It has been a while since I've written any poetry, let alone posted anything, but thankfully my sister Sara is persistent and welcoming with her invitations to re-join the Poetry Sisters.  I must confess the time away from writing was apparent ( I texted her "Ugh!  My poetry brain is rusty" to which she relied..."A good first line"!), but I am glad I jumped in again.  

This month we were to take a line from Elizabeth Bishop's poem One Art and go from there.  

Using a line from Elizabeth Bishop One Art

(by John C Lewis all rights reserved)

“The art of losing isn’t hard to master”

The source? Elizabeth Bishop, of course

So I gave up sweets, became an diehard faster

I ate tofu, oats, things tasting of plaster

Oh, to dine on that proverbial horse!

The art of losing isn’t hard to master??

Relentless hunger, my cruel quartermaster

I dreamt of plate after plate, course upon course

So I gave up meat, became a diehard-er faster

Is this a joke?  I wouldn’t put it past her!

I’d kill for a crumb of rye or drop of borscht

The art of losing isn’t hard to master??

You may already foresee the coming disaster

So desperate now, I’d even eat gorse 

So I gave up all food, became the diehard-est faster

If she were alive today, I’d ask her

Do you feel no remorse!?

The art of losing isn’t hard to master??

I gave up eating, died harder, not faster