The first poem of the fourth week of the online retreat. It’s always one side— or the other The pull the twist the twinge the strain the sprain the spasm the sharp prick of the universe’s voodoo doll A blade held immobile without provocation or recompense All I did was inhale (26 October 2020) Wishes [...]
The first poem of the third week of the online retreat. A tool question Why don’t they make hex wrenches with screwdriver handles instead of the hard-to-handle L shape? It took me 20 minutes to fasten the first two screws— plus I lost two washers and had to go out to buy more. A memory [...]
The first poem of the second week of the online retreat. Praise the impulse and the current, for they flow through us all. Praise the spark and the glow for they show what we might not see. Praise the conduit and the transformer for they allow us some control. Praise the magic and the mystery [...]
I’m participating in an online poetry retreat for the rest of the month. This is my first poem. Take 1 No, not protected it was password rejected I know I selected the right one and typed in the right line I’m looking at it right now — I wish this keyboard weren’t so wonky My [...]
I promised myself I wasn’t going to write a(nother) coronavirus poem. I mostly didn’t. Today’s entry is off-prompt; it was instead inspired by Stephen King’s April Fool’s Day tweet. It’s hard to believe that’s an old song now It never did get any respect The world has moved on and then some— but the Rick [...]
Here I use the napowrimo.net prompt: an instruction poem. Or, rather, my particular twist on it. I limited myself to television, because it’s late and I’m getting sleepy… That’s how the castaways got stranded on Gilligan’s island That’s how William Shatner (and then John Lithgow, in the movie) went crazy and saw the monster at [...]
Here I use the prompt provided by poet (and bookstore owner) Chris Jarmick on his blog, POETRYisEVERYTHING. ‘Use at least 3 of the 135 phrases Shakespeare takes credit for making famous in a poem.’ Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? I have not slept one wink— as much as I know the course [...]
For a very early start on day 1, I have ostensibly used the prompt from Napowrimo.net—to ‘write a poem that is based on a secret shame, or a secret pleasure.’ I would not necessarily refer to depression as ‘a secret shame’, but neither is it something I like to share much about on those days when [...]
It’s National Poetry Writing Month again; this year is my fifth time participating. My first entry combines the prompts from Napowrimo.net (write a Kay Ryan-esque poem) and the Napowrimo Facebook page (write about a ‘big first’)… Only the moon knows how it feels The first time is always the most awkward: clumsy… uncomfortable… did I mention [...]
Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt is to write a lune, a three-line poem with a 5-3-5 syllable count. If machines make war do drones dream? What are their nightmares? (1 April 2016)
