Blue frost slinky

glacier high above a rain forest
beach less than a day away from ice
blue frost descends
down bridal melted cobalt
wizened water drips
knowing bottled crystal ships
crack open chests of quicksand
hopes on the rocks (of)
delusions of grandeur

Untitled slinky

At our first PTA meeting at our daughter's new
school, my wife gives me a little bit of a prod.
The dad in charge of the dad's maintenance muster roll,
Paul, gives me a firm handclasp and a welcoming smile.
While we talk, I notice details in the multipurpose space:
faces of celebrities drinking milk, the piano, the stage.
Age has made me able to enter a school by the front door
grace on my shoulders, but I flash back to third grade.
April we moved to a new school in Hawaii, a new place
all over. The school buildings were military barrack style.
God, I stared up at the windows that opened with a long pole
through group time and reading time and math squad,
poor new kid, trying to keep the tears in his head until two.

***

THE FORM:
Rhymes inform both the first (or second) word and last (or penultimate) word of each line. For the first half of the poem, the rhyme scheme is a-b, b-c, c-d... so that the last word of the line rhymes with the first word of the next line. The center line starts with a word that rhymes with the last word of the prior line and ends with a word the "a" rhyme. The poem then reverses the order of the rhyme c-d, b-c, a-b, so that the first word of each line rhymes with the last word of the following line. The rhyme scheme of this sample is

a-b
b-c
c-d
d-e
e-f
f-g
g-a
f-g
e-f
d-e
c-d
b-c
a-b

Slinky 1: First Word/Last Word - Connection Poem Rules and Example Poem "Lake at Night"

1. Form: The Slinky Delta 1 form - Last and First, Morphing

So since slinkies go up and down elevators and stairs, always their last foot down is first foot up, but between those things they curve, what about a poem form where the poem's lines alternate the first word of line 1 is the last word of line 2, and last word of line 1 is the first word of line 2, but to indicate the movement across time, the words can slightly morph as the poem progresses. Small words between end and begin line words OK. No rules regarding line length or syllable counts....

2. Example - Slinky Delta Form 1

Lake at Night

Suddenly the quivering light rappels outward in gazing circles:

cycles and gyres of brightness on black. Light is a skier skittering more quickly

as trickles and trounces larger than water bugs, almost galactic, orbit

big bangs of brightness lapping against velveteen cackles.

Common grackles pierce us. Don't be mistaken: Night is never silent.

Somnolence is a myth. Dreams of sleepers are raucous -

gabbing myths louder than moonlight.

Only the lake light is brighter, bolder, louder tonight.

Prompt: Invent and Write a "Slinky"

What would a poem form be that highlights connection? Let's call this poem form a "Slinky" - invent it, provide an example. Or write one by someone else's rules. Does it require the use of the word "relish" or "zoing"? Does it have rules of beat or form, cadence or spiral? Take this one to the moon and back, or is it a kind of haiku? Everyone knows it's a...

Tags: [poet's moniker], "poem" "slinky"

Image Credit: Slinky Heart Live Wall paper - download here. Or.. an old 60's ad with infective tune (I warned you).