I’ve already trashed eleven with a flourish
(good riddance to bad rubbish and all that)
today seven drafts are designated for delete
which sounds ominously like the tumbrels
but since all of them hang together like a badly beaded bracelet
it’s just a matter of cutting the string – Ping!
three though have just enough pearls to warrant a stay of execution
hand made to measure for erasure:-
wayfaring is a muted affair
to lift the canopy and vanish
after fattening lambs
the city rolled into dusty tracks
feeling foolish then in sudden rain
watering-can clouds caught me
in flagrante without a care
Helios’ arrival was opportune
two pawns taken en passant
vain weathercock warriors
canting as a homespun queen
An erasure poem of my own drafts – Charley (Life in Portofino) calls his drafts sleeping alligators – I wish I’d thought of that so with a nod to his wordsmithing, this category is called ‘crocks on the rocks’
Today, 1st of July is a fresh start and am putting these mouldering lines on the shelf of Poetry Pantry #409
PoetryPix 
A great piece
glad you thought the upcycling was worth it!
You are brave to trash them. I tend to let them age like an old wine hoping that even if they don’t stand by themselves they might be the basis for later thoughts…but kill them? Oh no!
once the acetobacter gets in, they are only good for the drain – or a salvage job with erasure poetry as here!
Or, well, for Italian sauces if they are a red… 🙂
Bolognese anyone?
Oh love the images of vanishing after fattening lambs and the water can clouds!!!
rather like your micro poetry ❤
Ack, i can feel the finger on the delete key. That takes courage. I keep far too many impossible drafts.
It brings to mind the Brian Patten poem – it is time to tidy up your life
Nice. And I’m always up for sending words off in the tumbrels. Off with their verbs!
And cut to the chase –
I have them all in my digital archive… on my blog… but I think a reuse would be great.
I think I will do these ‘crocks on the rocks’ as a regular clean up though I should back up too!
The upcycling was definitely worth it – a fine erasure poem.
Of long-forgotten and rediscovered drafts, sometimes I wonder what planet I was on when I wrote ‘that’…and then press delete.
Anna :o]
Thank you – felt good to end up with a poem after the rub outs
P.s. Drafts are a bit like old boyfriends and the ‘what on earth did I see in him” feeling
Such a stunning erasure poem, Laura! 💜 Especially like: “wayfaring is a muted affair to lift the canopy and vanish after fattening lambs.” 💜
Strangely I have never been able to keep drafts.. I just ramble on and click publish! 😉
That made me laugh! Your ramblings do you proud
New beginnings often require sacrifice, reshaping, letting go… of one thing in order to reach for another. Every now and again, the re-crafting gives something precious. It’s one of the things I like about editing, redacting, remaking.
Indeed!
I love this and am so glad that your crocs on rocks found a great home
Many thanks Audrey – they are basking now having finally seen daylight!
Those 3 that survived – ‘handmade to measure for erasure’- sure did well in the end. Brave of you to be able to trash and cut work you’ve discarded. I hold onto mine …(I’m not sure to what end).
Maybe they are waiting for another Harrison prompt…
Maybe…lol!
Ah, I don’t trash many. Perhaps I should. Smiles. Clever erasing! Smiles.
Ah thanks for the smiles Mary
I truly enjoy this! And thank you for the credit… always nice to discover I’ve done something worthwhile. You murdered your babies nicely, and created a better poem (probably) in the process.
a croc handbag mabye – pleased to give you a mention Charley and just want to thank you for all the support during our harrowing Harrison days
Aw, you are welcome, Laura!
I am going to use the line “hand made to measure for erasure” to motivate me during revisions! The poems told an interesting story. 🙂
many thanks wnyndollynne – if we can help somebody as we go along our way – as the song goes
That was awesome. Thanks.
pearls of wisdom 😉 many thanks ZQ
What a splendid use for the poems that died trying! Love it!
Died trying – love it!
Glad you visited my paintings so I found your words! have enjoyed it all and will be back for more. Especially loved this one as I have a plan to take a lot of my old pastels that didn’t really work out in the rain and wash them off to start again!
Interesting project – a wash for pastels. Thank you for your very appreciative words Lindy –