Bad Poems

I was having a hard time writing, so I gave myself permission to write bad poems. This is a poem about bad poems!

Bad Poems

Are everywhere, sticking their 

noses in where they don't belong,

tortoiseshell Maine coon cats,

ready to pounce

Bad Poems

In the alley

by the dumpster,

where it's dank, dark and dirty.

They feed on wilted lettuce,

rotten bananas, orange rinds,

chicken bones.

Bad Poems

Hang out by the docks,

drinking each other under the table,

shots of tequila,

iArriba, iAbajo, iAcentro, iPadentro!

lick the briny salt, and suck the tart lime.

Bad Poems

Fly through the air,

slicing through the clouds

heavy with rain, like Olympic

swimmers, doing the breast stroke,

in record time.

Bad Poems

Hang out at the library,

cosying up to the great poets,

Dickinson

and Whitman,

lounging on shelves in the stacks

taking selfies.

Bad Poems

Sit on a blank 

piece of collage ruled

paper,

in a spiral bound notebook,

coffee stains on the page,

doodling in the margins.

But the worst poem,

the absolutely worst,

is the poem that hovers,

just out of reach,

the words falling from the pages

altogether.

Reviews

[Mauricio Montoya]

sometimes I wonder if there such a thing as bad poetry, hey many write what comes from heart, you write what you feel and that can't be bad. thank you for sharing

[NormaZ]

Thanks for your review Mauricio!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Well, yes, the poem that hovers just out of reach. The one that could turn from a bad poem, to an almost poem, to a good poem.
I really like the tortoiseshell cat part....I was reading this and Looked at Hank..she is a torti.
But not a bad poem.
I remember Plath saying she could write her own bad metaphors...maybe she was in the library with Emily, Walt and the bad poems.
Love this.
j.

[NormaZ]

Thank you J!

[Relic]

I've got a long streak of hit and miss. I looked through a hard drive the other day at some old poems. I can honestly say there are some real stinkers on that thing. :) I enjoyed this. It's creative and shows instead of tells.

[NormaZ]

I guess we all have some bad poems hanging around! Thanks for your review.

[Ken e Bujold]

Norma, my first read of your work, and quite impressed. Title caught my attention, poem delivered. I was reminded that for the serious-minded writers, there are no truly bad poems, just pages not yet brought to heel.
Your poem is a superb example of what magic there is in words when shifted and shaved by a creative pen intent on harvesting a thought. Definitely be back to read more

ken

[NormaZ]

Thank you for your kind review Ken!

[Cherrie Palmer]

Bad poems are like bad hair days. They just happen and all we can do is grab a hat.
Your poem is fun and creative.

[NormaZ]

Ha, ha, bad hair days for sure! I’m glad you liked it, thanks for the review.

[Cherrie Palmer]

Most of the time I'm one and done, but sometimes I pick over ea hours word like it's a flyaway hair.