination?

David’s response to Sangeetha

I ask myself how some live silently
in this world of magical stories,
bright imaginations muted ~
maybe survival's demands
weigh much too heavily?
to breathe a struggle?
selves lost to time
spent at work?
wonder ~
lost?

Etheree?

  • 10 lines of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 syllables;
  • reversed: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1;
  • double: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 9, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1;
  • triple…

Sangeetha & David’s ‘Form verses creativity’

  1. The Alouette
  2. The Balance
  3. The Candlelight
  4. The Dizain
  5. The Etheree
  6. The Florette
  7. The Ghazal
  8. The Hexaduad
  9. The Italian octave
  10. The Jue Ju
  11. The Kimo
  12. The Limerick
  13. The Marianne
  14. The Nocturna
  15. The Ottava Rima
  16. The Pathya Vat
  17. The Quintilla
  18. The Retrac
  19. The Sijo
  20. The Tritina
  21. The Ukiah
  22. The Verso-Rhyme
  23. The Waltz Wave
  24. X (wildcard): The Lira
  25. The YaDu
  26. The Zejel

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)

Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!

32 thoughts on “The Etheree, or: Form verses creativity”

      1. The two walk hand in hand
        Inextricably linked
        So the forms feel in their entirely
        Speaking to each other
        In language that oft transcends the reader’s understanding,
        Only poets, support bodies

        Tis’ lovely the poetic courtship.
        A feast for the reader.

  12. A great collaboration, most enjoyable.

    And
    whispers
    in my ears
    remind me of
    the magic woven
    by the power of two
    to work together over
    invisible distances and
    out of each other’s sight or sound
    to craft a friendship woven out of words.

    Xx Tricia

      1. Sitting here, in my ivory tower,
        surrounded by a foreign language,
        not knowing where my words will land
        I’d think it a great honour
        to let our words inspire
        each other to write
        a dialogue
        in verse, my
        friend.

        1. thank
          you for
          honoring
          me. I’m looking
          forward to reading
          whatever comes to your
          mind, which seems a lush garden.
          grafting our verses together
          shall produce magnificent flowers
          ~ it’s all about the heart of the matter.

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