The Ovillejo, 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 ‘O’, David selected the ‘Ovillejo’ form and the keyword ‘Origins’.

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O: Ovillejo

David’s Ovillejo

Sparking neurons quiver and hum-
Where are we from?
The Big Bang idea feels forced-
What is life's source?
My reason can't cross the distance-
Why existence?
Basically, nothing makes sense.
And faith in a sentient, kind "God"?
Well, at best, that seems very odd.
Where are we from? What is life's source? Why existence?

Sangeetha’s Ovillejo

If we answer, everyone wins!
Our origins
elude science and religion
posing questions
as the lost mind madly wanders
with no answers!
How do God particles converse?
Who decides matter matters more?
Why do souls search and want to know?
Our origins ~ posing questions with no answers!

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Ovillejo?

• Rhyming: a/a / b/b / c/c / c/d/d/c;
• Syllabic: 8/4 / 8/4 / 8/4 / 8/8/8/12
  • The first six lines alternate between tetrameter and dimeter;
  • The next three are tetrameter;
• The final line consists of: L2, L4, & L6 as a single row.

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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!