"Breaking the Sentence"

My professor assigned a list poem, intended to break us of the habit of using complete thoughts and to create free-verse poetry. That is blastedly difficult for me, having been raised to use proper grammar--even delighting in its orderliness--and teaching young people to express themselves appropriately, leaving broken phrases and insufficient clauses in the dustbin of writing. Nonetheless, I must learn and pass the class. Here is "Taking Measurement." Enjoy. Or don't.

Taking Measurement

Glass half empty

Faded paint

Water leaks

Broken sheetrock

Dripping faucet

Stained carpet

Graying linoleum

Peeling trim boards

Flooding basement

Failed electricity

Endless junk

Overabundant toys

Limited storage

Tuneless piano

Addled computer

Childhood mayhem

Adulthood doldrums

Overdue bills

Curtainless windows

Aging automobiles

Persistent mess

Developing children

Loving wife

Faithful friends

Barbershop chorus

Promising work

Bountiful blessings

Glass half full

MP UB 9/15/13