April 1 - write a poem that uses a new-to-you word (from glossary of musical or art terminology)
Loure
April 28, 2024 - write your own index poem. You could start with found language from an actual index, or you could invent an index. (* I found a couple index entries on trees from different books and mixed them in together to create this poem)
Trees
April 27, 2023 - write your own poem titled “The ________ of ________,” where the first blank is a very particular kind of plant or animal, and the second blank is an abstract noun. The poem should contain at least one simile that plays on double meanings or otherwise doesn’t quite make “sense,” and describe things or beings from very different times or places as co-existing in the same space.
April 26, 2023 - write a portrait poem that focuses on or plays with the meaning of the subject’s name. This could be a self-portrait, a portrait of a family member or close friend, or even a portrait of a famous or historical person.
***************** PLACEHOLDER*******************
April 25, 2023 - write a love poem, one that names at least one flower, contains one parenthetical statement, and in which at least some lines break in unusual places.
April 24, 2023 - write a poem in the form of a review. But not a review of a book or a movie or a restaurant. Instead, I challenge you to write a poetic review of something that isn’t normally reviewed.
April 23, 2023 write a poem of your own that has multiple numbered sections. Attempt to have each section be in dialogue with the others, like a song where a different person sings each verse, giving a different point of view. Set the poem in a specific place that you used to spend a lot of time in, but don’t spend time in anymore.
April 22, 2023 - Find an Emily Dickinson poem – preferably one you’ve never previously read – and take out all the dashes and line breaks. Make it just one big block of prose. Now, rebreak the lines. Add words where you want. Take out some words. Make your own poem out of it!
April 21, 2023 -Begin by reading Sarah Gambito’s poem “Grace.” Now, choose an abstract noun from the list below, and then use that as the title for a poem that contains very short lines, and at least one invented word.
Honesty
April 20, 2023 - What will future archaeologists, whether human or from alien civilization, make of us? Today, I’d like to challenge you to answer that question in poetic form, exploring a particular object or place from the point of view of some far-off, future scientist?
April 19, 2023 - write a poem about something that scared you – or was used to scare you – and which still haunts you (if only a little bit) today.
April 18, 2023 - write an abecedarian poem – a poem in which the word choice follows the words/order of the alphabet.
April 17, 2023 - write a poem that contains the name of a specific variety of edible plant – preferably one that grows in your area. (That said, if you’re lacking inspiration, online seed catalogs provide a treasure trove of unusual and charming names for vegetables, fruits and flowers. Here’s one to get you started.) In the poem, try to make a specific comparison between some aspect of the plant’s lifespan and your own – or the life of someone close to you. Also, include at least one repeating phrase.
Tasting Amaranth
April 16, 2023 - write a poem that involves describing something in terms of what it is not, or not like.
April 15, 2023 - write a poem that exaggerates the supposedly admirable qualities of the person in a way that exposes your doubts.
I went for a short and sweet haiku for today...
April 14, 2023 - write a parody or satire based on a famous poem*
April 11, 2023 - play around with the idea of overheard language. Write a poem that takes as its starting point something overheard that made you laugh, or something someone told you once that struck you as funny.
