poetry by subtracting (and defacing)

i think i have a new morning ritual.

(actually,
it was so fast and fun,
I think i could make this
an hourly ritual.)

the kindling comes from
a little something i picked up
while traipsing through the internet.
a fella who takes the NY Times
and does what he calls
newspaper blackout.

i was so intrigued,
i fetched a book right back out of
the trashcan,
let it fall open to a page,
then
quick as a blink,
i circled some words
that captured my
imagination,
took my green sharpie
and colored over all the
other words,
distilling the page down
to what i’m calling
a poem.

the first one
calls page 71 home
and it sounds like this:
Much wisdom
happening.
Stories and tales
illustrate
ask
change.
Questions
challenge
stimulate
help.

it was so much fun,
i skipped back to page 14
(my birthday is on the 14th
of one particular month)
and hatched this one:
Create
or
become
soggy.

he may have found
a revenue stream.
i’ve found a new way
to recycle books.

Second helpin's:

1. who’d'a thunk it