Entranced
“Are you all right?” he asked, and I stared down the dim-lit tunnel of the past entranced by ghosts who flickered into view and one by one began to drift, themselves entranced and drawn into a halo-snare of amber light. So deep within my reverie was I, I did not feel the cold as he removed his warm hand from my arm. I did not feel him drift away despite the chill, the gooseflesh cold and damp along my spine. Long-buried specters stealthily crept near, replacing him with all they had to offer me— cold cowardice and death.
The prompt for this poem appears at November PAD Chapbook Challenge Archives – Writer’s Digest – Day 1. I’m not even pretending to play catch-up at this point, but credit for inspiration where credit’s due, eh?
Naani Naani Boo Boo
Schoolyard taunts— defiant defense against a bully whose battle cry stings like sticks and stones.
The form used for the poem, “Naani Naani Boo Boo,” above, is called a “naani.” It is a Telugu form – each line having 3-5 syllables and no more than 20-25 syllables, in total. It is a syllabic form ported from a language unlike English which, in my opinion, makes it less suited to English poetry than many other forms. I feel this way about most syllabic verse, including the ever-popular haiku. But I was introduced to it by Barbara Ehrentreu, and challenged to write one, so here we are. I chose the title to amuse our friend Stephen Bagley, who said we’d never be able to hear the name of the form and not think “Naani Naani Boo Boo.” That led to the subject of the poem.
Poetry in Texas and Other States
Poets: Are you aware of your state’s poetry society and what it has to offer? That members are also members of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies?
Texas poets: Are you a member of the Poetry Society of Texas? If not, why not? It’s easy to join – just visit https://poetrysocietyoftexas.org/join/. You can email a photocopy of the form and pay dues online.
Very cute story and poem. My name is Barbara Ehrentreu. Don’t feel bad. You have joined the many over the years who have misspelled it. But yours is a first.
Hahaha… Thanks. That’s obviously a typo. I know how to spell your name.
It’s clearly time to cut my nails though.
I get that! I taught the Nani to my poetry group. Got some good ones.
Haha! YOU spelled “naani” wrong! 😉🤷🏻♀️🤗
Thanks for introducing a new type of poem that I can teach my students. It’s going to be fun seeing what they come up with!
Happy to! I’d love to see what they come up with, too, if they care to share. Have you shown them my invention? https://jahangiri.us/2020/new-poetry-form-the-scala-decima/ It might be a little tricky at first, but I think it offers a bit of freedom, too, and won’t result in sing-songy rhyming verse, even though it does have a hidden rhyme scheme. I’d be delighted to see their poems if they attempt it. They are welcome to post them in comments, here.