Rhyming Challenge!

[Brigid Briton]

OK, here's a chance for all you rhymers to shine! Write a rhyming poem on the subject of friendship (either in general or a specific friendship). It should be no longer than 16 lines long (but can be shorter)!



Brigid

[Fire Monkey]

Ok, 16 lines .... 500 syllables per line ;D - oh, you were thinking a bit shorter? Oh all right, if I must I can be brief - I'll see what I can write and hopefully post it later today.

[Brigid Briton]

Tim, you crack me up. I'll leave the 500 syllables per line challenge to you to initiate. I put a limit on the length, because this is a challenge! I don't want people feeling they have to write some grand opus just to participate in the fun. (Not to say that a grand opus can't be accomplished in just 16 lines!).



Brigid

[Fire Monkey]

For me, writing on demand is a challenge - I know some believe it to be an important skill, but I'm more of the school of thought that poems come as they come, so any challenge is by definition going to push me ;D

[Brigid Briton]

If you'd prefer, Tim, you could write a sixteen word rhyming poem! This isn't writing on demand, it's writing by request!

[Fire Monkey]

But is that like "The Queen requests the pleasure of your company." or like "We have a requests from the audience." ;D

[Fire Monkey]

Ok - just finished:

Friends

It's easy having friends
When they have something to gain,
But how many will stay
When your world is turned to pain?
As the ones that you have helped
Turn one by one away,
You finally know your friends
Are the ones who chose to stay.

[dustandwater]

'Friend'; a word I rarely use.
A friend is one who won't abuse,
someone who is always there,
who you know does care;
a person you can always trust,
who's there to help without being pushed,
someone who will share your laughter
and still be there long after
the fun times fade to black;
a friend will always have your back.
'Friend': a word I don't just throw around,
but relish saying once one's found.

[dustandwater]

Hey, FireMonkey.

Writing on demand is indeed a challenge. I completely agree with you on the "write when it comes to you" philosophy.

Lately though, I've been trying to explore just where it 'comes' from so that I can try to take some form of control over that thing called inspiration.

The challenges on this forum are a great way to do that and this is another good one from Brigid.

-D&W

[Fire Monkey]

For me, inspiration comes from need mostly, which means writing when the need is not there is a very hard thing - I write to express whatever is inside me trying to be expressed ... if I'm happy or sad or whatever, I need to express it and so I write.

But I understand what you are saying.

[Brigid Briton]

Hi Tim, Thanks for posting one. I like it. I hope it didn't take you too far out of your comfort zone of only writing because there's a need to.

And, thank you D&W, for being our second entrant in this rhyming challenge. Not only that, it's a good one---expressing why friendship is so important to all of us.

I guess most of my work does spring from some direct inspiration or the need to get something off my chest---however, I do welcome the challenge of writing something just for the sake of writing it---not because I have to or because I am driven to---just for the sheer fun of doing it.

Which means, I guess I'd better get busy and get my poem up here...soon...



Brigid

[Brigid Briton]

OK, here goes.....big drum roll.....

you needn’t pretend
with a friend


I didn't say anything about minimum amount of lines, after all!

[Fire Monkey]

No trouble with the comfort zone, Brigid, I just thought about it, had nothing all day long and then discovered that there was something to say about 10 minutes before I posted ;D

I guess the thing is that after years of writing assignment in school and workshops and such, I promised myself I would write because I choose and write what I choose - but I can choose from time to time, to write things for the challenges ;D

I like what you have built here and what you are trying to make it, and that provides some cooperation that not everyone could get from me

[Brigid Briton]

Aww, Tim, I'm so flattered. I appreciate your support so much! (Hugs!)

It's been so many centuries since I've been in school, I'd forgotten all about the pain of assignments! I prefer to think of these challenges as invitations to join in recess! And the beauty of it is, there's no picking of teams---anyone who wants to play can play!



Brigid

[Fire Monkey]

I too have to look back a long way to school but I had a very adversarial relationship with my teachers and the last few years that was especially true with my English teachers, so the memories hang on like a bad perfume that lingers and you just can't wash it out of things ;D

[Brigid Briton]

As I wander up and down the empty hallways, hearing only the echoes of my own footsteps, I find myself growing nostalgic for those halcyon days of simple challenges ...