Here, Let Me Prompt You

January 15, 2013 by aintnoninny 4 Comments

Every Tuesday, in a Facebook poetry group (of which I am a member), there is a “title” challenge.  We call it Title Tuesday.  Original, huh?  The moderator posts several “off-the-top-of-his-head” titles. Group members are encouraged to write poems inspired by one or more of the titles and are also encouraged to submit titles of their own for others to use.

I use to write prolifically.  Every day.  Once I wrote over 500 poems in one year, short and long, serious and humorous, terrific and terrible. Some were written to daily prompts, some to poetry challenges or exercises, others came from inside my soul.   But not lately.  I have been suffering a severe poetry block for months. I probably have not written more than ten new poems in the last twelve months and most of those were haiku.  Today I wrote poems to three titles.  Three!  I can’t tell you how good that makes me feel.

So what’s my point?  Sometimes you just have to slog through the mire to get to the other side.  Suit up, show up, do the drill.  Today I did the drill and I’m glad I did. I’m not saying you’ll succeed in creating something that is great on days when the flow just ain’t there.  But the time spent slogging will be worthwhile. You’ll discover something about yourself or your technique will improve or you will break through the ice.  And who cares if your inspiration comes from a prompt, a challenge, an external source?  It is still inspiration and inspiration spawns creativity and creativity is what it is all about.

Here is one of the poems I wrote today, unedited.  The title is unchanged from that given in the Title Tuesday challenge.

The Garden of Edam

She met him there
Under the fig trees
Timid as a mouse

Her voice squeaked as she whispered

We shouldn’t be here
It isn’t right
Someone might see

He flicked his tongue and winked

He handed her a treat
Waxy red on the outside
The inside white and sweet

His golden eyes blinked while he watched

She nibbled at the flesh
And scrambled back inside
To give some to Adam

He coiled and hissed in frustration

I merely wanted to know you
Mon Cher Souris
Nothing cheesy, I assure you

Eve licked her naked paws with glee