Inspired

We're challenged today "to write a poem that deals with the poems, poets, and other people who inspired you to write poems." I think this may be a difficult one...Perhaps I'll keep it short.

It can't say that Shakespeare,

nor Elliot,

nor Lawrence

inspired my poems

But love

and fear

and anxiety

War,

sad songs,

and moonlit nights

Fairies

and fantasy

and adventure

Far away places,

friends,

secrets

Long goodbyes

and deep-seated desires,

pain

Above all:

the beauty of words

Andrea Vermaak © 2020

Stolen time

We're challenged today to write 'a non-apology for the things' we've stolen. Besides taking and hiding one of my sister's toys as a child, I can't say I'm a thief by any means. However, I may have...

Stolen time

A moment of your time

was all I wanted,

but you refused

I was so polite

when I called,

but you didn't listen

You assumed you knew

what I wanted to ask,

but you hung up

A moment of your time

was all I wanted,

but you refused

I'm not sorry 

for wasting your time

Andrea Vermaak © 2020

A triolet of gratitude

Today's challenge is to write a triolet. It consists of eight lines, repetition and only two rhymes throughout. I am going to attempt a poem of gratitude as it is Easter Sunday...

He rose again

On this day, He rose again,

The stone was rolled away,

He suffered agony and pain;

On this day, He rose again;

Crucified but for our gain,

Our gratitude we show today,

On this day, He rose again,

The stone was rolled away.

Andrea Vermaak © 2020

The language of flowers

Today's prompt "is based on the concept of the language of flowers." We are challenged "to write a poem in which one or more flowers take on specific meanings." We may make use of the recommended glossary of flower meanings or create our own meanings. I like the traditional meanings, so I'm going to use them.

The neighbourhood

Cobæa creeps over the walls,

through fences

and onto balconies

But my garden grows

white chrysanthemums

and 

bluebells

I refuse to speak 

under the white cherry trees,

or lie beneath the bladder nut tree

I will not walk among the bugloss,

but among the borus henricus

and beneath the acacias

Andrea Vermaak © 2020

Cobæa = gossip
White chrysanthemums = truth
Bluebells = constancy
White cherry tree = deception
bladder nut tree = frivolity, amusement
Bugloss = falsehood
Borus henricus = goodness
Acacia = friendship

A new take on the haiku

Our prompt today seems quick and easy, but I think it may just fox me yet! We are to write a hay(na)ku; a variant on the haiku, created by poet Eileen Tobios and named by Vince Gotera, a long-time Na/GloPoWriMo participant.

A hay(na)ku consists of a three-line stanza. The first line has one word, the second has two, and the third line – you guessed it – has three words.

We may write just one hay(na)ku, or link several together to create a longer poem. I have always believed that less is more, so I will try my best to write a single powerful hay(na)ku as the original haiku was intended to be written.

I'll take inspiration from my present circumstances...

Silence

all around

except one cricket

Andrea Vermaak © 2020

Quite shapely

Today's prompt is to write "a poem in which the lines and words are organized to take a shape that reflects in some way the theme of the poem." Let's see if you can guess what my poem is about...

I rise only to fall; from one 

                                                      state                                       to another 

                                                   and                                                         back again; 

                                      sometimes                                                               more solid

                                 than before;                                                                      sometimes

                                       life soft little fairy flakes that float to and fro in winter winds

                                                 but               mostly,              I          fall               in

                                              light                showers;            sometimes           storms        

                                                or                     even                monsoons;         occasionally

                                              during               hurricanes              or                  tornadoes

                                            creating                flash                 floods,                  but

                                            mostly,                    I                      serve                     to

                                            quench                  the                       dry                    throat

                                               of                       the                      thirst                   Earth

Andrea Vermaak © 2020

(It does not quite look as I envisioned, but it's about the words, right, and not the shape?)

A poem within a poem?

Today's prompt is "to peruse the work of one or more" of the recommended Twitter bots and to "use a line or two, or a phrase or even a word" to inspire a poem.

I didn't have to look very far to know that I love this line on the Sylvia Plath Bot (@SylviaPlathBot) Twitter account: "I am not ready for anything to happen."

I am not ready

I am not ready for anything to happen

until I am done writing poetry

and creating tiny bits of art

I am not ready to leave

until I am done reading 

my Russian murder mystery

I am not ready to step back out

until I am comfortable in my home

- perhaps I am already too comfortable?

I am not ready for anything new

until the old matters have resolved themselves

and fought their fight

I am not ready for anything to happen –

yet.

Andrea Vermaak © 2020