I often scroll through Pinterest for inspiration while working on my poetry. During one search for new ideas, the above image caught my attention immediately, and the phrase “play your bones like a xylophone” popped into my head.

Determined to use it in a poem, I tried it out in a quick senryu:

Senryu 55

tonight I will dream

about playing your bones

like a xylophone

I liked it, but it felt a little incomplete. I decided to try it in an elfchen next.

Bone Xylophone

I’m

dreaming about

playing your bones

like a xylophone tonight

feverishly

I liked this version better, but since I was having fun experimenting, I wrote a third poem in the form of a triolet.

Playing your bones

tonight I’m dreaming

about playing your bones like a xylophone

your vertebrae jingling

tonight I’m dreaming

diabolically scheming

carving your tombstone

tonight I’m dreaming

about playing your bones like a xylophone

So far this version is my favorite, but I’m curious to see how many more I can come up with using different poetry forms. Stay tuned!