Category Archives: free verse

April 14, 2025

glimmer day 103 ~ NaGloPoWriMo 14 April 2025

By Kat Myrman 
the asphalt jungle

green light,
yellow light, 
red light, stop
stop, it’s a red light! stop!!
I see you laughing
phone pressed 
against your ear 
PAY ATTENTION PERSON!!!

the pedestrian light is
ticking like a time bomb
24, 23, 22, 21…click, click, click 
a young woman in flip flops 
scuffles to the other side
flap, flap, flap, flap

the car next to me is rapping
base tones, vibrating 
so loudly my ears,
my whole body feels the beat
there’s a siren in the distance
where is it coming from?

I’m late…why do I come this way?
It always makes me late

oh gawd, there’s a bee 
inside the car
open the window quick
go on bee see yourself out
bzzzzzz, bzzzz, thwap, thwap,
bzzzzzzzzZzzzzZzzz
where’s the newpaper 
don’t make me use it
snap, snap… come on bee 
fly free

what now? who’s laying into
their car horn. BeeeeEEEEpppp!
ok, got it…green light…you can
stop revving your engine 
yeah yeah…I’m going 

I hate commuting… two hours
a day lost, never to be
recovered 

~kat

I had to dig deep for today’s prompt. I’ve been working remotely for 4 years now, so I was writing from memory. I will never go back into an office to work all day in a cubicle. I am much more productive at home. Speaking of productive, today’s glimmer-bearer is a squirrel.

This little guy was on the top of his world, with a ready supply of seeds and nuts nearby. He seemed quite pleased with himself. Not even me with my camera seemed to phase him. It was the start of another day…a very good day, in fact! And a squirrel who came by to remind me to stay the course. And to take time to savor every little victory. Good advice. Thank you my little friend. And well done!

Much love, peace, and glimmers to you!

~kat

NaGloPoWriMo 14 April 2025 Prompt: So today, try writing a poem that describes a place, particularly in terms of the animals, plants or other natural phenomena there. Sink into the sound of your location, and use a conversational tone. Incorporate slant rhymes (near or off-rhymes, like “angle” and “flamenco”) into your poem. And for an extra challenge – don’t reference birds or birdsong!

6 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in 2025, Challenges and Writing Prompts, Digital Art & Photos, Essays, free verse, napowrimo, Poetry

April 14, 2025

NaGloPoWriMo 13 April 2025 ~ glimmer day 102

By Kat Myrman 
not normal 

they were out and about today, doing normal
the people, everywhere I looked, as if nothing 
was unusual, as if no crisis was near, 
disturbing, while everything spirals to nothing
stock markets crash, tariff wars rage, laws are ignored
the people are blissful, impending doom ignored

experts on the news are reeling, losing their minds
students of history sound the alarm…”not a drill” 
they warn, “we’ve seen this before, it doesn’t end well!”
the plunder, the gaslighting, “drill baby drill”
masked vigilantes enacting their agenda
we the people, lost in the chaos, forgotten
it’s not normal how normal things seem, we’ve forgotten

the principles our ancestors fought to preserve
liberty, freedom, justice, just to name a few
opportunities afforded to everyone
the pursuit of happiness for all, not the few
as history’s rewritten and lies replace truth
will future generations ever know the truth

~kat

A wee bit late…moments past midnight. I had almost given up. The task seemed too great, after an exhausting working long weekend. As I settled in to rest, finally, the muse tapped me on the shoulder.  “We are writing tonight…” And here we are. Another poem in the books.

Glimmers…we had a few. A whirlwind visit from my three youngest grandchildren aged 8, 6, and 3…(ages added to validate the whirlwind comment 😉). All my grand children and great grandchildren are glimmers. They are my hope. I’m so sorry we’ve made such a mess of things for them.

Back to glimmers…focus kat…being wrapped in the hugs of tiny humans is definitely a glimmer that will hold me for days. And dandelions. There are dandelions too!

Much love, peace, and glimmers to you

~kat ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨

NaGloPoWriMo 13 April 2025 prompt for the day (optional, as always). Donald Justice’s poem, “There is a gold light in certain old paintings,” plays with both art and music, and uses an interesting and (as far as I know) self-invented form. His six-line stanzas use lines of twelve syllables, and while they don’t use rhyme, they repeat end words. Specifically, the second and fourth line of each stanza repeat an end-word or syllable; he fifth and sixth lines also repeat their end-word or syllable. Today, we challenge you to write a poem that uses Justice’s invented form.

17 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in 2025, Challenges and Writing Prompts, Digital Art & Photos, Essays, free verse, Life Lessons, napowrimo, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Social Issues, Spirituality

April 13, 2025

glimmer day 101 ~ NaGloPoWriMo 12 April  2025

By Kat Myrman 
…and they lived happily ever after

the shoe fit
it was a whirlwind engagement
the wedding of the century
(we’re talking partridges in pear trees and lords a leaping here)
and the honeymoon…well
poor Cindy…
didn’t take long
for her to discover
her prince
had a nasty foot fetish
happily ever after?
like the American dream 
may she rest in pieces 
✨✨✨✨
where am I? who am I? what…? 
wouldn’t you like to know
follow the yellow brick road they said
when the stocks go low
it’s time to buy
It’s exactly as we planned
I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore
✨✨✨✨
Mary’s little lamb 
was fleeced by old McDonald
while Humpty Dumpty took a fall
from the tallest wall in the history of walls 
bye bye miss America 
France wants their statue back
it’s raining helicopters and jets
can my cat give me the bird flu
we’ll see what happens
in two weeks
that’s the $64,000 question 
we already know the answer
history on repeat…no royalties

~kat

~ NaGloPoWriMo 12 April  2025 Prompt: Try writing a poem that makes reference to one or more myths, legends, or other well-known stories, that features wordplay (including rhyme), mixes formal and informal language, and contains multiple sections that play with a theme. Try also to incorporate at least one abstract concept – for example, desire or sorrow or pride or whimsy.

4 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in 2025, Challenges and Writing Prompts, Digital Art & Photos, Essays, free verse, Life Lessons, napowrimo, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Rhymed Verse, Social Issues

April 7, 2025

NaGloPoWriMo 7 April 2025 ~ glimmer day 96

By Kat Myrman 
I could never be a statue

I’m far too transparent, an open book, 
having perfected the subtle art 
of giving shade, the smirk and the eye roll 
I don’t need pennies for my thoughts…
to begin with, my thoughts are worth 
much more than pennies, but
you will know what I’m thinking
without me having to say a word
I could never be a statue
 
I’ve known a statue or two
that have made quite a statement
but statue-speak is set in stone 
it’s rather boring, no matter how 
earth shattering, except for  
that first impression of course
that’s basically all you get
I’m telling you, I could never be a statue
I have a voice; I refuse to be silenced

there are things more important than
artistic perfection and cold features 
chiseled from stone or cast in copper
things like kindness, compassion, 
intelligence, empathy, a conscience
and love…there is that too 
I could never be a statue…
I will never agree to be
seen and not heard

~kat

NaGloPoWriMo 7 April 2025 Prompt: Today, we challenge you to write a similar kind of self-portrait poem, in which you explain why you are not a particular piece of art (a symphony, a figurine, a ballet, a sonnet), use at least one outlandish comparison, and a strange (and maybe not actually real) fact.

And here’s your glimmer: the bunnies are back! And the hummingbird is hanging out!

Much love, peace and glimmers to you!

~kat

8 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in 2025, Challenges and Writing Prompts, Digital Art & Photos, free verse, napowrimo, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings

April 6, 2025

NaGloPoWriMo 5 April 2025 ~ glimmer day 94

By Kat Myrman 
evening banquet

they’re watching
listening for the 
rata-tat-tata-tat
the garage door opening
rata-tat-tata-tat
where the human collects
nuts and seeds to toss wide
underneath the juniper trees

but not before tending to
a murder of crows 
on their high tree perch 
watching and waiting 
she treats them first
caw, caw…caw, caw, caw
they croon at the sight
“hey crows…hey crows”
she crows back in delight
her murder of crows, 
caw, caw…caw, caw, caw
“hey crows…hey crows”
grab the peanuts she lays
at the alter of aandeg 

round the corner they watch
camouflaged by brush greening
turkey toms mingle 
gobble gob gobble gob gob
they’re gobblers of course
and a doe, wide-eyed, 
graceful, patiently waits
for sweet kernels of corn
to nibble nosh nibble, while
the sun dips to crimson
and another day ends

~kat

Today’s challenge was an interesting one. It came together in pieces. A drip drip drip of thoughts and ideas that needed to be rounded up like scattered cats and crafted into something resembling poetry. That is what today’s creative process felt like. There are moments when I wonder if it will ever make it to the page…and then it happens. Today’s glimmer was that moment I added the last line and read the words again from top to bottom, adding my name for the finish. I really don’t understand how it happens. But it is amazing when it does!

Much Love, Peace, and Creative Glimmers to You!

~kat ✨✨💚✨✨

NaGloPoWriMo 5 April 2025 prompt: today’s (optional) prompt is inspired by musical notation, and particularly those little italicized –and often Italian – instructions you’ll find over the staves in sheet music, like con allegro or andante. First, pick a notation from the first column below. Then, pick a musical genre from the second column. Finally, pick at least one word from the third column. Now write a poem that takes inspiration from your musical genre and notation, and uses the word or words you picked from the third column. Click on the link to see all the choices. This poem was inspired by Tempo di murder, fugue, banquet

4 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in 2025, Challenges and Writing Prompts, Digital Art & Photos, Essays, free verse, napowrimo, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings