Happy National Poetry Month 2023! Curious about what I’m doing? Want to play along? Read more here.
[Heads-up: If you’re visiting regularly, please know that the bold, blue text is what I’m writing fresh each day. The black text is the same each day:>) ]
And…here’s the part where the practice starts to feel wearying. At least for me. The digging, arranging, and posting. Not the writing so much–just the process of producing the blog. It’s time-consuming, even though I’m spending no more than 5–10 minutes on each actual poem draft. But, as with most things about writing, the more you do it, the more you learn. As the digging becomes more strenuous throughout the month, THAT’s probably when I’ll learn the most from this exercise. Whether I can put it into words or not.
My poem today is about our disappearing ice at our poles. I don’t set out to write issue poems, generally. Just not my jam. But of course our worries and loves, dreams and fears all come popping out into our poems!
Two books immediately popped into my head when I chose Arctic as my topic–both poetry picture books (yay!): Irene Latham’s opposite side of the world book, When the Sun Shines on Antarctica, and Eileen Spinelli’s Polar Bear, Arctic Hare. They’re both such cold delights!
What words will we be digging through today?
And here’s the card that we might pull our topic from:
So some possible topics are:
- da Vinci
- zip
- secret
- bar
- codes
Will you join in? Would love to see what you come up with!
- Intro to what I’m doing this National Poetry Month
- ALL the Digging for Poems drafts I’ve written this month
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- What is National Poetry Month?
- My previous National Poetry Month projects:
6 Responses
Sad in your poem, sad for real… story disappears. Sometimes the issues are pressing, and the words come out.
Once my sister gave me a mug with a big red-headed woman (no, I do not have red hair) that says “I could have been anything, but I’m already fabulous!” That’s kinda the inspiration today:
Fantastic
An unexpected goddess
Womanly woman
Diamond dress
High pumps
Oops… it is supposed to say “unlikely”
Oh, how I love this–goddess Diane!
Laura, wow. I love your Arctic poem. “diamondly” is a wonderful word. And the story disappearing is heartbreaking. I’m glad you wrote this issue poem.
Diane, I love your mug inspiration, and the “unlikely goddess” in the “diamond dress” That is a magical poem! I tried a list poem like your salad, with things our minds can do.
Fantastic Mind
Answer surge
Knowledge flash
Brain explore
Unlikely defeat
Remember story
I like all you attribute to our fantastic minds in your list. Having brainpower to work out answers, discover knowledge and story makes life meaningful.
Thanks, Denise. Ooh, what fun. That list poem structure works really well with the constraints of magnetic poetry. I love that “Answer surge” and “Remember story” especially. <3