The Thrill of Writing a Blitz Poem Together
Writing poetry opens my soul
Writing poetry is challenging
These two provocative lines, written by Linda Hortick, a letters member of Greenwich, Connecticut, Pen Women (GPW), were the inception of an intriguing poem that captures the heart, mind, and spirit of those who love poetry. The poem takes the reader on a journey from the original idea through the myriad thoughts and feelings that ebb and flow from one writer to the other, leading to the creation of a lyrical piece about self-acceptance and the gift of expressing oneself through the passionate love of poetry.
GPW has a very active letters group consisting of many multitalented writers whose work represents a wide array of genres. In April 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, Barbara Ehrentreu, a published and award-winning author and poet, formed a letters subgroup on Zoom for members who were interested in writing poetry.
“My intention was to create a group that was nonjudgmental and to educate members about the art of writing poetry,” Ehrentreu said.
At one of these meetings, Linda Hortick told the group about an article in Writer’s Digest that described a “blitz” poem — a 50-line poem with eight specific rules. It intrigued her so much, she asked the group to embark on the challenge of writing a blitz. She asked if anyone wanted to join her in this endeavor. Cathy Horn, a retired educator and school psychologist and writer of memoir, children’s stories and poems, accepted the offer.
For the next several weeks, emails and text messages flew back and forth between Hortick and Horn. They discovered that while their writing styles differed, they were well-matched as poetic partners. The collaborative process was rewarding and exhilarating as they communicated, sometimes multiple times a day, sending lines back and forth to each other for approval and inspiration.
While waiting for each other to create two lines at a time was exciting and thought-provoking, it was also sometimes stressful. Some lines seemed to write themselves, with the words and phrases coming together seamlessly, like a perfectly formed puzzle. At other times, it was difficult trying to find just the right words. They were always respectful and usually flexible but there were instances when one or the other held firm. They needed to agree 100 percent before they moved on to the next two lines.
What began as simply a new, creative endeavor resulted in much more. As the poem grew in meaning and dimension, a friendship blossomed between the two women and deepened as the poem expanded and reached conclusion. The finished poem would come to be named “Challenging the Soul.”
“That is the best part of the fun,” Hortick said. “A blitz poem is named after the last few lines are written almost at the end of the poem.”
Hortick and Horn were amazed at how accurate the title turned out to be as it related to the content of the poem.
Recently, Hortick wrote, “Writing a blitz poem was a thrilling experience. The words just poured from our hearts and minds. When we write poetry, we feel exhilaration and soar. What was dormant in us now sparks new energy within us. Igniting this fire causes a renaissance and rebirth of our creativity. We are humbled by those feelings and follow our instincts. We crave the intellectual and spiritual elevation we feel when creating. So, we return again to our love of poetry to express and fulfill ourselves. Be prepared though, when the poem is finished, you come back to earth, and the only way to feel that way again is to write another blitz poem with a partner.”
Horn added, “Working together with Linda on this project was inspiring and helped me to grow as a writer. Linda’s approach encouraged me to think beyond language to find new and different ways to show, not just to tell, what I feel about this powerful form of expression. We think our finished poem speaks for many creative women. Writing poetry challenges our souls and ultimately enriches our lives.”
Read Linda Hortick’s and Cathy Horn’s blitz poem, “Challenging the Soul.“