The Golden Drill, 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 ‘G’, David created the ‘Golden Drill’ form.

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G: Golden Drill

David’s Golden Drill

Even- even just ONE word from him-
 I'm reeling in this MOMENT, struck by his wisdom-
 What I would not give FOR just one small, wry smile-
 Oh, but for A clever, knowing wink!
Heart heavy, like a CHUNK of jagged, unrefined ore-
I can't make sense OF his odd, extended absence-
 It would seem MY heart wasn't ready-
Though he said the SOUL could always be anywhere.

• Selected line: “One moment for a chunk of my soul” from Sangeetha’s poem ‘Karma’

Sangeetha’s Golden Drill

Your voice EVEN in silence
Your heart EVEN in stillness
Touches me in grace JUST for a little longer
As your child's child retells ONE more of your gentle story,
Remembers word for WORD, what he heard
What he felt, with salted cheeks, FROM the safe home of your arms
May you always live in HIM as you live in me

• Selected line: “Even- even just one word from him” from David’s ‘Golden Drill’ above

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Golden Drill?

• Must be centered;
• Select a line from another poet’s poem;
  • Every line of your ‘Golden Drill’ contains one word from the selected line from the other poet’s poem (in order from first to last);
  • All of the words from that other poet’s poem must be capitalized;
• All lines must:
  • Contain an odd number of words;
  • Contain at least three words;
• Each word from the other poet’s poem must be in the middle of its respective line in your ‘Golden Drill’;
  • If there is 1 word in a line before the word from the other poet’s poem, there must be 1 word after it;
  • If there are 2 words in a line before the word from the other poet’s poem, there must be 2 words after it;
  • etc.

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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!