“Tuning the Beast” is among the Day Nineteen offerings of the Tupelo Press 30/30 Project (9 poets have agreed to write 30 poems apiece in 30 days, to raise funds for Tupelo Press, a non-profit literary publisher). Many thanks to Sunshine Jansen, who sponsored and provided the title.
Tuning the Beast
I prepare contingencies for all outcomes. No.
I’ve prepared for this: a body. A key. As if
that cloth draped a leg. Not a leg…
To see the rest of the poem, click here
Tomorrow’s poem is titled “Before We Knew,” thanks to the kindness and generosity of Ursula.
I hope that the sponsored titles and my responses to them have been entertaining, but other sponsorship opportunities abound. For information on these and their corresponding incentives, click here.
“Name That Poem” sponsorships are still available for Sunday and beyond. Conjure up a title (be creative, be weird, be gentle, be poetic, oh, heck, be mean if you wish), donate $10 to Tupelo Press, let me know what the title is, and I’ll write the poem. The sponsored poems thus far have been a blast to write, and the titles have led me to poems I’d not otherwise have written. If you’re so inclined, please visit the 30/30 blog at: Donate to Tupelo. Scroll down to “Is this donation in honor of a 30/30 poet?” and select my name, “Robert Okaji,” from the pull down so that Tupelo knows to credit the donation to me. And please let me know as soon as possible what your title is.
Thank you for your support! Only 10 poems to go!
O at the Edges 
Beautiful! Ironically I will need to replace a broken string again on my tenor ukulele today (trying to use a thicker kind of string for which the instrument was not originally designed to accommodate) but now I feel wonderfully motivated. 🙂 Thank you!
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Thanks for the title! I hate replacing strings. I’m much better at breaking them. 🙂
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Nice. Every day is about tuning, moment following moment, conscious or otherwise. As a creative process, it’s invigorating, but it can be just as satisfying when normal routine provides unanticipated rewards.
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And when we’re lucky, or in the right frame of mind, they mesh and something new emerges. My mistakes are often much more interesting than what I intended.
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