Everyday Poetry

Day 30: ' write a poem in which the speaker is identified with, or compared to, a character from myth or legend, as in  Claire Scott’s poem “ Scheherazade at the Doctor’s Office .”' Final day! A mixture of relief and disappointment - I shall miss these challenges that wake up the brain and take it down unexpected passageways, but I must admit I'm feeling a little weary.  For today's effort I'm choosing to write in the voice of Lady Godiva, a body positive role model if ever there was!  Of course, I wasn't actually naked. Do you really think I'd parade around Coventry Without a stitch to cover my embarrassment? I may have been cross at Leofric's greed In overtaxing the good people of that town,  But even to fulfill my side of his extraordinary bargain I wasn't about to expose my tender rump To the coarse swaying of my horse!   I wore a secret garment fashioned from the finest silk,  Dyed the colour of my pale, highborn skin,  Cunningly sewn by my dear

Day 29: '  Taylor Swift has released a new double album titled “ The Tortured Poets Department .” In recognition of this occasion,  Merriam-Webster  put together  a list of ten words from Taylor Swift songs . We'd like to challenge you to select one these words, and write a poem that uses the word as its title.' One of the words jumped out at me, and triggered some uncomfortable thoughts about how my stiff hip might impair any walking on holiday.  This has been the winter of the albatross,  Gliding through each day, t aking the easy route, Enjoying the ease of rarely flapping my wings.  For so long, drawn  comfortably  round my shoulders, This same albatross n ow weighs heavy, nestling  Amongst the clothes i n my suitcase, goading me. I stuff it down hard, trying to ignore the clack of its beak, The panic in its shriek;  I must  channel its effortless glide, Forget its ungainly hobble as it stumbles about on land.  ©  Copyright 2024. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved

Day 28: ' try your hand at writing a  sijo . This is a traditional Korean verse form. A sijo has three lines of 14-16 syllables. The first line introduces the poem’s theme, the second discusses it, and the third line, which is divided into two sentences or clauses, ends the poem – usually with some kind of twist or surprise.' I haven't written any meta poems for a while - poems about the process of writing poetry -  which is perhaps why this bubbled up and onto the page, almost fully formed.  This game that we call poetry, this calling up of words, Bleeds us of our thoughts, spills them across the innocent page, Shares our intimate secrets with unsuspecting strangers.  ©  Copyright 2024. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved

Day 27: ' write an “American sonnet.” What’s that? Well, it’s like a regular sonnet but . . . fewer rules? Like a traditional Spencerian or Shakespearean sonnet, an American sonnet is shortish (generally 14 lines, but not necessarily!), discursive, and tends to end with a bang, but there’s no need to have a rhyme scheme or even a specific meter.' OK... basically a 14 line poem, rambling towards a conclusion, with a twist at the end. I can do that.  They bring the outside inside Giving the eye a gentle place to rest, Kidding us, sat in our modern caves, We still live in a lush, green space. In the corners of each living room My inside pots w ait patiently for the rain My outside pots are drowning in. They sit, and wait, until  I remember  How many weeks have passed, since Their parched soil last drank from the watering can. I often thank my mother for the gift of the original African snake plant, the  Brazilian Christmas cactus,  Whose offspring now thrive on my neglect; While t

Day 26: ' write a poem that involves  alliteration ,  consonance , and  assonance .  Alliteration  is the repetition of a particular consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words.  Consonance  is the repetition of consonant sounds elsewhere in multiple words, and  assonance  is the repetition of vowel sounds.' Great,  I've been wanting a format challenge and now I have one,  but what to write about? I'm going away on the 1 May - perfect timing - and one of the first things we're doing is a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls. I was really excited to book it,  but now my risk aversion has kicked in and I'm wondering how I'll get through it! What was I thinking?  I could kick myself,  The fear of flying over the abyss Outweighs the bliss I felt before Reality set in.  This is the person who felt the impossibility  Of passing from solid floor To glass parapet, who cowered  At the top of the Blackpool tower, Opting to take the picture - Far better than the

Day 25: '  write a poem based on the “ Proust Questionnaire ,” a set of questions drawn from Victorian-era parlor games, and  adapted by modern interviewers . You could choose to answer the whole questionnaire, and then write a poem based on your answers, answer just a few, or just write a poem that’s based on the questions. You could even write a poem in the form of an entirely new Proust Questionnaire.' Typically I read the prompt in a rush before going swimming, seized on the word 'virtue' and composed something while in the pool.  It was only when I got back home that I realised the question was about the most overrated virtue.  Too late, I've written instead about the most underrated virtue: kindness.  It's hidden in the little things That brighten up each day. It's in the chores done without prompting,  The coins you save for my after-swim hairdryer,  The morning coffee brewed with a smile , The blanket shared on chilly evenings. It's in the well