Fantasy poem

[diannet]

I really liked Rhumour's nonsense poem * and I love the Jabberwocky poem and I thought why not have that as a challenge. I don't have anything written yet but it could be fun to take us out of the everday and stretch our imaginations.





*"Nornesaynce" in Rhyming Poetry and Spoken Word (added by Brigid)

[Brigid Briton]

OK, Dianne, you're on. I will have to think on it a bit, though.

[Fire Monkey]

I'll see if I can come up with something.

[heatherwordbender]

Are we Jabberwhacking? ;D

[Fire Monkey]

Ok, I have a short poem for this challenge and I look forward to others to post.

Predatorica
The fliberty flounce
before the pounce
gives away the predator's mind
While stocking the flurgles
you might hear the burbles
as she swammies the field sublime
She sets up the zugzwang
with a gleeful eyebrow twang
then waits for the flurgles to move
Whilst in silence she louches
and waits with her pouches
to sprump when the plan hits its groove

copyright September 12, 2011 by Timothy Emil Birch

[diannet]

Great Stuff Fire Monkey... so what's a zugzwang I want to know ;D Oh and those Flurgles...stubborn critters! ;D

I am having trouble with this one...might take me a while.

[Fire Monkey]

The trick is to think of it with real words so you can picture it all and then as you write, create words that sound right to your ear and mind to replace some of the real words.

As for zugzwangs and such - the monkey knows, but wild horses won't drag it out of him ;D

[heatherwordbender]

Of Terrors & Reskew

Wan, sidely knave
Whot curried brave
And thence did meekly follow
Five loridats,
Six skurren rats
Abast the torren fellow

Betimes came on
Y'en second one
'twixt hendle times forepassing
'dats, rats enouh'
away did throuh'
ere daidle's dawn wot guessing

Wot wissly, now
Whot mussen go
Nie forrarder nie vast
Ain sidely mites
That yealy bites
Are lain ahin' ye bast.

[Fire Monkey]

This almost sounds like it is written in a dialect - perhaps one of the Scottish or older English ones.

[heatherwordbender]

I had the best time with this
...was going for "one ought, theoretically, to understand it" ...can't wait to see what others come up with ;D

[Brigid Briton]

Tim and Heather: You're entries are awesome. "Preditorica" cracks me up. It's a perfect alias for your "Kitra", Tim.

Well, Dianne, I guess the ball's in our court to come up with something to (attempt) to rival these awesome posts!

[Fire Monkey]

Thanks - oh, and there is something about that poem which is 'hidden' - it contains a secret ... just waiting to see if anyone notices it but right now I'm not saying what

[heatherwordbender]

Teasin' thang...hmmm.

And my thanks as well

[Fire Monkey]

I iz Monkey - of course I tease ;D but only with great respect and a spirit of laughing with people and never at them and in this case I also read - my post in Spoken Word - Predtorica.

[heatherwordbender]

Would never believe any other thing of you. Still wanting to go back over yours and fish...but the day has been mind bending here and my focus has gone the way of the dinosaurs and dragons...

[Fire Monkey]

That might be the best time to see what you might not see otherwise ;D though perhaps not in this case.

The way of the dinosaurs and dragons? You mean into a pocket of reality that only poets can enter?

[Brigid Briton]

OK, you guys, I'll admit that I'm completely stymied by this challenge. You'd think it would be easy to make up some words and write a poem that makes sense in a nonsensical way. But, not for me, I'm afraid. Also, Tim, I'm completely stymied by your hidden message.

[Fire Monkey]

It is trickier than one might think - something you could try is to write a poem about real things and just use real words and then go through and change words by replacing real words with made-up ones that have the right feel.

As for the secret in mine - I have been vague intentionally and that has mislead you a bit - it isn't a message - here's a hint - one of those words that sounds like a made up word is in fact a real word and it is being used correctly - obviously it is not a common word - in fact, it is a term from chess ... maybe that will help. I couldn't resist slipping it in because the word just sounds so right in the poem. ;D

[diannet]

Okay...I did it but boy oh boy...phew!

The Hoffmagophlin's Ride
Aye, I hear the hoffmagophlin
Howlin, in the crumuchin tree
He’s a wailing for the Shoozafeth
Who left him in agony

He’s a howlin and a scowlin
He’s awaiting for Misspencentide
a hundreth year of grudge lets fly
Upon the Fracturesque side

A Shoozafeth would surely not refuse to fight
For no beast nor gromachin
Would deny the Hoffmagoghlin his right

So it shall be under the crumuchin tree
The Hoffmagophlin with take his leave
Riding upon his wooloochin
His revenge he will achieve

The nights of fighting toil bequeathed
On this night of Misspencetide
Oh beware you shady Shoozafeth
Of Hoffmagopholin and his ride

And as Fracturesque moon hangs in sky
Blades will glint under moonlight
And in this duel of pride and blood
One will fade to endless night

[Brigid Briton]

Oh Dianne,

Your entry is awesome! An epic. Very well done!



Tim,

As soon as you said it was a real word that sounded like a made-up word, I knew it had to be "zugzwang". That one is too bizarre to just invent. So, now I know that the word is from the German and literally means "compulsion to move". And, that it is a play by one of the players that forces the other to move in a way that is disadvantageous---which, as you said, fits the poem perfectly.

Wikipedia also said it's not to be confused with "zweischenzug" another chess term which may be a candidate for future nonsense poems.