Tuesday Vacation Tryout

9:05 a.m. — Atlanta

Hello, all! I’m back! I know in the cyber-sense I haven’t seemed to be away, particularly, but geographically I have been away from home for two months. That’s enough time to forget where things are and what my routine was. Some of you will be back at your regular lives, too, while others will be taking your vacation this month. Poetry goes everywhere with no fixed time, so keep those notebooks and pens close by.

We are still taking things easy. This month we have today’s exercise, which we will get to in a minute; a free choice coming up; a warm-up for the post-summer writing season; and, an image prompt.

Today: So, what did you do during your summer vacation? Oy! Did I hear groans? I’m not going to leave it as simple as that. My challenge to you is to write a what I did during my summer vacation poem without anyone being able to tell that is your topic. Yep, that’s right. Nothing about it should shout VACATION! Tricky, huh? Those who haven’t had your vacation, well, you have an even bigger challenge. You will need to decide what you did, before you do it. Look at the suggestions and use what you need to help.

Cast your mind back to your vacation week, days, day, months[all you teachers]. Start by jotting down everything you can remember from the vacation: anecdotes, images, phrases, moments, sensory details. Don’t worry about order, or sense. Jot.

You do not have to tell a story; you can give us a moment. You don’t have to be the speaker — you can have someone else tell, or describe,  the moment, a different perspective. You can even lie. You don’t remember something? Make it up. Who’s to know? The poem needs something to happen that didn’t? Write it. Heck, if you want something from a vacation three years ago, go ahead. Remember, you are using a memory as a spark for a poem that conveys something about summer vacations. You can even write a complete fantasy, the summer vacation you always wanted to take.

Look at your notes. Which details do you want to use? If you need to mix and match, take an image from one thing and add it to another, do so. Pull out the elements you want to incorporate and jot them down separately, so that your mind refocuses on these.

Decide what form will best convey the truth about the moment, story, scene, whatever it is about summer vacation you want your readers to take away.

I shall see you Friday for the roundup; and next Tuesday for a free choice [sort of].

Happy writing, everyone. I have some comments backed up I need to respond to… coffee first.