NaPoWriMo 2013: Day 17

Day 17

on APRIL 17, 2013

Hello all, and welcome to you on this seventeenth day of NaPoWriMo!

Today’s poetry link is to The Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church. Founded in 1966, the Project has been at the heard of New York’s poetry scene ever since, particularly on the experimental and avant-garde side of things. They sponsor weekly readings, workshops, and the Poetry Project Newsletter, which presents polemics, reviews, and poetry. They have a number of audio recordings available online, as well as back issues of the Newsletter and much, much more!

Our featured participant’s blog for today is Flood Poems, where the poem for Day 15 is so wonderfully evocative of the 1980s that I’ve now got “Angel was a Centerfold” stuck in my head.

And now our (totally optional) prompt! Early on in the month, I asked you to write a valediction — a poem of farewell. Today, let’s try the opposite, and write poems of greeting. There’s lots of things you could greet. The spring? Your new stapler? A favorite classmate? An addition to the menu at your local cafe? The subject’s up to you — now get out there and say “hello!”

Ok... been a while, but thought I would try this one :-)

Welcome

by: Keith Dozier

*****

*****

Hello love,

Where have you been ?

I've missed you dearly,

Sweet old friend.

You've been in there ?

Inside all along ?

I didn't let you out ?

Well, that's just wrong.

I suppose love's no good,

If only kept in--

Needs to get out,

Be shared with our friends.

I'm so glad to have you,

I hope you like, 

Where I send you,

I'll send you lots of places,

And they too can lend you.

Better late than never,

Dear love,

Why'd I ever doubt ?

So much better to share,

So, to you-- Welcome out !

April PAD 2013 – Day 8

2013 APRIL PAD CHALLENGE: DAY 8

The April PAD (Poem-A-Day) Challenge is designed to help poets do one thing and one thing only: Write more poems! The process of revision may go on for weeks, months, and years later, but this challenge is all about getting that first draft. Please poem along with us–either in the comments below or silently at home.

For today’s prompt, write an instructional poem. Your instructional poem could list instructions. Or it could capture an instructional moment.

Here’s my attempt at an instructional poem:

“how to spin”

she watches the birds tweet
but can’t stand their singing
songs that sound so happy

while she in misery
twists into a bottle
like a miniature boat

assembled with tweezers
never touched never held
always left on display

*****

Now mine: (Keith)

How To Be Selfish

(Unhappy)

by : Keith Dozier

I will do what I want,

Whenever I want.

I'll be happy at your expense,

Whatever the cost.

I won't even consider,

All that could be lost.

I'll take what I want,

From anyone in my way.

I'll listen to nobody,

No matter what they may say.

I'll come out on top,

Everyone is below me.

No matter how shallow,

One may think this victory.

When all this has happened,

And, I'm feeling so empty.

I will be unhappy if I want to,

And nobody will tempt me--

To listen to a real friend

Who's been here before.

I'll be unhappy just as long

As I want to and more.

NaPoWriMo 2013: Day 8

Ottava Rima for the Eighth

on APRIL 8, 2013

Hello, everyone. We’re more than a week into NaPoWriMo. Whether you’ve been here since April 1, or have joined us more recently, I hope you’re enjoying it!

Today’s featured poetry link is PennSound, which hosts a vast archive of recordings of poetry readings. It’s very cool stuff — you can search by poet, by reading series, and they even have an internet radio station, for all-day poetry listening.

Our featured participant’s blog for the day is The Dukkha Files. The internal rhymes in the poem for Day 6 are really effective, and the language is very fresh.

And now, the prompt (again — the prompt is optional!). Because it’s the 8th, I thought we might try writing in ottava rima — an Italian form that, in English, usually takes the form of an eight-line stanza of iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme of a-b-a-b-a-b-c-c. The most famous poem in English that uses the ottava rima form is probably Byron’s Don Juan. If you haven’t read it, it’s wickedly funny! It’s really amazing how contemporary Byron’s language is — it’s like he’s your mean-girl friend just gossiping at you in verse. But unlike Byron, you don’t have to write an entire epic in ottava rima! Just eight lines will do for now. Happy writing!

Now for my attempt:

Write, write, you must

by: Keith Dozier

********

********

Write a poem a day, they said.

You don't have to be Byron.

Whatever pops in your head.

Readers need new to try on.

It will keep the brain fed,

With words we rely on.

Do what you trust.

But, write, write, you must.

NaPoWriMo 2013: Day 7

Day Seven

on APRIL 7, 2013

Hello all!

Today’s poetry link is The Rumpus, where they are posting a poem each day in honor of National Poetry Month, as well as links to readings and other poetry events around the United States.

Our featured participants’ blog is Little Learner, who has been following the daily prompts with much aplomb! I’m so glad the prompts are working out so well for so many of you.

Speaking of which, here is our optional prompt for this, the seventh day of NaPoWriMo. I challenge you to write a poem in which each line except the last takes the form of a single, declarative sentence. Then, the final line should take the form of a question. With any luck, this will result in poems that have a sort of driving, reportorial tone, but with a powerful rhetorical finish. Let’s hope so, anyway!

Now... for my attempt at Day 7

Conquer Conquering

By: Keith Dozier

********

----------

Challenges greet us every day.

Sometimes they visit while we slumber,

Or just in the effort to get to sleep,

Challenges sometimes make us weep,

They make us stronger--

But sometimes weak.

We overcome- 

We defeat-

We rage on.

But sometimes we're tired

Aren't we ?

April PAD 2013 – Day 7

2013 APRIL PAD CHALLENGE: DAY 7

For today’s prompt, write a sevenling poem. Never heard of a sevenling poem? Well, it’s a 7-line poem (chosen because today is the 7th day of the challenge) that features two tercets and a one-liner in the final (third) stanza. My poem below illustrates the form. The first two stanzas should have an element of three in them that can either play off each directly, work as juxtaposition, or have no connection whatsoever. The final line should work as either a punchline, weird twist, or punctuation mark.

Here’s my attempt at a sevenling poem:

“sevenling”

she wanted most of all–
two hands, a good heart,
lips with soft words.

she found instead
two cats, an empty bed,
slips of former love letters.

her records always work.

*****

Now for Mine: (Keith's) ^ the above was by Writer's Digest.

Contribution

by : Keith Dozier

**********

You contribute to this earth-

Notes, lines or bars

In the symphony that is..

No matter how long,

Or how goes your song--

We all are instruments.

We want at least one to hear us, right ?

April PAD 2013 – Day 6

2013 APRIL PAD CHALLENGE: DAY 6

The April PAD (Poem-A-Day) Challenge is designed to help poets do one thing and one thing only: Write more poems! The process of revision may go on for weeks, months, and years later, but this challenge is all about getting that first draft. Please poem along with us–either in the comments below or silently at home.

For today’s prompt, write a post poem. Post could be short for post office–or traditional mail. Post could be a wood or metal post. Or post could mean relate to words like postpone, post-punk, or whatever.

Here’s my attempt at a post poem:

“post”

she checks in the morning
she checks at night

but she finds there’s nothing
no mail in sight

she wants him to write her
she wants his voice

but he left to spite her
it was his choice

Now.. here is mine (Keith Dozier).....

Posted: No Trespassing
by: Keith Dozier


Posted: No trespassing

Or at least that's my take.

Of the heart in your chest

You're afraid it will break.

Those signs make me leery,

Most times I go hide,

But, not this time,

I need you to invite me inside.

I can't promise to save you,

Or fix things unknown,

I can promise to be,

A place you call home.

We'll take the sign down,

We'll put up another,

That says WELCOME !

All my sisters and brothers.

Happiness lives here,

We share this place together.

We brave storms, welcome sunshine,

And all other weather.

NaPoWriMo 2013: Day 6

Hello, all, and welcome to the sixth day (and first Saturday!) of NaPoWriMo!

Our featured link today is the always reliable Verse Daily, where they feature a new poem every day. They tend to pick poems from recently published books so it can be a good way of finding new poets with new books that you might like!

Our featured participant’s site is ab chaos poesis, where A Quinlan and Alan Kleiman are posting their NaPoWriMo efforts. I really like A Quinlan’s poem for Day Five, with its shades of Mr. Rochester’s mad wife.

And now, our (completely optional) prompt for the day! This might seem like a bit of a downer, but I challenge you to write a valediction. This is a poem of farewell. Perhaps the most famous one is John Donne’s A Valediction Forbidding Mourning, which turns the act of saying good-bye into a very tender love poem. But your poem could say “good-bye” (and maybe good riddance!) to anything or anyone. A good-bye to winter might be in order, for example. Or good-bye to the week-old easter eggs in your refrigerator. Light or serious, long or short, it’s up to you!

Let's start with good-bye

by: Keith Dozier

Let's start with good-bye,

No need to cry,
I'll tell you why.

Sometimes people's part

In our story is over.

We have no choice,

But moving on - 

Take the time to recover.

I'd love you to love me,

Just for the heart

I have for you,

That'd be a start.

We can get past

Broken hearts.

I've done it before.

Let's look past our window

For a new open door.

It's ok to hurt,

It's ok to be broken--

For a short time and then,

No more words need be spoken.

Be ok.

I'm still cheering

For you to succeed.

In love and life--

Hoping you get what you need.

Let's not dawdle

When we diddle,

Have a caudle,

But, let's not piddle.

We're fine, we got this..

We're going to go on.

Grab the horns of life,

Ride it out- have some fun !