Ok, first off, I need to apologize. The brevity of this form definitely did not inspire a corresponding brevity in my post. I got a little carried away with Mary Lee’s prompt and decided to share the whole dang process!
So, let’s be clear– I am a total Wordle nerd and was utterly delighted when Mary Lee challenged us this month with the Wordy 30 form. Here is her explanation of the form: “A Wordy 30 is a poem using exactly 30 letters. Each line should have the same number of letters. Each line should use one word. You might have 6 lines with 5 letters in each line (like Wordle), or 5 x 6, 3 x 10, 10 x 3, 15 x 2, 2 x 15, 30 x 1, or (most unlikely) 1 x 30. Have…fun???”
I dove in with great enthusiasm, and found myself gravitating toward the 6×5 structure.
Guess
whose
terse
verse
stuck
quick?
©Molly Hogan
Hmmmm…. the one word per line limit was…well…limiting! I kept fiddling away at it.
Every
terse
verse
first
began
worse.
©Molly Hogan
That one made me laugh, but I realized that what I wanted to do was somehow tell a story within the tight framework of the challenge. I thought about this a lot, often while driving to work.
Rainy
drive
Final
nerve
frays
snaps
©Molly Hogan
Meh. I still wasn’t satisfied. Maybe I should get a bit more philosophical. Or I could play around with 6x5s. Or, inspired by Margaret and Linda, I could create add some image poems.
Nature
offers
tender
solace…
Linger
©Molly Hogan
Leaves
shiver…
Winter
admits
ghosts
©Molly Hogan
Finally, (because, why not?!) I decided to try a 3×10.
Time Scythes
everything
meticulous
disappears
©Molly Hogan
If you have any more appetite for Wordy 30s, check out what the other Inklings did on their sites. Here are the links:
Linda Mitchell
Margaret Simon
Catherine Flynn
Heidi Mordhorst
MaryLee Hahn
This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Sarah Grace Tuttle at her blog. Be sure to stop by and enjoy some poetry!
Nix the comfort zone 
For. The. Win. WOW!! Especially the 3×10!
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Loved this challenge! (Can you tell? lol) My favorite was also the 3×10–it kind of guts me.
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[…] MitchellMolly HoganCatherine FlynnHeidi MordhorstMaryLee […]
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I do love the image poems, but the others made me laugh…”began worse”. Absolutely!
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I had a lot of fun with these. They were perfect for puzzling around with at odd moments.
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Oh wow! I love these! The last one especially hit me hard… it has me thinking of everything from beetle designs in wood to embroidery! And I also laughed at the “began worse” poem. That’s one for a revision motivation folder. Thanks so much for sharing Molly!
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Thanks, Sarah. The last one surprised me.
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Oh wow. I love ALL of your Wordy 30s, but especially applaud the 3 x 10. And, as a wordle devotee, I think I am going to have to try this form. Very soon!
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I hope you do try them, Sally. They’re really a lot of fun to play with.
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Love them all, Molly and wow, you were in the flow on these. I really want to try now. Your image poems are good!!! Yes to lingering by nature especially in Maine. Oh how I can’t wait to return. It is never long enough for all I want to do there. I got to the Bath Patten library to check out the Dahlov Ipcar art. But that reading room. I was on foot so hiked up those stairs, now those would be a perfect exercise spot for the hearty!! So your last poem…..so true. You have inspired me.
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Lingering by nature is definitely one of my favorite things to do. I’ve actually never been inside the Bath library. Sounds like something I need to check out!
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What a great job you did, Molly! I love the image poems. The photography is gorgeous. The first one is full of peace and the second one gets me in the mood for Halloween.
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Thanks, Carol!
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Oh, my wordle! I love these! I kind of wish I’d never seen them! This could easily become an addiction!
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These were fun to read. All of them. The last one, Everything/Meticulous/Disappears seems the heart of entropy, something I like to think about.
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I’m lucky they were short enough to indulge myself in sharing so many of them! Glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
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Yours is the first post I’m reading and you certainly whetted my appetite for these bite-sized morsels of wordiness! I laughed too but your 3×10 is inspiring.
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Thanks, Heidi. I distinctly recall stating that there was no way I would write a 3×10. lol
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Oh my goodness! Fun to see all of your W30s! I think they all work in different ways, but your “began / worse,” ghosts, and scythes ones really feel lovely to me!
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Thanks, Laura. I’ve been trying to capture the sense of time passing that I feel so keenly these days.
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These are amazing, Molly. I love them all. And yay you for coming up with the perfect title for the 3×10!
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Yay for a title that just happened! And worked! lol
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Love them all. A really creative form that you made excellent use of with your chosen words.
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Thanks. I suspect I’ll still fiddle around with these. Writing them is somewhat addictive.
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Oh, wow, these are all amazing, and what an amazing little form! Like others, I’m especially partial to your 3×10. Thought-provoking and moving.
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Thanks, Karen. Fall is such a poignant time of year.
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These Wordy 30s are right up your alley. Just perfect with those winter ghosts. I especially like the photo that illustrates that one. Well done, Molly!
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Thanks for inspiring me to combine a few with photos. Yours is a fabulous mentor!
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Yay! Our Nevermores group used this prompt mid-summer and had so much fun with it. I really love the ones you paired with photos. wonderful!
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