Wednesday, October 31, 2012

OctPoWriMo Poetry Prompt 31 - Infinity

It has been an interesting journey and I am very happy to announce that quite a few of you diligently wrote a poem every day. There has been a wide range of types as well as where you chose to display your poems. We have several participants that have tweeted micro poetry on Twitter, there are those that chose to display it on Facebook, and there have been those that blogged their poetry. Whether large or small, on the computer or off, all of us have traveled together diving into poetry, playing with words and hopefully we are all the better for it.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Poetry Prompt Day 30 - Final Days of OctPoWriMo

I am still behind in writing poetry this month but I am hanging in there. I wrote two poems today and I can see possibly writing two poems a day until I get caught up before November 7th. If you have lagged behind you still have time. I hope you meander through the prompts and let them inspire you to pour your words onto the page.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Poetry Prompt Day 29 - Who Are You REALLY

As I thought about this poetry prompt and all that has come before, I wondered how much of yourself you have put onto the page and if you know yourself better than when we began.

Has your poetry taken you to unexpected places?

Have the words that flowed through you surprised you in some way?

I found this video of Sarah Jones performing her eight characters for TED and it had me thinking about who you are, who I am, and who we are really-really deep inside.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Poetry Prompt #28 - Think of it as ordering from a Menu or Smelling Potpourri - Sit in Your Poet's Chair




This feels enormous.

This concept of writing my final solo prompt for OctPoWriMo2012 feels so…. I can’t even express it.
You may not know, but I have written and lead my fair share of writing programs, but this is the first in a long time. I tend to start my grieving early, so perhaps that is part of what I am feeling.

I feel pure joy that so many poets have been re-awakened, started writing again after years of silence. 

I feel satisfaction to read the words of new friends and pure delight when several Bakersfield poets came along and wrote with us.

I recognize as we have written our way through OctPoWriMo and in the weeks before we started, I have tried to share as many tidbits as I could to not only help you write but to help you grow as poets…. I have worried lately I have gone over the top in that direction. I suppose it is because I want each and all of us to thrive as writers and to feel confident as we begin to share our poetry with wider audiences.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Poetry Writing Prompt #27 - What do you see?



Are you ready to write some poetry? It is the weekend and either you are extra busy or have lots of time to relax and write....

I have the pleasure of speaking in college and high school classes as well as other places out and about town and the parks and hills and wherever I am called to facilitate the creative process.
One of my stand-by talks is for students in art classes who are learning to write objectively about a work of art – or later in their jobs about anything, anywhere, anytime.

This time, I had each student look in their books for the important objective information about the work of art: the name, size, artist, and then I ask the same question over and over again.

“What do you see?” This simple question is the root to exceptional writing. It has the power to take you anywhere you might want to go with your words. 

Friday, October 26, 2012

Poetry Writing Prompt #26 - Use Poetry to Increase Our Ability to Love & Write Our Way Into the Power of Forgiveness



Can you believe the 31 Days of OctPoWriMo are almost complete?

This surprises me. It feels like Morgan was just asking me if I could help and I was sure and not sure simultaneously. I had cancer surgery ten days before we started and somehow, I’ve done pretty well, considering.

As we weave our words through these last days, I’ve been thinking we’re ready now to take on a topic that always has meaning for me.

Today’s topic? Asking forgiveness and being forgiven.

Caroline Myss wrote "Forgiveness is no longer an option but a necessity for healing."

There are a couple kids from my childhood I never apologized to, ever. I should have apologized. The thought of it haunts me.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Poetry Prompt Day 25 - Love Story

Unless I am mistaken we haven't discussed one of the main topics of many poets, Love. Every great poet has a love story. Rumi is considered to be one of the great love poets. Many of his works were words of love to his one great love.

Love is a madman, working his wild schemes, tearing off his clothes, running through the mountains.... ~Rumi


Poetry Prompt: What is your love story? It could be your first love, your parents love story, the love between you and your mate/life partner/husband/wife. Tell us of a great love in your life, maybe it is of another in your life, a child, a parent, grandparent. If you don't have a great love tell us of the love story in your future.

Word Prompt: Love

Sentence Starters:

It was an ordinary day...

I opened the door and bumped into...

Please visit the other participants and share word love in their comments. May you have a wonderful week.

Peace,
Morgan







Thank you for sharing and recommending before you leave.


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Poetry Writing Prompt ~ The Luscious Flavor of Bare Bones Poetry


Today’s prompt is different than any I have written so far. It includes some skill building that will be exceptionally valuable for you as both a poet and a prose writer as well.

I go to a lot of Open Mics and Poetry Slams and the biggest criticism I have of performers is they don’t know when to stop writing.

They write five stanzas more than they need to tell the story they are telling!

They are having such a good time with the words themselves they forget there is a reader out there who they more than likely have lost by now.

When I was just starting out as a writer, I couldn’t imagine cutting half of an essay or half of a poem. Now I love cutting down to the bare bones of a poem knowing full well that if I want to go back and add more, I may. You are the boss of your words, remember.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Writing Poetry Day 23 - Double Challenge

I have a double poetry challenge for you today. You have possibly been writing poetry for the last 22 days, maybe longer. The first challenge is, I want you to take your favorite, absolute favorite poem that you have written, and record yourself reading it. If you have the capability I challenge you to video record it. And then take that recording and post it on your page. Hopefully we will all be able to figure out how to do that.

Yes the thought may be scary for some. It is a little scary for me that is why I am challenging you because I am challenging myself in the process. I am pushing myself to actually have this done before you read this. I have recorded my voice reading a poem recently but I haven't really shared it except with one person. I know Julie has. I know she performs her poems. This won't be new for her. But for some of the rest of us, this could be quite a challenge. Are you up for it?

Below you will find TED talks Rives Mockingbird 2006. I love how he performs and he is the one that inspired this prompt and challenge. I hope he inspires you as well.


Poetry Prompt: I believe challenge is going to be the word for the day. How does your body feel when you challenge yourself to do something new and/or different? Write for five to ten minutes about your physical reactions to being challenged, to challenging yourself to take a risk. Do your palms begin to sweat? Dive in and come up with new ways of saying what your body and mind are going through before, during and after a challenge.

Word Prompt: Challenge

Sentence Starters:

When I see a challenge before me...

The moment has arrived...

We have eight days left in this wild ride of 31 Poems in 31 Days. Be kind to yourself if you haven't written everyday, I am. Tell us, Julie and I, what you have learned so far on this poetry journey in the comments below.

Come back after you have recorded your poem and created your next post to link up and share with us. Visit the link before and after yours to share word love of encouragement and support for the other poets in their comments.

Peace to you,
Morgan




Thank you for sharing and recommending before you leave.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Writing Poetry Prompt 22: Random Words + Your Pen, Pencil or Keyboard = Fascinating Poetry



No: I haven’t gone off the deep end AND I think today’s subject may elicit a wide variety of poems.

Lately I have been completely enjoying a strange,  random, or, well – unique, form of collecting. I love collecting letters, diaries, journals, all sorts of personal correspondence of ordinary people in the 1920’s through 1940’s.

It is not completely unlike my collection of women authors in the 19th century.
It seems like there isn’t a rhyme or reason for this love, but it is strong. 

Very strong.

And it is, obviously, rather random.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines "random" as "Having no definite aim or purpose; not sent or guided in a particular direction; made, done, occurring, etc., without method or conscious choice; haphazard." This concept of randomness suggests a non-order  or non-coherence  in a sequence of symbols or steps, such that there is no intelligible pattern or combination.

Perhaps it is my upbringing : I sometimes feel I have a duty to justify the random things I love, these quirky obsessions that fascinate me.

What better way to justify some of our random obsessions than to write poetry about them?

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Poetry Prompt Day 21 - Weaving and Flowing

Sometimes things just don't work out the way you think they are going to. Often life seems to go a lot smoother when you can give up expectations and go with the flow. It is a difficult lesson for me to learn but one I truly need to learn in this life. I have control issues. What, you say... Yes I do.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Writing Poetry Day 20 - Playing With Words

As most of you probably know I've been a bit stuck with my words the last week. Well, actually, I've been a bit stuck in the in-between that I can do on occasion. Today I was determined to become unstuck and decided to hop on over to the Shadow Poetry page of different types of poetry. I love this page but I still don't visit it often.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Poetry Writing Prompt: Seize the Day! Carpe Diem! Si, Se Puede!


Made Available by Doug due to Creative Commons Licensing & Flickr
“Carpe Diem!” is the call in Latin. “Seize the day!” is the translation into English. As a Californian I like adding “Si, se puede!” 
Let’s take a moment to think, together, of moments when we did exactly that – we seized the day. We lived that moment so intensely our present time and our sense of connectedness with everyone  and everything was paramount.

There was only that which was in front of us, like this post and the possibility of writing a poem on this theme is the only thing that exists for you. Right Now. 

I think about when I am teaching or facilitating and the whole world disappears as the students and I collectively bungee jump into creativity.

I consider moments on stage where I completely disappear into the void, like allowing myself to be taken over by another spirit – exhilarating, scary… life changing.


Thursday, October 18, 2012

Writing Poetry Prompt Day 18 - Time

Time, you never seem to have enough unless you are doing something you don't want to do and then it seems to stretch on forever. You are now into the downhill side of writing poetry daily for the month of October. Have you found the time to write poetry everyday this month?

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Poetry Writing Prompt #17 - Bringing a Place to Life Via Your Poem



In Rainer Rilke’s “Diaries of a Young Poet” (not his more often sited “Letters”) he was making careful notes to his lady love, describing his travels as he ventured into Italy.

Please note Rilke's technique:

1.        He considered his audience: he is writing especially for an audience of one. A woman he is in love with who highly values the words he is writing. She is hungry for rich, ripe narrative.

2. Consider his writing voice.  Can you hear his voice and his heartbeat as he writes for his
  “audience of one? Keep your voice authentic no matter how large – or intimate – your “audience.”


3. Consider the overall metaphor.  What does it speak to of these two cities?  How does Rilke make these places feel like people?




Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Poetry Prompt Day 16 - Which Side Are You On

I am having a rough couple of days and I came across this video that I immediately wanted to use for this poetry prompt. The video itself is a song by Natalie Merchant, Which Side Are You On which I believe is about coal miners.  I hope it stirs your imagination the way that it did mine and has you writing pages of poetry.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Poetry Writing Prompt 15: Sharing Your Passion for Poetry with Those You Cherish



“Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.

“Poetry is the primal literary art form, the oldest and arguably the most supple.”
Willard Spiegelman

My father once told me he didn’t like poetry. It was too complicated, he said. He could never figure out what it meant. I get angry at those literature teachers who shut down the young minds who show up in their classes, like the “mathematical poetry text book” I remember so clearly from The Dead Poet’s Society that showed the students how to graphically declare the quality of a poem.

Naturally this made me quite sad. This was my Dad’s declaration and I, his younger daughter, am a poet! 

I wanted to be sure he could read and understand my poetry or rather anyone’s poetry.

Who is the person in your life who you want to understand your poetry or your passion for poetry?
What would you write about to interest him or her?

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Poetry Prompt Day 14 - Reflection in Your Eyes

With some people solitariness is an escape not from others but from themselves.  For they see in the eyes of others only a reflection of themselves.  ~Eric Hoffer 

It is once again Short and Sweet Sunday. I thought I would shake things up a little and do things a little differently. 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Poetry Writing Prompt for OctPoWriMo Day 13: Laughter, Laughter and More Laughter



It has been an interesting writing and living day here in Bakersfield.

How has it been in the place you call your home, even if you are traveling and this is just “home for a day?”

I did some writing that turned into quite a huge barrel of a-ha flakes poured over my head.

Naturally I think I did some tune-up by writing my pantoum the day before so images from my early childhood were ripe for the plucking, but a high school football game memory is the one that reached out and grabbed my heart in the most soulful way possible.

Here is what I wrote:

“In Fall 1979 I was a senior at Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, California. I have no idea who we were playing because I didn’t care about our lousy football team which rarely won a game. I went to the games to socialize. On this night, I was flirting with a boy with curly blonde hair. I think he was a friend of a friend. I was due to graduate early, I was working at a job I loved, I was finally feeling comfortable in my skin.

For some reason the blonde haired boy whose name is lost in memory found something ridiculously funny and we sat on the bleachers and laughed and laughed and laughed and it was, all of a sudden, like we were in an invisible bubble and no one else was there.

You might think this moment would end with the cliché high school kiss or something, but it didn’t.
Instead it just ended with laughter and the bubble going away but me, feeling almost overwhelmingly content in that moment. There were no expectations, no explanations, no possible heartbreak, no reason to be afraid, no awareness of what was to become of my life. I was no one’s sister, no one’s mother, no one’s best friend, no one’s babysitter, no one’s student… for that bubble moment I was just me and that blonde boy laughing.

Poetry Prompt Day 12 - Where Passion Resides

All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility. ~William Wordsworth 

"Powerful feelings..." as William Wordsworth writes I believe is the basis for poetry whether it is joy, sadness, anger, or any powerful emotion that often has you vibrating with the energy of it.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

OctPoWriMo Poetry Prompt #11 - Write What You Must Write.....



"Writing a poem is discovering." Robert Frost

It’s been a rough couple days for me.

You know, those days when you say, “Nothing worse can happen, right?”
I sang “Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar at karaoke and even that didn’t help my demeanor. I did nail the song, though, or so I was told.

It got ugly, especially ugly, after I had a meeting with a man who is putting together a group of local writers who are creating five minute monologues to mirror the style of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros which is the current selection for One Book, One Bakersfield.

It took a lot to write those monologues. The funny one was easier than the serious one, but neither topics are ones I regularly speak about. The serious one I have never, ever spoken about aloud to anyone. And now, in yet another brilliant, pushing my own envelope move, I will be performing these monologues aloud in only a few weeks.

Writing Poetry Day 10 - Morning Muse

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” ~Anton Chekhov

This is something I aspire to, to expand my writing and poetry into all of the feeling, sensing realms as Julie Jordan Scott talks about in many of her hints, tips, and prompts to inspire yours and our poems. So very glad she joined us for this wonderful poetic adventure! 

The body is a wondrous place for our soul to reside. It feels on so many levels and it is a wealth of material for our poetry. Such as the experiences through the eyes of a child, what they feel, see, hear, and touch; to an aging adult, and all of their feeling experiences from their aching joints to their failing eyesight, how hard each movement becomes. How precious each moment is to each of them, whether realized or not.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Poetry Writing Prompt #9 - Music of Traffic & Whatever You Hear



Merriam Webster defines resonance like this: the intensification and enriching of a musical tone by supplementary vibration: a quality of evoking response.

Now add cadence to your writing voice and the result will be even deeper.

What is cadence?

It is the measure or beat of a rhythmical flow.  It is the snapping of fingers in time, the metronome back and forth or backandforth or baaaaaccccckkkkkk and fooorrrrthhhhhhh.

Resonance and cadence are heard in the silence of your reader's mind. It is your words blending
with their consciousness  that will create magic.

We craft our words and we hear ourselves better, we "get" ourselves better, we allow the richness  and wonder of the process to bubble over and through us.

We may be like World Music, we may be like jazz. We may be like country or rhythm and blues. We may sound like Lindsey Lohan or Boy George or  Aretha Franklin.

Lindsey Lohan is not Lindsey Buckingham.

Boy George is not George Strait.

Aretha Franklin is not Frank Sinatra.

Listen to the rhythm and sound of the poem below. Read it aloud to "hear" it better.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Poetry Prompt #8 - A Tasty, Yummilicious Writing Experience



Did you have a poetry filled weekend? No, this isn’t a trick question, it is to let you know you are not alone if you didn’t.

I didn’t. I had so many activities on my plate that I managed to write a couple haiku. I barely had time to read or comment anything.

I could feel guilty about that and call myself “done!” with the OctPoWriMo adventure, but I know better than to do something my mother would say would be like “cutting off your nose to spite your face.”

With that in mind, step one in today’s Monday poetic adventure is this: Let go of any resistant and self judgment. Take a moment now to get on your feet and stretch or stretch from your seated position. Work on relaxing your chest, shoulders and face. Breathe deeply…. And end with a “THANK YOU”… and…

Here we go.

Let’s dive into using more specific – and possibly playful -  images into your poems by using our senses. Today’s prompt will focus on the sense of taste.

Our taste buds collect vivid imagery when we savor our food. There is a reason there is a dessert called “Better than Sex” although I highly doubt anything tastes better than really excellent sex.  (Did I actually write that?)

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Poetry Prompt Day 7 - Poetic Friendship


But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.
~William Shakespeare



For Sunday I am going to keep it short and sweet. You could even keep it playful considering this week has seen some pretty intense, deep, and magical poetry.

Poetry Prompt: Tell us all about your best friend and what makes them your best friend. All the little things, all the big things, and everything in between.

Word Prompt: Friendship


Sentence Starter: When I met you...


Or

It was an ordinary day that turned extraordinary...

and one extra one, 


I laughed so hard... 




I hope you are having a great weekend!



Thank you for sharing and recommending before you leave.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

OctPoWriMo Day 6 - I Remember Me

As you continue to write poetry day by day, you may discover some resistance to going deeper still. You may feel a wall erect in front of you and think you are just blocked. Most likely fear is rearing its head.

At a time like this the best thing you can do is write through it. Allow yourself to write whatever is coming up for you and know that what you are writing you don't have to post. You don't have to but after you are done, read it again, and maybe there will be something within it that you want to share. The important part is to give yourself permission to just write all the thoughts that are swirling in your head even if you never do share it with another living soul.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Writing Poetry Prompt #5: Permission to Be Exactly As You Are Right Now



I have felt this question rumbling amongst some of you #OctPoWriMoers – “What if I get sick and miss a day?” and “What if I lose track of time and don’t get anything written?” and “Oops! I was talking to Uncle Orrin and completely forgot about my poetry writing for the day!

“Do I just quit, drop out, write two poems on another day?”

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Poetry Writing Prompt #4: When Rules and Inspiration Meet



When rules and inspiration meet, I find freedom.

I take root.

Noah Lukeman wrote a book called The First Five Pages. It is about the structure or form
of the first five pages of a book so that the said book will sell.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Poetry Prompt 3 - Connecting In

When I think of writing poetry and the times that I have been most prolific, it has been when I have felt most connected. There is something that happens when you allow yourself to go within that connects to the Divine Spark within you; a feeling of everything being right in the world no matter what the words you're putting onto the page.

It is in these times as I write I feel something else is guiding my hand, my thoughts, my words. Sometimes it doesn't take much to get there, other times if feels illusive.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

OctPoWriMo Day 2/31 - Word-Love and Poetry, YES YOU CAN!



“Poets, if they're genuine, must keep repeating "I don't know."”
Wislawa Szymborska

“I have never written a book that was not born out of a question I needed to answer for myself.”
 May Sarton

Some people may have wanted to participate in OctPoWriMo, but they were overly concerned about two things: not being able to complete the 31 poems in 31 days because they don’t have time OR possibly not participating because they didn’t “have a plan” or “know what to write.”

Monday, October 1, 2012

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