The Ckackackonance, or: Creativity forms verses

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 continued their journey together; 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 they go through the alphabet once more but in their new series, for every letter of the alphabet (A through Z), they would select not only a poetic form but also – a keyword for each poem.

Eventually, they completed their third series and decided to embark on a fourth towards the end of 2022. This time, taking turns, they would create their own poetic forms for every letter of the alphabet (A through Z), and exchange poems, as they’d done before.

For ‘C’, David created the ‘Ckackackonance’ form.

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C: Ckackackonance

David’s Ckackackonance

True tragedy, I've definitively determined, 
Is the disastrous demise of one who clearly craves every second 

I'm piercingly pained, struck dumb, sick to my stomach, 
Hopeless and helpless... Basically: well beyond broken. 

The impending disaster leers, laughing. 

Sangeetha’s Ckackackonance

Disaster, don't you dare
Scare the daylights out of us simple people

Skip, skeddadle, scurry off right now!
Do dither off into your dilapidated doomsday dungeon

We folks got luck stuck on our cute colourful cloaks
Don't you strike a blood bargain with the dastardly devil
We would outsmart, out-talk you out of your black attack 

And that would be a disaster for you! 

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Ckackackonance?

• At least five lines;
  • Lines can be separated into as any number of stanzas;
• All lines must have different syllable counts (no two lines can share a syllable count);
• No rhyme; no rhythm;
• Each line must include at least:
  1. Two instances of consonance;
  2. Two instances of “plosive” consonants: [t], [d], [c/k/ck], [g], [p], [b];
     • The more “plosive consonants”, the better!

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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!