Starting NaPoWriMo 2022…

A day before and going strong… and then...
we’re back to 2 days behind😊
 
I’m always excited by the idea of and anticipation for NaPoWriMo, but the reality is such that

life happens
to get in the way
and I have no time
to write what I want to say

I've come up with a couple options that incorporate poetry each day for 30 days:

1. WORDLE as a poetry prompt – for 30 days à wordle in the AM; do a poem
2. Work on poetry course
3. Poetry Group Business

March 31st…
I’ve decided to try Wordle for the first time… but I will use the word as a poetry prompt for #NaPoWriMo2022.
 
So, on the last day of March, the eve of National/Global Poetry Writing Month, I have written a poem:

​Lowly ol’ me
couldn’t get thee.
Oh, Wordle! You see –
I’m no longer free!  
 
Also, there is a bit of talk about Emily Dickinson on the NaPoWriMo site…

• An early-bird prompt, based on the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Dickinson is known for her elliptical style, unusual word choices, and mordant sense of humor. Over the past year, I’ve experimented with writing poems based on, or responding to, various lines from her poems. Today, I’d like to challenge you to do the same! Here are a few lines of Dickinson’s that might appeal to you (the slashes indicate line breaks):

 

From the official website:
NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
This site was designed by the very nice people at 2the9design, who know waaaaayyyyy more about back-end coding stuff than Maureen does. But this site isn’t meant to be “official,” or to indicate ownership or authority over the idea of writing 30 poems in April. There is no corporate sponsorship of this project. No money is intended to change hands anywhere. Maureen just likes poems and wants to encourage people to write them. The site doesn’t ask for your email address, or any other personal information. Heck, you don’t even have to give your name.
Need more information? See the Wikipedia entry for NaPoWriMo, or check out our FAQ!
https://www.napowrimo.net/about/

At the start of Pandemic Times, I started watching “Dickinson” on AppleTV… and was inspired to delve deeper…. I read poems watched the series and was inspired to write this poem after seeing this random picture...
 
SHE & ME
                (Honouring Emily Dickinson)
 
Notions niggle and needle at the edges 
of restlessness — nibbling.  
She, in her white gown, gazing out, 
absently rubbing the silky-smooth surface
of her newest stone
that only earlier she’d seen surfaced 
amongst the sprouts, 
sparkling in the sunlight --
beckoning like her words,
trickling and dripping down, 
tickling the paper,
shiny as the diamonds that dot 
the midnight skies.
 
Truly awake now, she relents.
The poem gushes forth, flowing 
from her soul made of stars --
And of dirt from the Earth and 
of all the spirits that stir in the night.
There was no rest for the poet — 
Until she closed her eyes for good.

** Published in 2 poetry publications, some time in the last 2 years (Tower Poetry Society and The Ontario Poetry Society - but I suck at record-keeping, remembering stuff, and finding stuff, so ...)

Happy Poetry Writing Month!