by Ashley Lister
Happy New Year everyone. I’m genuinely hoping that 2017 will
be a year when we can all find the happiness and love that seemed to be such a
scarce commodity during 2016. And, as this is my first post of the year, I
figured I’d start with a fairly accessible form of poetry: the list poem.
That Bedroom Drawer
Condoms, dildos and a long-eared bunny
Novelty nipple-tassels that look quite funny
A thumb drive of films from PornoTube
And lots and lots and lots of lube
Crops and paddles and pairs of canes
An electric device powered by the mains
Lacy corsets, a satin basque
A leather morphsuit (with gimp mask)
A mould for making rude ice cubes
And tubes of fruity flavoured lube
Various hairbrushes, that have never seen hair
Toys that we will use (down there)
Sexy toys for sexy play
Loads of sexy lingerie
Cuffs and cats and broad bullwhips
A gag to go between your lips
Sexy clamps that bite at boobs
And lots and lots more tubes of lube
The list poem is a simple form. We’re not looking for a particular rhyme
scheme or meter. All that we need is a
list of items that suggest a larger picture. Back in 1989, Billy Joel sang ‘We
Didn’t Start the Fire’ and used the list form to provide lyrics that gave a
chilling view of post-World War II history. Before that we have list poems in
sonnet form from the likes Elizabeth Barret Browning with Sonnet 43 ‘How do I
love thee, let me count the ways…’
It’s a fun way to approach without the confines and
restrictions of a rigid form and structure. And, as with all poetry, it can be lots
of fun. As always, I look forward to
seeing your poems in the comments box below.
