Let’s write together.
Tammi is Gifted Intervention Specialist and Power of the Pen writing coach. Tammi has spent over fifteen years sharing her love of reading, writing and poetry with her students. When she isn’t absorbed in reading young adult literature, she can be found listening to music with her family, hiking, visiting her son’s mushroom farm or attending musicals with her daughters. Tamara resides in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the author of the young adult verse novel, Perchance to Dream.
Inspiration: Three Teachers Talk
Music is poetry; it transcends time, connecting us across decades and generations. When I think of music that represents an era, Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” comes to mind, echoing the tumult and change of its time. Iconic music moments, like Bill and Ted banging their heads to “Bohemian Rhapsody” or John Bender’s triumphant fist in the air as “Don’t You Forget About Me” plays in the final scene of The Breakfast Club, showcase the enduring impact of lyrics and melody.
Music, like poetry, is lyrical and evocative. Why not explore music and dive into iconic lyrics to create a generational/decades music-poetry mash up. See Three Teachers Talk for detailed lesson plans to use in classroom.
For more insights and a deeper exploration of how music heals and unlocks deep emotions, paving the way for self-expression, I invite you to check out “Unfinished Symphony: Discovering a Door to My Emotions” by teacher-poet Denise Krebs in Words That Mend.
Process
Begin by brainstorming
- Make a list of some of your favorite songs.
- Try to select songs from different generations or decades.
- Select songs that represent important moments in your life.
- Google lyrics and highlight some of favorite lines.
- Create a narrative poem that highlights a theme or perhaps focuses on an important moment of your life. Mash the generational/decade lyrics together.
- Feel free to add words to bridge ideas.
Teaching Ideas:
- Experiment with a song lyric generator to mix up lyrics.
- Select songs from one year in your life to represent that year.
- Select songs to represent a character in a book and mash lyrics into a poem.
- Select songs to represent a famous historical figure and mash lyrics into a poem.
Original Poem
By Tamara Belko
Lyrics borrowed from the following artists. I used three decades.
“Gimme Shelter” Rolling Stones 1969
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” U2 1987
“Zombie” The Cranberries 1994
“Drive” Incubus 1999
What’s in Our Heads?
I feel the fear of uncertainty
stinging clear
believe
It’s just a shot away
A storm is threatening,
they are dying
What’s in your head,
in your head?
Ohh, see the fire is sweepin
And the violence cause such silence
Our very street today
Another mother’s breaking heart is taking over
What’s in your head, in your head?
If I don’t get some shelter
My very life today
The flood is threatening
It’s the same old theme since 1916
What’s in your head, in your head?
I have held the hand of the devil
I have run
I have crawled
And I can’t help but ask myself
How much I’ll let the fear take the wheel and steer.
It’s just a shot away
still haven’t found what I’m looking for
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe.
Tammi,
I love this prompt! The cento form is such a cool form and it opens up so many possibilities in the classroom for collaboration. I really enjoyed thinking back over the decades to come up with songs that I wanted to use here. I wanted to keep my list to hip hop or hip hop adjacent songs released in the 6 decades that I’ve been alive, so my poem borrows from:
When the Revolution Comes by The Last Poets (1970)
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos by Public Enemy (1988)
Off the Books by The Beatnuts (featuring Big Pun) (1997)
Testify by Rage Agains the Machine (1999)
Mighty Healthy by Ghostface Killah (2000)
Ibtahaj by Rapsody (2019)
High John by Mavi (2022)
Revolutionary Love
Ayo, it’s all love but love’s got a thin line.
Prayin’ they still make love in my size,
I’ll give them a chance, because I’m civilized,
as for the rest of the world, they can’t realize–
Just another talking head, telling lies on teleprompters,
casted in small rooms, knitting heart,
loom spinning something tragic,
every script’s like Miramax,
Culprit, prince of the game,
wish you could see us–
The pain hits deeper when your people
ain’t in reach no more,
Understand the cycle that never ends,
Understand the beginning to be the end.
Now the chase is on,
tellin’ you to c’mon!
The ballot or the bullet
some freedom or some bullshit.
Party and bullshit.
Party and bullshit.
The revolution, though, will not be televised.
You’ll know it’s revolution cuz there won’t be no commercials.
Who controls the past, now, controls the future.
I hope pearly white teeth fall out
of the mouths that speak of revolution
with no reverence.
Who controls the present, now, controls the past.
Is it a return or a failure to succumb to the tide?
Understand.
The beginning will be
the End.
Been a long time coming (been a long time coming).
…You need my echo, just to hear from me.
Dave,
This poem/rap is amazing! I feel the beat in your arrangement. It’s crazy how little has changed over the decades. The lyrics still carry relevance and weight.
Dave, this was amazing!!
Teacher-Poet Friends,
Thank you for sharing all your amazing poems! I had a blast reading and singing your words.
I am signing off for the night. If I miss any late nighters, I will catch up tomorrow.
Tamara,
this was a lot of fun. Had a blast writing down lyrics from memory.
I like how the reflection of your last few lines contains both epiphany and searching:
Road trippin’
Hey, wake up
Your eyes weren’t open wide
For the last couple of miles
You’ve been swerving side to side
In the wee wee hours
Your mind gets hazy
Radio relay towers,
Won’t you lead me to my baby
If I needed you
Would you come to me?
I’ve just got those four lanes
Of hard Amarillo highway
You’ve got a fast car
Is it fast enough
We can fly away?
To live is to fly
Low and high
So shake the dust
Off of your wings
And the sleep from your eyes
I’ve got five dollars
We can put in the tank
It’s a real love
It’s a real love
If I could
You know I would
Just hold your hand
And you’d understand
All words are from lyrics in stanza order
from Wilco’s “Passenger Side”
Bruce Springsteen’s “Open All Night”
Townes Van Zandt’s “If I Needed You”
Terry Allen’s “Amarillo Highway” (although it’s usually Robert Earl Keene’s cover that’s in my head)
Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”
Townes Van Zandt’s “To Live is to Fly”
Wilco’s “Passenger Side”
Lucinda William’s “Real Love”
Wilco’s “I’m the Man Who Loves You”
Sharon, I’m in awe of your ability to put all these lyrics together so seamlessly. I deviated from the prompt today, but you’ve inspired me to give it a try!
Sharon,
Love the movement in your poem. Road trippin is the best way to experience music! Love the last stanza!
“If I could
You know I would
Just hold your hand
And you’d understand”
Sharon,
Super cool! I love that this poem takes all of these pieces and still sticks to the motif of being on the road.
Hi Tammi,
Thank you for this opportunity to do a mash-up with song lyrics. Your poem is riveting!
I taught a lesson last year with song lyrics from Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. My students wrote Found Poems from the three different artists’ songs. I attempted that today (with limited time). I was fortunate to have taught Stevie’s second youngest daughter last year and this year I have his last baby. It’s the best kept secret in L.A. (sshhhh, don’t tell). Anyway, I look forward to doing this with the baby girl because she LOVES her dad’s music, as most of the world does.
Since I didn’t take the time to show the separate artists’ lines in the graphic, I’m sharing it here:
Sam Cooke:
It’s been a long
A long time coming, but I know
A change gon’ come
Marvin Gaye:
Oh, you know we’ve got to find a way
Bring some understanding here today
Picket lines and picket signs
Stevie Wonder:
To walk to school, she’s got to get up early
Her clothes are old, but never are they dirty
Living just enough, just enough for the city
My Poem:
A Sam, Marvin, Stevie Mash-Up
It’s been a long cold winter
Warmer days are close
A change gon’ come
To walk to school, she’s got to get up early
Her clothes are old, but never are they dirty
She walks with focus
Nods at shadows behind her
Holds her bag to her chest
Is this living?
Living just enough, just enough for the city.
Her Mama said, “Oh, you know we’ve got to find a way.”
Everyone’s scraping for another dollar
Bring some understanding here today
Picket lines and picket signs
Better jobs, justice, and equality
A long time coming, but I know
We won’t stop now!
© Stacey L. Joy, 9/23/24
Stacey,
Love how I can hear Sam, Marvin and Stevie’s voices ringing out from your narrative.
And how special to get to teach your found poetry lesson with Stevie’s daughters. Wow!
Wait, what? Stevie Wonder’s daughter is your student? I had to read that twice because I thought I’d misread what you written. That’s crazy cool! Does Stevie Wonder come to parent-teacher conferences?
Thank you for your awesome mash-up. I love the rhythm and message of not backing down. Feels like an anthem and meant to be sung.
Hold up! You teach Stevie Wonders’ kids?!?!? You don’t just get to gloss over that part! You picked incredible songs and you wrote a wonderful poem!
I’m sure your kiddos had a great time with this lesson!
Yep!! The two girls have been at my school since they were in first grade and kindergarten. It’s pretty surreal because he comes to parent conferences and attends our shows like he’s just a regular parent, and our school community has learned to accept that and not turn it into a big mess when he’s on campus.
Thank you, Dave!
Stacey, that’s amazing!
Stacey, I absolutely loved this. And am blown away by your (more than) brush with music royalty!
Tammi,
This is such an awesome prompt! I could revisit this a thousand times. I have been playing catch-up all day so I wasn’t able to give it much time, but I went with mashing-up some Bruce Springsteen lyrics since today is The Boss’s 75 birthday and the genius has been telling incredible stories through song for six decades. SIX!
I didn’t do any transitioning lines or words. Each line is one of his pulled from 14 different albums. As much of a fan as I am, I have to admit, I don’t know much of his more recent stuff, but his first seven albums are filled with pure gold. IF you’ve never given him a listen, it’s not too late!
Born to Run in the USA
I was bruised and battered, I couldn’t tell what I felt
driving all night chasing some mirage
I ain’t here on business, baby, I’m only here for fun
Darling, you know just what I’m here for
so when you look at me, you better look hard and look twice
in a bedroom locked in whispers
of soft refusal and then surrender
together we moved like spirits in the night
and for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat.
A man turns his back on his family, well, he just ain’t no good
nothing feels better than blood on blood
The scars we carry remain but the pain slips away it seems
Between our dreams and actions lies this world
There’s spirits above and behind me
It’s a town full of losers
And I’m pulling out of here to win
~Susan Ahlbrand
23 September 2024
Susan, what a fun response to the prompt. You are a master weaver, placing all these lines to tell such a fascinating story. Your co-author is pretty good, too!
Songs I sourced from
Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ
“Spirits in the Night”
“together we moved like spirits in the night”
The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle
“Rosalita”
“Ah, I ain’t here on business, baby, I’m only here for fun”
“Windows are for cheaters, chimneys for the poor
Oh, closets are for hangers, winners use the door”
Born to Run”
“Thunder Road”
“Don’t run back inside
Darling, you know just what I’m here for”
“It’s a town full of losers
And I’m pulling out of here to win”
“Jungleland”
“In a bedroom locked in whispers
Of soft refusal and then surrender”
Darkness on the Edge of Town
“The Promised Land”
“Driving all night chasing some mirage”
The River
“The River”
“And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat”
Nebraska
“Highway Patrolman”
“But when it’s your brother, sometimes, you look the other way”
“A man turns his back on his family, well, he just ain’t no good”
“Nothing feels better than blood on blood”
Born in the USA
“My Hometown”
“ I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand
Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man”
Tunnel of Love
“Brilliant Disguise”
“So when you look at me, you better look hard and look twice
Is that me, baby, or just a brilliant disguise?”
Human Touch
“The Long Goodbye”
“What once was laughs is draggin’ me now”
Lucky Town
“Book of Dreams”
“The scars we carry remain but the pain slips away it seems”
“Streets of Philadelphia”
“I was bruised and battered, I couldn’t tell what I felt
I was unrecognizable to myself”
“The Rising”
“There’s spirits above and behind me”
“American Skin”
“If an officer stops you promise me you’ll always be polite”
Dead Man Walking”
“Between our dreams and actions lies this world”
Susan, Mo had the right word; this is quite masterful! All these lines — from 14 different albums! — fit so well together. And on his birthday! You are, indeed, The Boss!
Susan,
these lyrics take me back. In high school a friend and I passed a notebook back and forth that we filled with Springsteen lyrics we’d memorized.
Love how you’ve stitched these together.
Springsteen made an appearance in my poem too.
Happy Birthday to the Boss!
Susan,
Springsteen’s songs definitely stand the test of time, and I love how you mashed them up. Especially like these two riveting lines: “The scars we carry remain but the pain slips away it seems/Between our dreams and actions lies this world.” This is a good reminder that dreams of a better world won’t come to frutition with out actions.
Happy birthday to the Boss! Lovely tribute, Susan. I love that you took so much time with this beauty. I was scrolling up from the bottom of the page, and I got to your references first. (I was first trying to make it the poem, haha!) What a list, though! Very impressive.
Once
When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look, but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown, the dream is gone
But
Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother
You’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’
And we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Hell,
Oh, Moody blue
Tell me am I gettin’ through
I keep hangin’ on
Try to learn the song
But I never do
Then
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind’s true liberation
Aquarius
But
You will not be able to stay home, brother
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and
Skip out for beer during commercials
Because the revolution will not be televised
The revolution will not be televised
The revolution will not be televised
Now
Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It’s Independence Day
Sadly,
Did you think we’d be fine?
Still got scars on my back from your knife
So don’t think it’s in the past
These kind of wounds they last and they last
Now did you think it all through?
All these things will catch up to you
And time can heal, but this won’t
So if you come in my way, just don’t
Oh, it’s so sad to think about the good times
You and I.
Still
I hold a memory of myself
Reflections of what I used to be
These broken roads that got me here
Can’t make it hard to face reality
But a new day is here
It’s time that I embrace it
Can’t wait another day
Right now I gotta face it
I never ever wanna press rewind
Never wanna go back in time
Not much glory
In that story but it’s mine so I’m
Loving who I am today
The past has past away
Finally I
Have forgiven me.
We love the same music, I see! Elvis, The Fifth Dimension, all the best. Your last line is such a strong e ding. I love it!
Wendy,
I love the story that unfolds in your poem from lost childhood dreams to forgiveness.
These powerful lines really stood out to me
“These kind of wounds they last and they last”
“I hold a memory of myself
Reflections of what I used to be”
Wow, Wendy! You had me with the Bee Gees!! I’m sure I danced to that album almost as much as I did the Jackson Five. This is a masterpiece!
🥰
Thanks for the inspiration, Tammi. My husband and I threw ourselves a borthday party this weekend, so I took a look at the birthday bash playlist I made and created this spine poem of song titles. Pretty sure I’ll write anpther one about the day after! 🤣
Happy Birthday to Us
By Mo Daley 9/23/24
Saturday Night’s Alright
My House
Come Together
Play That Funky Music
Start Me Up
You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Dancing in the Moonlight
I Can’t Help Myself
Don’t Bring Me Down
Don’t Stop
Night Moves
House of the Rising Sun
Closing Time
Just What I Needed
My Life
Mo,
I want to come to your parties! Sounds like you were groovin! Happy Belated Birthday to you both!
Mo,
love the combination of the lyrics mashup ans spine poem. I’ll have to try that too sometime soon!
Happy Birthday! Sounds like a fun time!
Mo,
Happy birthday to you and your hubby! How cool to have birthdays close. Your poem sounds as if you had a funky good time!! 🎉
Good Afternoon Tammi,
Thanks for the creative different (to me ) prompt. My inspiration is Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, the lead singer passed 2 weeks ago. I have touching moments of a few songs performed by this group from College through the present. Here’s my late afternoon entry.
Whenever my daughters come over or call
me, my soul cries out,
You make me happy, this you can bet.
When reflecting on my 30+ years of marriage
my hearts reminds me
you stood right beside me, and I won’t forget.
,
In tense moments, which thankfully occur
less frequently now that we’re older, my
cerebrum overthinks and says,
I can’t understand it, where did we
go wrong ??
Some conversations have ended with
We’ve hurtin’ each other
Girl, it’s a shame. I won’t be foolish, naw, naw
But at the end of the day, after space, prayer,
surrender. sleep, and phenomenal sisterfriends
We both say to one another
I won’t be foolish, no, no
Later, conversations are sweet, lovely, and
uplifting.
I won’t be foolish, no, no.
I think the sun rises and shines on you
You know there’s nothin’, nothin’, nothin’ I would not do
before I let you go.
We turn the page and continue living and loving.
Well, I had to look up this group. I like them! I aso really like how you looked at your family relationships theough the lens of music. I love your last two stanzas.
Seanna,
NPR just did a piece on Frankie Beverly’s legacy. I was unfamiliar with his music but since this is the second time he has come up recently, I listened to some of his music. It’s good stuff!
Love the way you integrated important moments in your life with his lyrics. Especially like this stanza:
“But at the end of the day, after space, prayer,
surrender. sleep, and phenomenal sisterfriends
We both say to one another
I won’t be foolish, no, no”
I think it emphasizes the importance of taking a breath and reflecting on what matters.
Our dearly departed Frankie is smiling down on you, Seana. This is not only a tribute to how much his songs have touched your (our) lives, but also it speaks to the power that music has when we go through life’s ups and downs.
Brilliant!
💃🏽Always remember, “We are one…”💃🏽
I LOVE this prompt. I recently got into the habit of writing down song lyrics that I love so even though I didn’t have much time to work on this one today, I had fun with it.
Your poem is powerful. I love these lines placed together– (fear taking the wheel- I love the image.)
I have held the hand of the devil
I have run
I have crawled
And I can’t help but ask myself
How much I’ll let the fear take the wheel and steer.
It’s just a shot away
Thank you!
Here is my attempt with credits to Led Zeppelin, U2, Willie Nelson, and the Eagles.
Burnt Memories
Crawling high hills of needle grass
I burned up my childhood days
Under a black belly of a cloud in the rain
Up the empty stairway
Never to find the room
Walking a tight white line
Walking a line
To your room
Someone I used to know, someone I used to be
Photos remember and sometimes lie
of Old worn-out memories
with no place to stay
Let this one stay so I can say, Last year at this time.
Some dance to remember
Some dance to forget
With you, without you,
Without you on my mind
Only this time let me
Hold you
Hold onto
The memory of you
Everything still turns to gold
If you listen very hard the tune will come to you at last.
Emily,
Great choices in artists. I especially love the mash up of these lines:
“Someone I used to know, someone I used to be/
Photos remember and sometimes lie.” Its’ true sometimes photos really do lie. We see what we want to see not always what is truth.
Emily, how did you make your poem so soulful? I love the combinations of lyrics and your words.
Emily, I love the imagery and movement of your poem. I can feel the sensory appeal of crawling hills of needle grass and visualize the empty stairway and white line. I adore your stanza: With you, without you,
“Without you on my mind
Only this time let me
Hold you
Hold onto
The memory of you”
So much emotion here! Love it!
Emily, what a beauty you’ve given us! It doesn’t seem at all like you didn’t have time. It is a poem that was ready to be written for us here. Thank you!
Hi, Tammi! What a fun prompt today. Thank you for your mentor poem (“What’s in your head?” is always a relevant question), helpful links to the lesson plans and other resources.
My poem draws on some of my favorite song lyrics: “Time after Time” by Bob Everhart, Cyndi Lauper, and Rob Hyman (1984); “I Turn to You” by Melanie C (1999) Album “Northern Star”; “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus (2009); and “Hold On” by Shawn Mendes (2016).
Turn to Me
When the sky turns gray and there’s no end in sight
Stop, take it in, and breathe for a minute.
If you’re lost, you can look and you will find me
Time after time
There’s always gonna be another mountain,
So hold on, hold on,
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
We’ll rise together, side by side
If you fall, I will catch you, I’ll be waiting—
You can turn to me (you can turn to me)
Like I turn to you
Time after time
Keep on moving, keep climbing
With you, I stand through the pain
I turn to you, you turn to me
Together, we’ll face the climb
For there’s so much life ahead of us
I love all the references to a couple drawing closer, the ‘you & I,’ the ‘we’- this poem exudes love and strength together, time after time, I mean, line after line. Love your song line choices!
Time after Time! This reminds me so much of my 80’s childhood. I love how you wrote the line, “We’ll rise together, side by side” and placed it before “If you fall, I will catch you..” This is a song in itself.
Leilya — Love that you incorporated Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” and love the hope and inspiration conveyed in your poem.
Leilya,
I feel your efforts are much more seamless than mine. They seem to be complementary, and outside of Cyndi’s lyrics, they don’t take on a melody that jumps out or fights against itself. I think I like the “I turn to you, you turn to me” the most of the lines. Who did that?
Leilya, wow, what a great title and motivational poem through these song lyrics. Loved “With you, I stand through the pain/I turn to you, you turn to me”. Isn’t that what a great partnership is all about. Stunning!
Tammi, thank you for your fun prompt today. I used to have a writing prompt similar to this one when I taught creative writing. The students always had a hoot pulling song lines together to create a poem. Today my poem is based on country songs mostly from the nineties, but some from other decades, too. All the lines are separate song titles. I’ll give credit to the artists after the poem.
Mama’s Broken Heart
come a little closer
long haired country boy
no one needs to know
lookin’ for love
a real good man
right on the money
play something country,
American honey,
I just want to dance with you
where I come from
somebody like you
should’ve been a cowboy
pour me
wine, beer, whiskey
tequila
please remember me
all my rowdy friends
the ride
red dirt road
speed
wide open spaces
why not me,
only want to be with you,
tonight the heartaches on me
Barb Edler
21 September 2024
Credits: Title, Miranda Lambert…Lines, Dierks Bently, Charlie Daniels, Shania Twain, Johnny Lee, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Lady A, George Strait, Montgomery Gentry, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Trick Pony, Little Big Town, Dan & Shay, Tim McGraw, Hank Williams, Jr., David Allan Coe, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Dixie Chicks, The Judds, Darius Rucker, Dixie Chicks.
Barb, this is brilliant! You crafted a poem just from the song title – I love each stanza, but this one made me smile and won my heart:
“where I come from
somebody like you
should’ve been a cowboy”
Thank you for this bouquet of songs in a poem!
This is so clever and has such a musical beat throughout, it should be a song of its own. Great mashup, Barb!
I love the title and how it tells us the story. I relate to this entire poem, especially the “please remember me all my rowdy friend the ride (on the red dirt road!) Love that.
Barb,
I feel like I could sing your poem and especially this stanza:
“play something country,
American honey,
I just want to dance with you.” — love it!
Barb, you’ve got all the best covered right here – – I love how you made a whole new country song, keeping to the genre for theme and style. It’s brilliant, and as I’ve read the poems today I think of all the whole gang on stage kind of like Band Aid did bringing them all out. It’s fabulous, all of it but this is my favorite:
where I come from
somebody like you
should’ve been a cowboy
yes, I can see the girl using that pickup line at the bar…..wow! A song AND a Hallmark Christmas movie all in one.
Barb,
Bravo. It is harder, certainly, when it is more structured with just the titles. I didn’t see the Nancy Sinatra, though. The first stanza is probably my favorite, it has some sultriness.
Barb, From the title on, I enjoyed every word. The last stanza is poignant, especially that last line.
I went way back to a song that guided me in high school, and the memory played on repeat like a scratched record. My mashup poem is stuck on this one song; I’ll be more adventurous another day. Thank you, Tammy! Wonderful prompt!
praise for the singing
this phrase, morning has broken
notice the newness, believe in change
is there a more gentle song spoken
mine is the sunlight, soothing the pain
like the first morning, a calling, a prayer
wrap me in hope, remind what is dear
the still small voice offers sweet care
like the first dewfall, cleansing and clear
mine is the morning, mine is the morning
Maureen, what a lovely poem. I can hear this song and enjoy how you established it with your opening line. The repetition at the end is wonderful! I feel the cleansing, the newness of morning and the need to have the pain soothed. Gorgeous through and through!
Oh, Maureen, this “wrap me in hope, remind what is dear” is such a cry for comfort. Beautiful!
Maureen,
This line spoke to me —
“notice the newness, believe in change” — powerful. We all need to believe in the power of change.
Also love your poem starts and ends with the morning as it emphasize the idea of starting new.
Tammi,
This is a warmed up leftover from my Creative Writing class. I had so much fun with it, I decided to pass it on.
DATE NIGHT
It was the summer of ‘69,
she was just 17, you know what I mean
and tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1999,
cause it’s five o’clock somewhere…
I’ve got your number, I need to make you mine
867-5309…
cause one is the loneliest number
that you’ll ever do.
I’ve got two tickets to paradise,
and I would walk 500 miles and
I would walk 500 more,
cause you’re the one that I want…
…cause you once, twice, three times a lady.
I love this, Rex! I knew most of them and sang along (in my head because, you know, I’m in class at the moment) and this really sped up (and slowed down) my reading, lol. Thanks for this medley!
Love your title, Rex, and the focus on numbers with this poetry mash up. I can feel the energy, and boy, do I hear these songs playing in my head. Fantastically fun poem!
Rex, surprisingly, I knew most of the lines you mention in your poem. You mashed them up quite skillfully, and as Barb, I noticed your focus on numbers. This is neat; we can actually ask our students to mash lines with a specific focus, message, or other purpose. My favorite lines are:
“I’ve got two tickets to paradise,
and I would walk 500 miles”
Thank you for sharing!
Ha! that “867-5309…” had me chuckling…wonderful storytelling through song lyrics!
So fun! You put these recognizable lines together perfectly!
Oh man, Rex! I’m singing some 80’s songs now and taking a trip down memory lane with each of your lines. Your poem really has me smiling!
This is so great, Rex!
Every song is recognizable and the focus on numbers is purely brilliant!
Rex,
I can hear each of the songs these lines come from. So fun. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Rex, so many catchy tunes making their way in your poem today. The numbers were a great idea for this prompt. I’m glad you thought of it and warmed it up for us! I love leftovers.
Hi Tammi, thank you for another prompt that has come around in just a time I needed. Music has always been way more important to the one I’m writing for today. It’s not that important in my life although I like it just fine. I looked back at the poem I wrote for Stacey’s prompt back in 2020: https://www.ethicalela.com/5of30verselove/ and started this poem for my brother there. I like how you color coded your lines, so I did something similar.
Angie, your poem is full of emotion and energy. I appreciated the repetition of “Enough is enough” and the desire to keep someone from doing something you don’t want them to do. Powerful mash up!
Angie,
Your lyric arrangement is really powerful. I feel the pain, longing simpler days of childhood and the building stress. The formatting works really well to convey the emotions, too.
Angie, the lyrics are powerful, and I’ll be thinking of your brother long after I read this poem.
Tammi, thank you for this music mashup idea. Thanks for the shoutout about my chapter in Words That Mend, shared with Stacey Joy for her beautiful lyrical prompt that touched me so much. The title of your poem is such an invitation to read in a new way, “What’s in our Heads?”
It was fun to spend a little time with some songs that have been meaningful to me over the decades. I will definitely come back to this when I have more time to spend with it because songs are such a powerful foundation for our memories. For today, here’s a short poem with these three songs in order of appearance:
Simon and Garfunkel “Sounds of Silence” 1964
Bob Bennett “Mountain Cathedrals” 1982
Sara Bareilles “Once Upon Another Time” 2012
———————————————————–
In restless dreams, I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
With steeples rising high
And altars made of evergreen
And windows made of sky
And where I was is beautiful
Because I was free
This is beautiful. I love the ending. I’ve been doing this with my students and they are loving it.
Denise, I want to be in the “altars made of evergreen/and windows made of sky”. What a wonderful blend of song lines. Your ending is jaw-dropping and provides the perfect close that makes me want to say, “Heck, yes!” Truly gorgeous poem!
Denise,
Love the vivid images in these lines —
“With steeples rising high/And altars made of evergreen/And windows made of sky” and the way these lyrics convey a sense of peace.
Thank you for your beautiful poem.
Denise, I love the transition. It made me feel like a move from a little town in the Bavarian Alps where you would walk right out into the tree line. It captures a tie to the pristine.
This is so beautiful! It doesn’t sound like a mash-up; it sounds like original lovely verse.
These lines sound perfect:
Hi Tammi, here’s my interpretation of the prompt, based on the songs “You are my Sunshine” and “Lean on Me”
When the sun breaks through the dawn
In the early morning,
I look to you and speak so softly.
“You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.”
The light is bright,
It warms my face,
My soul rests and feels content
“You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.”
But then the clouds begin to gather.
They block the sun,
My countenance falls.
I look to you
“Lean on me” you tell me calmly
“I’ll help you carry on”
This is beautiful, Leah. I love the clear shift and the reciprocity expressed through the poem.
Oh, how I love seeing these wonderful lyrics mashed up into a new and wonderful poem filled with caring.
Leah,
Your song choices stir warm memories in my heart of my grandmother singing “You are my sunshine.” And your final line —“I’ll help you carry on” — really brings it home and conveys what love.
Leah, I love the reveal of your second song — “Lean on Me” — as the voice of the “you” in your poem. Thank you for crafting and sharing this!
Leah, I love what you did with these lyrics. The conversation between you and the sun is precious and warming in more ways than one! Beautiful.
Leah,
This is great! It’s a sort of blues poem, with the repeated phrase at the end of the first two stanzas and the turn in the third. I really love that shift and the affirmation of love at the end. So good!
Tammi, with poetic license, 🙂 I use the “decade” as the number ten and chose titles from the top ten songs written and recorded by Bill Withers (1938-2020). The song titles and lyrics are in bold font. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Withers)
Bill Withers’ Songs Speak To and For Me
“Use Me” don’t refuse
To lend a helping hand.
“Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone”
Well, not every day. But, each day
Remembering “Grandma’s Hands”
Evokes warmth and veneration.
What she taught spans many generations.
“The Same Love That Made Me Laugh”
Also made me cry
When we had to say “goodbye”
“Harlem” is such a blessing
It harbors and displays
So many of the ways
Our people taught us lessons
When we visit theaters and museums
Ancient photos and vibrant modern art
“Who Is He “And What Is He to You?”
We then have the task to research
To learn and share with you, too.
“Just the Two of Us”
Could be me and him
Or us and them
When two groups get together
Our unity helps us weather
What every storms rumble along
“Lean on Me” When you’re not strong
I’ll be your friend I’ll help you carry on’
Don’t worry, my dear when things go wrong
Together we’ll make it. Together we’re strong.
“I Wish You Well”
We never can tell
When we will meet again
When we do, it’ll be “A Lovely Day”
‘Cause that’s the way we play
Hi Anna,
Your contribution was so enjoyable to read! It has a distinct personal touch and voice. The imagery used ( “Ancient photos and vibrant modern art”) takes me right into the poem. I also like how you used multiple songs and strung them throughout the poem.
You embedded the lyrics into your own poem brilliantly, Anna. It flows so well and such great songs!
“When two groups get together
Our unity helps us weather
What every storms rumble along”
I feel this is the theme of your poem. Like this group of writers, our unity helps us weather. Thanks for being there.
Anna — I love the direction you took with your poem and the way you wove in your powerful message of unity.
Love this —
“Don’t worry, my dear when things go wrong
Together we’ll make it. Together we’re strong”
Oh this is a fun exercise, Tammi. I picked 3 songs that have given me strength. Taking it All Back by Tauren Wells, Hold On to Me by Lauren Daigle and Chain Breaker by Zach Williams.
Taking Back What was Stolen
Fears got me living with the lights out,
Chained down like a prisoner in my own house.
When I miss the light, the night has stolen,
When I’m slammin’ all the doors You’ve opened.
I’m taking back what the enemy stole.
We’ve all searched for the light of day
In the dead of night.
We’ve all found ourselves worn out
From the same old fight.
I’m taking back what the enemy stole.
Shame cycles like a daily medication,
I try but I can’t change my situation.
When I don’t feel like I’m worth defending,
When I’m tired of all my pretending.
I’m taking back what the enemy stole.
We’ve all searched for the light of day
In the dead of night,
We’ve all found ourselves worn out
From the same old fight.
I’m taking back what the enemy stole
I’m calling the angels down.
I’m storming the gates of hell,
Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see you,
When I am sure I have reached the end.
I’m taking back what the enemy stole.
Hi Joanne,
I love that songs that you’ve chosen! They are some of my favorites, too. The consistently reception of the line “I’m taking back what the enemy stole” truly enhances the meaning of the poem and ties together the themes for the three songs well.
Joanne,
I found these lines really powerful:
“I try but I can’t change my situation.
When I don’t feel like I’m worth defending,
When I’m tired of all my pretending.”
I feel like many people defeated at some point in their lives, like they can’t change the hand they have been dealt. Your choice of repeating “I’m taking back what the enemy stole” — works well to juxtapose the feeling of defeat with that of strength and control, and ultimately, success.
This was a fun exercise. Kind of like a found poem with song lyrics. I used “You Matter to Me” by Sara Bareilles, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, and “Both Sides Now.” It came out as a love song for my husband (or my children, grandchildren).
How can I Be a Love Song?
Bluebirds fly
and you matter to me,
simple and plain.
The dizzy, dancing way that I feel
when you say, “I love you.”
right out loud.
Why, oh why can’t I?
It’s not much to ask from somebody.
I come out of hiding.
I’m right here beside you
living every day.
I love your opening stanza. It is so direct and to the point. It’s written in such a matter-of-fact way that portrays such meaning, all the while staying true to the lyrics.
Sweet! Another good poem with good questions. I seem to be noticing the questions lately.
Margaret,
Your song lyrics come together beautifully as a lullaby. Love the last lines — “I come out of hiding/I’m right here beside you/living every day”
Margaret, I love Over the Rainbow and how you have put a new spin on an old classic.
Oh, Margaret, what a beautiful mash up. I’m going to listen to Sara Bareilles’ song now, as I used one of hers, but I don’t know any but the one I used. I love that you wrote this as a family love song.
Love Songs?
I would walk 500 miles.
And I would walk five hundred more.
Just to be the man who walked
A thousand miles to fall down at
Your door.
Is an Uber an option, though? Or Lyft?
Or maybe a train? I would totally
take a train. A thousand miles
is like walking to Houston, Texas.
That’ll take a while and I’m not
sure that you would even
appreciate me showing up and
collapsing out of exhaustion
at your door.
If the sun refused to shine
I would still be loving you
But not for too long because
that is, uh, like, an extinction
level event, right? We’d have
like 8 minutes and 20 seconds
before we’d realize that the sun
stopped shining, so, yeah, then
we’d be plunged into darkness
and mass chaos would ensue.
If mountains crumble to the sea
There will still be you and me
Again, sure, we’d still be together
(if I were able to make the 1,000
mile trip and the sun still hadn’t
extinguished yet) but we don’t
live at the highest elevation,
so, with the rising oceans
and tsunamis, I’m not sure
how long we’d actually have
but, yep, sure, we’d be together
and in love and that’s all that matters
(for roughly nine minutes).
_____________________________________________
Thank you, Tammi, for your mentor poems and your prompt! I knew all of your songs, so I was able to hear them throughout, lol. So, thank you for that! For my offering, I explored just a bit of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)“ by The Proclaimers and “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin. This was fun!
Scott, this poem is genius! I can imagine you having this conversation with your partner. Reminds me that, in my daughter’s vow to her husband, she said she would never move to Houston. “Don’t ever make me move to Houston.” Being together is really all that matters!
Hi Scott,
Your interpretation of this prompt is almost conversational, and that give it a very unique feel. The juxtaposition of the song lyrics and your response is interesting to read, and your voice shines through strongly in the prose. The last stanza really summarizes the whole point of the poem in a short and humorous way. Your contribution was very enjoyable to read!
Scott — Love, love, love this! Your commentary made me chuckle especially your questions “Is Uber an option, though? Or Lyft? Or maybe a train? I would totally
take a train.” — I agree a trains the way to go! Thank you for you fun poem!
Scott,
Thanks for the playfulness of your efforts. I get the feel of a romcom movie where a dialogue between characters takes place…or maybe a little like Loudermilk. It is marked with refreshing cynicism, and I always love the parenthesis use.
Yet another skillful creation by you, Scott.
Scott, so fun! I love your Scottian commentary on the “love” songs that you used. Did you share it with your lovely wife yet?
Genius!! I laughed so hard!
Teacher-‘PoetFriends,
I just wanted to apologize. I didn’t realize my posted document had my poem duplicated. Didn’t mean to be obnoxious and blast my poem at you twice.
Looking forward to reading everyone’s poems today!
Ah, Tammi, it was great to see the color-coded poem as well as be able to read it! Twice is twice as nice. Thanks for hosting today.
Tammi, how fun! I’m going to try to come back to this later. If anyone has a prompt for dealing with the aftermath of a dog whose face was sprayed by a skunk, the morning after your hot water tank stops functioning, two weeks after your central AC dies when it’s still hella hot outside, please share. I’m done.
Jennifer, so sorry to hear about all of your troubles. I don’t have any prompts for your situation, just want to send kind thoughts your way. Hang in there 🤗
Life does this sometimes and we just have to scream “Really?” I hope the day gets better or at the very least, not so bad. It was good to see you last night. You were an excellent leader while I was blubbering the whole time.
Tammi, there is no better way to begin a Monday that with good mash-up fun! Thank you for bringing us a creative prompt today and for taking us back to the good old days. The song remember when, or so they say and sing. Thanks for investing in us as writers – we’ll be groovin’ through the day for sure!
When the Moon is in the Seventh House
do you…..YOU….
feel like I do?
would you like to swing on a star,
carry moonbeams home in a jar?
could I have this dance
for the rest of my life?
if it all fell to pieces tomorrow
would you still be mine?
where have all the
cowboys gone?
where have all the flowers gone?
are you going to San Francisco?
do you want to know a secret?
do you promise not to tell?
{{this is the dawning of the
age of Aquarius}}
Kim,
Yes, today we will be groovin! I’m already singing this morning!
I love the rhythm and rhyme of your chosen lyrics lines in the first stanza:
“do you…..YOU….
feel like I do?
would you like to swing on a star,
carry moonbeams home in a jar?
could I have this dance
for the rest of my life?”
The age of Aquarius! That song blared in my childhood home after my parents fell in love with the musical “Hair.” Thanks for that nice memory.
Kim, wow, I love how you pulled this all together. I could hear the lyrics through every line and the beauty they create. The question lines were particularly well timed, and I love the parentheses at the end. Terrific poem!
Yes, Kim. I’d like to carry moonbeams home in a jar. When a kid, I thought I was doing that when we captured fireflies in a jar. Yes, we punche holes in the id so they could breathe. Then we released them the next morning,
Tammi,
I adore a good mash-up challenge. These lines are great in your poem, “It’s the same old theme since 1916/
What’s in your head, in your head?” They warm my history teacher heart.
I took a boatload of sappy lines and words from:
Good Morning Star Shine by Oliver
Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
Memories by Maroon Five
You’ve Got a Friend by James Taylor and,
August by Taylor Swift
When
When you were livin’
like an ember
lighting up the December
of my skies
I believed in hope
of spring and summer
and that everything
would stay the same
without a fall
without winter
losing the memories
of us
of all
even the memory
of your name.
Linda, I read this and think about how those artists would share a stage and sing their lines together in a new tune, and it’s like I have a front row ticket to the most creative concert in the history of musical performance. That last line……it lingers and haunts, but add a Taylor way and it puts the best spin of all on it.
Linda,
I love the progression of your poem from hope to sadness and those those last few lines – “losing the memories/ of us/of all/even the memory/of your name” – so powerful.
Thanks, Linda. I can’t help but think of my mother who does not remember my name anymore. We are in the fall.
Tammi
I followed your link to the Song Generator, and then played with that with themes of maps and mountains, and then took part of the lyrics that Song Generator made, did some editing, and then put it into Suno, an AI Music/Song Generator.
https://suno.com/song/bc9020f6-ac3b-4e45-8dbf-77bb03a6d6f6
Here are the first two verses of lyrics:
Feeling like a map
Longitude and lines
Time between us growing
Inside the grid we shine
Mark me on your chart
Attitude in place
Latitude and heart
Descending without trace
…
My head is nodding in rhythm as I listen …
Kevin
Very cool! I love the rhythm and rhyme of this…longitude and lines.Time between us growing is great!
Kevin, what a blast! I learned about Suno two weeks ago and have had such fun using it to write songs. One was for my brother’s extended family as they watched the Georgia game two weeks ago as they sipped on a little bourbon (I’m a Carolina Gamecock, so I was over in the corner making country music without any bourbon), and the other was for my grandchildren (using their names) as they sampled fried gator tail at a seafood restaurant on the SC coast. I love how you used it here and included the song for us to hear. This is mind-blowing technology, and with your deep love of music I see how you can use it creatively and still swap out pieces to make it uniquely Kevin.
Kevin,
This is really cool! I’m nodding, too. Love the metaphor of time as a map. Thanks for including link!
I love the first two lines. There’s a Naomi Shihab Nye simple poem about tearing a map and putting it back together to be closer to each other.
I love the use of metaphor in your contribution. It is short and to the point, but also complex with the unique description of the map and the relationship
Kevin, your lines
“Time between us growing
Inside th grid we shine”
brings to mind my adult children. When we’re apart, we seem s distant, but just the opposite when we gather at holiday times.
Thanksfor the musica reminder.