This piece is inspired by Heidi Mordhorst, “See Saw” from  page 97 Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s Poems are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres. Heidi’s poem is an invitation to Weave Back and Forth to Compare and Contrast.

 

The poem has notable features to include a two-column structure; alliteration; the use of em dashes to create a longer pause and parallel end lines that follow a natural rhyme scheme.

 

The structure and set up of Heidi’s poem lends itself nicely to the tension between “soot” and “spit,” so let’s see what a poem might look like here:

 

“Soot. Spit.”

 

The ash

in mounds–

I sift so as to find

                                               the spit

                                               in my mouth–

                                               is silenced by my mind

 

the ash

is dark–

and stains my fingers

                                              the spit

                                              is damp–

                                              but the silence lingers

this is

what remains

                                               this is would be words

 

the soot is dry

                                               the spit is moist

 

what I draw

is what I see

                                              and this spit

                                              seals my story

 

 

soot

is what I saw

                                             spit

                                             what I couldn’t say

 

they

marry,

and earth and man

bear me.