Tag: dailyprompt

Day 23  Grandma K. Saves the Day

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Check out the details of the prompt from Napowrimo.net here: The summary: “Poem about or involving a superhero.”

With the full moon in Scorpio rising, today/tonight was full as well, so I’m a bit late today.

As far as the prompt, most superheroes in popular culture (including the women) target male demographics, so I haven’t been a big fan, but my superheroine comes in a different form–my Polish Grandma and here she is starring in my poem for Day 23.

Grandma K, my Polish Grandma, poet photo

Grandma K. Saves the Day

Batman, Superman, Catwoman,

Batwoman, Supergirl, Spiderman,

Wonder Woman!

None compare to my Superheroine

Polish Grandma K!

Strength, courage, skill & daring

of superheros times ten!

Born in 1896 to parents just arrived

from Poland on a ship to work

in salt mines & on a dirt poor farm.

Superwoman Grandma, a beautiful

young woman, found a job doing

linens, organdy & lace

for fancy ladies in the nearby town

where she met a handsome man

who wooed her & became his wife.

He traveled to Chicago and Milwaukee

and she stayed home to raise the one,

two, three, four, five babies that she had,

number six still in the womb when he “disappeared.”

Now, that’s another story.

The heroine Grandma K always looked as

fresh as the linens she ironed for her ladies.

The children did as well.  When the elders failed,

she sold the trees from off the farm

to keep the land their own,

she cared for elders, sick, and young

with six at home and worked in the

cherry factory.  She waitressed at the new hotel.

Thankful for her life, she recited Polish prayers

for the poor, not knowing she was the one

who received the blessings.

Step down, Wonder Woman,

Grandma K saves the day!

Jacquelyn Markham 4/23/2024

Jacquelyn Markham, poet & writer, author of Rainbow Warrior, Finishing Line Press (2023), Peering Into the Iris: An Ancestral Journey and China Baby, among other titles.

Day 22 Insomniac Fights Sleep

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The prompt for Day 22 from Napowrimo.net: “The idea is to write a poem in which two things have a fight. Two very unlikely things, if you can manage it.” After much thought and deliberation (and loss of sleep), I chose the insomniac fighting sleep!

Insomniac Fights Sleep

The pillow hot,/On both sides/…Haven’t

Slept all night, too late/To dream of sleep. . . (Anna Akhmatova)

Sleep Speaks:

I am so peaceful

I am so kind

I am so healing

Why do you flight me?

Insomniac Speaks:

Oh, I can’t surrender

I have so many thoughts

competing for space in my mind

and some to worry about!

I might miss something

If I go to sleep. I must win &

keep my eyes open!

Sleep Speaks:

Insomniac, close your eyes.

Breathe deeply, surrender.

I demand it!

Insomniac Speaks:

No! No! I must get out of bed,

drink a cup of chamomile,

find my pen & journal,

write this idea I have for a poem!

Sleep Speaks:

Surrender, sleep my poet, sleep.

Insomnia Speaks:

I am counting backwards now.

100 breathe in

99 breathe out

98 breathe in

97 breath out

96 . . .

Sleep Speaks:

Surrender, my little one,

Sleep coos to the counting insomniac.

Insomniac Speaks:

Is that daylight I see on the blind?

I really can’t surrender.

            Jacquelyn Markham 4/22/2024

Day 18 What I Long to Be

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And on this 18th day of our challenge, Maureen at Napowrimo says: “Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem in which the speaker expresses the desire to be someone or something else, and explains why.”

What I Long to Be

I long to be a new version of me.

I long to be a rockin’ rock star who

tours the world and sings to packed crowds,

with a legacy that lasts a half century.

I long to be much taller & thinner, much more stylish.

I long to write novels & sell them to

moviemakers who turn them into series.

I long to have a productive green garden,

an immaculate yard, and a spotless house,

clean sheets every night, no ring on the tub.

I long to be strong & courageous, climb

rocks like a pro, &  nothing too heavy for me to lift!

No mountain too high for me to climb!

I long to know no fear—not in the dark of night

or on the busiest expressway that crosses the city

or the highest suspension bridge.

An elevator up to the 100th floor, no problem.

No anxiety, no jitters, no vertigo.

I long to be a famous philanthropist & give money away,

an environmentalist who saves the manatees & the whales.

But, since all of these longings are far from my reach,

I long to be the best me I can be!

Jacquelyn Markham (4/18/2024)

Day 17 La Vie en Rose: Villanelle

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Napowrimo’s Prompt: “Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that is inspired by a piece of music, and that shares its title with that piece of music.”

Because we are focusing on music today, I decided to write a villanelle, a form that dates back to Italy during the 16th century. Villanelles were songs, so it seemed a good fit. The form enjoyed a revival during the 19th century and to brush up on the form, I studied a villanelle by Oscar Wilde, titled “Theocritus” (check it out here). The villanelle consists of 5 tercets & a quatrain with a specific rhyme scheme, sometimes restricting syllables, but apparently not always. If you want to learn more about Oscar Wilde’s poem, you can find a fascinating article by the Guardian on the poem:https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/29/poem-of-the-week-theocritus-villanelle-oscar-wilde

You will notice the repetition of two refrains selected from the first stanza.

La Vie en Rose: A villanelle

“I thought that love was just a word/They sang about in songs” (Edith Piaf)

When I hear La Vie en Rose,

I want to stroll through Paris in the rain.

Do you, like Edith, believe in love?

Nymphs and fawns in fountain spray,

in Champs-Élysées, leaves skitter black with rain,

when I hear La Vie en Rose.

Rose-colored glasses at twenty did betray.

Still, I want to see a love-filled world.

Do you, like Edith, believe in love?

My music box played the song every day.

Love escaped me but not the pain

when I hear La Vie en Rose.

Whether Paris, Rome or the place you stay,

love and desire are in your domain.

Do you, like Edith, believe in love?

Rose petals fall away—

dried, brittle, crumbled once again

when I hear La Vie en Rose.

Do you, like Edith, believe in love?

Jacquelyn Markham (4/17/2024)

https://youtu.be/kFzViYkZAz4?si=nRHKa3ohFQilSZ88

Day 16 Remembering Neruda

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Day 16 moves us into the second half of the month, and yet, summoning the muse becomes a bit difficult–at least it has for me today. Nevertheless, my memory has joined the muse again and I have composed a poem.

Maureen at Napowrimo.net always reminds us the prompt is “optional,” but I do like to try to follow along with other poets.  It’s interesting to see the many different perspectives. And, sometimes making an effort to try something new results in a good poem!

So here it is: “today, we challenge you to write a poem in which you closely describe an object or place, and then end with a much more abstract line that doesn’t seemingly have anything to do with that object or place, but which, of course, really does. The “surprise” ending to this James Wright poem is a good illustration of the effect we’re hoping you’ll achieve. An abstract, philosophical kind of statement closing out a poem that is otherwise intensely focused on physical, sensory details.”

Remembering Neruda on the tavern terrace in spring

Jasmine & clematis drape a trellis in fragrance,

Nina Simone’s voice casts a spell on the night

while the server whose favorite poet is Pablo Neruda

(he has told me, noting I write poems on my placemat)

pours wine with a flair & a golden stream

swirls into my glass. Nina’s spell gives way

to Stevie Wonder’s funky beat on this tavern terrace

as cool as the spring evening laden with scent.

I recopy the poem I have written about the night & offer

it with my tab to the dark-eyed waiter who returns

to his Chilean home in the morning.

Was it Neruda’s poems of love or despair

that he held in his memory?

Jacquelyn Markham (4/16/2024)

Jacquelyn Markham, poet & writer, author of Rainbow Warrior, Finishing Line Press (2023), Peering Into the Iris: An Ancestral Journey and China Baby, among other titles.

Day 15 Little Stamp from Aruba

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Today’s prompt from Napowrimo.net asked us to get inspired by stamps!

It took me awhile as first I went to the National Postal Museum and there was so much to learn! Next, I tried the recommended @StampsBot. Like Maureen said, there was an amazing “wide, wonderful, and sometimes wacky world of postage stamps” out there! But, still, difficult to zero in on just one. Curious how many stamps from other countries feature cats. I don’t recall any US stamps giving cats so much attention. In the end, though, it was this gorgeous palm tree and sunset that caught my eye. And now, I want to go to Aruba!

It also reminded me of a painting I did en plein air, years ago on a nearby beach. I gave it as a wedding gift to some dear friends.

Poet’s painting of island sunset.

And here is my little poem inspired by this lovely stamp from Aruba:

On this little stamp from Aruba

a fireball drops into the sea

a palette of orange red & yellow

sinks deep into the waves

yet stays in sky & palm fronds

not wanting to give up

the glorious day in Aruba

on the turquoise Caribbean

or even the quiet day

at the shore nearby

Jacquelyn Markham (4/15/2024)

Aruba from https://www.aruba.com/us

Day 11 The Painted Desert Glowed

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Courtesy of Stef Dunn Photography

Painted Desert Memory

The painted desert glowed rose red in the sunset

when we drove west &  you were so young

with your auburn hair.

Jacquelyn Markham (4/11/2024)

Today, Day 11 of the poem-a-day challenge in honor of National Poetry Month, 2024, we were encouraged by Napowrimo.net to write a one line poem: “our optional prompt for the day honors the “ones” in the number 11.”

Maureen Thorsen writes: “Today, we’d like to challenge you to write either a monostich, which is a one-line poem, or a poem made up of one-liner style jokes/sentiments.” This prompt sends us to Writer’s Digest where we find a different prompt and an example of monostich (a one line poem) by Robert Lee Brewer.

Regret

by Robert Lee Brewer

I hold a chip bag that only holds crumbs.

That’s a sad story, Robert, but I think mine is even sadder or at least nostalgic!

By the way, if you want to check out the prompts at Writer’s Digest, curated by Robert Lee Brewer, you can find them here:

Robert’s prompt for today is: “For today’s prompt, write a memory poem. The poem could conjure up an actual memory that you have from your childhood, or last week, or earlier this morning. Or the memory could be made up. Or the memory is just a starting point for a completely different poem. Your memories, your poems.”

I combined the two prompts for a one-liner memory poem.  Hope you like it!

Rainbow Warrior

Jacquelyn Markham, poet & writer, author of Rainbow Warrior, Finishing Line Press (2023), Peering Into the Iris: An Ancestral Journey and China Baby, among other titles.

Day 9   Ode to My Bluejeans

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Ahhh a little sleep and a whole new attitude as Day 9 of the poem-a-day challenge arrives. A little lighter in the vein of Pablo Neuruda’s “Ode to My Socks” (see prompt from Maureen Thorson by clicking here at Napowrimo.net or below).

Ode to My Bluejeans

some stretch in the bluejeans required

bluejeans must be rugged but with style

often worn bluejeans can usually be revived

with a twirl in the clothes dryer

bluejeans pulled on for a knock on the door

bluejeans for a stroll in the “back forty”

bluejeans with a hat & sunglasses

for a trip to the mailbox

bluejeans & boots for a serious trek

in the overgrown field

bluejeans & flip flops

for a quick trip to the store

bluejeans to plant

rootbound dianthus, viola, & dill

hang bluejeans on a hook for easy grabbing

until one day bluejeans demand

their turn in the washing machine

to retain their usefulness & for

a reward of almost new bluejeans

skip the dryer—except for the twirl

for minor touch up

blue jeans you are a loyal friend!

Jacquelyn Markham (4/9/2024)

Prompt:

“Our prompt for today (optional, as always) takes its inspiration from Pablo Neruda, the Chilean-born poet and Nobel Prize Winner. While he is most famous in the English-speaking world for his collection Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, he also wrote more than two hundred odes, and had a penchant for writing sometimes-long poems of appreciation for very common or mundane things. You can read . . .“Ode to My Socks” here, and “Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market” here.” (Napowrimo.net)

Jacquelyn Markham, poet & writer, author of Rainbow Warrior, Finishing Line Press (2023), Peering Into the Iris: An Ancestral Journey and China Baby, among other titles.

Day 7 Wish You Were Here

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at the shore – photo by poet J. Markham

wish you were here

after all I am solo

at the seaside grill on an island

a swirl of eclipse energy

wraps me up

in my thoughts of other times

but, hey, today is now & I’m alive

so wish you were here

to drink the chardonnay

to share the overflowing

crabcake benedict & grits

to cross the rivers

to meander the maritime forest

to find the path &

to walk the shore with me

wish you were here

Jacquelyn Markham (4/7/24)

photo by the poet

By the way, the prompt for today! Courtesy of Napowrimo.net

And last but not least, we’re taking it easy with today’s (optional) prompt. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem titled “Wish You Were Here” that takes its inspiration from the idea of a postcard. Consistent with the abbreviated format of a postcard, your poem should be short, and should play with the idea of travel, distance, or sightseeing. If you’re having trouble getting started, perhaps you’ll find some inspiration in these images of vintage postcards.

Day 6 Weird Wisdom

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“And now for our (optional) prompt from Napowrimo: “Today’s we’d like to challenge you to write a poem rooted in ‘weird wisdom,’ by which we mean something objectively odd that someone told you once, and that has stuck with you ever since.”

Oh, how I struggled with this prompt! Truth is, all that weird wisdom has stuck! So here’s the poem for day 6!

Bird singing in the morning!

The Staying Power of Weird Wisdom

The trunkful of weird wisdom  

that I learned as a child never emptied.

My mother rivalled a character in a Flannery O’Connor story

with her wealth of proverbs, warnings, and clichés.

Maybe I lacked a dress for the prom, or a hat for Easter,

or a book for school, but never a lack of weird wisdom.

Necessity is the mother of invention, (how many times did I hear?)

A leopard doesn’t change its spots.

A fool and her money . . .(yes a litany of these!),

a bird in the hand, a journey of a thousand miles. . .,

Oh, and “all that glitters isn’t gold!”

Beggars can’t be choosy, daughter.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, now!

How many times?

Don’t cross that bridge ‘til you come to it?

If wishes were horses, we would all take a ride,

young lady! But the weirdest wisdom

of all that puzzles me still:

“Sing before breakfast; cry before night.”

What? We should all sing like birds.

Sing to sunrise! Sing to the morning!

Sing to the new day!

Moral of the story:

Some wisdom is not only weird, but better left unsaid!

Jacquelyn Markham (4/6/2024)