Poetry Friday: Skinny

I’ve missed some Poetry Fridays, but I’m back. (Hard to find excuses at the moment!)

This month we wrote Skinnys. From Andi:

A Skinny is a short poem form that consists of eleven lines. The first and eleventh lines can be any length (although shorter lines are favored). The eleventh and last line must be repeated using the same words from the first and opening line (however, they can be rearranged). The second, sixth, and tenth lines must be identical. All the lines in this form, except for the first and last lines, must be comprised of ONLY one word. The Skinny was created by Truth Thomas in the Tony Medina Poetry Workshop at Howard University in 2005.

I sing in a church choir, so by noon on a normal Easter Sunday I would be happily recovering with a mimosa after singing on Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, and twice on Sunday. This year I watched a livestreamed service at home. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to watch it, but when I heard the organ start playing “Jesus Christ is risen to-da-ay, a-a-a-a-aaa-le-e-lu-u-ia…” (you know it!) my eyes immediately filled with tears and I was happy I did. I wanted to be walking down the aisle in twos with my choir friends, the organ at maximum volume, Easter magic allowing me to sing several notes higher and much louder than I usually can. Next year, we will.

Here’s a Skinny with some words from that hymn.

207

Let us sing praise of hymns then:
Alleluia!
Never
silent,
ever
alleluia.
Alone,
together,
tomorrow,
alleluia.
Hymns of praise then let us sing!

Please visit my poetry sisters and read their Skinnys!

• Liz
• Sara
• Tanita
• Tricia
• Laura
• Andi

Poetry Friday is hosted this month by Christie Wyman at Wondering & Wandering.