Nonet Challenge

by Kim Van Sickler

I'm no poet, but I like writing exercises, and so I was intrigued by Robert Lee Brewer's "Poetic Aside" in the November/December issue of Writer's Digest.

The challenge is a nonet. It's a nine-line poem with each line losing a syllable. You start with nine syllables and end with one. I used my near-week without power courtesy of Hurricane Sandy mating with the cold wind blowing from the North over Lake Erie to create Frankenstorm, as my inspiration.

Flame out

The long-nosed Bic hiccups, and candles  
flame to life all over the house.
As the thermostat plummets,
we pile on the layers,
eat snack foods for meals.  
Hours become days.
We want our
power
back.