National Poetry Writing Month Day 3

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

here’s our prompt for the day – optional, as always. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a surreal prose poem. For inspiration, check out Franz Kafka’s collection of short parables (my favorite is “The Green Dragon”).

Poem for Today

A Coffee Shop in Abilene Texas

3 April 24

I walked into a coffee shop in Abilene Texas

Spent the next few decades trying to find it again

The Purple Pope of Abilene was slinging drinks behind the counter

He was also slinging smack in the back room

Preaching the words of one Andre’ Breton

Who I never heard of in my travels at that time

A painter sat in that coffee shop

He mistook Abilene Texas for Abilene Kansas

And was stuck there for decades for his mistake

He sold me paintings of Nietzsche and Hendrix

And one that was cursed with ants crawling over skulls in a jungle

He was our version of Dali

There were poetry readings spontaneously

Mostly young men gathered around a table

Slipping pieces of paper back and forth to each other

And the one I call Bear

Belting out my feeble scratching's with the authority of Tzara

Helping me find my voice in the chaos of the day

On-the-spot spectacles occurred with no frequency

Drag shows, one-act plays and pronouncements

Spelling out the flaws of this Texas town

As if Artaud was among us

Sharing his absinthe

As these playwrights downed another spiked smart drink

Oh to be back there

Back in my youth

When life was simpler

When I thought I had made the biggest mistake

I found a home

Where I could be what I dreamed

If only for a few hours a day

And after all these years of searching

For another place to replace the first one

I have found it

But now I am the old man

The painter

The poet

The playwright

And the youth that comes empowers me

There is a new Purple pope that I share conspiracy stories with

There is a new Breton

A new Tzara

A new Artaud

And a new 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.

Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod

Create Art Podcast Newsletter

timothybrien.substack.com

Special Message

If you have found value in this podcast, please share it with a friend as that is the best way to discover new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see.

Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.

I am trying to utilize YouTube more, so make sure to check out my YouTube Channel to see me doing the episodes right in front of you.