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Ashley Lister

Writing Exercise – the refrain

by | November 6, 2015 | | 4 Comments

By Ashley Lister

This
is the ballad of poor, simple Dave

A
pervert whose quirks sent him straight to the grave

He
built a sex robot to use as a slave

And
he came to a sad, sticky end.

According to the Poetry Archive, “A refrain is a repeated part of a
poem, particularly when it comes either at the end of a stanza or between two
stanzas.”

Poor
Dave fixed white goods, by way of a trade

At
night, on his X-Box, there were games that he played

And
none of this helped the poor sod to get laid.

And
he came to a sad, sticky end.

Refrains are popular in forms such as the villanelle and the triolet
and we can even see it being used in John McCrae’s beautiful war memorial rondeau:
‘In Flanders Fields’. Personally I think the refrain is one of the most
underrated devices in all of poetry. The repetition of a full line (or even
half a line) allows the poet to draw attention to a specific sentiment. As
writers, we can’t get away with that level of foregrounding. But, as poets, no
one bats an eyelid when we repeat and repeat and repeat.

“This
just isn’t fair,” he’d sigh and he’d weep.

“I’m
living alone like some sick sort of creep.”

Then
he’d pull off a swift one and go back to sleep.

And
he came to a sad, sticky end.

As you can see, I’ve used a refrain on the final line of each verse in
my ‘Ballad of Poor Simple Dave’. This is a story told in poetic form that
follows the sad adventures of a young man who builds a sex robot. When I’ve
read this one at public performances I’ve heard audiences spontaneously join in
with that refrain and take ownership of the work. It’s humbling to be a part of
such an experience.

So
he made a sex robot. It wasn’t that hard.

He’d
got spares from old cookers lying round his backyard.

Once
she was assembled he lubed her with lard.

And
he came to a sad, sticky end.

I won’t publish the rest of the poem here – it might not be to every
reader’s liking. But I will ask, if you feel inclined: why not post a couple of
stanzas of your own poetry that are bound by a single refrain? As always, the
comments box is below and it’s always a pleasure to read your work.

Writing Exercise – The Gwawdodyn

by | October 6, 2015 | | 8 Comments

by Ashley Lister

The gwawdodyn (pronounced GWOW-DOD-IN) is a Welsh form of poetry that is
presented in a variety of different guises. Differences are argued on the presentation
of the rhyme scheme of the third and fourth lines. However, my favourite
interpretation of this form is illustrated by the poem below.

There’s no greater pleasure than
kissing
I say this whilst we’re reminiscing.
Your lips against mine: our tongues intertwined
Let’s try it: find out what you’re missing.

This version of the gwawdodyn follows this structure:

x x x x x x x x a
x x x x x x x x a
x x x x b x x x x b
x x x x x x x x a

Each x represents a syllable. Lines 1, 2 and 4 each have nine syllables,
and an ‘a’ rhyme. Line 3 has ten syllables and an internal ‘b’ rhyme.

Keep in mind there are other versions of this (and perhaps the reason I
like this one so much is because it reminds me of the limerick). As always, I
look forward to seeing your poetry in the comments box below.

Writing Exercise – Strambatto

by | September 6, 2015 | | 3 Comments

 By Ashley Lister

You know I like to see you wearing stockings 

And it’s true I’d love to see you in a thong 

The sexy lingerie look’s one you’re rocking 

It makes my need for you grow: both long and strong 

Whilst some of my kinky thoughts are quite shocking 

When I share them here in this poetic song 

If you are supportive and never mocking 

I’m sure that you and I shall get along 

Similar in construction to the Ottava Rima, the Strambatto is also eight hendecasyllabic (11 syllables) lines. However, the rhyme scheme for the Strambatto presented here, the Sicilian form, is a simple alternating structure: a, b, a, b, a, b, a, b.

I think 11 syllable lines can be quite a challenge so, this month, I particularly look forward to seeing your poems in the comments box below.

 Ash

Writing Exercise – The Rictameter

by | August 6, 2015 | | 23 Comments

 By Ashley Lister

Butt plugs
Round and shiny
Smothered in moist slick lube
Too much stretching, spreading, filling
And then it stops. And sits so snug inside
Before it is pulled out again
Expelled in a hot rush
A shameful bliss
So sweet

The rictameter is a modern form of syllable poetry that
looks as pretty on the page as it sounds to the ear. There is no rhyme in this
form. The rictameter begins with a two syllable opening line and ends with a
two syllable closure. The syllable count increases in two syllable increments
until there’s a ten syllable line, and then it decreases by two syllables each
line in an easy to follow pattern: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2.

Kisses
Light and tender
Stolen in sly moments
Soft signs of our intimacy
That sometimes banish all of the softness
And lead to something much harder
The sultry slipping of
your sweet lips on
my mouth

As always, I look forward to reading your rictameters in the
comments box below.

Writing Exercise – The Kyrielle

by | July 6, 2015 | | 11 Comments

By Ashley Lister

It’s almost three years since I first mentioned the kyrielle and it’s
become one of my favourite poetic forms. Below is what I originally said about
the poem.

You suggested we try new positions

You could tell that thought got me
perplexed

You ordered some manuals from Amazon

I wonder just what we’ll do next?

The kyrielle is a French form of poetry written in quatrains. Each
quatrain concludes with a repeated line or phrase that works as a refrain for the
poem.

The first book we opened had pictures

It’s title was The Joy of Sex

We followed the instructions on Monday

I wonder just what we’ll do next?

The kyrielle has a meter usually composed of eight syllables per line
but it can be varied. There is no limit to the number of stanzas but three is really
the minimum.

On Tuesday we read marriage manuals

On Wednesday it got more complex

On Thursday and Friday you filmed us

I wonder just what we’ll do next?

The normal structure of the kyrielle is a/a/b/B, c/c/b/B, d/d/b/B. with
B being the repeated line. A varied structure could be a/b/a/B, c/b/c/B,
d/b/d/B. etc. or even a second line that didn’t rhyme.

Now we’ve gone through the whole the Kama
Sutra

We’ve explored every page of that text

But now we must look to the future

I wonder just what we’ll do next?

As always, if you fancy writing a Kyrielle and sharing it in
the comments box below, we all look forward here to reading your work.

Ash

Writing Exercise – The Hymnal Measure

by | June 6, 2015 | | 5 Comments

By Ashley Lister

Amazing Grace is quite a treat
She likes to suck my toe
I suck hers too, she thinks it’s neat
But how I wish she’d blow.

Whether you call it the hymnal measure, the hymnal stanza or
common metre, this simple yet effective form of poetry is seductively easy. This form consists
only of two rhymes per stanza (a, b, a, b), alternating with iambic tetrameter (eight
syllables per line) and trimeter (six syllables per line).  Most of us are already familiar with this one
from the rhythm of Amazing Grace. And, once you start writing in this form, the
rhythm is difficult to escape.

Expose your ass, assume the pose
It’s time to spank again
Please bend forward and touch your toes
I’ll go and fetch the cane.

Admittedly, the stress on the third line of that stanza is
FORward, rather than the usual pronunciation of forWARD, but this is a small
sacrifice for the sake of the sentiment I want to convey.

As always, I’d love to see your hymnal stanzas in the
comments box below.  

Writing Exercise – The Diamond Poem

by | May 6, 2015 | | 11 Comments

By Ashley Lister

One of the reasons why I advocate using poetry as a warm up
exercise for writing is because it gets us to think about words in different
ways. When we write poems like the limerick or the sonnet, we end up
considering rhyme patterns. When we write poems like haiku and cinquain, we
count the syllables.  When we write poems
like the triolet or the rictameter, we consider the impact of refrains and the effectiveness
of repetition. This month we’re looking at the diamond poem and considering word
classes.

Ass
Plump,
Round
Quivers,
trembles, anticipates
Hand, paddle,
crop, cane.
Shouting, shrieking, screaming
Reddened,
punished
Cheeks

The diamond poem is seven lines long. 1 x noun, 2 x
adjective, 3 x verb, 4 x noun, 3 x verb, 2 x adjective, 1 x noun. 

As I
mentioned before, the benefits from this exercise are considering word classes
and how they are used. Also, as a piece of concrete poetry, I do think diamond
poems look pretty on the page. Another added bonus is, because of the absence
of prepositions, they tend to sound like ‘proper’ poetry.

Toys
Hidden,
forbidden
Buzzing,
sliding, gyrating
Dildos, clamps,
clips, vibrators
Plug, Play,
Please
Private, adult
Toys

As always, I look forward to
seeing your diamond poems in the comments box below. 

Writing Exercise – Limericks

by | April 6, 2015 | | 31 Comments

By Ashley Lister

A silly young woman
called Alice
Used live dynamite for a phallus
It blew her vagina
To North Carolina
And her ass to a ranch up in Dallas

I’ve mentioned limericks before but I’m mentioning them
again as a writing exercise for one very important reason: they’re fun.

Note the rhyme scheme: a-a-b-b-a. 
This is consistent for the majority of limericks.

A very good friend of
mine, Paul
Has got a hexagonal ball
The result of its weight
Plus his dick’s length times eight
Is his phone number: give him a call

Note the metre/syllable count.  In
this one it’s 8/8/6/6/9.  Commonly, each
limerick is 8/8/5/5/8 although they can go a couple of syllables either side
depending on how they’re being performed. 

Please remember that the most important thing about the
limerick is that the form lends itself to fun. 

One morning a
nobleman, Andy
Woke up feeling properly randy.
He said to his aide,
“Please fetch in my maid,
Or the dog, or whatever is handy.”

As always, I look forward to seeing your limericks in the
comments box below.

Writing Exercise – muzdawidj

by | March 6, 2015 | | 4 Comments

by Ashley Lister

Our lives are complex as a Rubik’s cube

I give advice to prove I’m not a rube

And say, “Please don’t use chilli sauce as lube.”

It’s true I do not have a lot of class

With words of wisdom, I don’t have a mass

But I don’t stick spicy sauce up my ass.

Let me beat my message loud, with a drum

Let me warn you the results are not fun

Let me say: keep spices out of your rectum.

The poetic form of the Urdu masnavi were originally religious
in content.  Additionally, they were written
in couplets.  Over the years the form of
the masnavi has been appropriated and modified until we’re left with today’s
form: the muzdawidj.

As you will have noted from the example above, the muzdawidj
uses triplets (a a a / b b b / c c c…) 

We’ve known each other for a while,

I’d give so much to make you smile.

So, shall we do it doggy-style?

I think true love should know no bounds

I want to hear those special sounds

You make when we’re like rutting hounds.

They tell me that true love is blind.

I love your body and your mind.

Get on all fours. I’ll go behind

The muzdawidj is a straightforward poetic form that works
best (like most rhyming forms) when each line has a similar metrical
value.  As a writing exercise to start
your creative juices flowing before you get down to your daily writing routine,
the muzdawidj is accessible, easy to remember, and surprisingly
challenging.  I look forward to reading
your poems in the comments box below.

Writing Exercise – the Dizain

by | February 6, 2015 | | 5 Comments

by Ashley Lister

You may tie me up tight if that suits your need

Suspend me by piercings through my bare skin

Spank me so hard that my flesh starts to bleed

Make me go shopping with a butt plug still in

I shall surrender to your every sin.

You may use or abuse me howe’er you want

You can make me send mails in comic sans font

Whate’er you fancy I’m sure would be groovy

There’s only one act that I’d find repugnant

Please don’t make me watch the Fifty Shades movie.

The Dizain is ten lines of rhymed poetry following a
pattern of a b a b b c c d c d.   Usually this form is presented in iambic
pentameter, although other variations work equally well. The majority of the poem
above consists of eight syllable lines. Originally a French form, the Dizain has
a stylish rhythm that works well with erotic subject matter.

Let me put my lips around it.

I’d like to taste it with my tongue,

I want to coat it with my spit,

I need to suck it all night long.

This deviation keeps me young.

Now I’m on my knees before you

And you know what I want to do

Not too hasty. Let’s take it slow.

First I’ll slip off your small shoe

Then spend my night sucking your toe.

 

If you fancy sharing your interpretation of the Dizain,
please leave one in the comments box below.

Hot Chilli Erotica

Hot Chilli Erotica

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