105 Ways to Give a Book

Poetry Friday: Book Title Cento Challenge

Earlier this week, like right after the ALA awards, Chasing Ray asked book bloggers what they were looking forward to reading this year. Most of the participants put forth the 2008 titles they were craving, but I didn’t have any to mention. See, it will take me the next two months to catch up on the 2007 titles I missed, either because I hadn’t heard of them yet or because my library hadn’t received them yet. I do have a list and it’s over fifty titles long — which seems a tad ambitious for two months of reading. Why post a full list that will certainly only end in disappointment?

Later in my blog traveling, I found a poetry challenge over at Miss Rumphius Effect — namely to turn book titles into a modified cento. While that still might have been too much for me to handle, as it turns out I had to work yesterday at the library during an all-day “wintery mix” weather event. You know how many people chose to come to the library in the DC area during a mix of snow, sleet and rain that lasts all day? Not many. Not many at all. So I had time at the desk — boy, did I have time — to offer up a cento of some of the 2007 titles I’m planning to read. Enjoy.
Here at the mysterious edge
of the heroic world.
There is no talking.
It is still.
Just grace and serenity rule.
Search the Book of a Hundred Truths
for the way of water, or paint the wind
in colorful strokes,
or try to catch a mermaid
in the sea.
Step into the Garden of Eve,
carnation, lily, lily, rose
at your feet.
The leading ladies, the wild girls,
are at home
in this parade of shadows.
With a leap of faith
you can be too.
Here are the titles: The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World; No Talking; Still Just Grace; The Book of a Hundred Truths; The Way of Water; Paint the Wind; To Catch a Mermaid; The Garden of Eve; Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose; The Leading Ladies; The Wild Girls; In this Parade of Shadows; Leap of Faith.

The Poetry Friday round-up is over at Farm School today.

14 comments:

Libby said...

oh, lovely! (I especially liked the way you broke Still Just Grace across two lines.) Lots of those books are on my list as well...

Jules at 7-Imp said...

Very nice. Cyber high five for that creation.

Jules, 7-Imp

Andromeda Jazmon said...

I love this! It is its own poem even without knowing it came from book titles - BRAVO! I am with you on still hoping to read 2007 books too. I will never catch up. I'll make my 2008 list some time next January, God willing.

Tricia said...

Lovely, lovely, lovely. What a great poem, not to mention a fab TBR list.
One teeny note - you've just written a cento (no r)!
Glad you joined us!

MotherReader said...

And Tricia, that is why we tell our young people that spell-check can't do everything. Long live the Dictionary! (and helpful friends to point out your errors.)

Erin said...

SO cool! I love it.

Anonymous said...

Brava! *applauds*

Jen Robinson said...

That is very cool! Excellent work. I hope that you find time for the books.

Jennie said...

Very nice!

We were surprisingly busy yesterday. I don't know what people were thinking, coming to the library in such weather!

jama said...

I agree with cloudscome. This reads so well, it doesn't sound like a "list." Bravo!!

Becky said...

This is terrific. I've loved reading the various results today -- each has been unique.

Little Willow said...

Very nicely done.

I have a backlist that's super long.

Sara said...

Wouldn't it be cool if you could post your poem at the library? You might start a cento revolution. :)

Very good use of a rainy day...

laurasalas said...

Excellent!