Poetry Challenge – Day 20

Welcome to Day 20 of my 30-Day Poetry Challenge!

Comment on today’s poem to win a copy of my poetry book, “(After) Confession… I’m giving away a copy every day. Scroll down below the poem for more details about this Poetry Challenge.

Sorry, no winner today. Comments have dwindled… SO, now’s a great time to try! Just comment on a post and you will most likely be a Winner! Don’t be shy!  

Now onto today’s poem. Don’t forget to comment, and check back tomorrow to see if you’ve won!

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More of a prose-poem, but I wanted to commemorate the Purple One and this is how it took shape. And yes, it was super-cool to stand in front of his purple-coat-outfit at the museum, and see the early photos of him on display!

On Seeing Prince’s Purple Rain Costume on Display at the Weissman, the Eve of the 2nd Anniversary of His Death

It seems silly now, the crush I had on Prince (I know I wasn’t alone).
I was the right age, 19 when Purple Rain introduced this dark, enigmatic
smouldering rockstar larger-than-life on the movie screen. In Minneapolis!
My Minneapolis. His music came so physically, funkily alive, it made me
want to dance and sing (among other things).

Late nights, dressed up downtown with my also-crushing friend, we failed to spot him
in the exciting swirl of First Avenue. I resorted to a whole fantasy life for awhile,
imagining romantic Princely scenes, listening to cassettes, singing along, wondering
if we’d see him if we drove out to Paisley Park.

Then life intervened. I grew up, married, had babies and not much time for
Anything. Mr. Nelson was just a fond memory, someone getting more eccentric
by the year, news stories I’d shake my head over. Strange stuff, like calling himself
“the Artist formerly known as,” like he was Voldemort or something.

Even though I’d lost track of him for awhile, his death punched me with deep loss.
As I watched my computer screen at work that day 2 years ago, the shock of the
news traveled like lightning around the globe– I saw that the whole world
felt punched raw too. He had brought so much to countless people, and it’s
almost too trite to say his impact was most realized from the giant hole, gaping
when he was gone. Had he really done all that? His legacy seemed endless.

And for us here, his hometown, we especially realized his importance.

He wasn’t what most people expect from Minnesota. We know our image to outsiders:
boring, midwest blandness, flyover, barely civilized, certainly not cultured. (So not
true!) Prince helped put us on the radar in his own Revolution-ary way. There was nothing
tame about him, a powerful petite superhero in purple jacket and stiletto heels, singing,
screeching, gyrating with abandon. His music experimented, roamed eclectically, and yet
you always knew by the sound, it was him.

He lived life on his own particular groove of the record, doing his unique thing despite
the system, or what others might think. He took his genius and pushed it harder,
bringing other musicians along for the ride. He wasn’t perfect: odd, puzzling,
neurotic and more, And yet he gave the world a lot, kept giving, until, one day,
he was gone. Dying in an elevator after decades of singing about them in “1999.”  

And what can we do? His loss is still felt. We are, after all, Dearly Beloved,
gathered here today to get through this thing called Life. Thank you, Prince,
for making it a far more interesting life to get through. Nothing compares to you.

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DETAILS:

• I’m writing and posting a new poem every day through the month of April (yikes!), for better or worse.
• AND, as a gift, I’m giving away a copy of my poetry book EVERY DAY this month. FREE!
• Sign up to WIN a copy of (After) Confession by just leaving a comment beneath the poem of the day.
• I will pick a winner every day in April! So comment every day for a new chance to win.

OR, you can purchase your own copy of (After) Confession for the new low price of $9.00 USD, shipping and handling included! Click here to read sample poems and purchase a copy.

April is National Poetry Month, which was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996.

This month’s posts are part of the  NaPoWriMo challenge — that’s National Poetry Writing Month. At NaPoWriMo.net, you’ll find links to other participating writers and their poetry. AND daily writing prompts for inspiration to write your own poems. Check them out.

I’m so looking forward to your comments–  it doesn’t have to be about the poem. Write anything, share the name of your favorite poet or poem, write about the weather, whatever! And thanks for reading.

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Photo credit: Buzzfeed, and Jeremy Thomas, courtesy of Usplash