Ariel, Pacific NW poet

I know … I’ve been silent. Been  busy with the business of life – which includes lately spending alot of time formatting upcoming chapbook “Chasing Tiger”. However – I KNEW that April’s Foolishness was coming and that WOULD get me out of my bubble  and into
bubbles again!

Those of you who know me know I never pass up a good poetry prompt – and thanks to my fellow poets out there in the world, April is chock-ful of them. – Incidently, past couple of years, my USA’s NaPoWriMo has gone global; yes,Poetry Writing Month AKA GloPoWriMo. YAY (kermit arms) – I’ll try to keep you current with them here. And on my Facebook. My Twitter. My G+. My Pinterest. My Tumblr.  Okay – you get the idea. I broadcast them far & wide; I’m that much of a fan of Poem-A-Day (PAD) Challenges.  BTW – I’m not a fan of the format of Tumblr posting – so the only time I really use that blog is for sharing PAD challenge prompts.

This will be my 10th year participating in Robert Lee Brewer’s April PAD Challenge.  He hosts them both in April & November each year. (Hope he never tires of them.)  I started with one of his early November, and it got me hooked. I never know where each prompt will take me or how my muse will play with it – or, sometimes, most times, with ME. I have stretched in poetry more than I ever imagined with these PAD’s. Robert posted 3 tips for this month’s challenge, and he has today’s AprPAD prompt as reminincing.

NaPoWriMo AKA GloPoWriMo started later, after USA designated April it’s National Poetry Month. YES – I should know the year – but past two years I have had memory issues due to diability. so my perfectionism is just gonna have to let that bit go.  NaPoWriMo (I’m gonna keep using that acronym because that’s what’s most common) has had it’s own website for a few years. April – its’s right up on my main toolbar next to AprPAD. They typically give 2 to 3 types of prompt each day; this year it is a link to a featured participant, a link to an interview with a poet (if you want too play with their style, and an optional prompt (much like AprPAD, could be anything!).  Today’s prompt? Write a Kay-Ryan-esgue poem.

Today NaPoWrimo linked to Poet Kay Ryan. I’m thankful; I had never read her work before and I see a kindred spirit or at least kindred sense of irony with her art. This one won’t be too difficult a poem to write; I already have written poems in the same tone over the years; such as my rare political poems. … So now when people ask me to describe my poems, I can add Kay-Ryan-esque along with whispers of Sylvia Plath.

I am thinking of doing my own Poem-A Day challenge. I gathered a list in early March on one of my breaks from chapwork formatting. If you think I should, do let me know? If you want to join me … today’s prompt is … in a cereal box. I’ll try to have them available by midnight PST time. 

Addedum: Been looking for 30 Day Poetry Challange on Facebook, no 2017 posts were showing up.  I’ve been a bit disappointed.  Fortunately Monday, April 3rd30Days was back in the game! Unable to link to their posts but April 1’s prompt was “back by popular demand”. 

I will not be posting most of my PAD poems in here partly due to this caution: many editors now consider any social media posting of poems as “published”. if they only accept “unpublished” work, this will eliminate the poem from consideration. This is why I post “Draft, for feedback only” when I do share on Facebook. Sharing is a great way to polish a poem; I’ll say a good third of my FB friends are poets or writer’s and so their critiques and suggestions are an invaluable objective need. Also, let’s face it, not all poems written in a day are gems – some are only words aspriing to be a poem. Not Posting won’t be a hard fast rule though as I  am, quite, a creature of impulse (especially regarding poetry) – so if a poem demands to be shared here, I will! This means YES. there will be some new poems available here this April.

Like this …

NaPoWriMo had an early bird prompt for poets to write a haibun.  – And I can’t bypass a good prompt … (excuse the spaces between the lines, I tried eliminating them.)

the early bird

The early bird gets the worm ~ maxim

willow plodded in, cart laden, unsold work lugged;
eight hours of “peopleing”, eight hours on display
and now home! quiet and hermitage.
she let her body fold across the worn divan;
“solitude” …

below the cushion,
two gray ears elevated.
sly eyes. claws. mischief …