Today’s Poetry Friday roundup is happening over at The Poem Farm with Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. “You asked how to write a poem?” Amy has some good advice! Thank you for hosting, Amy.
Last Saturday was The Poetry Marathon. It was a challenge to write 24 poems in 24 hours, but I did it, writing a lot of drivel, especially in the middle of my disrupted sleep.
Below is one of my favorite concoctions, which was based on listening to a music prompt. One of the songs that was suggested was without lyrics and lasted about six minutes. I just typed while I listened to the song; I was also listening to the birds outside my window. Two additional minutes of minor editing, and then I posted it. I want to experiment more with this kind of writing.
Daylight
Daylight beckons me
watching
running
spilling out of darkness
the day begins with
breezes of breath
tears of joy
crags of a life
well-lived
without regrets.
The birds are
playing and
humming their songs
sometimes screeching,
but always authentic.
Oh, to be like a bird
on the wing of this new day.
Inspired by Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight”
I posted all 24 poems and the prompts here at their own post.
Join me next year?
I made it!
I admire your persistence in the writing marathon. Wow! So productive. I know hour by hour your writing was strengthening. Did you ever just stare at the prompt and not move? I love how music fueled this one. I want to try it myself. Music has been helping me get through my struggles these days. Yesterday I sat and watched two hummingbirds twirl and swirl and mate right before my eyes. I find when I turn to nature, hope is there. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Congratulations, Denise! You have great endurance. I am pretty sure my poems from 11 PM to 6 AM would all have been, “ZZZZZZZ.” It does sound fun to experiment with rapid writing. I might have to give it a try!
So proud of you! I thought about trying it, but I’m sure my brain cells would have been jumping out my ears pretty early in the day. I’ll go look at your post about the prompts now.
Brava and hooray Denise how amazing you’re a marathon poet!!! 💙 the ending two lines of your poem here
“ Oh, to be like a bird
on the wing of this new day.“
How marvelous that would be, thanks!
Wow! What a challenge! I’m so impressed that you managed this.
Impressive! Did you really set your alarm for every hour all night? I appreciate your sharing the musical prompt, and I really like the “crags of a life well-lived.” Brava, Denise!
Heidi, thanks! I did not set my alarm quite every hour. Actually, I developed a rhythm of doing two hours at a time. I’d sleep until 45 before the hour, e.g. 11:45.Then I wrote the eleven o’clock hour’s poem and then at midnight, I’d right that one. Then I could sleep for 1.5 hours. The next alarm was set for 1:45.
Amazing, Denise. That is quite a feat to keep writing and writing and more writing. Congratulations to you! The poem is a lovely one for me to greet this Sunday. I love “always authentic” and I love the ending!
Whoa! A Poetry Marathon sounds so cool! I love the line “crags of life.”
Denise, wow, that is a beautiful poem. 24 in 24 hours! Congratulations on completing that. I’m going to go take a look at the other poems and prompts.
Oh my goodness! What a difficult challenge — and you did it! YAY, you!!
What a wonderful accomplishment! Congratulations! I love the line in your poem:
“Oh, to be like a bird
on the wing of this new day.”
Denise, I spent some time this weekend reading your Poetry Marathon posts. Congratulations on your determination to write diligently throughout the session. Oh, to be like a bird
on the wing of this new day.
Thanks for these lines that give me inspiration today.