Saturday, April 8, 2017

National Poetry Month Day Eight


Prompt:  Write a poem that uses one of the following as a first line. “Because the earth’s axis is tilted by 23½ degrees…” or “Because the sun will fade into a in a billion years…”  or  “Because only 59% of the moon’s surface is visible from Earth…” Allow your poem to be cosmic and galactic but include a few ordinary household items.


A Great Disturbance in the Force

“Because the Earth’s axis
is tilted by 23½ degrees
and I didn’t allow for it.”
That’s what my dorky brother said
When his toy rocket
shot into the chicken coop
and one of the chickens landed
in the cow trough
so the cow jumped the fence
and ran through the garden
tipping over the wheel barrow;
scaring the cat
so she jumped on the dog
then they ran through
the clothesline
and pulled down the sheets
which surprised me
and I stepped on my hat
and kicked the dog
and got in trouble.
Then Mom assigned me
To clean the bathrooms.

Friday, April 7, 2017

National Poetry Month Day Seven

Prompt:  Write a poem that explores beauty, love, joy in painful, tragic or sad time.  Allow the reader to experience these opposite feelings by juxtaposing beautiful images with less pleasing ones.  For example: falling in love during a hurricane, giving birth after being evicted.  Or write in first person that is inspirational to you in a not-so-perfect world.


Hell in Montana

A mushroom cloud
Appeared on the horizon
And stayed there
All summer.
Yellowstone burned.
Miles of forest
Seared, torched, charcoaled.

Armies with axes
An air force of bombers
Struggled against
The forces of nature
Advanced, retreated,
But stood their ground
At the Old Faithful Inn.

September 9, 1988
Seven stories of history
Faced a wall of flame.
With sprinklers and hoses
They drenched the roof
Choppers dropped slurry
The firestorm roared.

By late afternoon
The inferno moved on
The largest log structure
Stood, flags flying
In the clearing smoke,
Thanks to brave people
Who faced down the blaze.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

National Poetry Month Day Six

Prompt:  Synesthesia is the mixing of senses. Use as many synesthesia inspired phrases as you can in a poem.  Write in couplets.


Never Miss the Chance to Dance

A tumble of tutu
A running of rainbows

The peanut butter-jelly
Trip of tubby toes

Bouncing to the candy bop
Laughing in her bubble babble,

She spins into the kitchen
Sharing sunshine as she goes.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

National Poetry Month Day Five

Prompt:  Write a 15-20 line poem in which the first word always begins with the same word e.g. Praise, begin, let, understand, trust, believe, etc.  Address it to someone specific, or an inanimate object.  Extra credit: use name of city or science team.

Spring

Spring! That time of year when the sun
springs up directly in the east, flowers
spring from the soil and frozen
springs thaw.  Blackbirds return and sing
Spring!
Spring!   And so, my off-
spring,
spring from your bed.  I hate to
spring it to you but Daylight Savings time
sprung the clocks ahead an hour.
Spring forward!  Do not fall back into that bed of sagging
springs.  If you don’t
spring up and
spring into action, you will be late for school and your class will go to
Springfield without you.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

National Poetry Month Day Four

Prompt:  Write a rant poem based on something that annoys you.  Make it a poem, not a manifesto.  Avoid cliché or abstract language.  Write in the form of a prose poem—a paragraph without stanza breaks or intended line breaks.


Bang Head Here

I’m sorry for world horrors and disasters.  Still, I take comfort in kindness and companionship.  The earth is filled with countless beauties—which I can’t see because someone is standing in front of them trying to take a photo of their big head.  And what about those fools who think they can rule the world!  Oh, and bad grammar, poor spelling and folks who want to, “axe” me a question but can’t be, “pacific.”  And sticky floors.  And hair on my bar of soap.  Not to mention people who want to make every conversation about themselves while they constantly check their phone.   So I catch a break from crazy in a quiet, empty place to enjoy a cup of yogurt--and find I have no spoon.

Monday, April 3, 2017

National Poetry Month Day Three

Prompt:  Something magical happens. Someone tells a secret that reveals something about your life.  Extra credit.  Use citrus, prism, shallow, chickens, silk, lemons, shenanigans, chagrin, chariot, spin, prim, sin, splendid

Magic Number

Say the magic:  “One point six one eight.”
Behold a portal to a splendid world.
Step in lightly, there see spirals spin.
Seed-heads, pine cones, snaily shells,
Flower petals whirl and swim,

Rotation of the hurricanes,
Repeated in the galaxies,
Crystal prisms, chickens, lemons
The DNA of everything
Is numbered by this golden mean.

National Poetry Month, Day Two


Prompt: Write a poem that sneaks in two intentional timeline errors.

Secret Weapons

The courier hurried down the road,
Dropped bicycle in the mud.
“The troops are primed, machine guns mounted,
But Brits are more than can be counted.”
Jackson smiled, “We have Lafitte.
We’ll never go down to defeat.
He’ll help us safeguard New Orleans.
He as a fleet of submarines.”