Verse First ~ Gifts & Blessings

Verse First ~ Gifts & Blessings

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

GIFTS & BLESSINGS

Today's is another simple prompt. Write a short, sweet poem in which you express your appreciation for the gifts and blessings you enjoy. And savor them. Savor them. 

~ 

Post your poem on your site, then link it here. Please! Share original work and honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First ~ Lost Art

Verse First ~ Lost Art

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

LOST ART

The phrase "Lost Art" usually refers to something people used to do, but has fallen out of practice. Poet Elizabeth Bishop offers a completely unique perspective on those two words in her poem One Art. 

One Art

by Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

places, and names, and where it was you meant

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or

next-to-last, of three loved houses went.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.

I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.

—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident

the art of losing’s not too hard to master

though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

Today's assignment:

Consider loss, losing, art, and their meanings for you. Then write a 6- stanza poem that contains at least two rhyme schemes. Lost? Read the poem again, identify the rhymes and give it a try. 

~

Post your poem on your site, then link it here. PLEASE! Only share original work and honor our spirit of community by visiting and commenting on other writer's contributions.

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Verse First ~ The Owl

Verse First ~ The Owl

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

THE OWL

My friend, Jo Kalil Hartman, took this photo in her Tucson garden. A pair of great horned owls nested and raised two owlets in a eucalyptus tree. After looking at her photos, I was inspired to read some "owl poetry". This one by John Haines captured my attention:

If the Owl Calls Again

at dusk from the island in the river, and it's not too cold, I'll wait for the moon to rise, then take wing and glide to meet him. We will not speak, but hooded against the frost soar above the alder flats, searching with tawny eyes. And then we'll sit in the shadowy spruce and pick the bones of careless mice, while the long moon drifts toward Asia and the river mutters in its icy bed. And when the morning climbs the limbs we'll part without a sound, fulfilled, floating homeward as the cold world awakens. 

Today's assignment:

Using either the above photo or poem as inspiration, create your own wise piece of poetic writing. Choose your words carefully. Let your message soar.

~

Post your poem on your site, then link it here. PLEASE! Only share original work and honor our spirit of community by visiting and commenting on other writer's contributions.

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Verse First ~ Walk in Gratitude

Verse First ~ Walk in Gratitude

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

WALK IN GRATITUDE

Today's is another simple prompt. Take a walk. On that walk, observe your surroundings with an eye of gratitude. When you return to your writing table, quickly write down your observations, then refine them; burn away the dross to reveal a poem that will imbue your readers with gratitude, too. 

~ 

Post your poem on your site, then link it here. Please! Share original work and honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First ~ The Work is Not About Place

Verse First ~ The Work Is Not About Place

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

THE WORK IS NOT ABOUT PLACE

Writer's often assume they must be in a particular place, using specific tools, with just the write atmosphere to write. I challenge that. Today, do not allow yourself to follow you own ritual and routine. Go to a place where you've never before written. Then write. 

One poem.

7 lines in length.

Make it perfect. 

~ 

Post your poem on your site, then link it here. Please! Only share original work and honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First ~ The Ordinary

Verse First ~ The Ordinary

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

THE ORDINARY

Today's prompt is simple and sweet. Write about something quite ordinary. In the words of Natalie Goldberg, "Give homage to old coffee cups, sparrows, city buses, thin ham sandwiches."

~ 

Post your poem on your site, then link it here. Please! Only share original work and honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First ~ The Body Becomes The Landscape

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

THE BODY BECOMES THE LANDSCAPE

American poet Meridel Le Sueur , whose "immense love, respect and belief in the power of the people was ever present in her work" once said "The body becomes the landscape." Do you think she could have imagined the photoshopped creations of Carl Warner when she made that statement?

I wonder. At the wonder. Have a look at Warner's fascinating photography collection here and use the work to inspire your next creation.

Post your poem on your site and then link here. Post only original work that speaks to the prompt; and then honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First ~ Ghosts & Spirits & Scares

Verse First ~ Ghosts & Spirits & Scares!

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

GHOSTS & SPIRITS & SCARES!

It is, after all, nearly All Hallow's Eve.  You must have expected this one! Without further ado, write a piece about ghosts or spirits or scares. In honor of the day, make it either exactly 31 words or 31 lines. No fewer. No more. GO!

After posting your poem on your site, link it here. Please! Only share original work and honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First~Food & Writing....Writing & Food

Verse First ~ Food & Writing ... Writing & Food

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

FOOD & WRITING ... WRITING & FOOD

Food and writing. Writing and food. They so often go together. Ours bookshelves and reading nooks, kitchens and dining rooms have been inhabited by food writers and their inspiring work for a very long time. Consider   Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, Elizabeth David, M. F. K. Fisher, Mapie de Toulouse-Lautrec and Martha Stewart, to name just a few.

Today, ponder your favorite food, restaurant, bar or cafe'. Think about what makes your mouth water, piques your gustatory interest, causes you to crave. And then write about it. Just make certain you elicit that same interest in your readers.

Post your poem on your site and then link here. Post only original work that speaks to the prompt; and then honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First ~ Half & Half

Verse First ~ Half & Half

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

HALF & HALF

Today's prompt is completely prescriptive. 

     1. Fold a sheet of paper in half
     2. On the left half of the page, list 10 nouns
     3. Think of a career or occupation choice.
     4. On the right half of the page, write 10 verbs that correspond to that position.
     5. Open the paper and connect each of the nouns with a verb. 
     6. Using any of those combinations, write a 3 stanza poem, 3 lines per stanza.

After posting your poem on your site, link here. Please post only original work that speaks to the prompt; and then honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First ~ Writers are Lovers

Verse First ~ Writers are Lovers

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

WRITERS ARE LOVERS

In "Allen verbatim : lectures on poetry, politics, consciousness", Allen Ginsberg shares an interesting viewpoint: "Writers are great lovers... and great lovers realize that they are what they love."

 Ginsberg further revealed that he loved Jack Kerouac and his work, and that he wanted to write in a way that would please his idol.  "... being in love with Jack Kerouac, I discovered that I was Jack Kerouac: that's something love knows."

Ginsberg's perspective encourages us to ponder the writers we love and the writing we produce because of that love. Your assignment this week? Choose one poet you adore and write a piece to honor or express that adoration. 

After posting your poem on your site, link here. Please post only original work that speaks to the prompt; and then honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First ~ "He Said. She Said."

Verse First ~ "He Said. She Said."

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

"HE SAID. SHE SAID"

Poet and short story writer Grace Paley said, "It is the responsibility of writers to listen to gossip and pass it on. It is the way all storytellers learn about life."

Natalie Goldberg expounded on this idea by saying, "We should learn to talk, not with judgment, greed or envy, but with compassion, wonder and amazement."

Today you have some options. Write about gossip. Write about what happens when wagging tongues do harm. Or not. Write a poem of conversation. Or write about the growth potential when interactions are based on compassion, wonder and amazement. You choose.

After posting your poem on your site, link here. Please post only original work that speaks to the prompt; and then honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First~We are Interconnected

Verse First ~ We Are Interconnected

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

WE ARE INTERCONNECTED

Writer, poet and teacher Natalie Goldberg once said, "We are all interwoven and create each other's universes... We don't live for ourselves; we are all interconnected."

You affect me. I affect you. One action begets a series of reactions, which expand the web of connectedness. Every action is a pebble in the pond, every reaction a ripple. And so it goes. Consider the vast truth of this and write about it.

After posting your poem on your site, link here. Please post only original work that speaks to the prompt; and then honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on others' contributions.

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Verse First ~ Just Past Center

Verse First ~ Just Past Center

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

JUST PAST CENTER

We are, now, just past September's center. Funny way to look at a span of time, from the center. But that is exactly what I want you to do. Look at something, anything really, from just past center. It could be your life, your kitchen table or even a task at hand. It could be your equilibrium, your goals, a relationship or...

Whatever you choose, write a poem from the perspective of JUST PAST CENTER.

After posting your poem on your site, link here and then honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on the other contributions.

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Verse First ~ The Places You Love

Verse First ~ The Places You Love

Welcome to VERSE FIRST, where simple notions prompt amazing poems.

Today's notion?

THE PLACES YOU LOVE

We can thank our own Sherry Blue Sky for inspiring this prompt when she wrote this poem after reading "Say The Names" by Canadian poet, Al Purdy.

Follow Sherry's lead and consider the places you love and all that they mean to you. Say their names aloud. Listen to their rhythm. Embrace the emotions they evoke, and then write an ode to those wondrous locales.

After posting your poem on your site, link here and then honor the Poets United spirit of community by visiting and commenting on the other contributions.

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Verse First ~ Right Under Your Nose

Verse First ~ Right Under Your Nose

Welcome to Verse First, where simple notions prompt amazing poems. 

Today's notion?

RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE

Settle into a comfortable seat, in a place that stimulates your senses.
Now look around.
Closely observe your surroundings. What do you see, hear, smell, taste, feel?
Write about it. In detail. Those are not flowers. Not dahlias, either. They are pomegranate-colored dahlias with stems arching like salsa dancers being dipped.
DETAILS! Give us details! Don't tell or describe;  but rather, empower the poem to embody what is RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE.

~ Kim

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Verse First ~ Original Obsessions

Verse First ~ Original Obsessions

Welcome to Verse First, where simple notions prompt amazing poems. 

Today's notion?

OBSESSIONS

Here are today's simple instructions:

1. Set a timer for 15 minutes

2. Write a list of your personal obsessions. DO NOT edit yourself at this stage. Let it flow!

3. Select three obsessions from your list

4. Write a three-stanza poem, one stanza per obsession

5. Make sure the stanzas are strongly linked, logically connected.

6. Edit with a hypersensitive eye. It's not done until each word is right. Take your time.
7. Link only original, well-honed pieces.

Looking forward to some strong, tight writes. 

~ Kim

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Verse First ~ I Cried Out

Verse First ~ I Cried Out

Welcome to Verse First, where simple notions prompt amazing poems. 

Today's notion?

I CRIED OUT

Write in the first person. Avoid cliches; eschew the ordinary. Surprise, inspire, educate, elucidate. That's it. That's all I'm giving you poet-friends. Now write me a poem. ;-)

~ Kim

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Verse First ~ Edit to Elevate

Verse First ~ Edit to Elevate

Welcome to Verse First, where simple notions prompt amazing poems. 

Today's notion?

EDIT TO ELEVATE

What Is Poetry?

Poetry's
the ordinary
edited~elevated
extraordinary
Poetry
Is art

©Kim Nelson

Today, write a poem about something exceedingly ordinary, something completely mundane. Edit it to elevate it. Turn it into art. Choose your words carefully, using only those conveying your specific intent. Remove everything that doesn't serve you well. If you're comfortable, leave a note below your post inviting others to critique in order to further elevate the work.

I look forward to reading  your art. ~ Kim

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Verse First ~ Difficulty

Verse First ~ Difficulty

Welcome to Verse First, where simple notions prompt amazing poems. 

Today's notion?

DIFFICULTY

(or why to avoid it in poetry)

Billy Collins, former US Poet Laureate, frequently comments about difficult-to-read poetry. Joel Whitney of Guernica Magazine asked him about this. Here is a portion of Collins' response:

"More often than not in poetry I find difficulty to be gratuitous and show-offy and     camouflaging, experimental to a kind of insane degree--a difficulty which really ignores the possibility of having a sensible reader."

I could not more heartily agree with Mr. Collins! Your assignment should be clear. Write a poem, no more than three stanzas, that is completely free of "gratuitous, show-offy, camouflaging" text. 

I look forward to reading your accessible, enlightening writing. ~ Kim

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