Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads

Are you looking to grow as a poet? Are you looking for a more challenging forum where you can learn, create and share many ideas and thoughts about poetry and prose? If you have a little bit more time on your hands and are willing to be a consistent and dedicated member have I got the place for you.

Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads is a newer community that has been developed for the involved poet. It is meant to be a teaching and learning community that is shaped by its members under the kind guidance of Kerry O’Connor. Its members (Toads) post regularly and participate in many thought provoking and creative activities that are found almost daily. If you are just an occasional hobbyist or a for the love of the art poet then this most likely is not the place for you. However, if you want to step up your writing and find you need a little push in the right direction this could very well be that kick in the pants you have been searching for.

Monday's Child

Monday’s Child

When writing poetry, a good portion of poets go to the dark places or cover some fairly adult themes. I thought what a challenge it would be to escape that supposed standard by finding a brighter path or prompt and I think I have. Recently while exploring the poetry blogosphere I stumbled upon a blog and prompt site that I found to be intriguing a refreshingly positive. I came across Monday’s Child.  It is prompt site maintained by one of our members and is a bit of a challenge to the typical poet, one that can be fun to take on. Can you find your inner child? Would you like to try? If you are in the mood to maybe try and write something happy, fun or even lyrical this is a great place to go.

carry on tuesday

Every so often Poets United will highlight other great poetry sources, communities or organizations that help to strengthen the foothold of poetry in the blogosphere. By doing this we open up other avenues or chances at creativity for our members and readers. It will not always be a major organization, it can be a small community with a unique twist or addition to the poetry world. If you as a reader stumble across a place you find to be great for the poets gathered here at Poets United please feel free to let us know so that we can possibly share them here.

Today we share with our reader:

carry on tuesday - carry on tuesday is a poetry community centered around the prompts offered to poets by the always thought provoking Keith Hillman. Each week Keith posts either a famous quotation, the opening lines of a book, a song or poem or something else along those lines and invites his friends and fellow writers to “carry on” where the words stop. It is up to you what you choose to do with these words. You may use some of the words or all of them. They can either be at the start of your piece or within the body of your work.

Big Tent Poetry

Every so often Poets United will highlight other great poetry sources, communities or organizations that help to strengthen the foothold of poetry in the blogosphere. By doing this we open up other avenues or chances at creativity for our members and readers. It will not always be a major organization, it can be a small community with a unique twist or addition to the poetry world. If you as a reader stumble across a place you find to be great for the poets gathered here at Poets United please feel free to let us know so that we can possibly share them here.

Today we share with our readers: Big Tent Poetry

Big Tent Poetry was created in March of 2010 to fill the void left in the poetry community when “Read Write Poem” closed its doors. If you are not familiar with RWP it was a wonderful place for poets of all sorts and from all over to gather and share their work. Now in a similar fashion we have been blessed with “Big Tent Poetry”.

Big Tent Poetry has done a magnificent job in attempting to keep the poetry world connected since its inception. It is a well presented community that is open to any and all that wish to be a part of the poetry blogosphere. A main draw to the site, the weekly prompts, is just a small portion of what “Big Tent Poetry” offers its members. Members you ask? It’s harder to not be a member than it is to be considered one. Keeping with the Big Tent idea it is a “come one come all” kind of place. If you are there, you are a member, just remember to always treat others with respect. In addition to its popular prompts Big Tent Poetry also offers columns, interviews, writing challenges, groups and so much more. Some of these concepts are just taking shape but if the site so far is any indication of what they will be like then it should be a great experience.

Big Tent Poetry is a rapidly growing site that is being shaped by both its creators and the poets who visit the site. If you are looking for a poetry community to be a part of or just visit every so often, give Big Tent Poetry a try you will not be disappointed. It destined to be one of the greatest shows on earth.

Magpie Tales

Every so often Poets United will highlight other great poetry sources, communities or organizations that help to strengthen the foothold of poetry in the blogosphere. By doing this we open up other avenues or chances at creativity for our members and readers. It will not always be a major organization either it can be a small community with a unique twist or addition to the poetry world. If you as a reader stumble across a place you find to be great for the poets gathered here at Poets United please feel free to let us know so that we can possibly share them here.

Today we would like to share with our readers: Magpie Tales

Magpie Tales is creative and fun little community filled with poets from all over the globe.  The draw to this wonderful page is its poetry prompts. Once weekly (on Fridays) Magpie Tales founder and imaginist extraordinaire Willow places a small photo on display. What magic little hat she pulls these out of is no one’s knowledge save hers. The beauty of Magpie tales is what happens next. Poems inspired by her photos spill into the site for the remainder of the week from many of the members of this community. These poems are typically well crafted and wonderful pieces of art. There are the occasional visitors to this site, but most that drop by become hooked and stay longer than a click of the mouse. I can attest that. The last entry is usually made by 8:00 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesdays.  From there the Magpie Tales followers await the next poetry prompt as if they were birds fluttering about a time released feeder. The one catch of this site is that you show support to your fellow poets by venturing beyond Magpie Tales into the blogs of its community. By exploring further out, which is helped along with Magpies Mr. Linky Widget, you help extend and strengthen the poetry blogosphere. If you are looking for a creative outlet or you just want to see the thousand words Magpie Tales pictures are worth, make sure to stop by this wonderful poetry community.