The body, she says, is subject to the force of gravity. But the soul is ruled by levity, pure
― Saul Bellow
a lifetime ago, this hand held
a new life, eyes barely open
(and more since, after that first new
life)
a weight lifted
a weight forever to carry
(whatever)
and now
that new life
will soon
also bring (its own) new life
the weight will lift again
and once more
become heavier,
and lighter
for wordpress weekly photo challenge – weight(less)
see also weightless on belgianstreets
I hate men who are afraid of women’s strength
― Anaïs Nin
Welcome to this week’s Poetry 1o1 Rehab Prompt. The first of 2016.
My prompt this week is FEM.
I have tried, and, perhaps in doing so, skated on thin ice, to write from a perspective different than my own. I may, or may not, have achieved that. No doubt, I will find out soon enough.
So, this week, write a poem to describe what it means to be feminine, in your world, or in some other (part of the) world; or, take a different spin from the post and write about something from the perspective of another person, or, if the fancy takes you, something not even human.
And in doing so. Show no mercy.
I am.
Like you.
I am.
I have two legs, two arms,
two eyes.
A brain (with two sides),
just like you.
(more)
I want, and need,
like you, more than,
you.
I can do, all you can,
and more.
(than you can)
I am,
woman.
I can.
I do.
I need,
no rescue.
(by you)
I need.
No.
Mercy.
I am,
human
(and you?)
poetry | 101 | rehab | fem
You can link to your post in response to today’s prompt by leaving a comment on my post and / or by clicking on the poetry | 101 | badge below and leaving a link.
And you can also tag your post with Poetry 101 Rehab so that it shows up in the WordPress Reader.
Please feel free to copy and paste the badge across to your own post and your own site 🙂
More information can be found on my poetry | 101 | rehab page.
Why cover the same ground again? … It goes against my grain to repeat a tale told once, and told so clearly.
― Homer, The Odyssey
Welcome to this week’s Poetry 1o1 Rehab Prompt, which is also the last for 2015, but fear not, the Rehab will return next year – in fact next week 😉
My prompt this week is ODYSSEY. The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. An odyssey is also described variously as a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune and often as an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest. So, this week, put aside the seasonal eating and drinking for a moment, and write a poem to describe your own personal odyssey.
Winding roads, long, hard, lonely.
Fragments of, his story.
Relentless snow.
Hopeless, no.
So it was,
and is
on, and on, and on, and
cold, hope’s flickering light, beckoning.
At the end of the road, a reckoning.
Snows passed.
Times passed.
The light flickered, and faded,
out.
And still,
the road, winding ahead, a siren,
calls.
poetry| 101 | rehab | odyssey
You can link to your post in response to this week’s prompt by leaving a comment on my post and / or by clicking on the poetry | 101 | badge below and leaving a link.
And you can also tag your post with Poetry 101 Rehab so that it shows up in the WordPress Reader.
Please feel free to copy and paste the badge across to your own post and your own site 🙂
More information can be found on my poetry | 101 | rehab page.
snow floated down every once in a while, but it was frail snow, like a memory fading into the distance
― haruki murakami
This is my first prompt for poetry | 101 | rehab since the WordPress Writing 101: Poetry course came to a close and I look forward to welcoming some new contributors!
My prompt this week is an attempt at a seasonal haiku. So, this week, express your feelings about the season, in haiku if it moves you, in some other way if not. What does this time of the year mean to you? Do you rejoice and hark the herald angels, do you eschew the commercial queue? Whatever your religion, your politics, your sensibilities, write a poem to describe what this time means to you.
Wrapped, packets with love
So late, the world turned
Paper cut
poetry| 101 | rehab | wrapping
You can link to your post in response to today’s prompt by leaving a comment on my post and / or by clicking on the poetry | 101 | badge below and leaving a link.
And you can also tag your post with Poetry 101 Rehab so that it shows up in the WordPress Reader.
Please feel free to copy and paste the badge across to your own post and your own site 🙂
More information can be found on my poetry | 101 | rehab page.
Farewell has a sweet sound of reluctance. Good-by is short and final, a word with teeth sharp to bite through the string that ties past to the future.
― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent
This is my final post in the WordPress Writing 101: Poetry course hosted by WordPress editor Ben Huberman. You can see each of the poems I penned for the course here and, if you have the stomach for more, you can also read my poems from Writing 201: Poetry. I recommend these courses to you without reservation. Ben and his colleagues, and those who participate, create a stimulating environment in which to learn and share. Find out more at the WordPress Blogging U page.
Thank you to all those on the course who dropped by to read my attempts at poetry, and do feel free to join Poetry 101 Rehab each Monday.
Finally, today’s prompt comes from my friend, Lucile de Godoy who is Brazilian/Dutch and lives in Amsterdam, from where she shares her views through words and photos. You can find Lucile on her blog, Bridging Lacunas, and in the Photo Rehab blogging community, as well as on Twitter @luciledegodoy, Instagram, and Flickr.
Have a great weekend!
How can I say it better then Steinbeck?
Especially when living in Molenbeek?
When I say farewell.
I mean well.
So, Goodbye.
Not,
‘bye.
wordpress writing 101 | poetry | farewell | prompt by lucile de godoy
There was a young man named Cam O’Flage
Went swimming one day, down at the plage
He drank so much booze
He left on a cruise
And changed his name, to Master Farage
wordpress writing 101 | poetry | camouflage | prompt by Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
cause we need a little controversy
’cause it feels so empty
– lyrics from without me, eminem
This is my response to the prompt for Day Eight of the WordPress Writing 101 Poetry course. And, as the prompt is, err, amazingly, my very own prompt, I’m interrupting your enjoyment (momentarily) so that I can thank Ben Huberman for inviting me to contribute today, even though there are so many better qualified poets out there. By which I mean, those of you who can actually, you know, write, uh, poetry. You know who you are.
More to the point, thank you to all who have taken the trouble to find your way to my post!
< gratuitous plug >
The photo, by the way, was shot by me in the dark interior of the BIGZ building in Belgrade. If you’d like to find out more, or failing that, see what I saw, feel free to visit belgradestreets and check out bigz graffiti or all that jazz or even broken, and then book a flight to Belgrade, and then, why not pop into a bookstore and take a look at my book! 😉
< / gratuitous plug >
And hey, if you need more Poetry when this is all over, why not make a note to join Poetry 101 Rehab every Monday?
< graffiti >
in your face
it’s my freakin’ space
my only
place
< / graffiti >
so out of order
blood splattered border
couldn’t be (more) bored(er)
< graffiti >
i don’t freakin’
care
how you fare or (even)
if you
care
< / graffiti >
it’s my
way
to
get
< / even >
writing 101 | poetry | eight | seconds | prompt by me (in’em) 😉
and when we reach that point, all we can do is quietly accept the fact
― haruki murakami, kafka on the shore
monsieur B. de’Velo
last seen, in a moment of passion
missing in action
most likely, inaction
no longer, in fashion
monsieur B. de’Velo
if you have seen him, or
are otherwise
cognisant of, his
(dis)position
reply, on a postcard
your cheque’s in
the post
your reward, in
heaven
just like
monsieur B. de’Velo
writing 101 poetry | seven | beloved | prompt by Vijaya Sundaram
“the most idiotically useless phrase in a beginner’s French textbook”
– Life Magazine, 1958
Poetry 101 Rehab was initially created for those who missed the creative writing challenge of the Writing 201 Poetry course run by the Daily Post.
How does it work?
Feel free to answer the prompt, twist it or ignore it; write a poem of your own or share a poem by another author. Write about your inspiration, your creative process or other poetry related thoughts, but this is in no way obligatory. Nothing is obligatory in this challenge. The idea is to get together, talk poetry and enjoy.
How can you take part?
Anyone can take part, anytime you want. Publish your poetry post and add a link to it by clicking on the Poetry 101 Rehab badge below or share your link in a comment. Use the tag Poetry 101 Rehab, so we can find each other in the Reader.
I will be your host, and I’m here to reply to your comments, read your poetry, like and comment. While this post is the starting point for this week’s challenge, do visit fellow poets in the link-up and chat to them on their blogs!
The prompt for this week is FALLACY.
it’s self evident to me
(and my little
pet flea)
that
the world is flat
as flat as the mat
on which
sat (Schrodinger’s)
cat
as flat as la plume
de ma tante
on which
(i imagine), she
(repeatedly)
sat
as flat as the gnat
swatted dead
with just
one swipe
of my hat
some say it is round
but what
do they know
they’ll all come
around
soon enough
to my
way of thinking
or i’ll eat my hat
so that’s
that
This week’s prompt is also my rambling, and (unusually) whimsical, response to the prompt for Day 6 of the WordPress Writing 101 Poetry .
What will your take on the keyword FALLACY be?
Write about it in a poetry post and share your link in the comments section of this post and / or by clicking on the Poetry 101 Badge above.
writing 101 poetry | six | fallacy | prompt by jason preu
andy townend 