Month: April 2014

Pray for Rain (a quatern)

Poetry

rain

As the rain falls, washing my face,
I can breathe a little deeper,
feel my shoulder tension release,
imagine wings that might unfurl.

I can ponder flights of fancy,
as the rain falls, washing my face,
feel my heart begin its mending,
believe magic just might happen.

Like the touch of fingers dancing,
a massage delights my wet skin.
As the rain falls, washing my face,
I can face the world once again.

Maybe it will rain tomorrow.
I can hope the weather shifts.
I will offer thankful whispers,
as the rain falls, washing my face.

ABOUT:
For today’s prompt, write a water poem. Life depends upon water, so there are any number of ways to write this prompt. A few thoughts that jump to mind include pollution, rising water levels, hurricanes, fracking, and more.

POETIC FORM: QUATERN

Quatern Poetic Form Rules
1.This poem has 16 lines broken up into 4 quatrains (or 4-line stanzas).
2.Each line is comprised of eight syllables.
3.The first line is the refrain. In the second stanza, the refrain appears in the second line; in the third stanza, the third line; in the fourth stanza, the fourth (and final) line.
4.There are no rules for rhyming or iambics.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poetic-forms/types-of-poetry-forms-quatern

LINK TO PROMPT:

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2014-april-pad-challenge-day-26

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Blown Away (a triolet)

Poetry

dandelion

Hope just blew away on the wind;
I couldn’t hold onto its string.
There’s no love left here to defend.
Hope just blew away on the wind.
It’s finally too broken to mend,
and time to stop wearing the ring.
Hope just blew away on the wind;
I couldn’t hold onto its string.

ABOUT:
For today’s prompt, write a “last straw” poem. Everyone encounters situations in which they decide they’re not going to take it anymore (whatever “it” happens to be). It could be a loud noise, an abusive partner, someone taking the Pop Tart but not throwing the box away, or whatever. Write about the moment, the aftermath, or take an unexpected path to your poem.

POETIC FORM: TRIOLET
A diagram of the triolet would look like this:

A (first line)
B (second line)
a (rhymes with first line)
A (repeat first line)
a (rhymes with first line)
b (rhymes with second line)
A (repeat first line)
B (repeat second line)

FOR MORE INFO: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/personal-updates/triolet-an-easy-way-to-write-8-lines-of-poetry

LINK TO PROMPT:
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2014-april-pad-challenge-day-25

Tell it to the Moon

Poetry

wolfdied

I lay in the dark,
wish my wolf-heart wasn’t pierced,
longing for your touch.
I failed you, still love you, hate
some of this and all of me.

Tell it to the moon:
howl your wish that we were whole.
Howl your broken heart;
Wish to turn back that damned clock.
Or live with choices you’ve made.

ABOUT:
For today’s prompt, take the phrase “Tell It to the (blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write the poem. Possible titles include: “Tell It to the Hand,” “Tell It to the Judge,” “Tell It to the Six-Foot Bunny Rabbit,” and so on.

POETIC FORM: SOMONKA

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/somonka-poetic-forms

LINK TO PROMPT:

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2014-april-pad-challenge-day-24

Nowhere (a roundabout)

Poetry

path

Our hearts can’t keep chasing our feet,
making circles this way.
Something must give,
and I can’t live
with this heartache each day.

I feel your heart and its dismay.
The pain I must forgive.
You chose to leave.
I choose to grieve.
The break we will outlive.

I wish you could yourself forgive.
I wish I could believe,
someday we’ll meet,
healing complete.
Perhaps I am naïve.

Today our hearts need a reprieve.
I long for a retreat.
You chose your way;
there’s naught to say.
We should admit defeat.

ABOUT:
For today’s prompt, write a location poem. Location could be physical–like the laundromat, a public park, a glacier, flying saucer, etc. Or location could be emotional, psychological, metaphysical, or some other kind of word that ends in -al. Or surprise everyone!

POETIC FORM – ROUNDABOUT
The Roundabout is a four stanza poem, with each stanza consisting of 5 lines. The poem is written in iambic and the lines have 4 feet, 3 feet, 2 feet, 2 feet and 3 feet respectively. The rhyme scheme is abccb/bcddc/cdaad/dabba. Roundabouts can be on any subject. http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poetry-craft-tips/new-poetic-form-the-roundabout

LINK TO PROMPT:
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2014-april-pad-challenge-day-23

Maybe, Maybe Not (a shadorma)

Poetry

glasses

I don’t know.
It may be half full.
Can you tell?
Maybe not–
You never know with glasses;
I need a new pair.

ABOUT:

Today is a Tuesday, and you know what that means: Two for Tuesday Prompts! Write one, write the other, and/or write both!
•Write an optimistic poem. The glass is half full.
•Write a pessimistic poem. The glass is half empty.

POETIC FORM: SHADORMA

Shadorma is a Spanish 6-line syllabic poem of 3/5/3/3/7/5 syllable lines respectively.

LINK TO PROMPT:

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2014-april-pad-challenge-day-22

Start Again (a rispetto)

Poetry

images-3

If you love me, don’t say anything at all;
just let me go, and if you can’t say something,
put me back together. It was a great fall.
No stitch in time can save us, horses or kings.
Men! This is how walls and cookies crumble. Rain,
on every red sky morning, falls on the plain.
We spilled the milk, take warning: you can’t know what
— until I am gone, don’t cry over what you got.

ABOUT:

For today’s prompt, write a “back to basics” poem. For me, back to the basics means jumping to the fundamentals. Maybe it’s me re-learning (or praPticing) fundamentals–like running or writing–but it could also be a child learning how to tie his shoestrings, which can be a unique experience for both the child and the adult trying to give instructions and advice. Back to basics could also be re-setting a state of mind or getting back into a routine. In a way, spring is a season that gets back to the basics.

POETIC FORM: RISPETTO

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poetic-forms/poetic-forms-rispetto

LINK TO PROMPT:

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2014-april-pad-challenge-day-21

Sisters (a tanka)

Poetry

sisters

sisters share secrets
like short skirts and red lipstick
laughing whispers grin
argue fierce over car keys
kiss and make up on facebook

ABOUT:

For today’s prompt, write a family poem. I’ve actually written a few poems about my family this month already, but you don’t have to restrict yourself to your own family. There are any number of human families, of course, but also animals, insects, and other organisms. Plus, there are “families” of other types as well. As usual, feel free to bend the prompt to your favor.

POETIC FORM: TANKA

I provided info on the Tanka for my Somonka poem, for a refresher, go here: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poetic-forms/tanka-bigger-and-more-relaxed-than-a-haiku

LINK TO PROMPT:

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2014-april-pad-challenge-day-20

Coffee Kiss (a Somonka)

Poetry

coffee-cup-with-lipstick-mark-and-book-birgit-tyrrell

I long for your lips
as warm and red as this cup.
The coffee, I sip,
to wake me from my dreaming,
of you in your pajamas.

We’re out of coffee;
you left the empty pot on.
I long for a sip,
but I’m running late. I’ve time
for a quick, red, coffee kiss.

ABOUT:

For today’s prompt, pick a color, make the color the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. You can make your poem black, white, red, purple, turquoise, puce, or whatever your heart desires. And the subject of your poem can cover any topic–as long as you’ve plugged a color into the title. Let’s do this!

POETIC FORM: SOMONKA

The somonka is a Japanese form. In fact, it’s basically two tankas written as two love letters to each other (one tanka per love letter). This form usually demands two authors, but it is possible to have a poet take on two personas. A refresher on the tanka: If a haiku is usually (mistakenly) thought of as a 3-line, 5-7-5 syllable poem, then the tanka would be a 5-line, 5-7-5-7-7 syllable poem. However, as with haiku, it’s better to think of a tanka as a 5-line poem with 3 short lines (lines 2, 4, 5) and 2 very short lines (lines 1 and 3). While imagery is still important in tanka, the form is a little more conversational than haiku at times. It also allows for the use of poetic devices such as metaphor and personification (2 big haiku no-no’s). Like haiku, tanka is a Japanese poetic form. (for more on the tanka, see: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poetic-forms/tanka-bigger-and-more-relaxed-than-a-haiku for more on the somonka: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/somonka-poetic-forms)

LINK TO PROMPT:

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2014-april-pad-challenge-day-19

The Spring Wind (a rondeau)

Poetry

springwind

The spring wind can’t stop it’s blowing.
It winds through trees like thread sewing.
Watch it: stitching for hours and hours,
piece a blanket of bright flowers,
to be washed in gentle spring showers.

This breeze blows softly, keeps going,
and the green grass starts it’s growing.
It has such magical powers,
the spring wind.

I’m sitting here fairly glowing,
long past the toil of our sowing.
Underneath a tree that towers,
in this lovely garden, ours,
such gratitude I’m now owing,
the spring wind.

ABOUT:

For today’s prompt, write a weather poem. A weather poem can be a poem about a hurricane or tornado; it can be a poem about the weatherperson; it can be a poem about forgetting an umbrella on a rainy day; it can be big; it can be small; etc.

POETIC FORM: THE RONDEAU:

The rondeau is comprised of 15 lines across 3 stanzas with the first word or phrase from the first line represented as a refrain (R) and a rhyme scheme of 2 rhymes throughout (A and B). The rhyme and refrain scheme looks like this:

A (R)
A
B
B
A

A
A
B
R

A
A
B
B
A
R

The A and B lines are usually 8 or 10 syllables in length. The refrain is usually 1 to 3 words (or so).

FOR MORE SEE: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/personal-updates/poetic-forms-rondeau

LINK TO PROMPT:

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2014-april-pad-challenge-day-18