April 19, 2024

National Poetry Writing Month Day 19

National Poetry Writing Month Day 19
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Create Art Podcast

What is National Poetry Writing Month?

Welcome, art enthusiasts and wordsmiths alike, to another episode of Create Art Podcast! We are diving headfirst into the enchanting world of poetry as we celebrate National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo). This annual event, which takes place every April, encourages poets and aspiring writers around the globe to embrace their creativity and commit to writing a poem each day for the entire month.

The Beauty of National Poetry Writing Month:

NaPoWriMo, similar to its prose-centric counterpart National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), is a celebration of the written word and the boundless creativity that can flow when one dedicates themselves to a daily practice. Poets of all levels of expertise are invited to take part, from seasoned wordsmiths to those just dipping their toes into the vast ocean of verse.

Create Art Podcast has always been a haven for artists to share their creative processes, and NaPoWriMo offers a unique opportunity for poets to reflect on their craft. With a daily commitment to producing poetry, participants discover new facets of their writing style, experiment with various forms, and explore uncharted emotional territories.


Prompt for today


Finally, here’s our prompt – optional, as always! This one comes to us from Moist Poetry Journal, which posted this prompt by K-Ming Chang a while back:


What are you haunted by, or what haunts you? Write a poem responding to this question. Then change the word haunt to hunt


Poem for Today

Haunted, Hunted By 


19 April 24 

I saw the look on her face 


The horror of almost losing her life 

I heard the way she tried to speak but no words formed 


When the words did come forth 

She sounded like the 4-year-olds she would never know 


I felt the leathery skin 


Tissue paper thin, veins easily seen but not easily pierced 

I smelled the stains on her fingers 


And the ashtray breath when she kissed my cheek 

Her heart had given out 


She was initially unable to speak 


The one who was so protective of me 

Was now the one that I protected 


Her dead body with makeup on that she would never wear 

I said goodbye to that corpse knowing there was nothing there 


 

Walking back from the park 


At the start of the pandemic 


My left side turned off 

From shoulder to toe there was nothing there 


Walking between my two children 

Each one holding me up 


On the left was my child who reminded me of the mother I lost 

On my right was the child that reminded me of my fury and anxiety 


They got me home without incident 


And I laid on the couch 

Unable to tell my wife what I was feeling 


Worse yet, unable to tell her what I wasn’t feeling 

 


I didn’t end up in a pine box that day 


My speech has slowed a bit, halts from time to time 

I can hear it, but no one else notices 


I can feel the oblivion coming but no one else listens 

I quiet myself in preparation 


The end will be lonely 

Even if I am surrounded by my loved ones 


I will be unable to say it is time 


I make plans to leave a sign for when it’s time to die 

Wanting to be braver, as an example 


But feeling that creeping doom just a step behind 

Laying on my back in a hospital 


With people mourning my loss 

Is not how I want to go out 


Is not how I want to face the reaper when they come 


I always wanted it to be a fight that would make the gods notice 

Explosions and gnashing of teeth 


But a quiet death hunts me 


Reach Out To The Podcast


To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.




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Chapters

00:00 - None

00:16 - Intro

00:51 - what is NaPoWriMo

03:31 - todays prompt

04:04 - todays poem

09:39 - outro