Poetry Prompt - Better Late than Never

image by Petr Kratochvil

Time has been getting away from me lately. I've been forgetting appointment times even though I have them in my calendar. I missed a local event that I wanted to attend because I remembered the date incorrectly. And here it is my day to provide a poetry prompt and I"m late getting it posted because the weekend happened so fast I forgot to write this!

It's true that we can find inspiration anywhere, though, right? George Eliot said, "It's never to late to be what you might have been." I've taken this to heart recently as I've begun exploring artistic avenues that I have previously ignored. At 46 years old, I've taken up painting for the first time and I'm loving it. I believe that I am finally becoming what I might have been.

The Prompt: Think about times that you have been late for something. Perhaps you were late for an important meeting. Or maybe you were late for work or school. Do you know anyone who is chronically late? (I have a friend who will likely be late to her own funeral!) Have you taken up a new hobby or changed careers late in life? Try to capture the emotions and the physical sensations that you associate with being late in your poem this week.

Word Prompt: Late

Suggested Form: Blitz poem (my favorite!)

~Amy McGrath

P.S. We are just a month away from National Poetry Writing Month! Get ready for a poem a day in April!

Share your poetry with us by linking up. Make sure you visit your neighbors one or two before and after. If you are last on the list go back to the beginning of the list. Have fun!

Poetry Prompt - Open Road

This time of year a lot of people are getting cabin fever from being indoors most of the winter and thinking about where they want to go for a quick getaway. I am no different, though our weather has been greatly improved and conducive to going outside I have been stuck indoors for awhile.

Photo by Larisa Koshkina

Poetry Prompt: What mystery lies waiting on the open road and where would you like it to take you? Write for ten minutes about the open road and/or about mystery.

Poetry type: Acrostic - I love the acrostic form of poetry. One of my favorite things to do is to pick a word from the dictionary and create an acrostic poem out of it. Try it and see where it leads your words on the page.

Here is my last acrostic poem:

Mouths open
Yearning to
Speak the
Truth abandoned
Emancipated words
Randomly taken
Yield freedom

Word Prompt: Mystery

February Poetry Mini Challenge Prompt Name It with Word Love (Day 2)

Wow - I enjoyed yesterday's process so much I wrote a how-to blog post about it on my Julie

Unplugged Blog. If you would like to read it, check it out here.

Now - for today - a brand new adventure in writing poetry that builds upon yesterday's.

This quote provides a preview for us:

"One deep feeling called by its right name names others."
Eudora Welty

I have declared my love for words on a regular basis. I love love love language with all my heart. One of the most important ways to express that love for words is to use words well, especially when writing poetry.

Yesterday we wrote micropoetry after doing one of my favorite writing warm-ups. Our intention was to say the most with the fewest syllables.

What I want us to play with today builds upon that concept: today we will say the most with the best words.

This poem, "Saying Things", by Marilyn Krisl, is a great example of naming things and simply loving the process of lining up words in a way that just oozes love - and straight out lust - for words.

Here's what we will create today:

Choose five things you can look up from where you are sitting and see.

For example, I can see a bottle of tylenol, a salt shaker, my daughter Emma, a copy of "Letters Home by Sylvia Plath" and my flannel nightgown.

My goal, before today is over, is to write a poem naming those things. Not just saying "my daughter Emma" but naming her without saying "my daughter Emma."

Your goal is to choose your five things and then weave all five into a poem for an extra fun adventure in poetry or simply choose one.

Note: if you aren't having fun with this exercise, walk away and then write whatever comes forward.

Ready, set, NAME THINGS!

I look forward to reading your poems so please link up! I love to know you're playing along.

January Poetry Mini-Challenge: Prompt #2 - Hot

image by Karen Arnold

Welcome to day 2 of the January Poetry Mini-Challenge! If you were with us yesterday, welcome back. If you are just joining us, jump right in where we are - there is no “must” in this challenge!

Yesterday, we wrote around the idea of “cold”. Today, let’s turn up the heat!

Take a few minutes and do a free write around the concept of HOT. What comes to mind for you? Fire? Summer? Coffee? That certain man or woman? Sex? Whatever it is, let it come and work with it!

Poetry Prompt: Write a “hot” poem. Use ideas from your free-write or from the images below.

Word Prompt: Hot

Image Prompt: (choose one or none!)

image by Mike Rush

image by Lisa Runnels

image by Petr Kratochvil

~ Amy McGrath

Please share your blog post link in the comment section. Also, take a few minutes to read the posts of others! Thanks for sharing your poetic gifts with us!

Poetry Prompt: Reflection/Projection

Can you believe that it's almost 2014? This year seems to have blown past me like a runaway train!

image by Danilo Rizzuti
from freedigitalphotos.net

As we approach the end of this year, take some time to look back at everything you have accomplished this year. Did you participate in NaPoWriMo in April? Or OctPoWriMo in October? I know that personally, I've written more poems this year than any previous year of my life. But this is only the beginning.

I am setting very lofty writing goals for 2014 including writing a poem a day for the entire year. I won't promise that they will all make it to my blog, but they will be written! What about you? Have you set some writing goals, specifically poetry writing goals? If you'd like, share your goals with us in the comments below or form them into your response to this week's prompt.

We here at Poets on the Page are thrilled that you have joined us in this new venture and we look forward to reading your poems and sharing our own with you in 2014. Happy New Year!

Poetry Prompt: Reflect back on 2013. What is the BEST poem you wrote this year? Share it with us again! Project forward into 2014... set your writing goals into a poetic form!

Word Prompt: Reflect and/or Project

Suggested Form (optional): The Mirror Sestet

~Amy McGrath

Link Up! (If for any reason the linky isn't working, please share your link in the comments!)

Share your poetry with us by linking up. Make sure you visit your neighbors one or two before and after. If you are last on the list go back to the beginning of the list. Have fun!

Poetry Prompt: Believe

Do you believe in Santa Claus? I do. Of course, I'm not referring to an overweight old man in a red suit, but rather the spirit of giving that Santa represents.

Many people around the world will be celebrating Christmas this week. As a Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary. I believe he is the Son of God. And I believe he came to earth for me and for you. I'm sure that some of you that frequent this blog are practitioners of other faiths. And I welcome you to share your beliefs with us through your poetry.

Do you believe in God? Allah? Buddha?
Do you believe in love? angels?
Do you believe in magic? miracles?
Do you believe in yourself?
What do you believe?


Poetry Prompt: My challenge to you, my fellow poets, is to write a poem this week about what you believe.

Word Prompt: Believe/Belief

Suggested Form: Rondeau

~Amy McGrath

Link Up! 

Share your poetry with us by linking up. Make sure you visit your neighbors one or two before and after. If you are last on the list go back to the beginning of the list. Have fun!

December Poetry Mini-Challenge Day 3

Welcome, welcome!

If this is your first time to the Mini-Challenge, please jump right in with us. You may go back and see what we’ve done thus far or you have the option of simply starting where you are: right here. This is a place of creative permission. We welcome you to be a part of our community and contribute as you feel called.

Now:  a bit of recap before today’s prompt.

Monday we wrote about tearing things down. 

Yesterday we wrote about new beginnings.

Today, we will write about continuing… even when you may not feel much like continuing.

I don’t know about you, but aside from this challenge my week has been getting more and more difficult as we have progressed. My shoulders feel as if I have traded with Sisyphus, pushing and pushing a huge stone up the ridiculously tall hill and efforting-efforting-efforting…. only to have the stone roll back over me when I think I’ve completed my task.

Poetry Prompt: Waiting

Image by George Hodan

This time of year often brings with it a sense of anticipation. This has been made even more pronounced in my family as I watched my 14-year-old son's excitement building for the 50th anniversary simulcast of the BBC series Dr. Who occurring on the same weekend as the premier of the second movie in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire.

Now we're waiting for the annual gathering of extended family to celebrate the American tradition of Thanksgiving. The next day, many in our consumer culture will be waiting in long lines on "Black Friday" to buy holiday gifts for family and friends. My Jewish friends are anticipating the lighting of the menorah in celebration of Hanukkah. And the Christian season of Advent begins where we anticipate the coming of the holy infant Jesus. 

Writing Prompt: What are you waiting for? Are you tired of waiting? There are even special rooms that are designated as "waiting rooms".  Feel free to use one of the events mentioned above or to share an event in your own life that involved waiting - a wedding, a pregnancy, or perhaps even the end of life. Try to capture the emotions that are connected to waiting or anticipating something.

Word Prompt:  Waiting or Anticipation

Suggested Poetry Form: Alliterisen **The suggested forms are entirely optional. This one appears to be a very complex poetic form. Are you up for the challenge? What are you waiting for? Go for it!

Even though Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, the link up will still be here and available for up to a week afterward. Please come back and share a link to your poem and take a few minutes to read the poems of others. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah!

~ Amy McGrath

Poetry Link Up - Deep

Once a week you will find a poetry prompt on Monday and then come back and link up on Thursday. Have you been writing for the Poetry Prompt - Deep? Did you write one poem or more than one? Now is the time to share your poetry that you have been working on this week, whether it was for the prompt or not, and link up below.

Autumn Smiling - Photo from Public Domain Pictures

Remember next week will be our first week long challenge. Come back this coming Monday to discover what we have in-store for you!