Prompt: Maureen says, “I have for you another deceptively simple challenge. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem about a very large thing.”
Having thought about this prompt a long time, I chose to write about the very large sea cow, also known as a Manatee, specifically, a West Indian Manatee found in Florida. These sea mammals are dying off in huge numbers, 1000 in 2021 and already 300 dead in 2022 (https://www.savethemanatee.org). You can help!
In a twist, I am using a short poetry form–the Cinquain–to write about a large—even huge—subject. The form is a Cinquain which was invented by one of my research interests, poet Adelaide Crapsey (1878-1914) Alas, a young Adelaide died of tuberculosis at age 36. Poetry Foundation says of the poet: “In addition to her poetry, Crapsey also produced a small but meticulously researched study of English metrics that also drew the praise of several contemporary reviewers” (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/adelaide-crapsey). Even if you don’t know Crapsey, you may recall this famous cinquain of hers.
Triad
These be
Three silent things:
The falling snow. . the hour
Before the dawn. . the mouth of one
Just dead.
And below is my Cinquain for today about something very large.
Mourning Manatees
A crime
Starving Sea Cows
Pollution kills sea grass
One thousand pound Manatee needs
To live
Jacquelyn Markham (4/11/2022)
Poet Voice 