Welcome to Day 6 of my 30-Day Poetry Challenge!
- 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.
Congratulations, Mary Lee, for winning a free copy of my poetry book! (I do a raffle from those who commented on yesterday’s post.) Mary, please email me your address so I can send your prize: theresa.sapphire@gmail.com (or I can just hand-deliver it to you!).
Now onto today’s poem. Don’t forget to comment, and check back tomorrow to see if you’ve won!
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Today’s prompt: write a poem that stretches your comfort zone with line breaks. That could be a poem with very long lines, or very short lines. Or a poem that blends the two. (Note: my line breaks will probably only be evident on a computer screen.)
Books, A Curiosity
They surround me
here, rectangle
bricks on shelves,
hundreds dare I
say? Row after
row, spines of
color: vermillion, chartreuse, teal, cerulean, violet, puce, terracotta, taupe, mauve.
Why? What are
they? I have
grown so used
to their presence,
their necessity
in my life. But
why? I pause
to think: how much of my life is built around these bricks of paper, pages, words.
And how did
they get here?
Some ancient
soul tied clay
tablets of marks
and drawings
together, some
5000 years ago,
paving the way
for books of papyrus, bone, wood, shell, silk, fibers, animal hides, parchment, paper.
I swoon for books,
love the voices
I hear in my head
as I read, tuning
in to some mind,
past, present, who
shares their own
particular version,
vision, with me, of
something deeply
felt: fiction, nonfiction, memoir, children’s lit, self-help, fantasy, mystery, classics, poetry…
So easy, chuck
into a bag, take
anywhere, dog-
ear, crumbs,
coffee-drips.
Books are
so forgiving,
so full of life,
imagination,
companionship.
They spoke to
me so long ago,
and I answered:
I will read you and feel you and have you and find enough words inside me to write you, too.
* * * * * * * * * * *
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: Eugenio Mazzone and Annie Spratt, courtesy of Unsplash.com
You nailed it , book girl! I swoon, you swoon, we all swoon for books!!
🙂 Oh, so many books! Thanks, Jen!
When someone shares a book they love with me it feels like they are sharing a part of themselves.
I really love that, Terri.
Oh, me too! Lovely thought.
This poem reminds me of how much I love books.
You and me both, Mary Lee!
Beautiful words! You’ve captured so much book love here. A very good thing!
Great to see you here, Aimee, and in person this week! And so much to love about books. 🙂
Love of books led me to my first profession: a children’s librarian. I still love books and a good story. (Or poem!)
Yes… I’m sure you were a great librarian too. Thanks, Ann.
Love, but brings guilt. My three large bookcases are over flowing. Must cull, surely there are some I can let go.
Oh yeah, me too! If I don’t think I’ll ever re-read it, then I’m trying to let it go. There are many good places to donate!
?? ?
Say more, Ann… what’s your question?
I know! It’s like this whole false belief system we learned as young girls. And have to unlearn later!
You know, I am beginning to think that all poems should come with an introductory paragraph letting the reader know why the poet chose the structure or even content… I find I’m enjoying, even looking forward to see how you, the poet, will solve the next puzzle/challenge. AND I get a lovely piece of literature in the process!
PS: I could go on and on about all the things I LOVE in this one, Theresa. The long last line structure all by itself is delightful. But add the pattern and patter of the words in that last line…. and I swoon for real! And the topic, well. That stole my heart in the first stanza.
Thanks again, my friend!
Aw, shucks! 🙂 And I like the idea of an intro paragraph for poems, at least some of them. For me it’s like recipes that have intros or notes… then I get lured into wanting to cook them.