Hello poets and those who love poetry!
Thank you for reading. This Day 3 prompt from Maureen Thorson at NaPoWriMo is linked here, but the short version is to take a “shortish” poem and rewrite it by using the opposite word for every word in the poem. It is not as easy as it sounds, but I sort of like this poem I wrote with that crazy prompt: “You aren’t Somebody! Who am I?” Of course, the famous poem by Emily Dickinson, “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?” was the inspiration and I included it below.
Image courtesy of poets.org
You aren’t Somebody! Who am I?
You aren’t Somebody! Who am I?
Aren’t you Somebody either?
Then there is not an only you!
Tell everyone! We won’t advertise—I don’t know!
How lovely—not to be—Nobody!
How private—like a bird—
Not to tell one’s name—the fleeting December—
To a damning sky!
Jacquelyn Markham (4/3/2023)
I’m Nobody! Who are you? (260)
Emily Dickinson – 1830-1886
I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!
How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!
Emily Dickinson
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