Category: Poetry

April is National Poetry Month and while there is certainly plenty of poetry in the world, many poets celebrate this occasion by writing more. Daily poem writing challenges abound, offering prompts and forums for poets to share their work. Two good ones are NaPoWriMo.net and Robert Lee Brewer’s Poetic Asides, a Writer’s Digest blog. I’m planning to write daily, but I may alternate between the sites depending on my whims… and how hard the prompts are! Whatever I do I’ll share a draft here, and draft is a key word because there’s no way to promise perfection and quantity. Even so, I welcome your comments about what works for you or doesn’t. And I promise to cheer you on when you commit to doing something crazy for 30 days.

This one came from Poetic Asides, and it’s already changed twice since I posted my initial response.

For today’s prompt, write a communication poem. The communication could be dialogue between two (or more people); a postcard correspondence; a letter; a voicemail; a text message; a series of tweets; or whatever. Heck, I guess a poem is a form of communication–so there’s really no way to screw up today’s prompt (outside of writing nothing at all). Let’s get this party started!

Missing the Note

listening but not hearing
as the cantor sings, our choir swings
standing with the sopranos
striving to make the perfect sound
my ears fill, my nose twitches,
and right before we start the descant
I sneeze.