9:11 a.m. — Atlanta
listening to John Whelan’s album Celtic Crossroads
Ahhh, Coffee! Hi, everyone. Nine days and counting, ’til the mad month of writing a poem every day for thirty days [or, insane, if you are Joseph Harker, who will write two a day — granted he’s young]. This next week you might grab a prompt for every day and start getting your brain in gear. You don’t have to post them so your brain won’t feel the pressure, but it will get used to the expectation.
Donna, in her Other People’s Poetry series, introduces us to Jake Adam York. When I reached the end of the poem Donna chose, I sighed. Then, I read what Donna says: Sigh. This poem is so tender, I actually sigh when I read it. The poem manages to be tender without being cliché. Donna’s prompts are to either write a poem that personifies a set of things she gives us, or to write a single sentence beginning with…Head over to read the poem and the possibilities. I’m going to pop over to Amazon and order one of his books.
In resonance ten, Joseph tells us, I think a lot of potential for poetry lives in the space created by the unexpected, whether positive or negative, major or minor; nobody wants to read a narrative that’s predictable, at least nobody I know. The prompt that ensues is fun. So go on over and read the exercise.
At The Sunday Whirl, Brenda gives us our usual dozen plus one. If you haven’t wordled yet, what are you waiting for? Brenda will have new words up on Sunday. Visit to see the wordle and to read what others have done.
At The Music In It: Adele Kenny’s Poetry Blog, Adele does what Adele does so well: she takes what can be a cliché topic and turns it on its head. To see what she suggests we try with the colour green, visit. She adds a suggestion to play with syntax and includes example poems.
At Quickly, Barbara is getting us ready for April. She will be one of the providers of prompts during the longest thirty days of the year. Visit for some practice in alchemy.
We Write Poems’ wordles are different from Brenda’s, so check them out at We Wordle. There is something mesmerising about the amount of words and it’s fun to see how many you can incorporate. The source of words are the poems written for the site’s regular weekly prompt.
There is an art to writing a limerick that transcends the form’s notoriety. We’re at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog for Limerick-off Mondays, my guaranteed smile of the week. Never written one? What are you waiting for? At the least, go read Madeleine’s limerick for the week’s line.
Included in the post is a link to a set of instructions that will lead you to write a limerick that might even hook you.
Over at The Mag [Magpie Tales], we have Feast in the House of Simon, 1610, a painting by El Greco. The clothing is so sumptuous, I want to write about the material! Remember: you do not have to write about the whole image. Sometimes you can write to just one tiny part of the whole. Go on over.
Alan1704, at Poetry Jam, offers us owls. I laughed at his phrase the silent assassin, as my brother, a few weeks ago, insists he was attacked by an owl, waiting for him on the roof of his house. Head over to see what Alan says. I particularly appreciate the instruction to: Let your mind be full of images and words and write whatever comes into you heart and overflows into your senses.
At Carol‘s Wonder Wednesday she gives us a photograph of a subject that marks the end of winter for her. Visit to see the photo, read her haiku and to perhaps write your own end of winter poem.
Whup! You almost lost me here. I wanted to leap right in on this week’s prompt at the Found Poetry Review where we are given thoughts on art, and twitter as part of the mix to play with. Don’t forget to stop by their weekly column highlighting found poetry related news and resources. See what the Review is all about. All things found live there.
Poets & Writers’ suggestions for all three genres, work as possibilities for a poem subject. This week we have music lessons, parades, and the saints. Visit.
Okay, I admit it: I adore herotomost, his prompts, I mean. No-one presents with quite his panache. On imaginary garden with real toads, he sets up a context for us and then gives us three possibilities, all of which sound fun [especially the one involving smores, although Lewis & Clark grab me. Then there are the ghost stories.] Go play with the toads.
At We Write Poems Irene has instructions for a poem about our neck of the woods. To find out what she suggests, head over.
The Poets United Mid-Week Motif at Poets United, is looking at birthdays. Head over to read what Susan suggests we do.
This is one of those weeks at dVerse, when we are spoiled for choice. I gave you the general address. Go on over and see what is a’borning for Spring. Look around while you’re there. Stay awhile; it’s a friendly place. I hear the clink of ice. Gimlets, perhaps.
I love the title of today’s post at Flashy Fiction Friday: Impending Doom. How can anyone resist seeing what it’s about?
If you have questions, ask. If you write in response to any of these, the people whose blogs you visit would love to read your responses. Post to them!
I shall see you Tuesday for our image prompt; Thursday for a couple of links; and Friday for the prompt roundup.
Happy writing, everyone.
Margo Roby: Wordgathering 