Continuing the Poetry Journey

We have decided to continue the journey over at Poets on the Page. I have several volunteers lined up to help with weekly prompts on Mondays to stir your inspiration and imagination. That will begin on Monday, November 20th. Hashtag for this will be, #PoetsonthePage. We hope to see you there.

For those that would like more than a prompt once a week, I've decided to do a 365 photo prompt on my personal blog for a poem a day challenge beginning on Sunday, November 19th. I will be sharing thought provoking, odd, and inspiring photos either from PublicDomainPictures.net or of my own photography/art. The hashtag for this will be, #365Poems

Odd but it stirs the imagination!
Courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
by Dawn Hudson

I will also post this on Poets on the Page to make sure everyone sees the new updates. 

Play with your words until you breathe life into them!

Peace,

Morgan Dragonwillow

Day 31 - OctPoWriMo Poetry Prompts

Well, you made it to the end of OctPoWriMo, did you write a poem every day? Did you have fun playing with your words? Whether you wrote to our prompts or not, I hope you were able to follow your words to places you've never been before, mysterious places, deep places.

If you feel like you survived OctPoWriMo 2017, grab the image and share on your page and across social media.

I found a new poetry toy today, a random word generator! What a nifty tool! Feeling stuck, need a few good words, click on the random word generator and poof, you have words to play with. I can see myself using this a lot for poetry.

Poetry Prompt Possibilities

1. Head over to the random word generator, choose one to three words and follow where they lead you.
2. Create an Acrostic poem from the word, Mysterious.
3. Create a mysterious poem from the photo prompt.
4. Or choose from our word prompts and your favorite poetry type from Shadowpoetry.com 

Word Pompts

mysteriously random

foggy night

crimson 

midnight

shadow 

smoke

raven

scarlet

umber

rust

Photo Prompt

OctPoWriMo Poetry Prompts
Photo Courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
by George Hodan

Thanks so much for joining us on this poetry journey! From all of us here at OctPoWriMo, we have truly enjoyed inspiring you to follow your words wherever they may go and reading your poetry! We have watched so many of you push yourselves deeper and deeper, uncovering and discovering, and being bold and courageous in your poems. It's been an honor.


Much Love From,
Morgan Dragonwillow at Wild Woman Mysteries
Amy Phelps McGrath at The Rabid Artist
Beverly Tan at @BeverlyTanFilm
Tamara Woods at Pen Paper Pad
Annis Cassells at Poems by Annis

May your muse always stir your imagination and help you play with your words until you breathe life into them!

See you October 2018!

 

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. Collaborate with your soul and get your words on the page. Wild Woman Writing Retreat.

Yes, she is on Google+ too!

Day 30: Forbidden

My husband had to stay outside.
Image by Amy McGrath

Forbidden:  adjective   not allowed; banned

I've always been that person who, once told I was not allowed to do something, would do it anyway. Tell me I can't. I'll show you. Just watch me. 

What about you?  What are the "forbidden" things or actions in your world? Is it chocolate or sweets, gluten or meat? Perhaps a relationship or certain behaviors within a relationship?  How do you respond to the "forbidden"?

As this is my final post for this OctPoWriMo and I'll be turning my attention to NaNoWriMo (If you participate and want to find me there, I am The Rabid Artist), it has been a real joy and honor to share the page with you this month! As always...

I wish you words,

Amy McGrath

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you.

Word Prompts:

forbidden

denied

banned

rebel

conform

Quotes to inspire your writing:

Suggested forms: Kyrielle or Villanelle

Day 29: Breathtaking

Winding down from this wild month of word adventures, we can finally take a breath! Well, almost, first you need to write more. 

Coming a little late to you, I bring you one more form out of my anarchy. Today I'm playing the villain and giving you a jump scare with the Villanelle. The villanelle is French. You have five three-line stanzas and a final quatrain, with the first and third lines of the first stanza repeating alternately in the following stanzas. At the end you have a two line refrain. This totals to 19 lines. 

Your most important line is the 1st line. The first linen of the first stanza is the last line of the second and forth stanzas and the second to last line in the last stanza. The third line of the first stanza is the last line of the third and fifth stanzas and the last line of the last stanza. 

Oh and one more thing, the rhyme scheme is aba. 

Yeah, that made my head hurt too. Here's a chart via Baymoon.com 

A1 b  A2          - Lines in first tercet.
  a  b  A1          - Lines in second tercet.
  a  b  A2          - Lines in third tercet.
  a  b  A1          - Lines in fourth tercet.
  a  b  A2          - Lines in fifth tercet.
  a  b  A1 A2       - Lines in final quatrain. 

Anyways for those of you that aren't chasing form challenges, there are many other stories to tell. 

When was the last time something took your breath away? When was the last time something took your breath away so purely or suddenly that you dramatically reacted? For me, that's when I go to my happy place. While being based in North Carolina, I travel all around the world for writing work. My latest favorite has been Colorado. What never ceases to amaze me are the views. 

I think my favorite moments in life are when I'm up in the air and looking at a sunset from my airplane window. What's a story about an amazing sunset you've seen lately? One so beautiful it took your breath away? 

For your picture prompt, I saw a sunrise on my way to the airport in all its golden glory. It took my breath away, and then I went and poured some liquor into my coffee because I had to be at the airport for the next 4 hours. 

Cheers & Sunshine! 

-Beverly 

When Asian-American poet Beverly Tan was 7 years old she decided she wanted to be a filmmaker. In 2015 she became an internationally award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director. Along with her films, Beverly was fueled by a passion for writing and proving that her childhood dreams really can come true.
She currently splits time between Raleigh, NC and Denver, CO, though her cat lives in Raleigh full time.

Follower on IG/Twitter @BeverlyTanFilm 

You can buy her book Water in a Wineglass on Amazon

Day 28 – Belonging

Long, long ago, people found out when they joined forces, belonged to a tribe or group, life became easier and more satisfying. It was also safer, thereby providing a better chance of survival.

When we band together, we are cared for, feel comfortable and needed, and contribute to the good of all. We satisfy the basic human need for love and belonging by cooperating with others.

Spouses, partners, family, and friends satisfy  our need for love and belonging. So do groups, clubs, organizations, sports teams, and workplaces.

Alaska Drummers. Annis Cassells (c) 2010

Free write for ten minutes about belonging and see where it leads you. Where do you belong? What tribe, group or club? With whom? How did you know it was your place of belonging? What is it that makes you feel like you belong? How do you help others feel they belong?

For further inspiration, check your local newspaper for articles that portray or suggest belonging. Look for events that one might join and find their place of belonging.

Suggested form: Clarity Pyramid  -- a 7-line poem consisting of two triplets and a single line. Usually displayed  center aligned. Click the Shadow Poetry link for detailed explanation and examples.

Word Bank Prompt

Affirmation

Clash

Community

Country

Estranged

Family

Flag

Home

Team

Visual Prompts

Coos Bay 2016. Photo by Marilyn Wilson (c) Used with permission.

Africa, 2005. Photo by Judy McDole (c) Used with permission.

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you.

The scent of a flower

When I moved to Hawaii six years ago, I remember the first time the air touched my skin. After being in a tin can floating over the ocean for what felt like days, the air felt like a warm blanket. It was so heavy and damp in a way that was totally different from the mountains of West Virginia where I'm originally from. And the smell. It was a confusing mixture of flowers that I couldn't pick out. I had no idea what they were or even where the smells came from. I couldn't see any flowers, but there they were. It was a disorienting experience that I hadn't had when I'd traveled to other places on the mainland.

It's amazing how flowers can impact a moment. Do you have a memory attached to a flower? Maybe a little daisy crushed in your toddler's sweaty hand? Did your grandmother's house always smell like roses? Give yourself a few minutes and let your memory find that flower memory. And let's write about it.

A neighborhood flower. Photo by: Tamara Woods

Word Prompts:
Memories
Petals
Sweet
Springtime
Yesterday
Scents
Nature
Love


Possible poetry form: The Haiku:
The haiku is one that is generally about nature.
It's a three lined poem that has a  5-7-5 form (five syllables, seven syllables, five syllables)
A classic haiku also has a seasonal reference and has focuses on two different, but related image or ideas.

From my story above:

Heavy air weighs down
Sweet flowers confuse senses
A long way from home

Have fun with this and share your memories with us. Happy writing!

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo, on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you.  

Tamara Woods was raised (fairly happily) in West Virginia, where she began writing poetry at the age of 12. She published her first poetry collection, The Shaping of an “Angry” Black Woman in 2014 and is working on her first fiction novel due out in winter 2016. She is the Editor of The Reverie Journal, a poetry publication. She also moderates #writestuff a weekly writing Twitter chat. You can find her on Twitter here. She works as a full-time freelance writer and doesn’t post nearly enough her blog PenPaperPad. She creates videos about books and writing on her YouTube channel. She is a hillbilly hermit in Honolulu living with her Mathemagician.

Day 26 - Poetry Prompts in Pictures

A once and unruly mind is the prompt today and I've decided to show it through pictures.

Poetry prompt - Monkey mind (or Scary mind)
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
By George Hodan

Poetry Prompts - Chaotic Mind
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
by Piotr Siedlecki

Poetry Prompts - Magical Linear Mind
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
by Piotr Siedlecki

Poetry Prompts - Finding Connections Mind
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
by Piotr Siedlecki

Poetry Prompts - Space Cadet Mind
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
By Dawn Hudson

Poetry Prompts - Zen Mind
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
by Okan Caliskan

Which one sounds, looks, feels like your mind at least some of the time? My mind has been all of these. Not at the same time, thankfully. Pick one and follow your words.

Possible poetry type: Shadow poetry invented type, Cascade.

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you. 

 

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. Collaborate with your soul and get your words on the page. Wild Woman Writing Retreat.

Yes, she is on Google+ too!

Day 25: Taste of Satisfaction

Image by Amy McGrath

As I'm writing this, my husband and I have just returned home from dinner at our favorite locally-owned retaurant. (If you're ever in Norfolk, Virginia, you have to check out FMC Garden Cafe. Order the Risotto Croquettes. You're welcome!)  Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I'm a foodie. I  enjoy food in its endless varieties from the simplest "down home" cooking to high-end gourmet restaurants and everything in between. This, however, is somewhat of a problem.

You see, all my years of eating just for the sheer pleasure of it with little (no?) regard for the long-term effects of the choices have caught up with me. I'm now 50 years old and have a serious weight problem. Food has always been a source of comfort to me, a trusted friend. But I've come to understand that this "relationship" has come at a price and it's time I made some changes.

A few months ago, I heard an author speaking on NPR about his new book. The book was "Always Hungry", the author is Dr. David Ludwig. The science behind his book captured my attention. I bought a copy and read it. I then began implementing some of the changes he recommends and have learned, probably for the first time in my life, to really LISTEN to my body and to feed it in a mindful way. I'm also finding better, healthier ways to comfort myself - drawing, painting, writing are so much better for me than stuffed crust pizza or a pint of ice cream. 

The best part of making these changes is just how satisfying it is to have something tangible to show after processing some difficult emotions rather than the extra weight and chronic health issues that my old habits were causing. 

"Andy" - pastel drawing series by Amy McGrath

The Prompt 

What does satisfaction taste like? 

What's your favorite food and why do you find it so satisfying?

In what ways to you taste satisfaction?

Allow answers to one or more of these questions to flow onto the page for you as you free write for a few minutes. 

Word Prompts

taste

satisfaction

food

sample

accomplishment

Suggested form: Perhaps an Ode would be appropriate.

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you. 

I look forward to a satisfying taste of your poetry!

I wish you words,

Amy McGrath

Day 24: When Lovers Meet

Image by George Hodan on PublicDomainPictures

If you're not familiar with the context of the above photo, here's an article about Love Locks.

When I first saw this prompt, I remembered my first lover. I recalled how we met and how things developed to the point when we crossed over from a dating couple to lovers. The sweet innocence of a first lover is certainly something that poets have written about throughout the ages. However, there are other less obvious ways we can view today's prompt. 

What happens when book lovers meet? Or perhaps music lovers? Nature lovers? Or even poetry lovers? It seems these days in the United States, there's a convention for a seemingly endless variety of lovers to gather - Comicon, Animazement, NekoCon, etc.

The Prompt

What sort of lover are you? Select a type of lover and free write about what happens when you encounter another lover like yourself. See where it takes you and what sort of poetic inspiration arises from it. Perhaps consider writing a Blitz Poem and see where the connections lead. This could turn into your poem for the day or maybe be a warmup to help you find some unexpected inspiration.

Word Prompts (types of lovers)

sexuality

books

music

nature

poetry

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you. 

I wish you words,

Amy McGrath

Day 23: What is the Message?

Today I'm feeling fantastical! It's no secret that my favorite genre in prose is fantasy, and it bleeds into my poetry often. Mythology is a huge influence in my writing as I've spent a lot of time studying retellings of stories. 

Hermes was the great messenger of the Greek gods, but the lesser known golden-winged messenger god was a goddess. Her name was Iris and she was the goddess of rainbows. She had a twin sister named Arke, but Arke didn't have her golden wings and is only the second lighter rainbow that you sometimes see. Arke in her jealousy betrayed Olympus and became a messenger for the gods. Now there's a good story right? 

For your subject prompt today, think about messengers, and even use the story of Iris and Arke if you want. How do you think those sisters were feeling? What really made Arke leave? What was the message? 

Now for the fellow form challenge lovers. 

Today isn't as hard either. I bring you, the nonet! The nonet is a form as old as time, though some people think it originated in France. 

The form is super easy! Your first line has 9 syllables. Your second line has 8 syllables. You keep going like that until you reach your last line with 1 syllable. It's like a Haiku on steroids.  

Picture Prompt: 

From me (Fire & Spunk Productions) 

Cheers & Sunshine! 

-Beverly 

When Asian-American poet Beverly Tan was 7 years old she decided she wanted to be a filmmaker. In 2015 she became an internationally award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director. Along with her films, Beverly was fueled by a passion for writing and proving that her childhood dreams really can come true.
She currently splits time between Raleigh, NC and Denver, CO, though her cat lives in Raleigh full time.

Follower on IG/Twitter @BeverlyTanFilm 

You can buy her book Water in a Wineglass on Amazon

Day 22 Purposeful Passion

I'm currently trying to understand the Hero/Heroine's Journey and a friend of mine shared this video, The Tale of the Hero's Journey Documentary. The reason I bring this up is because the bottom line in the video is to follow your bliss. That is what purposeful passion is all about, following your bliss.

Within any hero/heroine's journey, they go towards their passion with a purpose.

Compass to follow your passion
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
by George Hodan

As a poet, we journey within and share what we discover on the page through our poetry. We also take journeys down crooked paths, steep hills, winding roads, to find inspiration for our words.

Winding road to passion.
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictues
by Lubos Houska

And it may even take us to other countries, searching for our purpose and passion.

Finding your passion in Machu Picchu
Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures
by Kai Stachowiak

Here's that video I told you about to encourage you to follow your bliss:

Poetry Prompt:

Put on some music and move your body for a few minutes and then sit down and write a list of everything you feel passionate about. Pick one from your list and write for five to ten minutes and see where your words lead you.

Word Prompts:

Passion

Bliss

Journey

Compass

Purpose

Winding road

crooked path

Possible poetry type: Go to ShadowPoetry.com and challenge yourself by picking a poetry type that you've never used before.

Use any of the images above to inspire you but if you choose to share one of them on your blog, please remember to give attribution and link back to its page on PublicDomainPictures. Thanks!

Only ten days left of OctPoWriMo! Hope you are having fun playing with your words!

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you. 

 

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. Collaborate with your soul and get your words on the page. Wild Woman Writing Retreat.

Yes, she is on Google+ too!

Day 21 – Nothing Remains the Same

Some changes we plan and await with eagerness. Others are unexpected, unknown, and unfold as the days and months progress. Whatever comes, we either get to delight in it, or we may have to tolerate and deal with it. But we always learn and grow. And one change may lead to several others.

There’s power in choice. When we get to choose life’s changes and turns, we feel as if we have a measure of control. But sometimes changes that come along are because of someone else’s decisions and choices.  In retrospect, changes that at first seemed intolerable are often described as “the best thing that ever happened to me.” There’s life in change.

From a perspective different than personal change, other types of change affect us: environmental, political, social, global. Some we can influence, and others we cannot. 

Sometimes we yearn for the comfort of sameness. We return to our hometown, our school, or a special spot from our past.

For today’s poem, try an abecedarian, a twenty-six line poem, each line beginning with a successive letter of the alphabet, A-Z. It’s sometimes called simply an alphabet poem.

Word Bank Prompt:

Change

Transformation

Balance

Stagnation

Adapt

Comfort zone

Complacency

Nostalgia


Quote Prompt:

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."

                                             --Alan Cohen

Visual Prompt:

(Note: If you use this or any other image with your poem, please give credit to the photographer and source of the image. It is a violation of copyright law to use an image that's not yours without crediting the source.)

Mykonos Man - Photo by Judy McDole (c)

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo, on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you.

Day 20: Desires and Remembering

Image by Jean Beaufort from PublicDomainPictures

When was the last time you wanted something? I mean, really deeply WANTED something? What was it that you wanted? Why did you desire it so intensely?

Take a few moments and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths to ground yourself. Then allow your mind to focus on that time and place where you were desiring. See the object of your desire vividly. Notice the details of it. Use all of your senses to guide you. Was it something you wanted to taste? What did it smell like? What did it look like? Was it something you could hold in your hands? What did it feel like? Did you get what you wanted? What emotions did you experience in getting what you wanted or being denied? Jot down anything you can remember about the specifics of this moment of desire.

Word Prompts

first love/first kiss/first time

hunger/thirst

craving

yearning

wanting

Image Prompts (Note: If you use one of these or any other image with your poem, please give credit to the photographer and source of the image. It is a violation of copyright law to use an image that's not yours without crediting the source.)

Image by V CT at PublicDomainImages

Image by Petr Kratochvil from PublicDomainPictures

Image by Petr Kratochvil from PublicDomainPictures

I wish you words,
Amy McGrath

Day 19 - Fox or Foxy

Once again...

So it's late and this is going to be short. I hope you are doing well on this poetry journey.

Poetry Prompt:

Write for ten minutes about Fox or Foxy and see where your words lead you.

Image Prompt:

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures

Word Prompts:

playful
red
cunning
crafty
creative

Possible poetry type: Florette from Shadowpoetry.com

Enjoy playing with your words!


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

Day 18: Everyone Went on Eating

From what I've read, sounds like I really gave you guys a doozy with my last prompt! I've read some pretty amazing sestinas though! Don't worry, I'm going a little easier on you with a form challenge prompt today. 

Mirror mirror on the wall, this still isn't the easiest form of all. Let's talk about Palindrome Poetry also known as Mirror Poetry. The word "palindrome" comes from the Greek words "palin" and "dromos" which mean "again" and "running" so we're running back and forth on these words today. 

The rules are just about as simple as you can make them. Write words until the middle bridge words, then write those words backwards. Keeping running back and forth until they make sense. When you read the poem backwards, it should be the exact same poem. 

Want the easy button? The beginner level challenge would be to use as many single word or phrases that are palindromes as you can in any poem. Words such as "racecar" or "taco cat" 

Now for the other prompt that isn't a mind-bending form! 

"Everyone went on eating" is the phrase of the day. We're taking a slightly darker turn here. What is something that has happened that you felt should've changed things, but in the end didn't cause a reaction? Did you make a big announcement to friends and family only for them to continue about their day? Did you have a surprise at a dinner table conversation? Maybe it was a happy thing, did the mood of the room change? 

Think about a time when everyone kept on eating. How did the room feel? How did the energy move? How did you and others react? 

What did you eat? Did that affect the feel of the moment? 

Halloween picture prompt for you: 

Cheers & Sunshine! 

-Beverly 

When Asian-American poet Beverly Tan was 7 years old she decided she wanted to be a filmmaker. In 2015 she became an internationally award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director. Along with her films, Beverly was fueled by a passion for writing and proving that her childhood dreams really can come true. 
She currently splits time between Raleigh, NC and Denver, CO, though her cat lives in Raleigh full time.

Follower on IG/Twitter @BeverlyTanFilm 

You can buy her book Water in a Wineglass on Amazon

Day 17: And the Dragon Chose...

We can't forget the magic of writing or the magic within writing. We don't always have to write about our lives in poetry form. We can write magical stories.

This is a Dr. Seuss challenge. His book "Green Eggs and Ham" was written on a dare - could he write a story using only 50 words? Bennett Cerf, the co-founder of Random House, offered him $50 if he could do it. Read about the dare HERE.

The Prompt

Here's my challenge to you: Choose 50 words. Write a poem using only those words, repeating and rhyming as you see fit. You can use the words as many times as you like, but limit yourself to just the 50 words.

If you're unfamiliar with the story (or just want to enjoy the story again), here's an animated version for your enjoyment -

Word Prompts

And the dragon chose

fairy tale

fantasy

minimalism

fiction

 

Morgan Dragonwillow, author of Wild Woman Waking & Dancing within Shadow, is a Bodywork transformer, dancing poet, motivator of words, magical instigator and creatrix of #OctPoWriMo & #PoetsonthePage. Collaborate with your soul and get your words on the page. Wild Woman Writing Retreat.

Yes, she is on Google+ too!

Day 16 - Losing Your Fears and Tears

What scares you? What are you really afraid of? The above quote resonates deeply for me. Over the years as I have explored my own fears, I have come to understand a great deal about myself.

For instance, I've always had a fear of failure and of being inadequate. As an adoptee, I always felt I had something to prove. Even though my adoptive parents have always been loving and supportive, my twisted psyche was afraid of not being enough, of not measuring up to some arbitrary standard. If you had asked me even 10 years ago about this, I couldn't have told you why.

Everything changed for me when I attended a week-long writing seminar in 2010 that literally broke me open. I had dabbled in journal writing before that, but the intensive and nurturing atmosphere at that workshop dug into my fears and my tears so deep that in less than a year, I was hospitalized until my mental health could be stabilized.

Now I get it. I can name my fears and we have become something akin to friends. When they show up these days, I know how to deal with them in healthy ways, through painting and writing. I also have a standing appointment with a therapist who gets me. I still feel afraid sometimes, but the fear no longer controls me. Instead, it fuels me as it pushes me out of my comfort zone.

The Prompt

Make a list of your fears, however large or small they may be. Then pick one fear to work with. Write out a conversation with the fear. Ask it questions and record whatever "responses" pop into your mind. Trust your intuition on this and see where it takes you. I have no doubt there will be lots of poems from the things that come up!

Acronyms to Consider

Forget Everything And Run
False Evidence Appearing Real
Face Everything And Rise

Images and Quotes

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag, #OctPoWriMo, on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you.  

We've made it to the halfway point! Thank you for being here with us!

I wish you words,
Amy McGrath