Your radiant words—
Shiny, glowing, and full of promise—
Fool me not.
I have witnessed the way
Your warped lies wiggle
Like worms into dark soil.
You speak of liberty,
But captivating chatter rings hollow.
You are fluent in the language of the Oppressor.
Your rancid words—
Slimy, groping, and full of poison—
Fooled me before.
-Day Two of http://www.napowrimo.net
It’s Day One of National Poetry Writing Month and . . .
I’m
Eating
Jellybeans—
Orange, black, red, green—
Sweet, waxy, non-vegan, non-toxic joy.
Today, I chose a short and sweet style of poetry from https://www.youngwriters.co.uk/types-tetractys:
A tetractys consists of 5 lines, each line has a set number of syllables see below:
Line 1 – 1 syllable
Line 2 – 2 syllables
Line 3 – 3 syllables
Line 4 – 4 syllables
Line 5 – 10 syllables
From the NaPoWriMo.net site:
And last but not least, here is our (optional, as always) prompt for the day. It’s based off of Lauren Russell’s collaborative poetry exercise. Today, we challenge you to write a poem that is based on a secret shame, or a secret pleasure. It could be eating too many cookies, or bad movies, or the time you told your sister she could totally brush her teeth with soap. It’s up to you. Happy writing!
Autumn approaches, kind and Just
Throwing hints of its arrival— aloof, cat-like—
Prowling and batting frost through the passing moons,
But by day, hiding, napping, and
Basking in brightness, allowing heat like
a season of summer suns.
Leaves shed their green With
Emerald subsiding to olive before the
Tawny, coppery shades show with certainty.
Dried and crumbled memories fall off of
Branches, covering the earth with umber tides.
Though the equinox expresses endings, you, Iris, are Just
Standing there, a September bloom, proud-like.
You remind me to harbor my hopes—
Inward singing for eventual springing—
Iris, surrounded by delicate falls, your standards held high.
The world tries to remind you that summer is settled, but Still
Here you are, Iris, regal and resplendent. I’ll
Remember watching you, Iris—brave, beautiful rebel—rise.
The prompt was to write a double elevenie, or Elfchen. I chose to write 3 single Elfchens that are not related in any way.
NaPoWriMo.net DAY 23 “Our prompt for Day Twenty-Three comes to us from Gloria Gonsalves, who challenges us to write a double elevenie. What’s that? Well, an elevenie is an eleven-word poem of five lines, with each line performing a specific task in the poem. The first line is one word, a noun. The second line is two words that explain what the noun in the first line does, the third line explains where the noun is in three words, the fourth line provides further explanation in four words, and the fifth line concludes with one word that sums up the feeling or result of the first line’s noun being what it is and where it is. There are some good examples in the link above.”
NaPoWriMo.net Day 18 “Today, I challenge you to write a poem that incorporates neologisms. What’s that? Well, it’s a made-up word! Your neologisms could be portmanteaus (basically, a word made from combining two existing words, like “motel” coming from “motor” and “hotel”) or they could be words invented entirely for their sound.”
NaPoWriMo.net – Day 17 – “And now for our (optional) prompt. Today, I challenge you to write a nocturne. In music, a nocturne is a composition meant to be played at night, usually for piano, and with a tender and melancholy sort of sound. Your nocturne should aim to translate this sensibility into poetic form!”
Instead of a nocturne,
I wrote a waltz today.
No foxtrot,
Merengue,
Or mambo.
Can move us
Properly.
Let us waltz.
Hair flowing,
Feet dancing,
Hands holding,
We’re swinging,
Hearts beating—
Let us waltz.
You’re smiling;
I’m grinning.
We’re twirling,
And spinning.
You and me,
Let us waltz.
Budget-changing United Airlines
Has found it’s way into the headlines—
While peanuts are no longer complimentary,
They’re happy to throw in a concussion for free.
NaPoWriMo.net – Day 14 – a clerihew poem
Today’s news, quietly screaming the ugly truth,
We are a completely broken humanity.
Hatred, violence, and political pretense
Are prowlin’ about provokin’ humanity.
The “bliss” of ignorance has become our disgrace
We’re the kiss of poison oak in humanity.
Change will not come unless we humbly face the facts —
Primary facts — and get woke in humanity.
Can I, Julie, help turn this Ship of Fools around?
I’ll use voice — with an outspoken humanity.
NaPoWriMo.net (Day 14) “Today’s is an oldie-but-a-goody: the ghazal. The form was originally developed in Arabic and Persian poetry, but has become increasingly used in English, after being popularized by poets including Agha Shahid Ali. A ghazal is formed of couplets, each of which is its own complete statement. Both lined of the first couplet end with the same phrase or end-word, and that end-word is also repeated at the end of each couplet. If you’re really feeling inspired, you can also attempt to incorporate internal rhymes and a reference to your own name in the final couplet.”
This writing prompt — writing a ghazal — after today’s events is necessary, critical, and Timely.
Brighten
Bee-stung
Bow-shaped lips
With burgundy blush.
Swab some
shiny,
sleek,
slick,
slippery,
shimmery, silicate silk
sideways
To play up
That part that pouts.
Grab a tube of
Glassy glimmer glitter
A tube of twilight tulips
A wand with wintry wine
Or be
Pleasantly Pleased
with plain pink.
NaPoWriMo.net – Day 12 – “Today, I’d like you to write a poem that explicitly incorporates alliteration (the use of repeated consonant sounds) and assonance (the use of repeated vowel sounds). This doesn’t mean necessarily limiting yourself to a few consonants or vowels, although it could. Even relatively restrained alliteration and assonance can help tighten a poem, with the sounds reinforcing the sense.”
Hearing a hullabaloo from
the next classroom over,
I hopped into the hallway
To see a student spewing sass at her teacher.
She flips her hair and rolls her eyes.
At the same moment —
Smack —
A smart snapping sound sails off her lips.
“Whatever,” she huffs,
Crossing one arm over the other,
Pointing her elbows out
Like the quills of a porcupine.
“I didn’t want to be in your class anyways!”
She pivots,
Fifty percent ballerina, fifty percent basketball player—
One hundred percent attitude.
I spy
the same student
several hours later,
Beside a classmate,
During after school tutoring,
Blatantly whispering
“You know what I hate?”
She begs of her buddy,
“Teachers that say they don’t care.”
Her companion corroborates,
“Mmm-hmm.”
“They should know
I’m fronting.
They got something
And I want what they got.
That’s why I show up.
Now, why would you
Tell someone
Who show up
Everyday
That you don’t care ‘bout them?
Ain’t you the grown-up here?”
Again, her friend
Renders Assent,
“Mmm-hmm.
They should
just know, no
Matter what,
No matter how you act
No matter what you say,
That you want
What they got.
They should
just know.”
NaPoWriMo.net – Day 10 Prompt “Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that is a portrait of someone important to you. It doesn’t need to focus so much on what a person looks (or looked) like, as what they are or were.”
The Read-e-ologist 