OctPoWriMo 2022: Day 28 - Courageous and Daring

I'm an Aries, and as such 'courageous' and 'daring' should at least theoretically be my middle names. But it took me a long while to grow into either of those notions and even as an adult I still often feel that I have a long way to go in these respects.

Those born under the sign of Aries are also reputed to be impatient, impulsive, argumentative, self-involved, intolerant, and insensitive (thanks, www.horoscopes.lovetoknow.com !) - and I have always thought of these traits as being more true of myself. But allow me to think on the positive side for a second: if the list I found has any grain of truth to it, it also says that we Rams are independent, dynamic, charismatic, enthusiastic, warmhearted, and quick-witted - which are traits I have also been told by others are true about myself. Maybe now even 'confident' would apply too.

So what is your star sign? What are people born under that sign 'supposed' to be like? (I know it's hardly an exact science.) Do 'courageous' and 'daring' figure within that framework? Do you consider yourself to be that way? Do you think any of us is especially 'fated' to be these things, or can we make ourselves so?

Famed Instapoet Atticus has already written poems for each sign of the zodiac; now, perhaps, it's our turn. Shape poems might work well here - why not fashion a poem about courage and daring into the shape of a ram, or the outline of water (those born under Aquarius are also known for being pretty brave)? Or, if you feel your zodiac sign does not describe you, or says you 'shouldn't' be courageous and daring when you are, perhaps flip the shape.

Word prompts:

Fire

Speak

Strength

Brave

Pause

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Happy writing!

Bianca

OctPoWriMo 2022: Day 22 - Surrender Self Limitations

What limitations do you impose upon yourself? How do you break free of these? And how do you know if you have?

Self-confidence is a huge factor in enabling anyone to break free of the chains that bind them. I think I felt far more limited in my early teens, when I was still trying to figure out who I was, and as a result, probably fulfilled far less of my potential than I should have. Probably by the age of 15 or so, though, I realised that people will leave. And yes, it is sad. But that you cannot let these moments in life break you for months or even years. And that people will always find a way to criticise you no matter what you do - so you may as well do what you want, or what you think is right. And both of these epiphanies were highly liberating. I did more. I laughed more. I loved more. And I lived more as a result. 

Even as an adult, setting long-term goals - and writing them down - is enormously liberating in terms of surrendering any limitations you might be imposing on yourself. Accept that life will get in the way sometimes - and that short-term projects like OctPoWriMo aside (!), setting goals over six months or a year allows more wiggle rooms for goals to be achieved and limitations to be smashed through.

So you might want to format your poem accordingly, to look like a list of resolutions or goals - or you may want to try the catena rondo form, courtesy of Robin Skelton (The Shapes of Our Singing, 2002), who is credited with inventing the form. Catena means 'chain', and rondo means 'circle' - which might appear to run counter to the notion of breaking free from those metaphorical chains of self-limitation. But hear me out.

The form itself symbolises the chains that bind us thanks to its repetitive rhyme scheme of AbbA per quatrain. The first line of each quatrain is also the final line of the quatrain. The second line of each quatrain is the first line of the next quatrain. And the final quatrain should repeat the first, word for word.

However, there are also aspects of the form that symbolise breaking free of these recurring vicious circles which trap our thinking. You can have however many quatrains you want. And there are no rules for metre, line length, or subject matter. So exercise your freedom here - or just do a free write if you prefer the whole poem, structurally speaking, to be a metaphor for surrendering these self-limitations. Maybe you want to invert an existing form or just try something completely different. The rondeau is a similar form - a famous example being Dunbar's "We Wear The Mask", reproduced below:

Word prompts:

Free

Live

Untangle

Cast off

Breathe

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Happy writing!

Bianca

OctPoWriMo 2022: Day 21 - Sanctuary Within

 

I read a lot of Jostein Gaarder and Paulo Coelho as a teen, and was also introduced to the works of major philosophers via the highly accessible 'The Consolations of Philosophy' by Alain de Botton. The bitesized maxims of Khalil Gibran and Marcus Aurelius also deeply appealed and my religious studies lessons were a further source of sanctuary, wherein we learned about the six major world religions (Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism). Buddhism's focus on meditation was particularly attractive as it took me away from the tumultuous hormonal changes of adolescence. I would spend hours practising what we might today call 'mindfulness' and reaching 'flow state', not just through writing poetry but also through the sensory enhancements of music and incense. I also spent many an hour in private prayer and contemplation.

I would also find physical places of sanctuary, whether in church, in a trusted teacher's office, in a letter to a friend, or within nature. These experiences are so valuable to teens and I urge parents and teachers today not to question this, dismiss it, or shut teens out: they are sorely needed. We might call them 'safe spaces' today.

Though no longer religious myself, I still greatly value the practices of yoga, meditation, mindfulness and hypnotherapy - all of which constitute a form of sanctuary, along with writing. Silence itself is a type of sanctuary too.

So my question to you is - what is your sanctuary (mental or physical)? What does it look like? What does it feel like when you are there?

The notion of sanctuary, and its associated 'flow state', lends today's poem well to a free write scenario. Just sit down somewhere and let the words flow - you can always reshape them later.

Word prompts

Heartbeat

Time

Peace

Breath

Resurface

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Happy writing!

Bianca

OctPoWriMo 2022: Day 14 - Hearing And Listening

In relation to today's prompt, if you listen to others but also take time to hear yourself and your own inner voice, you can use this to help grow your creative self.

How can you 'hear yourself' and also listen to others? Journaling and meditation can be helpful in this regard, along with mindfulness exercises - though I seem to be recommending that combination a lot lately. Yoga also emphasises aspects of meditation which can help you to get closer to your true inner self.

In similar terms, the book 'Hear Yourself' (Prem Rawat; published by HarperCollins) suggests walks in nature and taking a few moments each day to be aware of what you are grateful for - among other methods.

So what forms of writing might allow you to express this process of hearing yourself or listening to others?

Perhaps an epistolary poem (laid out like a letter), or something more dialogic (a poem laid out like a conversation or question and answer session)?

Presumably, though, if you have taken time to listen to yourself, the 'right' form will come to you.

Joining poetry circles is also a great way to listen to others via their constructive feedback on your work; in one study (Vetter & Meacham, 2018), the authors found that reflective conversations are also powerful in helping writers "to construct...knowledge and identities" and that this is "critical practice for...motivation and success". 

So listen and hear more...and grow your creative self.

Word prompts:

Audio

White noise

Chaos

Silence

Paradox

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Happy writing!

Bianca

OctPoWriMo 2022 - Day 11: Love, Great And Small

 

'

In further considering the idea of 'growing the creative self', we can think about how our loves, great and small, can unlock our creativity and inspire us to write.

Over the years I have written about various crushes and other more meaningful relationships, some of which have been brief but left footprints on my heart, and others which are still in my life today. 

A sonnet might be one way of expressing these feelings - it is, after all, a classic love poem format, espoused by Shakespeare, Petrarch, Keats, and others. (See October 2nd's prompt for a guide to the sonnet structure.)

However, in the words of the recently departed Her Majesty the Queen of England (and, doubtless, others), grief is the price we pay for love. Having also recently lost my grandmother, who lived a very full life but whom nonetheless we are of course also sad to lose, I may choose to expand my creativity with an elegy.

The poet Thomas Gray was one famous exponent of this particular form, along with, Whitman and Rilke. Elegies express three stages of loss: grief and sorrow, followed by praise for the dead person, and concluded with consolation and solace. Traditional elegies are composed in stanzas of two quatrains, using iambic pentameter and an ABAB rhyme scheme. However, for a modern elegy, you can of course deviate from this if you wish.

Word prompts:

Bright

Warmth

Lightness

Everlasting

Boundless

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Happy writing!

Bianca

OctPoWriMo 2022 - Day 10: Feeling Is The Way

In line with the theme of 'growing your creative self', maybe recognising our feelings is also a way of doing this.

Being British, it's common to grow up in a culture where feelings are not expressed; the ideas of the 'stiff upper lip' and 'keep calm and carry on' are not just amusing stereotypes but actual ways of life. Luckily, though, this is changing to an extent, thanks in part to the pandemic but also due to paradigm shifts that were under way before this. People are encouraged more now to seek counselling/therapy if they need it and to put their mental health priorities on a par with their physical health. And for us creative types, prioritising our feelings can help us to know ourselves better and so unlock our creative selves. 

A longitudinal study carried out by the University of New South Wales - explored accessibly here - found that it doesn't matter so much which emotions we unlock but the intensity at which we manage to do so - and that your openness to the full breadth and depth of your emotions is a greater predictor of creativity than IQ. So whether it's watching your favourite food shows on YouTube or getting your old family home movies out, find a way to unlock your emotions at a high degree of intensity - and then write those feelings down. According to the research, it's also good if you can show sensitivity to unusual combinations of emotions. So perhaps try to recall a time where you felt both happy and sad simultaneously, or both excited and afraid, and convey that in your poem.

For this poem, you might want to create a poem that resembles a monologue or a diary entry. 

Or you might want to try a Korean poetic form called a sijo, which contains a 'volta' or 'turn' in the third and final line of the poem. The whole poem is very concise, consisting of only 42-48 syllables. The theme is introduced in the first line (aim for a total of 15 syllables), followed by the elaboration on this theme in line 2 (try another 15 syllables). The final line introduces the turn (aim for 8 syllables), ending with a conclusion (maybe another 7 syllables). A famous sijo is referenced in the Korean period drama Love, Lies:

사랑 거즛말이 님 날사랑 거즛말이

꿈에 뵌닷 말이 긔 더욱 거즛말이

날가치 잠 아니 오면 어늬 꿈에 뵈리오

"Love." It is a lying word.

That you love me, another lie.

"The loved one is seen in dreams."

That is still a greater lie,

How can I, who can never sleep,

hope to see you in my dreams?

Perhaps the act of trying the sijo will help you to better express your feelings and in doing so, grow your creative self.

Word prompts:

Sadness

Hope

Changing

Turning

But

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

OctPoWriMo 2022 - Day 9: Magic In The Now

The theme for this year's OctPoWriMo is 'Growing The Creative Soul', and one way to grow one's creative soul is to find and feel the magic in the now...hence today's prompt.

When I first started writing poetry, 'mindfulness' was not really a 'thing' in the way we recognise it today. But various mindfulness processes are a good way of recognising that 'magic in the now'.

So perhaps sit down and colour for a while, either in silence or with music on in the background (I had a wonderfully detailed colouring book of mandalas years back). Or maybe just kick back and close your eyes and feel the music. You could even engage in some meditation or hypnotherapy at home, using an app to help. Afterwards, note your feelings. What did it feel like to be immersed in the 'now' and to be so much more aware of yourself? Then make them into a poem.

While a free write would work well for this (for reasons which are, I hope, apparent), but if you want to follow a stronger tradition of mystic poetry, these guidelines on Medium.com are useful: what myths, symbols, and/or natural imagery might enhance your poem? To further encapsulate the notion of 'now', try using only the present tense in your poem, as per the prompts below.

Word prompts:

Breathes

Expands

Becoming

Silencing

Grow

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Happy writing!

Bianca

OctPoWriMo Day 8

 

Art by MDragonwillow

Thursday was a very difficult day for me. My laptop stopped charging and when I went to have it repaired, found out it would be more than a new laptop. So I bought a bluetooth keyboard for my tablet and it's rather awkward to use but I'm doing my best. Oh, and after all that, I got into a car accident on my way home. Just a fender bender but still, one more thing that caused me stress and more money because it was also my fault.

This Prompt, Strange and Wonderful I've been struggling with. I've been procrastinating writing it. Writing in general actually, since Thursday. Today I even took the day off to process, rest, and nest a bit in my room. I really don't know where I'm going with this. 

The wonderful, the woman I collided with, she was so nice that she even told the officer not to write a report because she didn't want me to get a ticket. A good friend who lives down the street from me, when I told her about my day, brought over beer and we sat on my porch and chatted for hours which felt wonderful.

My life is a series of strange and wonderful and I transfer that onto the page, in words and art. 

Poetry Prompt

Write about what is strange and wonderful in your life? How can you express that on the page?

Word Prompts

Wonderfully strange

unexpected

shocking

life altering

chaos

confort

Poetry Type - Acrostic, I like acrostic for this prompt because you can turn it into a story like I did with my poem, Lipstick. Unfortunately that poem was on the blog that no longer exists and I realize I don't think I have a copy of it. Anyway... I challenge you to write a story with your Acrostic in a poetic form.

Or...

Use magnetic poetry and randomly choose strange and wonderful words to create a poem.

It's too difficult to attach a video on my tablet so turn on music you wouldn't normally listen to and move to it.

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Much Love to You,

Morgan Dragonwillow

Read, Dance, Write, Repeat.

Where I'll be writing poetry: A Writer's Universe

OctPoWriMo Day 6

 

to 

Photo by MDragonwillow

This one is a little late. I had to watch some Youtube videos to get out of my own way around this prompt. Surrender is an issue for me and in particular surrendering guilt. Guilt is a black stain, it chokes the life out of you. You have to let it go to be able to get out of your own way. Do what you need to do to break through it and let it fly. What I'm going to post below, from Youtube, isn't the sort of thing I would normally post but listening to their stories, watching them get out of their own way and keep pushing until they fly, is inspiring. I was sobbing through a lot of it. I hope you watch it.

Poetry Prompt

What guilt are you choking on? Write like your life depends on it, put it all down on the paper, or laptop, but if on the laptop, print it out afterwards and then take it somewhere you can safely burn it and watch your guilt fly away with the smoke. It isn't worth holding on to no matter what it is. If you have to make amends, make amends, if you can't see yourself able  to do it in person, or can't for some reason, take it to a higher plane, say what needs to be said and let it go.

Word Prompts

Surrender

Guilt

Fly

Choking

Burn it 

Let it go

These people all had huge hurdles to overcome and I hope you let them inspire you to not hold on to what is holding you back. 

And for you to dance it out...

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Much Love to You,

Morgan Dragonwillow

Read, Dance, Write, Repeat.

Where I'll be writing poetry: A Writer's Universe

OctPoWriMo Day 5

 

Art work by MDragonwillow

This young woman talks about What Does it Mean to be Yourself and I have to say that I was in tears by the end. Yes she is young, but she is sharing a fundamental reality that we all struggle with. In writing they are always talking about finding your voice and a huge part of that is knowing who you are and being yourself on the page. I know this video is a little long, but trust me when I say, it is worth it.

Poetry Prompt

Be yourself. That is one of the most difficult discoveries we go through in life. Who are you? What are your fears? What are you stopping yourself from doing because you don't believe you are good enough? Write down, I am enough, and then keep writing and see what lands on the page.

Word Prompts

Enough

Who I am

I am enough

If I didn't doubt myself...

Poetry Type - Palindrome

Music to inspire and dance to.

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Much Love to You,

Morgan Dragonwillow

Read, Dance, Write, Repeat.

Where I'll be writing poetry: A Writer's Universe

OctPoWriMo Day 3

 

Public Domain Pictures

This prompt had me diving deep to see what really wanted to be said about Spirals of creation. When we tap into the stream of creation, we flow through the shadow world, our ups and our downs, ins and outs and we often have to struggle through our self sabotage to get to the other side. Spirals of creation, what do you go through, physically, mentally, emotionally, to come to the page and let your words flow?

Poetry Prompt

Spirals of creations - write for ten minutes diving into where you are at, what shadows are you dealing with, what has you spinning and spiraling? Get it all down. Choose a phrase or a few words and then create a poem from that.

Word Prompts

Spiraling

Shadows

Spinning

Flowing

Letting go

Poetry Type - Loop poetry felt like a good one for this.

Music and Movement

This song helped me find where this prompt wanted to go. I hope you will listen to the words and see if you can relate, dance and move it out of your body and then come to the page.

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Much Love to You,

Morgan Dragonwillow

Read, Dance, Write, Repeat.

Where I'll be writing poetry: A Writer's Universe

OctPoWriMo Day 20

 

I'm a huge fan of participating in different writing events when I can. In addition to OctPoWriMo, one of my favorites is the Weekend Coffee Share. The idea is that you have a virtual coffee date with your readers and share your imagined conversation. I post these every few months and love the responses. It's led me to the work of some incredibly creative people and is a great way to feel connected to the writing community. What does being a part of this community mean to you?

Suggested Word Prompts:

support

shared interests

introduction

exchange

inspiration

Suggested Poetry Form

Free choice - there are so many directions this can take!  Shadow Poetry is a good resource if you're looking for new forms to try.

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Michele Vecchitto is a writer, recruiter, and  former middle school teacher.  Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies as well as in four self-published volumes. Michele was invited to read her poems at the Austin International Poetry Festival and was honored to be included in When Time and Space Conspire.  In addition, she published a young adult fantasy novel, Tales from Blarnach: The Chosen One. She continues to hone her craft simply to breathe life into the stories living in the corners of her mind. Please visit her blog, Writing and Reflections to see more of her work.

OctPoWriMo Day 19

Not all poetry wants to be storytelling. And not all storytelling wants to be poetry. But great storytellers and great poets share something in common: They had something to say, and did.  — Sarah Kay 

Image by Lolame from Pixabay 

I love the storytelling aspect of poetry. Weaving words together for greatest impact and in a way that makes the reader see the familiar in a different light makes the time spent agonizing over each tiny detail worth it. What does storytelling mean to you?

Suggested Word Prompts:

storyteller/storytelling

unlock

rise

magic

slip

Suggested Poetry Forms:

Terzanelle or Song

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Michele Vecchitto is a writer, recruiter, and  former middle school teacher.  Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies as well as in four self-published volumes. Michele was invited to read her poems at the Austin International Poetry Festival and was honored to be included in When Time and Space Conspire.  In addition, she published a young adult fantasy novel, Tales from Blarnach: The Chosen One. She continues to hone her craft simply to breathe life into the stories living in the corners of her mind. Please visit her blog, Reading, Writing, and Reflections to see more of her work.

OctPoWriMo Day 8

 Welcome to day 8! Today's prompt is After the Storm. Write about what the world is like after a storm has subsided. There are so many directions this can take. Will you use it as a metaphor or will you describe an actual storm? Maybe both?

Word prompts: 

rainbow

refreshing

silver-lining

reward

gift

Poetry Forms:

Tanka or Free Verse

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Michele Vecchitto is a writer, recruiter, and  former middle school teacher.  Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies as well as in four self-published volumes. Michele was invited to read her poems at the Austin International Poetry Festival and was honored to be included in When Time and Space Conspire.  In addition, she published a young adult fantasy novel, Tales from Blarnach: The Chosen One. She continues to hone her craft simply to breathe life into the stories living in the corners of her mind. Please visit her blog, Reading, Writing, and Reflections to see more of her work.

OctPoWriMo Day 7

 Many people talk about finding the perfect balance -- whether it's between work and life, wants and needs, light and shadow, giving and taking... the list goes on and on. Where is that sweet spot? How do you decide what's best for you?

Word prompts:

content

scales

options

balance

power

Poetry Forms:

The Balance or Mirrored Refrain

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

Michele Vecchitto is a writer, recruiter, and  former middle school teacher.  Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies as well as in four self-published volumes. Michele was invited to read her poems at the Austin International Poetry Festival and was honored to be included in When Time and Space Conspire.  In addition, she published a young adult fantasy novel, Tales from Blarnach: The Chosen One. She continues to hone her craft simply to breathe life into the stories living in the corners of her mind. Please visit her blog, Reading, Writing, and Reflections to see more of her work.

OctPoWriMo Day 6

 Are you someone who likes to plan? I love to make lists and organize things in my daily life. Although I don't have as much free time as I would like, I do enjoy playing cards or Chess when the opportunity arises. Strategizing is somehow more satisfying than whether I win or lose. I think it forces me to be present in the moment and adjust as necessary to reach my goal. For today's prompt, let's consider what we do to achieve our dreams.

photo: Mark Vecchitto

Word Prompts:

intention

design

purpose

believe

dream

Poetry Forms:

Villanelle or Elfje

OctPoWriMo Day 31

This has been a difficult time for me and coming to the poetry page felt mostly impossible. I turned to art journaling instead. I was able to feel calmer as I scribbled and colored on the page. This was the only way I could find peace during the chaos of breakups and injury. I have trouble drawing faces though so I have set a challenge for myself to draw at least one face a day. This was my first one. I'm using Tamara Laporte's, Art, Heart and Healing class.

Art by MDragonwillow

I hope you enjoyed the prompts this year that I and the other volunteers shared with you. Whether you wrote a poem everyday or sporadically, it is all good. Every poem matters. Your words matter. Thank you for joining us and I hope you will join us again next year.

Poetry Prompts:

Where do you find peace in this time of chaos in the world. I find it in nature and in moving colors across the page. Write for ten minutes asking yourself where you find peace.

Word Prompts:

Peace

Chaos

Nature

Words

Safe

Calm

Music:

May your words fly to the page.

I will be sharing two different programs on my patreon which will include prompts beginning tomorrow throughout the year.

https://www.patreon.com/morgandragonwillow

I am setting up the Magical Mercury Retrograde booklet in Amazon Kindle today and should be available soon.

I still have at least four weeks before I can start working again so if you are able, please hop on over to - Morgan's Medical Fundraiser. Every little bit helps.

https://www.facebook.com/donate/420640718647918/

Peace,
Morgan Dragonwillow
Read.Dance.Write.Repeat.
.
Become a Patron!

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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

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. Please visit her Patreon page 

to discover more of her words, art, and prompts, including her uncensored self.

OctPoWriMo Day 30

Can you believe we’re almost done? Tomorrow is the last day in this year’s poetry journey. I hope you’ve enjoyed this experience and learned as much as I have.

Today’s Prompt: Me, or Who am I?

It’s the most important question, isn’t it? Some of us never really answer it, while for others, the answer changes as we grow and live.

Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

“One thing that I have learned is that I don't think we figure out who we are all at once. I think it happens over a long period of time, piece by piece, you know? Okay, take me for instance. A couple of years ago, I get close with your dad, and I found a piece of myself in that. I meet your aunt and I found another piece of myself. Honey, I think that's sort of how it works you know? We go through life slowly but surely collecting these little pieces of ourselves that we can't really live without until we eventually have enough of them to feel whole.” -Kevin Pearson, This Is Us

Our identity is the core of who we are and how we see the world. It colours everything. And it isn’t simple. Every one of us has multiple intersecting facets of who we are. Family relationships, religion, career, art, sexuality—even what kind of pet you prefer—lends shades of meaning to the mosaic of you.

So, who are you?

Word Prompts:
Self
Identity
Heart
Soul
Innermost Being

Suggested form: invent your own!

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, and 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.

Esther Spurrill Jones has been writing since she was very young. She has written in many genres, but poetry is her first love. She has a few collections of poetry available on Kindle. Esther enjoys introducing people who have little or no experience to the joy of poetry. To this end, she has written several articles on Medium on how to write and enjoy poetry. Esther lives in the Frozen North (Saskatchewan, Canada) with the love of her life and three awesome terrible cats.

Day 27 - How Did I Get Here?

Some may approach this question from a genetics or religious-origins point of view, especially if they are mapping their family tree. Some may approach it from a physical point of view: I took a plane, a train, and a bus, or How did I get to OctPoWriMo today? I got up and walked to my favorite coffee shop on the corner. Or some may be looking over a precipice and wondering how to step back. This question can stimulate so many ideas, but I wanted to touch on one of the big ones: destiny.

No matter how organized and prepared we think we are, life will throw some serious curve balls. There are plenty of philosophers that have argued whether or not we have any say in our existence at all. If you are interested in a super-quick physics-driven overview of the philosophies of determinism and free will, I found a Big Think video.

If you want more, I found a fun PBS video.

Whether you approach the "here" of "How did I get here?" as place, time, emotional state, physical state, mental state, or all of the above, give yourself 10 to 15 minutes to describe your "here" in detail. Is it the here you imagined when you were a child, a teen, a young adult? Is it a "here" you want to be in?

Think back to a singular event that you see as the precursor to being "here." Think about whether you played a role in that event, if you determined your destination.

While you think about that, I highly recommend watching this video for Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads:

Word Prompts: destiny, fate, rebel, choice, chromosomes, singularity

suggested form: Ottava Rima

Since this is my last prompt this OctPoWriMo, I wanted to take the opportunity to share some great news: Last week I received an acceptance letter for two of my poems. They have been accepted for publication in an Emerging Poets anthology coming out in December. It will be the first time my poetry has been published by someone other than myself. I'm very excited. Thank you for all of your supportive and kind comments. I truly enjoy this opportunity to interact with others who love reading and writing 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 and if this is your first year or if you have been with us from the beginning.

 

Maria L. Berg enjoys brisk swims in the Pacific Northwest. Her short fiction has appeared in Five on the Fifth, America's Emerging Writers Anthology and most recently in Writer Shed Stories. She writes and photo-illustrates Gator McBumpypants picture books and plays many instruments. You can find her poetry at experiencewriting.com.

OctPoWriMo Day 25

I was sick yesterday and I completely forgot I was supposed to write the prompt today. I’m sorry!

Today’s prompt: White

What does ‘white’ make you think of? Snow, cold, clean, racism? Take some time to think about how this colour or lack of colour makes you feel.

Image by Dorota Kudyba from Pixabay

Word Prompts:
Snow
Cold
Clouds
Death

Suggested form: Musette

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, and 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.

Esther Spurrill Jones has been writing since she was very young. She has written in many genres, but poetry is her first love. She has a few collections of poetry available on Kindle. Esther enjoys introducing people who have little or no experience to the joy of poetry. To this end, she has written several articles on Medium on how to write and enjoy poetry. Esther lives in the Frozen North (Saskatchewan, Canada) with the love of her life and three awesome terrible cats.