Ariel, Pacific NW poet

Today is Maya Angelou’s birthday – she would have been 90. What an amazing  poet she was! I had the pleasure of hearing her read before when she was in Salem.

Day 4

My PAD prompt is … “7 lines”

Today’s prompt is a bit of a mixed bag but is great for composing something when your muse is shy.  It asks you to write a collage poem with seven different phrases, ideas, or just plain old “things” in it. For example, your seven lines could be :

1. a rhetorical question
2. a direct address to your audience — whoever you imagine that to be
3. a fruit
4. an example of ironic metaphor — using a sensory perception as an adjective you would normally associate with a different sense, such as a sweet red or a rough sweetness
5. a phrase in a foreign language
6. a reference to a game of skill, sport or chance.
7. the name (first or last) of someone you knew in your past but not now.

All of these may seem pretty disjointed, and indeed, they’re meant to be. But knitting these abstract puzzle pieces can create a pretty concrete. Intriguing poem. You’ll be surprised what “truths” you can uncover.

Other PAD challenges are …

• Robert Lee Brewer’s Apr PAD challenge  (Twitter, search #AprPAD.)
• The official NaPoWriMo / GloPoWriMo Challenge. (Twitter, search  #NaPoWriMo2018)
• The Poetry School NaPoWriMo challenge.
• WORDxWord 30/30 challenge on their blog.
• Moore School 30 Day Poetry Challenge – a list of prompts for National Poetry Month.
• Contemporary Verse 2 2-Day challenge. is a twist, it takes place April 14-15. Registration deadline: Friday April 6, 2018 at midnight.
• Camp NaNoWriMo – for those wanting help starting another novel …

Keep in mind many of these sites have PAD poems shared on them from other PAD participants. You can add yours as well.

I have uploaded my Pinterest “Ariel’s List” for April, if you want to use those.

Upcoming event …

I just agreed to be the Featured Poet at Salem Poetry Project on June 28th. Put it on your calendars!