The last poem of last year: a collaborative effort

In Vancouver, my pal Lance La Rocque invited me over for a small New Year's Eve gathering at his sister's place. Just me, Lance, Lance's sis, and Lance's sis's friend. Conversation eventually turned to poetry — Lance's poetry, actually — and Darci and Denien expressed some befuddlement about the stuff.

So I suggested we write a collaborative poem, so they could get a feel for what it is to write a poem, what degree of intention might enter into it, and so forth. After a little bit of hesitation, we got going, and it was a blast. Sort of like a crazy four-way chess match. I wouldn't have imagined spending a New Year's Eve that way, and I'm certain Darci and Denien — who were excellent sports — sure never did.

Here is the untitled poem that resulted. I like it a lot.

Misunderstanding darkness
in spiritual fires
light watermelons need
fresh clouds, sputtering alive
wriggling puffs of life
hook and later independent
corn thrashing gently against
warm skin, moulding me
like a five-pin leg-brace
crashing gently, wearing
condoms flowering past
gyrations of petals.

Pelicans need fun; children
filter around the water
fountain, analytically genitals
blooming. Foamy creamy
speech.


Denien Ford/Darci LaRocque/Lance La Rocque/Stuart Ross
December 31, 2007