Category Archives: melancholy

7 4 7	the cry of the cicada the cry of the cicada gives us no sign that presently it will die.	the girl says hullo dada curls her fingers into his palm, beams upwards

4 5 6	‘tis the first snow ‘tis the first snow just enough to bend the gladiolus leaves.	‘tisn’t first frost each one comes to burn delicate fronds further

3 7 8	an ancient pond ! an ancient pond ! with a sound from the water of frog as it plunges in.	fresh coffee cup swallows sounds of water falling saltily on surface

https://www.napowrimo.net/

Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that responds, in some way, to another. This could be as simple as using a line or image from another poem as a jumping-off point, or it could be a more formal poetic response to the argument or ideas raised in another poem. You might use a favorite (or least favorite poem) as the source for your response. And if you’re having trouble finding a poem to respond to, here are a few that might help you generate ideas: “This World is Not Conclusion,” by Peter Gizzi, “In That Other Fantasy Where We Live Forever,” by Wanda Coleman, “La Chalupa, the Boat,” by Jean Valentine, or “Aubade: Some Peaches, After Storm,” by Carl Phillips.

stories of time

April 10, 2021Anticipation, Band names, Belonging, Family, Flowers, Forgiveness, heartbreak, Home, Hope, Love, melancholy, micro-story, Napowrimo, nostalgia, Timebarbaraturneywielandpoetess

napowrimo day 10

bundles of hours awake through the flowers

flowers wail through the walls papered

in objects abjectleft to wallow

waiting for purpose

the old horn bought in Interlaken

by 20 yr old dad set loose on a bus

loose stamps packs of cards photographs of husband

kids curled at the corners rubberbanded balls

paper lined wood dustmarbles foreignnotes folded

flowerpetalspressed potpourridistressed winestains – waiting walls

wail patiently – maybe

just maybe

i’ll come home – maybe

bunches of flowers’ll meet me there.

not a haiku

april 10 2021

btw

First song that came to my mind upon reading the prompt was Ben Howard’s Promise

https://www.google.ch/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiDg7n7lfPvAhU0wAIHHQsnBaYQyCkwAHoECAMQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DCVUOTzoVeZA&usg=AOvVaw0TzjCrJbdp0GSp2zBPRb83

https://www.napowrimo.net/

Finally, here’s our daily prompt (optional, of course!). It’s called “Junk Drawer Song,” and comes to us from the poet Hoa Nguyen.

First, find a song with which you are familiar – it could be a favorite song of yours, or one that just evokes memories of your past. Listen to the song and take notes as you do, without overthinking it or worrying about your notes making sense.
Next, rifle through the objects in your junk drawer – or wherever you keep loose odds and ends that don’t have a place otherwise. (Mine contains picture-hanging wire, stamps, rubber bands, and two unfinished wooden spoons I started whittling four years ago after taking a spoon-making class). On a separate page from your song-notes page, write about the objects in the drawer, for as long as you care to.
Now, bring your two pages of notes together and write a poem that weaves together your ideas and observations from both pages.