Lemonade Anemone

 In 2022, the folks at Inspire Culture, Learning and Libraries asked Paper Crane Poets to write a commissioned poem for their annual general meeting. We spent two months working together on the poem, which includes contributions from nineteen poets from the collective.  The poem was inspired by our individual experiences in local libraries, and all the brilliant projects that Inspire provides to our communities too. This finished piece includes contributions from nineteen poets from the Paper Cranes Collective: Sue Allen; Sonia Burns; Edwina Crowder; Sarah Dale; Laura Grevel; Rose Harvey; David Hunter; William Kummer; Phil Langran; Katey Logan; Andrea Lucy-Hirst; Sue McFarlane; Tara Singh; Leanne Moden; Jade Moore; Rachel Jackson; Gail Webb; and Dave Woods, with additional editing support from Ann Parker. It was a joy to work on this project, and we’re really proud of the finished piece! Beyond the library door In the beginning, there was the word, and the word was  Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! 

Univocalisms were first devised by the Oulipo , a group of writers, artists and thinkers based in Paris in the mid-twentieth century. The Univocalism is one of their most famous inventions: a piece of writing that excludes four out of the five vowel sounds.  Let me explain. For example, if you write an O univocalism, you're not allowed to use any words that include the letters A, E, I, or U, and if you do an E univocalism, you're not allowed to use  any words that include  the letters A, I, O, or U.  It sounds hard (because it is) but it's a fascinating challenge, and I really love it because it can get out of a writing rut, and help you create pieces that you'd never write otherwise! This is my favourite univocalism that I've ever written, and I think I really like it because it's so deeply, unrelentingly silly, and because it breaks the rule that it follows. I'm dead rebellious, me.    Merbles   Yer ersk mer ter explern merserlf  Bert mer rerply cernferses