NaPoWriMo - Remember

Today kicks off the National Poetry Month, NaPoWriMo. We are not doing daily prompts for this but we, the volunteers at Poets on the Page, will be sharing some of our poetry with you.

I am struggling with what love means, love as in LOVE. I've started dating again after a two year hiatus. It is a struggle for me. When I find someone that I care about, my heart gets involved pretty quickly. It's all or nothing for me. I think it has to do with being an empath, I tend to feel things quite deeply. Probably why I chose not to date for two years. I will be exploring what love means to me through my poetry this month. Here is my first exploration through loop poetry. I chose loop poetry as it helps me dive deeper into my thoughts.

NaPoWriMo - Remember
Photo by MDragonwillow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

remember
remember to find that special someone
someone that is the other half of me
me on the inside is being pulled out
out of the dark and into the light
light expanding outward brighter than the sun
sun rises in the morning, shining through the darkness
darkness crushes the internal light of hope
hope springs upward for all to bathe in
in the beginning everything looks bright
bright like a shining star that died a millennium ago and
and you snuffed out the light as that star dies
dies to the possibilities of you and me together
together will never be today or tomorrow
tomorrow there may be hope if I allow myself to bloom
bloom like the flower seeds that are buried in the earth
earth walking toward my inner being
being myself is the only way to find happiness
happiness is possible if I remember who I am
I am a spark of divine creation
creation is the ultimate of being here now
now is bright with possibilities if I allow myself to remember
remember

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My heart aches but maybe writing about love through poetry I'll be able to transform how I'm feeling now into glowing from the inside out with my own inner love and light. How are you using poetry this month? Are you reading poetry as well?

What I'm reading: 

If you write a poem on your blog for NaPoWriMo and would like to share it with us, place your link in the comments here and/or on the posts with our poems. We look forward to reading your poems.


Peace,
Morgan Dragonwillow
Read, Dance, Write, Repeat.

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a writing rebel, foodie, urban gardener, recovering perfectionist, facilitator of magical circles and poet who (mostly) doesn't let her fears get in the way of her passion for writing and creating. When she isn't working with clients, writing or dancing, you can find her encouraging and supporting her writing community at @StoryDam, #OctPoWriMo, #PoetsonthePage, and  Playing with Words on her blog.

Yes she is on Google+ too!

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Poetry Prompts - Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

I'm keeping this one short.

With everything that has been going on this last week here in the U.S., I thought today we could write a poem around the photo below, after all, they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net
by Petr Kratochvil

If you write for this prompt, come back and share your link in the comments below and share on social media with the hashtag, #poetsonthepage

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a writing rebel poet who plays with words to inspire writers to get off the couch and #dancewritecreate. Creatrix of #OctPoWriMo #PoetsonthePage. Find more inspiration on her blog.

Yes she is on Google+ too!

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Poetry Prompts Day 6 - OctPoWriMo 2016

I just want to remind you that there are only two of us facilitating OctPoWriMo and we can't get to all of the blogs to read your poetry and leave a comment everyday, even though we'd love to. I can say that I am enjoying the poems I'm able to read, you all are writing some pretty amazing words out there. I just love how some of you are playing with your words, opening up and spilling the words onto the page, and allowing yourself to expand by trying new forms of poetry.

Now as for today's prompt, I decided to pull up the definition.

Tantalizing - from dictionary.com.

Having or exhibiting something that provokes or arouses expectation, interest, or desire, especially that which remains unobtainable or beyond one's reach: a tantalizing taste of success.

I must say that I have many desires and one of which is having a beautiful garden with unusual items throughout. I find this photo of this old car planter tantalizing! I can imagine sitting inside with my notebook and pen playing with my words.

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net by Lilla Frerichs

Day 5 Prompt: Tantalizing

Possibilities:

What do you find tantalizing? What has provoked your interest or desire recently?

Free write for ten minutes answering those questions or some of your own.

Suggested shorter poetry type: Diamante

Suggested longer poetry type: Loop Poetry

Word Prompts:

provokes

expectation

desire

interest

tempting

Music for your Muse:

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, where you find inspiration for your poetry is up to you.

During OctPoWriMo, if you want to make sure that we know you have written something new, comment in that day's post with your link to your blog and/or share your link on Twitter with the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo.

If you would like to leave an active link in the comments:

<a href = "your link">your title</a>

You have to put the link to your post (same link you would put in the comment section) in the, "your link" space within the quotations and the title to your post in the, your title, space.

Our link would look like this:

<a href="https://poetsonthepage.blogspot.com/">OctPoWriMo</a>

Once you hit publish on your comment it would look like this (only with the name of your post):

OctPoWriMo

I hope that helps. You don't have to do this, it is only if you would like to make your link an active link.

Remember to visit two or more OctPoWriMo participants and leave encouraging and supportive words along the way.

Peace,
Morgan Dragonwillow
Read, Dance, Write, Repeat.

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a writing rebel, foodie, urban gardener, recovering perfectionist, facilitator of magical circles and poet who (mostly) doesn't let her fears get in the way of her passion for writing and creating. When she isn't working with clients, writing or dancing, you can find her encouraging and supporting her writing community at @StoryDam, #OctPoWriMo, #PoetsonthePage, and  Playing with Words on her blog.

Yes she is on Google+ too!

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Perspective is Everything

Photo by Morgan Dragonwillow

“What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.” 
― Martha Graham

Perspective is everything. I am a sensitive person, at least that is what people have been telling me my whole life. "Don't be so sensitive, Morgan."

I think a lot of poets are sensitive to some degree, in fact it is probably a prerequisite for being a poet.

I do feel deeply and finding perspective can help me stay grounded when my life seems like a roller coaster.

When writing poetry, changing your perspective can help the words flow to the page. Whatever your subject may be, look at it from all angles.

And remember, it is none of their business what you think of them either.

Video: The Power of Poetry






  22 Days until OctPoWriMo!

Morgan Dragonwillow is a poet, author, foodie, urban gardener, and recovering perfectionist, that (mostly) doesn't let her fears get in the way of her passion for writing and creating. She is team leader at @StoryDam, creatrix of  #OctPoWriMo You can find her Playing with Words on her blog. She lives in Marietta, Ga. with her loving and patient partner, their dog that thinks she's a princess, and the cat that reminds her that she isn't.

You can also find her on Google+

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OctPoWriMo Day 7: Writing Poetic Silence

Quote inspiration:

“Silence introduced in a society that worships noise is like the Moon exposing the night. Behind darkness is our fear. Within silence our voice dwells. What is required from both is that we be still. We focus. We listen. We see and we hear. The unexpected emerges.”

Terry Tempest Williams

Your prompt in task form:

Mute or turn off everything that emits sound or delivers sound to you off for five minutes. 

Be silent.

If you must, turn on an inner mantra that speaks silence. Breathe the word in… and out… slowly.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Write a poem of these five minutes (or more). Allow the unexpected to emerge.  Write it.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Image prompt:

Choose one or more of the ideas above and write...

 --- Julie Jordan Scott

A-Z Poetry Word Prompt P is for Power

Power can be an awe inspiring word or it can be intimidating.  What power do you have?  What power do you wish you had?  What power have you given away?  What does the word 'power' mean to you?  Write a poem with power as the theme and see where it takes you.

A-Z Poetry Challenge - J is for Journey

Today's prompt is the word 'Journey'.  You can write about an actual journey that you've taken or are planning to take or you can write about mental, emotional or spiritual journeys.  You might want to write about your journey to become a writer.  Once again, there are no wrong answers here.  Just write and see where the journey takes you.

OctPoWriMo Poetry Prompt Day 14 - Silence

Sometimes silence looks like light.

Today’s prompt may seem like a strange choice: how can we write poetry based in silence? Isn’t silence a place without words and language?

Yes. 

What I would like you to try on is this: settling into internal quiet, stillness, silence, in order to fully experience whatever wants to be experienced through you.

I know, that may sound like gobbledy gook at first– but please trust me.

Right now I hear noise. I hear a dog barking, the television from someplace in the house, a hum of a car’s engine, another dog parking, a train whistle in the distance. I hear my fingers on the keyboard. There were times in elementary school I remember looking for noise so intensely I heard a single tick of the clock.

There is comfort in noise. Sometimes we may say we turn on the television or radio for “company”.

What if instead you chose to experience silence instead? Soon you would discover there are all sorts of sounds you can’t hear when all that static stands between you and the sounds underneath the noise.

Here’s what I would love for you to try – and if you aren’t able to try it – write about noise. Devote yourself to noise, noisyness, sound clutter, cacophony.

Please read these quotes for further inspiration:

“I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own.” 

Chaim Potok

“In Silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.” 

Rumi

“I love your silences, they are like mine. You are the only being before whom I am not distressed by my own silences. You have a vehement silence, one feels it is charged with essences, it is a strangely alive silence, like a trap open over a well, from which one can hear the secret murmur of the earth itself.” 

Anais Nin

“Silence is a source of Great Strength.” 

Lao Tzu

“From wish to action, word to silence,
My work, my love, my time, my face
Gathered into one intense
Gesture of growing like a plant.”

May Sarton

“Listen closely... the eternal hush of silence goes on and on throughout all this, and has been going on, and will go on and on. This is because the world is nothing but a dream and is just thought of and the everlasting eternity pays no attention to it.” 

Jack Kerouac

Now, for those brave ones out there: 

Look around your surroundings and choose something to gaze upon.

I might choose, for example, a bouquet of paper roses, a painting of the universe over my computer screen, a lamp, a pencil sharpener, a mug of coffee. Anything motionless will work – unless you are looking at a river or an ocean, things that move but have a very quieting effect even while creating sound.

How to do this?

1.       Set a timer – your kitchen timer, cell phone timer or one on your computer will work.
2.      Turn away from any distractions and gaze at your chosen object

    3.       If your mind begins to chatter, take a deep breath and whisper “silence” into your mind

     4. On any occasion of thoughts drifting or eyes leaving the object, whisper “silence” into your mind and take a series of breaths, repeating “silence each time.

    5. Allow your full attention to be on the object you are gazing upon. 

When the five minutes are over and the timer rings, scribble some first impressions and allow those impressions to be the foundation of your poem.

Word Prompt:

Silence

Sentence starter prompts:

When I listen to silence, I (see, hear, smell, taste, feel, sense….)

I gaze at ____ in silence and for the first time I notice.....

I remember a poster my father bought for my mother when I was a little girl. The first line said, "Go placidly amidst the noise and haste and remember the peace there may be in silence."
 

Enjoy this time of silence today.

-- Julie Jordan Scott

Poetry Prompt Day 4: Poet: Be Gentle with Yourself

 

First – I wanted to give you another hearty "Welcome!" to OctPoWriMo2013. It is a delight to be writing alongside you for this unique poetic event in October 2013. Remember, you and your friends may join us at any time. Just hop in and begin writing… and then link up to your daily poem.

 

Second – I wrote a Poetry Writing Tip early in September that was titled "The Poetry Tip I Never Got (But Oh I Wish I Had)" with a theme that went something like this: “Be gentle with your poetic self and forgive yourself now for any perceived short comings lurking in the hallways of your poetry yet to be written.”

My hope is you will remember this – as I hope I remember this – during those moments of doubt which may pop up for some of us during October.

This brings me to our first opportunity to write together on the same theme: Be Gentle. Even more focused is Be Gentle with Myself (or you may use Be Gentle with Yourself.)

Some thought questions to get you started:

What does it mean to you to be gentle?

Who are some gentle people?

What animal is the most gentle?

How do you feel when you encounter someone who is gentle toward you?

Coupling with “I remember….”

I remember my gentle teacher…..

I remember my gentle heroine…..

I remember being gentle with….

Your personalized 'I remember'....

Sometimes I wish someone would show me gentleness by…..

Some of you will immediately begin to write a poem – this is fine.

Some of you will start with some free writing – this is also fine.

Some of you will sit back in your chair and look out the window, pondering – this is another example of a fine way to go about birthing a poem.

I encourage you simply to begin. Perhaps carve out fifteen minutes to read the poems others have posted (if it isn’t early in the day!) and then allow your gentle spirit to coax your pen, pencil or fingers on the keyboard to flow along with the words that want to be sculpted into your poetic take on Being Gentle.

 Some additional inspiration for you:

Quotes: “All those writers who write about their childhood! Gentle God, if I wrote about mine you wouldn't sit in the same room with me.”          

                                     Dorothy Parker

“Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere.”

                                             Emma Smith

Word Prompt: Gentle or Being or Being Gentle

Sentence Starter: The gentleness of touch reminds me…..

I look forward to reading your poetry, whatever theme you choose!  

                               -- Julie Jordan Scott