Snow fell here in Wellington both yesterday and again today. We are so unused to this that the neighbours were out with cameras this morning shooting the strange white stuff falling in our streets.
I thought then to try my hand at an Etheree * but then just started to write and what I ended up with was my own form of writing.
One word on the first line, two on the second, three on the third until the tenth line has ten words. Have I discovered a new form of poetry or is this just something from my head? In any event I enjoyed this challenge. So,
Snow
gently falling
from leaden sky
and finding places where
no snow has been before.
Now all is covered in white and
looks new and quite strange and different
And while it lasts it brings strange shapes
to this familiar world now changed for a while
Until it melts and all returns to normal once again.
Actually, I like the shape of this and whether it is a recognised form or not, I think I shall continue to use it.
Postscript – after publishing the post I found this site that talks about ten lines of poetry.
*The basic etheree form has ten lines, the first consisting of exactly one syllable, the second line of two syllables, and so on until the last line’s ten syllables. An etheree can also be reversed, starting with ten syllables and ending with one.
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I choose how I will spend the rest of my life 
I like the style, recognized officially or not! Burrr! Keep warm!
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Thanks Tracy. Poetry writing is a new form of art for me so I am trying my hand at it. After publishing the post I thought to look for anything on 10 lines of poetry and found this site – http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/decastich.html.
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I like the form of this as well. I don’t know if it is a traditional form or not, but who cares. I think it turned out perfect, although I’m very thrown by the idea that it snowed in Brooklyn in August.
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Ah but Lisa, that’s the trick. It’s Brooklyn in Wellington New Zealand and it is winter here. After publishing the post I searched for ten line poetry and found that it is called a Decastich. Here’s the link to the site – http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/decastich.html. Thanks for the comment.
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LOL, that will teach me to not look more closely before I comment. I hope to get to New Zealand someday. I have a good friend who lives there.
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If I do poetry I craft with syllabic count say 10 per lie or 12 per line and so forth. It takes a lot of redoing and word selection. Sometimes it does not work because words that have the precise meaning may not have the syllabic count to fit in. To manufacture a dozen or more line piece takes some time. I look at your snow pictures and say what the…? Then I remember from my bloggers in Australia and South Africa are having winter as we on top in the correct place on the planet are having summer. It has been the hottest and driest in decades.
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Yup – winter here and we have an icy arctic blast over the whole country. I don’t ever remember seeing snow lying on the ground in Wellington – we have a temperate climate for heaven’s sake.
I decided to try my hand a a poem and it came really easily once I decided on the 10 line idea.
i am not going to enter into an argument about which is the correct place on our planet, but boy am I looking forward to spring. Officially it begins on September 1 but who knows…
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Funny you posted this today, Judith. I just finished the post I am publishing tomorrow (well, your today), and I wrote an etheree. I also wrote other forms of poems.
Your post is lovely. The snow falling sounds like a wonderful and refreshing break from the summer heat we are having on this side of the equator.
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Can you please send us some of your warmth. I have just been out and the temperature outside (according to that clever thing in the car) is 6 degrees that’s about 42 degrees F. Wow that’s cold!
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Like Lisa (Woman Wielding Words), you got me with the snow in August! I’m not sure I can get my head around that just yet – probably because I’m still trying to get my head around geography at 50 … and math. Somethings just don’t improve with age.
The poem is lovely!
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That was a real problem all those years ago – my small daughter asking when it was going to snow in December. That’s high summer here.
And thanks for the comment on the poem. Poetry writing apart from doggerel to celebrate a friends wedding, event or celebration is very new to me.
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Our Poet Laureate has been inspired again !!
Judith , me thinks it is all things of mountains.. and snow …and friendships ….and excessive enjoyments….. and adventures …..that propergate such musings or are you lying in the bath again ???(this time to defrost)!!!!
MisElaneous (not Anon)
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Hello MisElaneous and thanks for the comment.
The idea of a poem just happened after I took the photos and yes, you are probably right about what propagates this. Unfortunately, no the bath has gone so I just have to sit at the computer to muse.
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Snow, eh?? Washington State may not be far behind. With the strange weather patterns lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if we dived straight into winter soon. Hope you’re enjoying the little diversion – I, for one, am not quite ready to entertain that notion.
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Well, I got Lotte all dressed for her walk, rainproof coat and all and she took one look outside the door and planted all four little feet and refused to budge. So it’s back to the fire and the computer for me.
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You must be feeling the difference in temperature now that you are back from Costa Rica. Hope all went well there. 🙂
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The poem is really very lovely and the snow looks amazing. I’ll send you some heat – we have plenty here – 45 degrees and high high humidity – yuck! Still, only a month of crappy summer to go and things should start easing up.
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Yes p[lease, please send some of your heat. Still only a few weeks here until the official start of spring September 1, but I have my doubts.
I had thought that I was subscribed to your blog but haven’t seen any posts recently so have re-signed today. Look forward to catching up with what you are doing in Dubai. 🙂
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What a lovely surprise, from my little sister. I’m not familiar with etheree, or any 10 or 12 line poems .. I’m verrrry impressed, but then I’ve always known my sister is talented.
God bless, Christine
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Thanks for the comment big sister. i have tried writing poetry before but it has only been doggerel until I wrote that earlier one on this woman I am becoming – https://growingyoungereachday.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/this-woman-i-am-becoming/.
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The poem is lovely and described the moment so clearly. Isn’t snow wonderful when it’s a rare thing? Even when it’s not! My children in Boston still love the first snowfall. After that, it gets a little tiresome for them. After seeing your pictures, I’m going to enjoy this warm weather while it lasts because I know our autumn is fast approaching.
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Thanks Susan. I enjoyed writing it. And yes the snow is lovely when one is inside in the warm, not when one is trapped in the car as has been the case during the night in some parts of the country.
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I didn’t realize that you live in Brooklyn, too! 🙂
Do you say Brooklyn, Wellington? Is it a suburb of Wellington, or its own city? Either way, we Brooklynites must stick together.
Here of course Brooklyn is one of the boroughs of New York City. (Brooklyn was an independent city originally then joined to become part of New York City.)
That is a lovely poem. I like the format as well. There must be something in the air. I’ve written a few poems for the first time in my life recently.
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Hello Jacquelin. Brooklyn is a suburb in Wellington. It is one of the older ones being very close to the central city. It’s full of old houses and some newer ones, but has a character of its own.
Snow is causing chaos here today. Road closed, schools closed we are just not prepared for this weather.
I have tried a couple of poems now and think I shall try my hand at some more. Did you see Val’s challenge – http://absurdoldbird.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/my-challenge-to-you/? That’s what set me off.
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Pretty poem and lovely style.
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Thanks – I am going to try to write an etheree but that will take rather more concentration on my part.
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I liked your poem, too. Your plants look pretty with a dusting of frosting. I hope they aren’t harmed by it. Snow doesn’t look so bad on your side of the planet. Poor Lotte. I hope spring isn’t too far away.
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Yes it all looked lovely from inside my warm little house. But some areas of Wellington are not faring very well. Because we haven’t had snow like this in Wellington since 1939 apparently, we are totally unprepared for it. Roads are closed, schools are closed and people living in some suburbs are being urged to stay home. A bit chaotic.
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We have just been
told that were going to have thunderstorms,rain and generally bad weather, although snow has not been predicted here. Oh I forgot to mention its offically SUMMER here. Well we have had a couple of warm days. Love the poetry big Sister I am very impressed. Love you X
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had thunder and lightning yesterday even through the snow storm. Very strange.
Thanks for the comment on the poem. It was fun to write.
Love you too small sister. 🙂
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I do like your poem very much! Many years ago I tried my hand at poetry, but it was a forced thing and it showed. Now I stick with what I like best.
Snow—Oh, I could tell you about snow, Judith…We certainly get our share in Nova Scotia’s, and everyone else’s. I imagine, for you, it was quite a shock!
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Thank you Laura. I think I have found something I can do. Both of my recent poems just came to me. Certainly they were prompted, one by Val Erde’s challenge http://absurdoldbird.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/my-challenge-to-you/ and the second by the snow. If you are interested the one I wrote for the challenge was posted on July 31.
So where are you Laura? I lived in both Scotland and Montreal and saw more snow than any woman ever wants to. Snow is very unusual here and chaos ensues.
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You continue to amaze me Dear Friend. Different skills continually bubble to the surface and your impressive way with words has found a new home in the world of poetry. Stick with it Kid – you are good.
When are you and Lotte coming to visit Cambridge? We miss you.
Much luv
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Thanks Dear Friend. I am really enjoying this poetry business but as i said to Laura above, the two poems were prompted by Val Erde’s challenge and then yesterday’s snow. Now I shall have to wait for another prompt for the muse to appear. And I will contact you re Cambridge visit. Luv 🙂
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Nice to see the snow as I sit here in our (finally) cooler weather. It is currently 89* has been around 100* for weeks.
I like your poem, I like the way it looks and the construction and the thought. Hope you do more.
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Thanks Patricia. As I have said I’m very new to writing poetry and am now looking for another prompt so that the muse will come out of hiding again.
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It’s very good Judith, and I look forward to when New Zealand gets Spring and Summer and you do a warm-weather Etheree! 🙂
I can’t remember but have you seen Priya’s Etherees? They’re well worth a look. 🙂 You’ll have to look for them as she doesn’t only post poetry, but her blog is at: http://partialview.wordpress.com/
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Thanks Val. Still finding my feet but I will try an etheree soon. And yes, I have looked at Priya’s blog and I am very impressed. I keep going back for more.
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There you go…. you didn’t know that ancient poet who inhabited you soul was visiting again… I love your etheree. 🙂
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And didn’t you know he visited again today. Thanks Elizabeth for reading and commenting as always. 🙂
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