I once wrote dialogues between the poet and the poem. This prompt is a little like that kind of dialogue, but even a bit more complicated. Here it is from Maureen at Napowrimo: “I challenge you to write a poem that addresses itself or some aspect of itself (i.e., “Dear Poem,” or “what are my quatrains up to?”; “Couplet, come with me . . .”) This might seem a little “meta” at first, or even kind of cheesy. But it can be a great way of interrogating (or at least, asking polite questions) of your own writing process and the motivations you have for writing, and the motivations you ascribe to your readers.”
So here we go. I could go on forever. . .
Whitehall Plantation Oak, painting by poet
Poem removed by Poet Voice for revision and publication elsewhere.
Maureen Thorson, the master mind behind Napowrimo says: “This prompt challenges you to play around with the idea of overheard language. . . Now, write a poem that takes as its starting point something overheard that made you laugh, or something someone told you once that struck you as funny.”
The overheard language around me today did not make me laugh or inspire me, so I dipped into a journal and found another one of those many prose practice writings and transformed it (I hope) to a poem.
Rain Again! Yes!
Rain Again!
“Oh no, rain again,” someone said.
Rain, Spain, main, shame, blame—
my mind reels. What rhymes
with rain? The rain I am grateful for
as it nourishes my flowers, my garden,
plants, trees, birds, fills the rivers.
A rain dance, my tarot card proclaims I can do
as an archetypal witch, so I claim the rain power.
The prompt for today, Easter Sunday, was to write a sonnet about love. Sounds easy, right? Not after the prompt for yesterday took all the creative juices, but the show must go on, so we poets keep writing as much as we can. I got the lines, the syllables, but not the iambic pentameter or the rhyme. Still, I am sharing this sonnet about love inspired by Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” quote.
Poem removed by Poet Voice for revision and publication elsewhere.
Today is day 7 of the poem-a-day challenge and I’m following Napowrimo (National Poetry Writing Month), the site developed by Maureen Thorson, here’s her prompt for today, Day 7.
A summary of Maureen’s prompt: “Start by reading James Tate’s poem “The List of Famous Hats.” Now, write a poem that plays with the idea of a list. Tate’s poem is a list that isn’t – he never gets beyond the first entry. You could try to write a such a non-list, but a couple of other ideas would be to create a list of ingredients, or a list of entries in an index. A self-portrait (or a portrait of someone close to you) in the form of a such a list could be very funny. Another way into this prompt might be a list of instructions.”
Well, James Tate’s list of hats didn’t go far, but mine did as I wrote about my Grandma’s hats and as you see, she had many! This is a revision of an earlier version of the poem, and I have accompanied it with one of my “Legacy Collages” that features that navy blue hat with flowers and under the hat (not visible because it’s under the hat) is the story from the newspaper when her husband disappeared. What a story/legend it was is!
Poem removed by Poet Voice for revision and publication elsewhere.
Laughing Hyena Image courtesy of aboutwildanimals.com
For day 5, Maureen’s prompt challenged us to “write a poem in which laughter comes at what might otherwise seem an inappropriate moment.” Read more about the prompt here. Don’t miss all the great poetry resources she provides and the many poets who are taking on this challenge of 30 poems in 30 days!
Poem removed by Poet Voice for revision and publication elsewhere.
My triolet is on the way to the local county council meeting compliments of my writer friends who will attend and read it for me! Thank you to these activist writers! Note: I have uploaded an audio below! It’s literally 25 seconds! Have a listen.
Don’t Ban Books: A Triolet
Don’t ban books from our eyes.
Let us choose what to read.
To hide a story lies.
Don’t ban books from our eyes.
Don’t scheme to polarize
us or our growth impede.
Don’t ban books from our eyes.
Let us choose what to read.
Jacquelyn Markham April 4, 2023
The triolet form: for inquiring minds, the triolet dates to 14th century and is sometimes called a simple rondeau (as in round). The two line refrain is repeated and each line has six syllables. It’s fun to write!
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.
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) 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!
Launching the Poem-a-Day challenging this April 1, we begin with celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Na/GloPoWriMo this April. Today’s prompt from the NaPoWriMo is below:
“And here’s our own prompt (optional, as always) for the first day of Na/GloPoWriMo. They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but they never said you can’t try to write a poem based on a book cover — and that’s your challenge for today.”
What are the chances that I would be visiting my sister on a south Georgia lake covered with Gallinules and reading a book of poetry to review for The Polish Review titled Yours, Purple Gallinule? Because of this serendipity, I chose for my prompt the cover of this beautiful book of poems by Ewa Chrusciel, Omnidawn Press, 2022.
So here’s my poem today!
Poem removed by Poet Voice to revise and submit for publication elsewhere.
Denise Levertov, has said in “Work and Inspiration: Inviting the Muse,” that “poems come into being in two ways.” She goes on to say, there are those poems that are “inspired” and those much more common, poems created by the poet’s conscious process that eventually leads to “unpredictable inspiration.” I have experienced both, but as she says, we would not write many poems if we only counted on the “given” or inspired poems. Instead, most often, we must mine the gold!
Levertov said to think about poetry everyday, and I try to follow her words. Today, I am revisiting an earlier blog post and thinking not only about poetry, but about PEACE.
Poster compliments of Academy of American Poets (Poets.org)
Hello Poets & Poetry Lovers,
Welcome to my blog/website jacquelynmarkham.com
Let’s talk poetry! It is not too early to prepare for the April Poetry Month Poem-a-day challenge. In fact, it’s only a week away.
Do you know why we celebrate April as Poetry Month? What is the Poem-A-Day Challenge?
Much thanks goes to the Academy of American Poets who in April 1996 launched National Poetry Month. Its website, poets.org, is a wealth of information and inspiration for poets and appreciators of poetry. The Academy of American Poets explains that poetry month was founded as “a special occasion that celebrates poets’ integral role in our culture and that poetry matters.” And this was way before the pandemic when we learned again and again, that “poetry matters!”
The Academy sponsors Poem-A-Day, but that’s an already written poem in your inbox, not in your outbox! Sign up with the Academy to receive a previously unpublished poem by your favorite poets for inspiration and your personal enrichment.
But, what about **WRITING* a poem-a-day? Are you serious? Yes, I am! It’s a challenge!
**START HERE** As far as the Poem-A-Day Challenge, there are many avenues to choose from. I have enjoyed following along with NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, an annual project encouraging poets to attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. Read more about Maureen Thorson’s project on the links I’ve provided. It’s fun and inspiring! There are other sites that provide prompts or you may use your own, but stay with the spirit and attempt a poem a day!
If you are on Facebook, check out the Poem-A-Day’s new FB cover photo Celebrating 20 Years, Writing 30 Poems in 30 days!
Poet Voice 