Tumble Down Poetry

Tumble Down Poetry with Andy Schoenborn

Welcome to Day 14 of Verselove. We are so happy you are here, however you choose to be present. If you know what to do, carry on; if you are not sure, begin by reading the inspiration and mentor poem, then scroll to the comment section to post your poem. Please respond to at least three other poets in celebration of words, phrases, ideas, and craft that speak to you. Click here for more information on the Verselove.

Andy Schoenborn is an award-winning author and high school English teacher in Michigan at Clare Public Schools. He focuses his work on progressive literacy methods including student-centered critical thinking, digital collaboration, and professional development. He is a past-president of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English, Vice President for the Michigan Reading Association, and Teacher Consultant for the Chippewa River Writing Project. His first book, co-authored with Dr. Troy Hicks, Creating Confident Writers was published in 2020. Follow him on Twitter @aschoenborn.

Inspiration

I believe a poem rests in wait within each of us. And, yet, for many words are elusive and poems seem out of reach. Oftentimes writers put too much pressure on themselves to find the perfect words or capture the perfect mood. 

For the small spaces they occupy, poems can cause writers to freeze. To break a poem free try writing a paragraph or two of prose and, then, watch a poem tumble down with this process.

You may just find a poem you didn’t expect to write!

Process

First, begin with a prompt. Anything will work, but for today let’s write about shoes. Please take three minutes and write in prose about a pair of shoes that you’ll never forget.

Like this:

I bought my first pair of Vans when I was seventeen. They were white-toed and gray with a fresh white wave of leather accenting the sides. Though I was no skater, I had hair long enough for girls to run their fingers through and shoes that were a ready-made canvas for expression. In my room, at friends’ homes, on the street, in the park and, even, during school assemblies I would draw, write, and create designs to make these Vans uniquely mine. Checkering the toe like a chess board helped to pass the time. Writing “RESIST” next to a clenched fist on the heel created conversation – so did the heart-shape I colored red. Lettering the sides with the names of Nirvana, RATM, and Dre. Quoting from Kerouac I thought, “One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” When I was seventeen, I wore my identity on my shoes. My first pair of Vans transformed me as much as they transported me into the unknown of adulthood where the future was as elusive as my dreams.

Once your paragraph is written, look for naturally occurring repetition, alliteration, striking images, and moments of emphasis fit for enjambments. 

Then play with the structure and form as a poem tumbles down the page.

Andy’s Poem

My First Pair of Vans by Andy Schoenborn

I bought my first pair of Vans
when I was seventeen.

They were white-toed and gray
with a fresh white wave
of leather accenting the sides.

Though I was no skater,

I had hair long enough
for girls to run their fingers through
and shoes that were a ready-made
canvas for expression.

In my room,
at friends’ homes,
on the street,
in the park and, even,
during school assemblies
I would draw,
          write, and
                      create designs
to make these Vans
uniquely mine.

Checkering
            the toe like a chess board helped to pass the time.
Writing
       “RESIST” next to a clenched fist on the heel created conversation
                       – so did the heart-shape I colored red.
Lettering
         the sides with the names of Nirvana, RATM, and Dre.

Quoting Kerouac I thought,
         “One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple”

When I was seventeen,
I wore my identity on my shoes.

My first pair of Vans transformed me
as much as they transported me
into the unknown of adulthood
where the future was as elusive
as my dreams.

Your Turn

Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may 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. 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.

Also, in the spirit of reciprocity, please respond to at least three other poets today.