The Xtraverse, 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 ‘X’, Sangeetha created the ‘Xtraverse’ form.

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X: Xtraverse

Sangeetha’s ‘American Sentence’

At the end of every poem is a trail of thoughts to pave with words

Sangeetha’s Xtraverse

At first, I think I have a perfect ending
The final phrase that fits sublime,
Ended with a fantastic flourish
Offering the world, a peep into mine,
Everything said, a statement divine
Really! A flawless finish;
Poems, however, leave a lot unsaid;
Emotions tug, pulling me to another start.
Is my last word a question instead?
A portal for wandering notions perhaps?
Trailing my mind, reminding me
Of the nature of what we are and will be,
Thoughts that flow like gentle streams
To carry wisdom of our pasts along paths
Paved with tessellated truths of humankind,
With limitless love and soulful songs,
Words, and only words can sing.

David’s ‘American Sentence’

Singing, the youngsters skip over uneven cracks caused by eager roots.

David’s Xtraverse

Singing aloud, the wordsmith heats up her
ingots, reworking them into stanzas,
the wondrous, glowing lines intended for
young and old alike; she masterfully
stirs them in cool reflection, when her heart
skips a beat ~ oh, is her last couplet clear?
Over and again, she considers new
versions of that final, singular link,
until an enlightened, comforting voice,
equipped with the experience of life,
ventures this thought: Light penetrates through all
cracks; your inner disquiet is merely
caused by resistance to limitations;
by perfectionism; by self-doubt... but it's
easily bested by understanding!
Gird yourself with acceptance; trust your art's
roots to nourish your creative process.

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Xtraverse?

1. Compose an American Sentence;
2. Write a 17-line poem on the same theme;
   • The 17 syllables of the ‘American Sentence’ (in order) begin the lines of 17 line poem.

What’s an ‘American Sentence’?

Allen Ginsberg, inventor of the American Sentence, felt that the haiku didn’t work as well in English. Ginsberg decided to remove the line structure of the haiku, maintaining the requirement of 17 syllables total. He felt that removing the line count freed the American Sentence up for the idiosyncrasies of English phonemes.

The requirements:

1. Composed in one line;
2. Syllabic, 17 syllables;
3. Condensed, written with no unnecessary words or articles;
4. Complete sentence or sentences;
5. Includes a turn or enlightenment.

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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!