The ReadWritePoem #97 prompt is to use the “cut up” technique, that is to cut words or phrases from a text and transform them into a poem. I didn’t literally “cut out each word, drop the words into a container, shake the container vigorously, then write down each word as you draw it from the container” as suggested but, instead, cut and pasted phrases from NoLA Rising’s Facebook Information Page, a local non-profit I support, to recreate their creed into my poetic interpretation.
Text is as follows:
NoLA Rising is a non-profit art campaign that promotes accessibility to art regardless of socio-economic status and aims to broaden perspective and opinion on public art. The organization encourages and helps artists and residents to publicly display works of art for the purpose of rebuilding and restoring the human spirit.
It is our belief that participation in the visual arts not only helps to re-beautify our vibrant community, but also empowers the individual by fostering creativity and the discovery of personal potential. New Orleans is a unique and beautiful city that has historically embraced the spirit of individual freedom, and supports the growth of the artist, musician and writer … the goal of NoLA Rising is to showcase that spirit.
My reconstructed poem from that text:
ReX
accessibility to art,
regardless of socio-economic status,
helps to re-beautify our vibrant community.
accessibility to art
supports the growth of the artist,
musician and writer
but also empowers
the individual
by fostering creativity and
the discovery of personal potential
for the purpose of rebuilding and restoring
the human spirit.
NoLA Rising!
~~~~~
Visit ReadWritePoem for more poetry from this prompt.
Charlotte Hamrick 
This worked wonderfully! An anthem for your cause.
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So very true and nice job…
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Thnks for letting us know about NoLA!
Terma Rima: psychedelic pajamas
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zouxzoux, you should definitely share this with the charity for them to use in their promotional materials. Wonderful capture of prose content in poetic form.
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Z
You did satisfy the intent of the article poetically. That is interesting how it worked out. I enjoyed your poem. Nice to hear you will be in Dead Mule. I also had sent in materials, no word yet, maybe we will both be sandwiched between the pages. Smiles!
Regards,
DH
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I like how you’ve condensed the prosy mission statement into a far more pithy and musical poem. The short lines and unambiguous descriptions are very effective.
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Oh, yes! It sings with powerful truth!
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Thanks to everyone. NoLA Rising is such a great cause and the story behind it is so inspiring. ReX began posting beautifully artistic, colorful signs saying “NOLA Rising” after Katrina in an effort to bring some beauty back to our storm ravaged city. In early 2006, when I found another job after I lost mine to K, I would pass a NR sign on the corner of Napoleon & Tchoupitoulas every day and it gave me hope. Months later I learned the story and met the man. He has really projected his vision into a great non-profit that does all kinds of wonderful community works here. You should visit his blog at http://nolarising.blogspot.com/.
Donald, I hope to see your work in Dead Mule too! That would be awesome!
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So good! It reads much better and with more feeling than the original essay. THIS should be part of the fund raising process!
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You should definitely include this Zouxzoux. Well done! Thanks for sharing.
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I agree! Your poem is concise, pertinent and much more inspiring that the straightforward mission statement. NoLA should adopt it.
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nicely done…i really like short lines…thanks for sharing
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What a great organization! Your reworking of the text is fantastic.
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Music to my ears! Thanks, Nathan.
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Your line breaks work very well in the poem to pace the reader carefully through the weighty phrases. Each line is a solid contribution to the mission statement, and the reader lands sure-footed at the end of each line. This poem, then, makes the mission statement itself less muddy, much more accessible, thereby achieving the organization’s goal. A noble effort!
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Thanks, Therese!
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This is quite cool, and now I am playing with this:
http://watchout4snakes.com/CreativityTools/RandomSentence/RandomSentence.aspx
which generated this on the first try:
Against her silicon progresses whatever printed certificate
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Here’s what the second paragraph looks like in a truly randomn cut (wishing I had kept New Orleans together):
New beautiful of NoLA Rising is to showcase Orleans participation and discovery only musician helps fostering of individual supports creativity that visual of the artist the goal empowers embraced that belief community historically not the spirit re-beautify personal city that individual but and and the arts vibrant and to the growth the potential in the freedom unique spirit writer also has of our it is by
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A dot experiments with a stuff.
fun!
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