Keep Sludge Human-Made: A New Type of Poem

a 36-word treatise on a type of poem called the sludge block. plus an introduction, which is reproduced in its entirety here:

As of 2025, large language models and generative AI have flooded the internet with sludge content. But rich sludge—human sludge—is special and under-explored. You and I generally want to make good art, art that comes from our best effort, a gleaming final product that "proves" we are beautiful or worthwhile. For once, let's try something else.

This rich sludge accumulates from rough edges of self we've sanded down, dregs of memories well-buried, sweat of never-ending clench, leftovers of receding rage. Pour all of this into the sludge block.

download if you want to learn how to write a sludge block of your own. made available under the CC0 Universal license, which as I understand it puts this into the public domain.

let's make some ugly, trashy art. the art of the sludge block is in letting the deepest honest sludgiest sludge out without tempering or sanitizing your voice.

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Made for the #36WordRPGJam