How to Write Poetry Everyday - 31 Poems in 31 Days

Writing poetry everyday can be a challenge, which of course that is what OctPoWriMo is about. Well at least to some degree. It's about poetry and word awareness. It's about inspiring and sharing poetry with the world. It's about understanding that writing poetry really can be for everyone.

Poetry is emotions transferred to the page. We all have emotions, we all feel pain, love, loss, caring, and more.

Writing poetry can be a traditional form, a made up form, or free form. It can make sense, or not.

Gather your tools, your list of words, your magnets, your books, open to your senses, open to your feelings and give yourself permission to write a poem everyday.

Keep it simple.

What are you feeling?

What are you seeing?

To write poetry everyday, is to relax into the words, to not make it complicated, to allow yourself to write whatever comes up for you.

Come to the page at the same time everyday, or not.

Write in a notebook, on your blog, in Evernote, 750words.com, Yarny or even on Twitter as micropoetry in 140 characters or less.

There is no right or wrong way to participate in this challenge. You can write 31 poems in 31 days, we can do it together.

Count Down: 6 Days until OctPoWriMo!

Time is going by quickly, are you ready for this poetry challenge, will you be sharing your poetry on your blog? Make sure if you are on Twitter that you share your poem posts with the hashtag #OctPoWriMo so that other participants can find you. You can also share and chat with us on Facebook in our Writing Poetry Group.

Morgan Dragonwillow: Rebel dancing with words, intuitive cook, recovering perfectionist, poet & author 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, and you can find her at, A Poet's Kitchen, cooking up simply delicious meals. 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 find her on Google+

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The Thing with Feathers: Hopeful Inspiration for OctPoWriMo from Emily Dickinson

Mixed Media: Emily Dickinson portrait with book page and leaf - 2012, Julie Jordan Scott

As we get closer to the beginning of OctPoWriMo, you may consider ways to stay inspired. Some of my greatest inspiration comes from the poets who have written before me, especially the women. 

I call them "Literary Grannies" because they have a feminine legacy that isn't often touted. 

I make it a mission to elevate the stature of all women writers and poets. Along the way, I fall in love with the poems and the women.

The more I get to know Emily Dickinson, the more I love her. I have been an admirer for quite a few years now, but my word-love has flourished since I visited her home in Amherst Massachusetts. Not once, not twice, but three times so far and I think another trip there is long overdue. 

It isn’t as if travel to Western Massachusetts is convenient: I live in Bakersfield, California. Visiting her home is like visiting Mecca.

 Not only do I visit her home, I take in the stomping grounds of other literary figures.

My visit, though, does not begin until I have paid due homage to Emily.

So many people think of her as an odd recluse who had agoraphobia among other mental illnesses. Perhaps she did fight some disease but we don’t know for certain. There are so many books of research about her poems, I am sure we could find a researcher or several right now who would argue for all sorts of illnesses and quirks.

What I feel most strongly about is this: Emily Dickinson was a one of a kind. She lived with great passion, continually learning via the news of the day from both her family and newspapers and magazines. She enjoyed baking for the neighborhood children – she would lower Ginger cookies in a basket to them as they waited below her bedroom window. She was a botanist – spending hours in

"The Thing with Feathers" inspired by Emily Dickinson's poetry. Mixed Media, Julie Jordan Scott, 2013

the garden drawing flora and communing with the trees.

 Yes, she sought refuge in solitude.

She spoke to people behind a curtain.

She also corresponded with many and grew friendships via her entertaining letters.

What impresses me most about her is how the mystery surrounding her continues to invite inquiry AND the more I know of her the more I want to know. The more I know of her the more I want to create in her honor. The more I know the more I want to share with others.

I created a mixed media work of art called “The Thing with Feathers” based on this stanza of hers, one of her famous oft quoted ones:

"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

She inspires me as poet, a visual artist and as a human being.

It doesn't get much better than that.

What literary granny (or any other poet) inspires you to write? If you don't know of one yet, I urge you to begin reading more poetry. We can support poets (and poetry collections) by purchasing their books. My own skill as a poet increase multi-fold when I studied poets with a lasting legacy.

Honor your poetry by honoring wise sage poets.

-- Julie Jordan Scott

* This entry is a revised blog entry from the Julie Unplugged Blog.

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Time is going by quickly, are you ready for this poetry challenge, will you be sharing your poetry on your blog? Make sure you if you are on Twitter that you share your poem posts with the hashtag #OctPoWriMo so that other participants can find you. You can also share and chat with us on Facebook in our Writing Poetry Group.

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OctPoWriMo 2014 - A Tribute to Maya Angelou

Photo Credit:  Kuba Bożanowski

Back in May of this year, the world lost a legend. Maya Angelou was known around the globe as a writer, a poet, an advocate for women, and a civil rights activist. She was still touring and giving public lectures well into her eighties. It is with deep regret that I admit to missing her appearance in my city less than a year before her passing. Her poetry paints a beautiful picture of a life of overcoming, a life of strength in the face of adversity, a life of finding incredible joy in simple moments. 

Years ago, I was teaching creative movement classes to high school students. One of the assignments that I gave to my advanced class was to select a poem and either find a recording of it or record a read of it themselves, then choreograph movement inspired by the poem. The most memorable outcome of that assignment was done by a young lady who chose to work alone rather than with a group (an option that I did allow) and she selected the poem "Phenomenal Woman" as her accompaniment. The pairing of Maya's powerful words as the backdrop for the raw beauty in the movements during the presentation inspire me still to this day.

Here are those inspiring words once again:

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me. 

~ Maya Angelou

8 days and counting! Are you ready to write with us?

~Amy McGrath

Finding inspiration in the world around you

Some people say writer's block is a myth. I think it's more of just a lack of inspiration. The imagination well may feel dry, but trying to observe like around you in a different way can dispel that gray pall. 

Take a good look around you. 

Your walk to work. Are there people sleeping on benches? Is your favorite coffee shop on your way? 

Car ride to drop off the kids at soccer practice. Is there a Mom you try to avoid? Wonder what her life is like at home? 

The scar on your knee: Remember that time you were trying to sneak into a concert, 

and you snagged your jeans while trying to snake through that hole in the fence?

You cats wrapped around your ankles while sipping pumpkin latte from your favorite mug. Feels like home doesn't it? 

The crisp sounds of leaves crunching under your feet. Can you smell autumn in the air? 

Stopping to smell the roses on your way to the mailbox, It reminds you of grandmother.

Anything can be inspiration. 

The best tool to have in your poet's kit, are your senses, especially when you're paying attention to the emotions. One of the reasons people connect to poetry is the feelings it evokes. Taking in the words, interpreting them through the reader's lens of experience and then she nods in understanding.

If you're feeling the pinch of writer's block and you're wondering what to write. If you're looking for inspiration and you're coming up short, try looking at things a different way. Try closing your eyes and listening to the world around you. What do you hear? Even if your home is quiet, you may still hear birds tweeting outside, the house settling on its haunches or the clack of your dogs toenails against the vinyl kitchen floor. What do the sounds tell you?

Try imagining what your life would look like from the outside looking in. You may find it mundane, but your grandchildren running around driving around batty while your husband is snoozing in the lounge chair could make for an interesting poem about home, family and life. 

There's so much inspiration in the world around you. You may just need to look a with a new pair of eyes. 

Count Down: 9 Days until OctPoWriMo!

Tamara Woods was raised (fairly happily) in West Virginia, where she began writing poetry at the age of 12. She shares poetry and short stories on her blog PenPaperPad, is a contributing writer for the online ‘zineLefty Pop and writes articles as a full-time freelance writer. She is editor for an upcoming poetry journal collaboration, and hosts #writestuff TweetChat where writers talk about writing. She is a hillbilly hermit in Honolulu living with her Mathmagician.

Poems About Life - Real or Not

“Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.” ― Lauren Bacall

Often poets write about what's around them and their own lives, I've even read a few Poetic Memoirs. Sometimes it's nice to go off into fairy land or write what I like to call fictional story poems. That's actually the type of poem (Beauty Denied) that brought me back to writing poetry again after so many years.

Image created by Morgan Dragonwillow

I have written quite a few poems since then and most of them are poems about life, my life and what I see around me. But there are a few (some even my favorites) that are written as a story - short but still a story. Such is my poem Lipstick. I actually pulled this word out of the dictionary with the intent of writing an acrostic poem and almost picked another word. I came up with this instead. I'm glad I let my imagination come out to play.

Lying between the sheets, she slowly smiles.
Images running through her mind of the night before.
Perfume blends with muskier scents lingering in the air.
Silence is broken as the trash truck rumbles down the street.
Tissue paper flutters by the open window.
Ideas floating through her mind of how she’d prefer to spend her day.
Café down the street sounds like a wonderful start.
Knocking at the door, she turns and sees someone’s lipstick on the floor.

What type of poetry do you tend to write? Do you tend to stick with poems about your life or do you enjoy creating fictional stories with your poetry?

A Few of My Favorite Poetry Tips from OctPoWriMo 2012:

• Tip 3: Have you thought of a Theme?
• Tip 8: Ah yes... Collecting Words, I love my lists of words!
• Tip 13: Poets and Passion with a video of a slam poet I adore - Sarah Kay.

Count Down: 10 Days until OctPoWriMo!

Time is going by quickly, are you ready for this poetry challenge, will you be sharing your poetry on your blog? Make sure you if you are on Twitter that you share your poem posts with the hashtag #OctPoWriMo so that other participants can find you. You can also share and chat with us on Facebook in our Writing Poetry Group.

Morgan Dragonwillow: Rebel dancing with words, intuitive cook, recovering perfectionist, poet & author 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, and you can find her at, A Poet's Kitchen, cooking up simply delicious meals. 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 find her on Google+

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OctPoWriMo 2014 - It's OK... just write!

 

Today I am having one of those days where my world is not making sense. For 19 years, I was a high school teacher. In all that time and in the two years since I left the profession, I have been blessed to have never experienced what finally occurred today. I never had to deal with the death of a student (or former student). Now that has changed. I read the sad news just before the beginning of a design class that I'm taking and spent the next 2 1/2 hours working on a project that resulted in a minor disaster. Because I was preoccupied trying to understand how and why a vibrant young woman in her 30s is no longer with us, I made a simple but critical error in assembling the pieces of the assignment at hand. Still in shock from the news of Jen's passing, I compounded my own negative emotional state by making (what I consider) a "rookie" mistake. 

As I thought about what insights about poetry I might be able to share with you after all that occurred for me today, I came across the quote I've shared above. It struck something deep within me, though I want to change it to "...why should I write poems that do?"

But that is exactly WHY I need to write tonight. I need to ball up all of the sadness and anger that I'm feeling and throw it out onto my paper (or screen) as some pathetic, trite ugliness. Release all of the hurt and disappointment into (perhaps) a nonsense poem. Once that is done, I believe it will be easier to take a step back, take a deep breath, and write something beautiful and meaningful. 

The reason I've shared all of this with you is to remind you of one of the greatest lessons to be learned about writing poetry (or any other creative form) - It's ok to write crap. 

Now, if you would, please excuse me while I get started...

~ Amy McGrath

OctPoWriMo Review: If you are like me, this anthology will inspire you like none other - Fire on Her Tongue: An Anthology of Contemporary Women's Poetry

When I opened up my box from Amazon, I had forgotten I included this book in my order. I looked at it and thought, "Oh, ok...." and opened the pages of the other two books I had ordered, one by Terry Tempest Williams and one by Natalie Goldbergs, women writers I adore with all my heart.

I was going to rehearsal and thought perhaps this new collection of poems might be good "filler" for my time there.

I wasn't expecting what would happen next.

I opened this collection of poetry and met a quote from my beloved Emily Dickinson. It was a familiar one which didn’t faze me.

“If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry.”
Then I started reading and realized in the curation process for Fire on Her Tongue, An Anthology of Contemporary Women’s Poetry, editors Kelli Russell Agodon and Annette Spaulding-Covy must have held this quote as their intention.

If I read a poetry book and I can’t stop writing my own poetry as a result, I know it will become one of the best loved books on my shelf and live more in my hands and open, on my desk, then up there with other books.

The book is a dense 368 pages filled with poets such as Kim Addonizio, Jane Hirschfield, Alicia Ostriker as well as friends of mine Deborah Ager, January Gill-O’Neil  and Jill Crammond.

I turn the page and read from Susan Rich, “Relax, the sky is wide open, climb into it.”

I touch my face and read from January Gill-O’Neil, “Praise our scars - the small gashes and the long serpentine tracks that make up our unbeauty.”

I come to the final poem by Rachel Zucker and read, “I’m writing under the mostly flat blaze of a bulb but a poem written with the light itself a tiny fleeting love poem to life - hot hot hot - a poem that would say oh look here a bright spot of life, oh look another!”

I pick up this collection.

I read a poem or two.

I write a line or two or twelve of my own poetry.

When you step into a challenge like OctPoWriMo, you will like an anthology such as this one to keep your journey light. It will inspire you. It will make you want to be a better poet.

- Julie Jordan Scott