National Poetry Month Prompt #29 (From ReadWritePoem) - Front Page News.
For this prompt, choose your favorite newspaper or online news provider. Jot down five to ten headlines that jump out at you and without reading the articles, select elements from each headline to create a new event about which your poem reports.
Read All About It
If you can believe it,
Police unable to confirm woman’s claim.
Boobquake –
Cross cultural education –
five times worse.
Time for a doctor’s visit –
Design from the heart -
Secret Life; Motherhood drives moms to drink.
Too risky to call ET.
Who’s responsible?
A random talk on Wall Street –
The bang is back.
Living the dream –
Family first.
©Bridget Nutting, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
NaPoWriMo #28 - Before You
National Poetry Month Prompt #28 - Intuition
Take a moment to remember a breakthrough moment in your life or a “freeze-frame” moment from long, long ago. An “a-ha” or an “epiphany” moment or a moment that has a story yet to tell.
Let’s prepare to write a poem using our intuition intentionally today. Write this prompt on your page: “When I remember my “a-ha moment” from my past, I understand the place I am meant to go with my words and poetry today is … ”
Restate the prompt as you free-write and don’t write a poem yet. Instead, go about your business of the day purposefully not writing a poem.
Notice surprising turns of phrases you hear. Listen to people who say things to you that seem especially surprising, lyrics to songs. Eavesdrop intentionally. Wait for at least 2 hours and then write your poem from the words your intuition and your free-writing gave you.
Take a moment to remember a breakthrough moment in your life or a “freeze-frame” moment from long, long ago. An “a-ha” or an “epiphany” moment or a moment that has a story yet to tell.
Let’s prepare to write a poem using our intuition intentionally today. Write this prompt on your page: “When I remember my “a-ha moment” from my past, I understand the place I am meant to go with my words and poetry today is … ”
Restate the prompt as you free-write and don’t write a poem yet. Instead, go about your business of the day purposefully not writing a poem.
Notice surprising turns of phrases you hear. Listen to people who say things to you that seem especially surprising, lyrics to songs. Eavesdrop intentionally. Wait for at least 2 hours and then write your poem from the words your intuition and your free-writing gave you.
Before You
before there was you -
when I was young and alone
I dreamed you would come
my knight in shining armor -
saved by never ending love
©Bridget Nutting, 2010
I always knew my "prince" would come. That "knowing" sustained me through many turbulous times and gave my the strength to resist others along the way who would be prince.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
NaPoWriMo #27 - Begin Each Day
National Poetry Month Prompt #27 (From ReadWritePoem) - Let Someone Else Take the Lead.
Take a word that’s part of you — your name, your birth month, your favorite animal, your guiding principle. Write that word vertically down a page and use the letters to start the lines of a poem. When you’re done, you’ll have an acrostic poem. (Though the prompt could be as simple as “write an acrostic poem,” the word sounds scary this late in the month. This prompt is designed to ease you into the final stretch. Don’t stress too much about the word you choose. NaPoWriMo is just for fun. Are you having fun?)
Begin Each Day
Begin each day in
Reverence for all existence.
Indelible memories of nature’s
Dance permeate my waking dreams - a
Glorious testament to our creator’s
Eloquence… a celebration of his
Technicolor playground for our souls.
©Bridget Nutting, 2010
Take a word that’s part of you — your name, your birth month, your favorite animal, your guiding principle. Write that word vertically down a page and use the letters to start the lines of a poem. When you’re done, you’ll have an acrostic poem. (Though the prompt could be as simple as “write an acrostic poem,” the word sounds scary this late in the month. This prompt is designed to ease you into the final stretch. Don’t stress too much about the word you choose. NaPoWriMo is just for fun. Are you having fun?)
Begin each day in
Reverence for all existence.
Indelible memories of nature’s
Dance permeate my waking dreams - a
Glorious testament to our creator’s
Eloquence… a celebration of his
Technicolor playground for our souls.
©Bridget Nutting, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
NaPoWriMo #26 - The Face of Love
National Poetry Month Prompt #26 (From ReadWritePoem) - Get Scrappy
It’s getting late in the month, and finishing NaPoWriMo is going to take every bit of resourcefulness you have. Jill Crammond Wickham reminds us about the bits and pieces of poems we may be carrying around.
Today, before you start writing, you need to do some digging. Dig through your backpack, purse or desk drawer and find a scrap of poem written on an old envelope or bank deposit slip. Unearth an old journal or notebook.
Find a poem that you started, or perhaps one you abandoned. Read it through. Highlight the lines or phrases that please you. Do not cross anything out (yet)! You now have two choices: finish the poem or take the parts you like and begin a brand new piece.
If NaPoWriMo has you a little crazy, there is a third option: take the parts you don’t like and use them to inspire a new poem.
It’s getting late in the month, and finishing NaPoWriMo is going to take every bit of resourcefulness you have. Jill Crammond Wickham reminds us about the bits and pieces of poems we may be carrying around.
Today, before you start writing, you need to do some digging. Dig through your backpack, purse or desk drawer and find a scrap of poem written on an old envelope or bank deposit slip. Unearth an old journal or notebook.
Find a poem that you started, or perhaps one you abandoned. Read it through. Highlight the lines or phrases that please you. Do not cross anything out (yet)! You now have two choices: finish the poem or take the parts you like and begin a brand new piece.
If NaPoWriMo has you a little crazy, there is a third option: take the parts you don’t like and use them to inspire a new poem.
The Face Of Love
the lines on your face
provide a map of our lives –
proof of happiness –
a testament to sorrow –
a record for tomorrow
©Bridget Nutting, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
National Poetry Month Prompt #25 (From ReadWritePoem) - First Things First
Keep an ear out for the first sentence (or even word) that is said to you after you read this prompt. (Poetic license: If the first few words are exceptionally boring, wait for the first uncommon or peculiar one.) Take that word/sentence — it could be “mango” or “exemplar” or “have you ever been to this Ethiopian restaurant?” — and build a poem around it. Maybe you have deep thoughts on mangoes or a narrative of heartbreak and spicy injera from the restaurant mentioned. Trust in fate.
Keep an ear out for the first sentence (or even word) that is said to you after you read this prompt. (Poetic license: If the first few words are exceptionally boring, wait for the first uncommon or peculiar one.) Take that word/sentence — it could be “mango” or “exemplar” or “have you ever been to this Ethiopian restaurant?” — and build a poem around it. Maybe you have deep thoughts on mangoes or a narrative of heartbreak and spicy injera from the restaurant mentioned. Trust in fate.
Battle of Wills
Silence has replaced the din
Of everyday living.
Darkness has silenced the light.
The clock ticks on.
The dog grumbles as he rolls over.
The prince snores –
a cacophony of night noise
plays on.
An intruder waits, silently,
to attack.
Muscles twitch, then seize…
Burning tendrils race to grip extremities,
laughing at over-the-counter remedies…
He begs for the treasure…
Take me on vacation…
I’ll still be here,
You just won’t care.
Come on…you know
You want to!
I resist…
Oblivion unwanted.
He taunts me; his will is strong.
Silent screaming continues.
I arise – not wanting to disturb the prince.
I creep down the hallway
in darkness.
Our battle of wills continues.
Time passes slowly.
“Come back to bed, baby!”
Battle din masked his arrival.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I sigh.
He takes my hand
and leads me back.
“It’s OK…It will all be OK….
As long as we’re together.”
His warmth quiets the intruder
As I melt into his arms.
I sleep.
©Bridget Nutting, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
NaPoWriMo #24 - The Siren's Lair
National Poetry Month Prompt #24 (From ReadWritePoem) - Find a Phrase
With words like codswallop, it’s clear that Read Write Poem member Marie Gauthier means business! Now is not the time to let your NaPoWriMo work ethic slack.
Clichés, idioms, what-have-you. As points of inspiration, you might think they’re dead in the water, but that’s a load of codswallop. Time spent investigating word origins is never time wasted.
So for today’s prompt, travel a while on The Phrase Finder website until you find the phrase or phrase origin that most interests you.
There are no hard and fast rules. The Phrase Finder has phrases from the Bible, from Shakespeare, phrases coined at sea, something for every taste. Take some notes, do a free-write or three, and see where a little word exploration takes you.
©Bridget Nutting, 2010
With words like codswallop, it’s clear that Read Write Poem member Marie Gauthier means business! Now is not the time to let your NaPoWriMo work ethic slack.
Clichés, idioms, what-have-you. As points of inspiration, you might think they’re dead in the water, but that’s a load of codswallop. Time spent investigating word origins is never time wasted.
So for today’s prompt, travel a while on The Phrase Finder website until you find the phrase or phrase origin that most interests you.
There are no hard and fast rules. The Phrase Finder has phrases from the Bible, from Shakespeare, phrases coined at sea, something for every taste. Take some notes, do a free-write or three, and see where a little word exploration takes you.
The Siren’s Lair
Beware ye, young men,
Of the siren’s lair
Sculptured bodies
And flowing hair,
Songs sang sweeter that the rarest bird
Don’t believe the lies you’ve heard
She’ll sing the songs you want to hear.
She’ll tell you you’re the greatest;
No one else is as dear…
Your body will be her playground,
You’ll go places you’ve never been.
Her games will be so exciting,
But you’ll never, ever win.
Finally, when she tires of you,
And it’s time for her to go,
Beware the final deed she does -
She’ll relieve you of your soul.
So, listen to the stories, son,
So, listen to the stories, son,
Of men and ships and whales,
But heed the siren and her lair…
Thereby hangs a tale.
©Bridget Nutting, 2010
(Image borrowed from the internet. "Thereby hangs a tale" - From Shakespeare's "As you Like It.")
Friday, April 23, 2010
NaPoWriMo #23 - Circumstance Unforeseen
National Poetry Month Prompt #26 (From ReadWritePoem) - Unlikely Couples
Read Write Poem member Sage Cohen has a terrific suggestion for today’s poems: Write a poem in which you combine a speaker and an event that normally don’t go together (such as sports broadcasters and poetry writing), as Jay Leeming does in his poem, “Man Writes Poem.”
Read Write Poem member Sage Cohen has a terrific suggestion for today’s poems: Write a poem in which you combine a speaker and an event that normally don’t go together (such as sports broadcasters and poetry writing), as Jay Leeming does in his poem, “Man Writes Poem.”
Circumstance Unforeseen
She owns the corner now –
Standing there daily,
Sign in hand…
Scuffed white stilettos and
Tattered white mini skirt,
She tucks dollar bills and loose coins
in a worn-out Gucci bag.
“No matter what a woman looks like,
if she’s confident, she’s sexy,” she says
as she waves at a passing motorist.
“I’ve just gotta find a new BFF.”
She brushes dirty blond tendrils
away from the dark smudges on her cheeks,
reminding me of a fairytale gone wrong.
“The only rule is don’t be boring and
dress cute wherever you go.
Life is too short to blend in.”
She smiles, displaying yellow, scaly teeth.
“What happened,” I asked.
She starts to cry –“My pets are gone,”
She sobs.
“Pets?”
“Every woman should have four pets
in her life. A mink in the closet,
a jaguar in the garage, a tiger in her bed, and
a jackass who pays for everything.”
I’m too shocked to speak.
A dark car slows.
A young boy tosses a cheeseburger out the window.
She scrabbles to retrieve the welcome gift.
“OMG…that’s so nice. Maybe he’ll
Be my BFF….
Maybe he’ll be my BFFE…”
©Bridget Nutting, 2010
(All italicized quotes are attributed to Paris Hilton.)
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