Poetry Challenge #93

Pretty in Pink

Close your eyes and repeat after me ten times: Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink

What images came to mind?

Did you imagine cotton candy clouds?

Flamingos?

Or maybe a Florida Belle . . .Ballerinas?. . . A Pop Star?

with sprinkles!!

Use your Pink images to write today’s poem.

You might begin by listing everything that comes to mind related to Pink. Reorganize and embellish them to create a list poem.

Or, write a PINK acrostic poem, with each line beginning with a letter in the word PINK.

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1100 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Poetry Challenge #92

Who’s Sorry Now?

Each of us is sorry for or about something. (If you’re not, then lucky you!)

Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones drew on this uniquely human need* to apologize in a song about two neighbors who are great friends until they tear down a wall in the longest running Off-Broadway/sometimes on Broadway musicals of all times The Fantastiks.

My All-Time Favorite Musical—if you’ve never seen it, you should be sorry.

Here’s a snippet:

“This Plum is too Ripe!”

“Sorry.”

“You’re standing in MY Rose Garden!”

“Sorry.”

And now, with no further apologies, on to our prompt:

For this prompt, list things you are sorry for. (Your list can be as long or as short as need be.) Select one or several items that are related from that list and write a poem about it/them. Finish the poem with a positive spin by suggesting ways you can, or might apologize, or how you might do better next time.

Song for Inspiration: Who’s Sorry Now as sung by Miss Patsy Cline—Of course!

* “Uniquely” in that I don’t imagine whale apologize for combing up krill, or cheetah apologizing for mowing down gazelle, but maybe they do . . . if so: Sorry!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

Poetry Challenge #91

Words, Words, Words

Do you have favorite words? If you do, pause right now and jot them down.

I love to collect words I hear or read that are unfamiliar or that have an interesting sound. I try to remember to write them down to use another day. As you go through your day, pay attention to words that you like the sound or meaning of. Write them down! Save them!

A few I like are: Lilliputian, grommet, butterfly, whimsical, and gumption.

Think of five of your favorite words and write a poem using them. If you can’t think of words, open to a random page in the dictionary and find a word you like. You can use some of my favorite words from above if you like.

Keep collecting words to use another day!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

*Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1100 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Poetry Challenge #90

Like a Yo-Yo, Yo!

“I used to be a swinger/Til you wrapped me round your finger . . .” Who can forget inspired lyrics like those by Joe South—or the singer who sang them to Hit status in 1971? (BTW: It was not Yo-Yo Ma.)

June 6th was National Yo-Yo Day. (Sorry for being tardy, I was so busy bopping to that oldie but goodie Donnie Osmond version, and twining vines around my backyard arbor, I completely forgot to post this prompt.) But, just like a Yo-Yo, I’m back!
Take a moment to ponder YO-YO. Who could have ever imagined how, with the flick of a finger, one could make a disc roll up and down on a string* thus providing endless hours of entertainment, inspiring more than one hit song, and now, if you’re game, poetry!

Write a YO-YO poem. It can be about a YO-YO, playing with a YO-YO, feeling like a YO-YO—up and down about something? Or, sure, YoYo Ma. Roll the sounds of it around in your mouth for a while and see what comes of it, Yo!