words from wordle 1,936
PROVE turned out to be a good word for poems about uncertainty: suspicion, flirtation, misconduct, writer’s block, petty crime, and the need to demonstrate something to oneself or someone else. Lari makes that explicit in a compact poem about freezing at the page, while Mark turns PROVE into the hinge of a deadpan little mystery. Robo uses it more seriously, where proving someone wrong means responding to a crossed boundary.
Several poems also leave important information unstated, which gives this round an interesting relationship with ambiguity. The stronger entries provide enough structure to suggest a situation without explaining every part of it. That lets PROVE function not only as a constraint but almost as a challenge to the reader: here are the clues—what do you think happened?
Debbie Wilson 4/6
Poem 1
SLUMP into my chair
I am a PHONY – with PROOF
Don’t make me PROVE it
Poem 2
A SLUMP in our sales
PHONY whiskey, zero PROOF
The drunk will PROVE it
Diana Marie 3/6
SCOPE out bar scene
Initiate PROBE of prospects
Night may PROVE fruitful!
Robo 4/6
A SCARE from the GROPE
He was PRONE to crossing lines
Have to PROVE him wrong
Jonesy 5/6
EVERY word leaves
a COVER… its TROVE of sounds
a GROVE meant to PROVE.
Mark 3/6
FLARE for petty CRIME
But nobody can PROVE it —
Professor Logic
auntie jj 6/6
MILES from THETA DUNCE
EVOKE thoughts of crime in GROVE
PROVE me wrong, sicko
Lari 6/6
BLANK stare sipping JUICE.
WROTE poem, but FROZE with PROSE.
Must PROVE I can write!
Mick 4/6
GLIDE then BRACE, get PRONE
PROVE this body can survive —
she’s coming home soon