Poetry Challenge #92: This Plum is Too Ripe!
All of us is sorry for or about something. (If you’re not, then lucky you!)
My All-Time Favorite Off-Broadway Musical—if you’ve never seen it, you should. Or you will be sorry…
Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones drew on this uniquely human need* to apologize in a song about two neighbors who are great friends until they tear down a wall in the longest running Off-Broadway, sometimes on Broadway musicals of all times The Fantastiks. Here’s a snippet:
“This Plum is too Ripe!”
“Sorry.”
“You’re standing in MY Rose Garden!”
“Sorry.
And now, with no further apologies, on to our prompt:
Poetry Challenge #92
Who’s Sorry Now?
For this prompt, list things you are sorry for. (Your list can be as long or as short as need be.) Select one or several items that are related from that list and write a poem about it.
Finish the poem with a positive spin by suggesting ways you can, or might apologize. Or do it better next time . . .
* I don’t imagine whales apologize for combing up krill, or cheetahs apologize for mowing down gazelle, but maybe they do . . . if so: Sorry!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
No Apologies, No excuses—Just do it!
Song for Inspiration: Who’s Sorry Now as sung by Miss Patsy Cline—Of course!
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge when the current POTUS was running for office the first time. It was to fend off impending darkness. (So sorry how that turned out.) We’ve continued as a way of adding a bit of light. And, we take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #89 Famous Last Words
Charles Schultz was onto something: Wah-wa-wah WAH. . . Halloween Wah-wa-wah WAH . . . Great Pumpkin.
So was Margaret Mitchell when she gave Rhett the best parting shot ever:
“Frankly Scarlett, I don’t give a damn.”
He’s whispering a famous first line here…a prompt for another time!
Shultz and Mitchell knew what my kick-butt High School English teacher, Mrs. Reidlinger (the finest 5-Paragrah Essay coach of all time) called the secret to the best Dagwood.
The secret she said, was in the bread. Start every paragraph with the tastiest crunchiest, best-tasting bread and finish with a slice that’s just as tasty—if not tastier—just keep stacking them one on top of another on top of another. They may not remember the fillings, but they’ll remember that Dagwood, er essay.
(Find more on Mrs. Reidlinger on this early Fishbowl post.)
Or, to quote an aptly named band of Reidlinger’s Second Period English era, BREAD,
“How many came before it doesn’t matter just as long as you’re the last.”
Where are we going with this? You guess it:
Poetry Challenge #89
Famous Last Words
For this prompt, let’s start at the bottom, with potentially famous last words, and work our way up.
Try using one of prompts below as the last line of your poem. (Replace the blanks with whatever you choose.):
Don’t forget to give your poem a title.
I remember when ___________
You can’t be serious.
I love the smell of ___________
Under my bed is ____ and ____.
I collect_______
Wah-wa-wah Wah __________________
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Who said it? If you know, post the answer in the comments along with your poem and we’ll send you a prize!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 3300-ish days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #87-How's This for an Idea?
Sometimes, my head is full of ideas. But sometimes . . . At those times a little prompting is in order.
Poetry Challenge #87
How’s This for an Idea?
Choose one of the prompts below as your first line and write as fast as you can. If you get stuck, try another prompt.
Or:
How’s this for an idea: Write a 4 line poem using each prompt for one of the lines.
No one knows I’m here…
Here’s a neat idea…
I’m scared of…
I wish I could remember…
Pick a Prompt
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 8 years ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #84: To Be or Not To . . .
I’m no Hamlet—never played one, don’t live in one either. But…I do know the beginning of Prince Hamlet’s Act 3, Scene 1 Soliloquy:
“To Be or Not to Be that is the question.”
Thus primed, prompt on fair Prince/ess:
Poetry Challenge #84
To Be or Not to Bee . . .
“The verb "to be" is one of the shortest and most important—yet oddest—verbs in the English language. It is an irregular verb; indeed, it is the only verb in English that completely changes form in every tense. The verb "to be" is probably the most important verb in English.”—from “Thoughtco.” By Richard Nordquist:
Below is a list of past and present forms of the verb “to be.” And, just for fun, a fuzzy black and yellow buzzy bee. Write a Bee poem using as many forms of the verb “to be” as you can. One way to begin is to write each form of the word be on a line and take it from there.
Past and Present forms of the verb “to be”:
I am I was
You are You were
He/She/It is He/She/It was
We are We were
They are They were
And if you want to try perfect tense: have/has/had been
Be bold! Be silly! Be—gin!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 8 years ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one is Cindy’s.) If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #68-Cup of Kindness
Nanny, my grandmother (born July 6, 1906), and her girlfriends gave each other tea or coffee cups as gifts. None of them had pockets deep enough to buy a whole set of china at one time. Nor did their ilk register for wedding gifts.
Nanny and her friends built their sets of “good dishes” piece by piece as budget allowed. (Nanny is on the right with glasses; one of her prized tea cups on the left.) On birthdays they would either give a cup in the recipient’s chosen pattern, or they would surprise each other with different cups. Nanny called hers “Friendship Cups.”
These cups are a few of Nanny’s remaining Friendship Cups. I display them front and center in my cabinet to remember her—and to remember my friends. You are welcome to use one anytime.
The cups in my cupboard seem empty, they are absolutely not. Each one, still today, is brimming with love and kindness.
This bulletin board kit is from Jannylovecolors.
It’s a bright spring day and “What the World Needs Now” was the last song on my local NPR station WLIW. That song!
What’s better way to germinate love than to fill a cup with kindness.
Poetry Challenge #68
Cup of Kindness
Think back over the past few months and recall a kindness someone gave to you.
What was that kindness? How did it make you feel to receive it?
With that in mind, fill a cup with a kindness of your own. To whom will you pass it?
Title your poem “Cup of Kindness”
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Nanny’s Cup
This cup is one of few remaining pieces from Nanny’s “good dishes.” The 1989 earthquake sent the rest flying.
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 8 years ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #370-Only Takes Two
Everybody’s doing it these days…
Poeming that is. It is April after all. And April is National Poetry Month. But…
But…even before April flowers reared their perky heads, grandboy Aiden’s 1st grade teacher at Osborn Hill Elementary, Mrs. Selter, has her students reading, sharing, and creating poetry. By the first of the month, each of them had published their own poetry collections.
Aiden with his poetry collection
Aiden’s poetry book includes poems written in many forms—and with illustrations!
BTW: April Poetry Month was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. https://libguides.xavier.edu/poetry poster from 2015 bears re-reading!
Mrs Selter had her students explore one form we hadn’t tried before. Inspired by them, Cindy and I gave it ago and were delighted with how fun it was. With his permission, I’m sharing the prompt and Aiden’s poem with you. Get ready to give it a go.
Poetry Challenge #370
Two Words is All it Takes
Some might argue that all it takes is one word to make a poem. If it’s the right word. “Dulcenea” for instance, practically became a whole song in Man Of Lamancha… So did “Kelly” in the sitcom Cheers. But that’s a stretch. Two words however…
Two-Word Poetry is a real thing.
Begin by choosing a theme.
For instance Aiden chose “Dogs”.
That will be the title.
Since these are two-word poems there are 2 ways to go about creating them:
1. Write a list of 5 or 6 words that come to mind when you think of your theme. These might be all nouns or adjectives or verbs.
Next to each word, write a word that modifies/compliments the first word.
OR
2. Write a list of two-word phrases that come to mind when you think of your theme.
And just like that you’ve created not one, but 5 or 6 poems today!
If you are in the mood for more, play! Rearrange your poems into pleasing patterns, or change the order to suggest a story, or escalate in tension. Or make them rhyme—especially if one of the words is orange.
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Orange treats for the birds!
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge about 8 years ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #66-Blank in a Box
Porches all across America are heaped with boxes. Such tempting boxes. (Too tempting for some…) Ever wonder what’s inside those boxes? Let’s find out!
Pawetry Challenge #66
Blank in a Box
Imagine a mysterious box on your doorstep. What’s inside?
For today’s prompt, begin by filling in the blank: I found a ___________ box.
With that as the first line, compose a five-line poem of one syllable words about what’s inside that box.
Challenge yourself by creating a box-shaped concrete poem. For example, 5 lines of 5 three-letter words would look box-like, or vary the length of the words so each line is the same length.
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge about 8 years ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Spring Fling Writing Contest
Call me an April Fool, but I can’t resist a fun challenge!
So when I learned that agent Kaitlyn Leanne Sanchez and her critique bud Ciara O’Neal were hosting a writing contest I leaped at the opportunity.
The Spring Fling submission window is only open for 3 days. No April Foolin!
Deadline for posting your story is April 3, 2025 at 11:59 pm CT. (That’s 12:59 am April 4th, in NY)
SO GET BUSY…. the challenge they’ve set, should you choose to accept it, is below: Scroll down down first to the gif I chose and then to read my entry.
(If that’s not incentive enough, the link to the writing contest there too.)
I took on the challenge by starting with a search.
I googled “Spring” GIF
Finally one stirred me. Below is the result:
.
No matter what comes of it, the Spring Fling challenge was fun, and inspiring—and made me very, very hungry. I’m off to the bakery!
Still a few hours left. Give it a try. (Or if you’re reading this after, go check out the various, inspiring, fun, silly, amazing, heartful, entries! Here’s the link: