Day Six Ezra’s Garden

“Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a variation of an acrostic poem. But rather than spelling out a word with the first letters of each line, I’d like you to write a poem that reproduces a phrase with the first words of each line. Perhaps you could write a poem in which the first words of each line, read together, reproduce a treasured line of poetry? You could even try using a newspaper headline or something from a magazine article. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy this prompt.”

For today’s prompt, I chose the last line from Ezra Pound’s In a Station of the Metro

https://poets.org/poem/station-metro

Ezra’s Garden

Petals, the colour of rubies from the explorer rose, fall

on the grass along the back fence,

a carpet of red in a world of green. Last night’s rain

wet everything in the garden, turning the branches

black and glistening. Over the gate, a single

bough, heavy with blooms bows at the end of its performance.

Carol A. Stephen,

April 6, 2022

Day Five Paul Bunyan

On April 5, 2022

Day 5 prompt from NaPoWriMo.net https://www.napowrimo.net

…”Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem about a mythical person or creature doing something unusual – or at least something that seems unusual in relation to that person/creature. For example, what does Hercules do when he loses a sock in the dryer? If a mermaid wants to pick up rock-climbing as a hobby, how does she do that? What happens when a mountain troll makes pancakes?”

Paul Bunyan

Every day, Paul walks the half mile

to the barn, greets Babe, the blue

ox who shares his mythic story.

The two stand tall, dwarf us

all. They say that he was seven feet 

in stocking toes, but who knows?

Was he from Quebec? Who the heck

knows, his first mention, Beaverton, Michigan,

though some proclaim his California fame.

And when did Babe, the Blue Ox appear?

Whatever the case, her fate, I fear, to stand forever

in Minnesota. I bet she doesn’t give one iota.

Ten thousand lakes they say he made,

and carved the Grand Canyon too.

And piled up stones to create Mount Hood.

Seems a mythical lumberjack thing to do.

He’s even mentioned by Stephen King

in the novel, It, he’s a regular thing.

Carol A. Stephen

April 5, 2022

Day Four Mirror, Mirror

https://www.napowrimo.net/

On April 4, 2022

Day 4 prompt from NaPoWriMo:

“Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem . . . in the form of a poetry prompt. If that sounds silly, well, maybe it is! But it’s not without precedent. The poet Mathias Svalina has been writing surrealist prompt-poems for quite a while, posting them to Instagram. You can find examples here, and here, and here.”

Mirror, Mirror, a prompt poem

1. Look into the mirror, past

2. The person you see,

3. Deep in the glass, find the objects of your life.

4. Which one means the most to you?

5. Write it. It is your poem.

Carol A Stephen 

April 4, 2022

Dried Blood and Flowers

This poem was not in response to any NaPoWriMo prompt, but rather a phrase I heard on a CNN newscast out of Ukraine. The counterpoint of dried blood from massacre, and a bouquet of fresh-cut spring flowers.

Dried Blood and Flowers

Makeshift graves for the bodies, their only crime,

Being there when the invaders felt like target practice.

 On the ground, blood stains where they fell,

Dried now, beside a cluster of flowers, remembrance

For the unknown fallen, for family members taken, and soldiers 

Defending against an indefensible war. 

This is a war of atrocities, by aggressors who lack all humanity. 

Vicious animals, with no respect for their so-called brothers. 

In their wake, dried blood and flowers. 

Carol A. Stephen

April 8, 2022