POETRY FOR 30 DAYS IN APRIL DAY 15

Project Details

Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people’s work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey?

Day 15 Prompt

And now for our prompt (optional, as always). Today’s prompt comes to us from Juan Martinez. It asks you to think about a small habit you picked up from one of your parents, and then to write a piece that explores an early memory of your parent engaged in that habit, before shifting into writing about yourself engaging in the same habit.

Day 15 Poem

Share A Smoke

When they asked for prayer requests

I raised my 8 year old hand

And loudly declared

That I would like my mom

To stop smoking

There was a hush in the church

And right on que

She said that she wasn’t ready

She defied god that day

When I was threatened to get kicked out

At the ripe old age of 16

Because I had decided that church

Was not the way to spend Sunday mornings

I looked for the loophole

And there I sat behind the pastors kids

Reading Also Spake Zarathustra

While “attending” service

When they asked me what I was reading

I replied “The Death of god”

And that day I defied my father

And god

And my mother smiled

When she was hospitalized

for the second to last time

after she had lost the power

to talk like a grown woman

she motioned at me

from her bed

to take out the contents

of my shirt pocket

She knew what was there

And we shared a silent nod

I grabbed the nearest

Unused wheelchair

Not caring if it was meant for someone else

Picked her frail body up

And placed her gingerly on the seat

Rolling her out

The nurse started to protest

Getting fresh air was all she heard

And I rolled mom to my car

Where I ad the aqua filters she used

To place on the end of her smokes

Thinking it would save her

And there I was, pulling out a bowl

Puffing away

 And now in my mancave

The same age as she was

When things went downhill fast

All I can think about

Is getting these words down

Stepping on my deck

Lighting up another stick

Sticking my middle finger in the sky

For the god that took her

Who now is trying to take me

My daughters on Saturday morning

Watch me step out from time to time

As I wait for them to say

I’m praying for you to stop lighting up

And trying to die

Reaching Out

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 lets start that conversation.

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