Acrostics

by Pari

Any parent with a kid in elementary school has had to read at least a dozen acrostics. If you haven’t been so blessed, let me explain. These are the “poems” in which the first letter of each line spells out something that, one hopes, refers back to the meaning of said poem.

For example

Mona could be found
Underneath, definitely not above,
Rachel’s  rosewood
Desk  . . . strangely
Emitting smells most
Repugnant.  

Or . . .

Kneeling quietly, hand
Nearing the throat
In and out
Forward and side
Enter eternity.

Okay, I must be in an Edward Gorey kind of mood. I’m just writing the first things that come to mind.

Pretty little eyes of newt
Odiferous fungi from the inner forest
Immerse in alcohol for a week
Sit it in the sun until dry
Open a packet of arsenic for insurance
No, not in the pudding! Add it to the stew.

So does anyone else want to play? I’d say anything goes. But if you want to keep it to a mystery theme, that might be fun. Repeated words are fine by me.

 

Let’s see just how wild we can make this Wildcard Tuesday!

18 thoughts on “Acrostics”

  1. Sarah W

    I'm not a poet, but this is too much fun to resist!

    P ardon me—
    S omething about
    Y our eyes, the
    C olor, the expression
    H as reminded me
    O f another pair, another time, another racing
    P ulse — so I've forged an
    A ttachment to you
    T hat cannot be broken . . .
    H owever hard you struggle.

    *****

    G rab the brass
    R ing and hand it over —
    I nvestment in the
    F uture.
    T hen reel him in, take
    E verything (the mark insists) and
    R un.

  2. Tammy Cravit

    I'm not normally economical enough with words to make a good poet, but I couldn't resist, either:

    S he'll have to go —
    T hat much is sure.
    A t last, I'll be free.
    B et I don't get caught, either. I can make it look like a
    B urglar surprised her. The
    E nd of all my troubles.
    D ead! How sweet my victory.

    —————–

    A nother day, another
    R acehorse, another $200 gone.
    S urely I have to win, sooner or later!
    E lse I'm dead when the markers come due.
    N ext stop, the chemist's shop.
    I have a better solution, one that'll
    C lear up all my problems, in one fell swoop.

    —————–

    G un! She shouted the word, but by the time he
    L ooked up, it was already too late.
    O scar had already collapsed, clutching his chest.
    C lara wept as his blood oozed into the street.
    K illed for six bucks and a fake Rolex.

  3. Pari Noskin

    Oh! Sarah, I love them.
    Sometimes it's just fun to play, isn't it?

    Tammy,
    Wonderful!
    I especially liked the GLOCK — the beautiful economy of words and an entire story in so few.

    Thank you for playing along.

  4. Gar Haywood

    Okay, this one isn't related to a crime, per se, unless you count crimes against humanity:

    K hloe is the least
    A nnoying; but
    R eally, I
    D efy
    A nyone to
    S it through an
    H our of her clan's
    I nanity
    A nd
    N ot Want to
    S lit your throat

  5. JJ

    C hilled to the bone,
    A sleep so deep that
    D eath becomes her.
    A rtful cuts trace
    V alleys across her body,
    E ven as fingerprint bruises
    R eveal her killer.

  6. Lisa Alber

    Me too. Fun!

    Haven't through about acrostics since my first boyfriend's first love letter!

    G one, sayeth the
    R aven, airborn
    A bove
    V iolet's
    Earthen bed

  8. Allison Davis

    Off topic but we were just talking about….

    B atter up, Buster.
    A tta boy, Timmy.
    S pring training is near,
    E ntertainment at its best,
    B eer and brautwurst,
    A perfect combo,
    L ithe and nimble players,
    L oud and energetic fans.
    G iants baseball
    A t Pac Bell Park:
    M oments of angst and
    E cstasy.

    Gar's is awesome.

  11. Allison Davis

    Ok, I'll do an appropriate one….

    A ccidential?
    U nlikely
    T orso is mangled, bloated
    O bjectively viewed
    P athologist notes
    S kin mottled and marbled
    Y Incision reveals the truth.

  13. Pari Noskin

    David,
    True poetry, that.

    Sarah,
    I do think Gar's is fab, but I also like many of the others too!

    Allison,
    That Y took me a moment and then you did what others haven't achieved by actually using a letter to tell part of the story as well. Nicely done!

  14. David Nevin

    What little noise enters my ear
    And what light knocks gently,
    Kindly on my eyes?
    In what world will I awake?
    Not the one behind these lids –
    Gently I prise them open

    Under this quilt, I'd like to stay
    Parental duties rule the day.

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