#20. This prompt is in inspired by Billy Joel’s song Tell Her About It. In it, he sings “when you love someone you’re always insecure.”. Quite a provocative statement.
#20. Write a response to this. What feeling does this statement provoke in you?
Excerpt: Weathered Fragments, Weathered Souls
From “Rocks”
The little pieces you picked up.
The little pieces you carried once
in your hands,
held next to your body,
smeared onto your skin,
tugging at you:
the fragments you hold on to—
the ones you did not want to leave behind.
Poetry Boot Camp Prompt #19
#19 Cup your hands in front of you. Look at the lines on the insides of your fingers and your palm. Write what comes to mind.
Poetry Boot Camp #18
#18 Challenge yourself to the beat! Take an existing poem that is not working, or one you find yourself revising endlessly (almost everyone has one!), and challenge yourself to write 4 line stanzas with the following beats:
Line 1: 10 Line 2: 8 Line 3: 6 Line 4: 4
Repeat until the end of the poem. Want more of a challenge? End the poem with a couplet of 6 beats each.
Poetry Boot Camp Prompt #17
#17 Write about gratitude. Not simply a “thank you,” but of a thankfulness that extends beyond two words.
Poetry Boot Camp Prompt #16
A wee bit behind on this…
#16 Describe a sun shower in a poem without using the words “rain,” “shower,” or “tears.”
Excerpt: Weathered Fragments, Weathered Souls
From “Spring’s Resurrection”
April’s not the cruelest month,
but a warm resurrection.
Poetry Boot Camp Prompt #15
A little late on this one.
#15 Using this prompt, create a poem, “the sound deafened, then I heard the water crash…”
Poetry Boot Camp Prompt #14
A little late on this one:(
#14 Write a poem using the words, “I feel dirty…”
Excerpt: Weathered Fragments, Weathered Souls
From “Severed Roots”
But the rainy season never came
and the drought never left.
J.L. Smith 