Category Archives: Challenges and Writing Prompts

etiquette when death comes to call

etiquette when death comes to call

never send
cut flowers
to the grieving
eventually
they wilt
wither
and die
a dismal reminder
of their beloved
departed

it’s a cruel
thing to do
don’t you see

but if you must send
something green
a lovely potted plant
filled with buds
on the cusp
of blooming
or a tree
one that’s
hearty and strong
a tribute
a celebration of life
a reminder
that life goes on

~kat

Na/GloPoWriMo2022 Day 23 Prompt: write a poem in the style of Kay Ryan, whose poems tend to be short and snappy – with a lot of rhyme and soundplay. They also have a deceptive simplicity about them, like proverbs or aphorisms.


a villanelle for Na/GloPoWriMo 2022


who will feed the birds when i’m gone
i think these things as i’ve grown gray
how will the world get along

is worrying about this wrong
i guess i’ve always been this way
who will feed the birds when i’m gone

caring for others, being strong
it’s who i am, what can i say
how will the world get along

time is fleeting, we don’t have long
to make a difference, seize the day
who will feed the birds when i’m gone

live, love, forgive when you’ve been wronged
work hard, but take some time to play
how will the world get along

i know. blah, blah, blah same old song
hard to do but easy to say
who will feed the birds when i’m gone
how will the world get along

~kat

Na/GloPoWriMo 2022 - Day 22 Prompt: write a poem that uses repetition. You can repeat a sound, a word, a phrase, or an image, or any combination of things.

For today’s challenge, a villanelle.

Here’s what a villanelle looks like:
A1-b-A2 / a-b-A1 / a-b-A2 / a-b-A1 / a-b-A2 / a-b-A1-A2
where
* A1 is a refrain line that is repeated throughout, sometimes with small variations
* A2 is another refrain line, which end-rhymes with A1
* a denotes lines that end-rhyme with A1 and A2
* b denotes a line using a (usually) different end-rhyme.
There is no set line length, though many poets choose 8–10 syllables.

A Friend, A Job, A Painting, A Lie

Auguste Renoir Odalisque 1870, oil on canvas at the National Gallery in Washington, D.c.
A Friend, A Job, A Painting, A Lie

just the other day
i ran into an old friend
her name? well i couldn’t say…
i remembered then
we were close once, as she walked away

night shift at Denny’s
i kept cups filled with coffee
serving strangers for pennies
and kept company
with other odd night owls like me

intoxicating
her dark eyes piercing my soul
provocatively posing
she draws me in close
ensnared by her charm, she swallows me whole

it’s just a white lie
you’re just trying to be nice
so look ‘em straight in the eye
don’t let them ask twice
bend the truth a bit, that’s my advice

~kat

Na/GloPoWriMo 2022 Day 21 Prompt: write a poem in which you first recall someone you used to know closely but are no longer in touch with, then a job you used to have but no longer do, and then a piece of art that you saw once and that has stuck with you over time. Finally, close the poem with an unanswerable question.

For today i decided to use the Horatiodet, a short form of the Horatian Ode that I created a few years ago. I wrote a stanza for each part. They don’t really mesh. Not sure if they were supposed to, but it’s on prompt and you get 4 for 1 today! 😊

The Horatiodet is a total of 5 lines, syllable count: 5-7-7-5-9 / rhyme scheme: ababb. In other words, it is a short Horatian Ode (only one stanza), a form based on the style of Horace, Quintus Horatius Flaccus (December 8, 65 BC – November 27, 8 BC), the leading Roman lyric poet.

A Cheesy Limerick

Photo courtesy of PDPhotos@Pixabay.com
Not sure what Limburger cheese thinks about how its odiferous essence affects diners, but I have heard that if you can get past the smell, the cheese itself is delightfully nutty and sweet! Adding “Try Limburger cheese at least once before I die…even if it kills me!” to my bucket list. heehee! 

A Cheesy Limerick

From the Duchy of Limburg, now Liège
hails a much controversial cheese
though it smells like foul feet
it tastes nutty and sweet
slap a slice between rye if you please!

~kat

Na/GloPoWriMo2022 - Day 20 Prompt: write a poem that anthropomorphizes a kind of food.

thinking out loud…a prelude

Photo courtesy of StockSnap at Pixabay.com.

thinking out loud…a prelude

just listen
let me talk
nod your head
give me an uh-hmm or two
eye contact…i need eye contact
and your time
and your attention,
your presence
i need you to be present

i would do the same
if you needed me too
you know it’s true
i’ve been there for you
so i’m hoping
it’s not too much to ask
at least i hope not

and one more thing,
well maybe a few,
i don’t need you to fix anything
or defend me or get mad
or tell me what i should do
i’d like to figure that out
on my own, as i said
all i need you to do is
let me talk
just listen

-kat


Na/GloPoWriMo2022 Day 19 Prompt: write a poem that starts with a command.