The Nove Otto, or: Creativity verses form

Sangeetha & David’s new poetry project

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

Once they’d completed their first oeuvre, they decided to continue their journey together; and Sangeetha came up with a fun idea. Beginning in January ’22, they took turns selecting poetic forms beginning with the letters of the alphabet (A through Z) and wrote poems to one another using those forms.

Upon completing that second project, Sangeetha suggested that they go through the alphabet once more, this time with an addition twist… In their new series, for every letter of the alphabet (A through Z), the two would select not only a poetic form but also – a keyword for each poem.

For ‘N’, Sangeetha selected the ‘Nove Otto’ form and the keyword ‘Night’.

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N: Nove Otto

Sangeetha’s Nove Otto

Dusk dresses in swathes of rose pink
Entices Night with a coy wink
Lighting stars in his coal black eyes
Night then advances with such grace
Gathers twilight in safe embrace
Lulling to rest whimsical skies
Night spoons along the curve of Earth 
Whispers stories of love and mirth
While unborn moments fantasize   

David’s Nove Otto

Nearly morning- feeling inspired;
The mind cedes to visions when tired,
When man can barely hope to think.
Fantasies sparkling in black skies;
Heavy fog sweeps over my eyes;
My vision is blurring ~ blink-blink ~
Grand stillness of night upon Earth
Beckons sounds and images forth-
Lines fade as the darkness turns pink.

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Nove Otto?

• A nine line poem;
• Syllabic: 8 syllables per line;
• Rhymed: a/a/b/c/c/b/d/d/b

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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!