Verselove is a community celebration of poetry in April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. You’re welcome to write a poem a day or to come and go as you need. Reading and leaving a brief note—a line you loved, an image that stayed, a feeling a poem stirred—is also a meaningful way to participate. This is a generous, low-pressure space. We’re glad you’re here.
Our Host: Jessica Sherburn
Jessica lives in Chicago, Illinois where she teaches English at Mather High School. She is currently a teacher-consultant with the Chicago Area Writing Project. She has served as a Representative-at-Large within the Michigan Council of Teachers of English and a Teacher Advisory Group Member for the Zekelman Holocaust Memorial Center. In addition to writing poetry, Jessica enjoys hiking, kayaking, and penning sarcastic quips. She is a proud mother to two cats, Ollie and Davie, who enjoy long naps and knocking over mugs of black tea.
Inspiration
This winter, I was fortunate to see the Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. I was particularly moved by excerpts from Grapefruit, in which she writes “instructions” for paintings and poetry. For example:
“Time Painting”
Make a painting in which the color
comes out only under a certain light
at a certain time of the day.
Make it a very short time.
“Closet Piece II”
Put one memory into one half of your head.
Shut it off and forget it.
Let the other half of the brain long for it.
Process
Verselove offers such a wonderful opportunity to write poetry throughout April. Some of us may have met our lofty goals; others may have fallen short of initial expectations. No matter which camp you fall into, give yourself grace. Then choose a pathway:
- Pathway 1: If you’ve written many poems (and are running out of steam)
- Choose 1-3 poems you’ve written, then write a list of “instructions” about your process. What did you hear, see, smell, taste, and feel as you wrote?
- Pathway 2: If you haven’t written as much as you’d hoped (and want a plan going forward)
- Brainstorm 1-3 topics you haven’t had a chance to write about yet, then make a list poem of “instructions” for how you will do so. What will you hear, see, smell, taste, and feel as you write?
- Pathway 3: If you want a challenge
- Write any “instruction” poem in Ono’s style.
Jessica’s Poem
Instructions for Two Poems to Write (in May)
by Jessica Sherburn
Poem 1 – Instructions for A Poem About Letting Go
Imagine a red balloon
filled with longing
floating upward toward
the sun.
Turn away just
before you can
see if it
pops.
Write a poem about
the peace that
accompanies not
knowing.
Poem 2 – Instructions for A Poem About Breathing
Place your right palm
on the swell of your belly,
the left on the
drum of your heart.
Close your eyes;
memorize the alternating
rhythm between
your hands.
Write a poem
In which the
meter matches
your body’s beat.
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers.
Let your eyes scroll
Not lingering too much
But give a glance
Not letting the images store
But just enough a gaze
For your brain to know
So,
hold your breath
And let your eyes scroll
To stop your heart
From the feeling the pain
Let the images rush through your brain
But not your heart
For it’s a searing pain
That might crush your heart
Walk,
and let your eyes scroll
Not lingering too much
To know what’s wrong
Do not close your ears,
hear the rumble,
hear the rage,
hear the cry for help
And give a glance
not lingering too much
to know what’s wrong
Feel the rage,
the brokenness,
feel the helplessness
And put a lid,
give ’em a sit
A room, a house
but not your heart.
Instead file them,
welcome them,
And channel them,
They need more than just support,
Or acknowledgement.
Let it vibrate
through the essence of your core
And let the reality take root
in your hippocampus
Work,
shedding a strand,
Each day,
to your cortex
But never to your heart
Work,
Seeking to liberate
Not delude your heart
into its continuous death
At the sight of their death .
⭐️Starry, I could not choose my favorite stanza so I made a quick choice because I love them all. I love eyes scrolling, but not lingering long. There’s so much to feel and also to release. Painful but beautiful.
Starry I absolutely loved your piece here. You worded this is such a beautiful way that I had to go back and reread so many times because I felt like there was more than one way to interpret this. Thank you for sharing!
Sorry for the late post! But thank you for this prompt! I took a different direction with instructions for this one.
Directions for Death
It’s the only freedom–
Death that is.
Pain, heartache, loneliness, guilt, finances.
You name it,
It all seems to disappear at death.
But so do you.
You disappear.
Life disappears.
Friends and Family.
Joy and Happiness—
They disappear too.
You leave,
We lose you.
You leave,
You lose us.
You leave,
And you also lose pain.
But there is an answer
To this mathematical conundrum.
What if someone could die for you?
Take your pain,
And converging shame–
The devolving mindset you have?
What if one could take your pain,
And leave you life—
True and filled,
To the fullest?
In fact, someone did.
Christ Jesus died,
And suffered too,
So you never need.
He doesn’t remove all
Pain you will experience,
However, He dies and gives you
Joy in trials,
Peace in heartache,
Love amid hate,
Life over death.
He doesn’t remove
The inevitability of death,
However, he dies to remove
It’s power over you,
It’s permanence ahead of you.
While we were yet dead,
Christ Jesus died in our place.
And as he rose,
We rise too,
If only our trust is in HIM.
Gavriel, I am glad I came back here the next morning, or I’d have missed your courageous poem. It’s a beautiful reflection of faith, familiar to me…not denying mystery, but accepting it; the overcoming of shame and “devolving mindset”; and the whole stanza about having joy, peace, love and life despite suffering and death. I hear echoes of many Scriptures. The title is fascinating – definitely a hook! – and leading to Christ’s selflessness and sacrificial love that is also to be exhibited by his followers. Thank you for your words.
Gavriel,
Oh, what a beautiful tribute to the power of Jesus Christ! I felt instant peace. Thank you for this offering and gift this morning; it was a perfect opening to my day.
I really like how we’re using Yoko Ono’s minimalist “instruction” style to guide both reflection and creation. With that, here’s my piece.
Instructions on Passion
Hold a spark
In your chest
Do not name it yet
Listen for the way
It hums beneath your ribs
Like something waking
Feed it small truths
A glance that lingers
A word you almost said
A risk you almost took
Let it grow restless
Let it ache
Do not smother it
Too soon
Instead open a window
Let the wind rush in
Let it choose what to ignite.
Write a poem
That burns just enough
To leave light behind.
Dear, J,
This is lovely. So many beautiful images. I’ve read it twice and smile throughout. I love the images of passion–“Let it ache” is one of my favorites.
That’s a nice turn toward “instead” and “let’s.” Such agency there.
I really love the last stanza. A golden line from this is, “Let it choose what to ignite.” This is really descriptive and paints a picture in my mind well!
Your poem is profoundly beautiful. I can sense every detail – I have felt each one, and I marvel at the lyrical way you capture each image, with such clarity. I often think about the way I start a poem with an idea and how it turns out to be something different – the poem that wanted to be written. I would love to think of my poems burning just enough to leave light behind.
Yes yes, yes! I appreciate your take on the prompt because I think I needed a reminder that passion is in there humming beneath my ribs!
👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽
Jackson, I loved this! Describing such a feeling that is so hard to put into words. Amazing words!
Instructions for a Poem About My Hometown
Think about key memories from my hometown.
Activities with friends to pass time.
Trying to find things to do in such a small place.
Think about how it changed me.
How I ended up where I am now.
How it made me the person I am today.
Think about the things that I miss.
Those core memories I think about everyday.
The people that I miss.
Think about why I can’t go back.
Why there were too many bad memories.
Why it makes my heart ache.
Kasidy,
I like how this poem captures a strong sense of nostalgia and conflict, balancing warm memories with the weight of why you had to leave. The repetition of “think about” creates a reflective tone that makes the emotional shift at the end hit even harder.
Kasidy, this is so good. I’m enjoying reading some of these meta poems. You have told us about the things in your hometown without really telling us the details, and yet we get it from all the thinking you did about these specific details. We are left to fill in the missing piece; it is a powerful poem.
I feel this poem rests where it needs to today, and I feel the ache, and aching for another stanza that may have answers for your some day or maybe a new poem that heals. Or maybe the writing of this poem was healing in its own way
Kasidy, I really loved the contrast you made between positive and negative feelings. There is a real struggle/conflict here that is so interesting– it pulls me in to think more deeply.
Hi Jessica! Thank you for a fun and unique prompt. I got a late start so I know this is very drafty, but I had fun playing around with it.
Instructions for Writing a Poem If You Want to Teach for The Long Haul
Start teaching after graduating college
Don’t try business or law
Ignore the claims you’ll always be broke
Enroll in trainings that teachers lead
Remember to savor your social life
Don’t spend weekends ignoring your family
Get your exercise and aim for 8 hours sleep
Enjoy your vacation times because no one else gets so much time off
Write a poem
that teaches
and gives
clear directions
©Stacey L. Joy, 4/28/26
Stacey!
I’m smiling at “Write a poem
that teaches
and gives
clear directions”
and all the other sage words of wisdom you offer in your poem. I’ve often told young teachers to cultivate a professional life outside their building as a way to teach for the long haul.
Those are clear directions, Stacey. I love this “drafty” poem. 🙂 I think it would be a good pairing with Leilya’s poems today, which are advice to college students. Yours could be for the education students soon to graduate. The poem really is full of specific clear advice.
Oh, Stacey. If anyone can write a poem about sustaining a career, it’s you. Hey, its people in this group. I feel a book coming on about staying. Ignore claims you’ll be broke. Yep. Love this.
Stacey, this is the best thing I’ve heard all day. I love the simplicity to this poem, but also the depth of understanding and wisdom here. People so often rush, rush, rush. In reality, we should slow down, not worry too much about money, and enjoy the wonderful life God has gifted us. Thank you for this, today!
Not late but right on time, Stacey! One of the most intriguing facets of a forum like this is making the offering anyway and trusting that others will come and find what they need – for the “directions” you offer ARE needed. All wise advice, and, to me, an inherent message is that writing poetry is a fuel that keeps the teacher going… I know this to be the case for myself, as the professional desert might have swallowed me alive a time or two if I hadn’t carved a pocket in the sand to write the poem. Here you have done exactly what your last lines say – and I thank you for the gift of it!
I loved this! For someone who has wanted to be a teacher for so long and am finally getting closer and closer to that point. I loved reading this and getting to think of the future that is ahead of me. Thanks for sharing!
Jessica, this is a great prompt. I love the two mentor poems that you wrote. That first poem about the peace of not knowing is rattling around in my brain!
Your prompt sent me to Haki Madhubuti’s collection Run Towards Fear and his poem/essay/manifest A Poet’s Handbook whose lines I borrow for my poem.
Haki says…
“Run towards fear”
You cannot be paralyzed
When you are already in motion,
Let your momentum grow wings
And soar.
Haki says,
“Poetry will not stop or delay wars”
But it will hold up a mirror
And ask, “is this who we are?”
And “do you not see?”
Haki says,
“Most people think they can write poetry, encourage them”
This is not an exclusive club, there is no membership fee,
We only grow stronger as we grow longer,
Resist the myth of scarcity as a signifier of
Value.
Haki says,
“One activity that is free, joyful and life-giving is a simple walk in the woods”
Touch grass, witness the wonder of the humblest
creature as life-giving and world sustaining,
breathe deep, notice, wonder.
Haki says,
“Never give up on love, children, good poetry, writing, music, visual arts, theater and dance”
Engage your mind and your senses. We are embodied beings, be tantalized,
moved, driven to tears and uncontrolled laughter,
love and grieve, sip the nectar of the physical world,
and embrace the genius of the arts, what makes us human.
Haki says,
“The highest mandate a poet has is to be in the vanguard with others in the pursuit of
Freedom and justice for all”
This is not a drill, the world is on fire
And we are called to witness, find our voices,
And gather–inspire– comrades to answer our calls to action.
Poets, do your work.
Dave,
This is a phenomenal reminder of the power of poetry and endorsement of Hali’s wisdom. I love their words “Poetry will not stop or delay wars.” I embrace the power of poetry to. clarify complex ideas and times and contemplate how much more challenging a life w/ out poetry would be in this moment. Reading your poem is a perfect reminder of Audre Lorde’s words: “Poetry is not a luxury.”!
Oh, yes, Dave. The world is on fire. And we have been fanning our flame this month. What a great moment for you to make a call to action. We are ready, us poets, to witness.
Sarah
Jessica, I loved this prompt, which felt manageable, as well as the permission to accept what has happened this April. I’ve missed many days but also, I wrote many more poems than I wrote in March, and I have loved being a part of this supportive community. Thank you for giving space to honor it.
I loved the second stanza of your first poem, especially “pops” in the last line, which mimicked that “looking away and wondering” sensation you capture so beautifully.
Instructions for Surviving the End of April
Lower your expectations
first, of the weather
next, of your sophomores,
then, of yourself
Savor the musings
of the senioritis seniors,
so clueless and anxious and wise, reminding you
that we all are, actually,
on the cusp of the rest of our lives
Talk less
when your daughter criticized her teachers
when she practices piano poorly
when she opens up
Notice
the blooms opening a bit more,
the soon-to-be-retiree’s spring in his step,
the bright morning welcoming,
the gifts.
Brenna,
I envy those who come and go in April. Since 2019, the first year of VerseLove, I’ve wanted to skip days but have been pulled by a sense of obligation that has a tight grip on me. Your way is much better. Having taught seniors, I’m smiling knowingly at your observations:”so clueless and anxious and wise.” At the end of my career when seniors said they had senioritis, I told them I had senior citizenitis! I like all these ways of surviving April and love how the practical takes shape as art in your poem.
Brenna,
First, the correlation between the weather and sophomores and the need for lowered expectations is an absolute knee-slapper! And then you ground it in a bigger point of allowing ourselves some grace. Then, the stanza that starts with “Talk less” is so powerful and emphasizes the power of active listening and validating the feelings of young women, in general, and daughters, specifically.
Hello Brenna. I really enjoyed your instructions to making through the rest of this month. I lot of it I can relate to. I giggled when you talked about lowering your expectations for the weather. Definitely something you cannot predict. I liked the way your poem was structured. Giving headings to each stanza.
I like yhe rhythm of this poem to name an action and then list steps or options or witness moments. All lovely ways to honor the lives around us. And I love the word bloom so much.
Not so sure I followed the prompt–I may be too much like my students!
How First Graders Write a Poem or Instructions Ignored
Start with a puzzled look
To keep your teacher on her toes
Then burst into talking
About anything and everything
Redirected and reminded
Consider action
Add in metaphorical thinking
Don’t forget your senses
and a sprinkle of color
Open your notebook
Draw a blank…let all those ideas
Vanish, evaporate, disappear
Pick up your pencil
Trust the magic
Delight in your own ideas
Push past the spelling worries
Until that poem
Blooms
Delight in your words
Read them to your classmates
And smile in satisfaction
Kim, I loved the movement between child-friendly language and the lines with a little more heft, especially the third stanza and the one word stanza of “blooms.” That’s just what a poem does when it feels right. Thank you for capturing it.
Kim,
Your poem reminds me of my son writing poems when he was a boy, and it occurs to me we should all be a bit more like first graders in our approach to poetry: “delight in your own ideas,” “trust the baguette,” and “smile in satisfaction.” This all feels so freeing.
I love that the “poem / blooms” after “a blank” start. Writing takes time!
Oh, yes! Those smiles!
Kim, you definitely understood the assignment! This poem would be welcome instructions to anyone who is thinking of writing poems, or anything! “Trust the magic” “Delight in your own ideas” “Don’t forget your senses”–all of this is so good!
Jessica,
Thank you for hosting. I’m entranced by Yoko Ono’s deceptively simple yet profound musings. I’m in year three of the Stafford poetry Challenge to write a poem a day. I approach the challenge the way I taught students to find speech topics: everything’s a speech topic; everything’s a poem.
after the prompt
our world is
a sideways place
tilt your head
see poetry in geometry
write the angles &
planes in verse
look where
poems bloom
Glenda Funk
April 28, 2026
*Canva photo taken in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Glenda, I love the focus of your poem and your opening line is unique. I love the fresh metaphor. The geometric language is wonderful to develop the perspective that our world is a sideways place. My favorite line is the end because it adds such a lovely image of a gorgeous bouquet and extends the action. Your Canva is brilliant! Like your poem, it blooms with life and color. Fantastic poem!
Oh, Glenda, just came back from a content-area literacy course. I’ve been teaching math poems all semester. This would have been perfect for them to think about. Wusah!
Glenda, first of all, the photo is stunning– the focus, the lighting, and the angle create a perfect backdrop for your poem. When I read your first lines, I see/read an invitation to look at the world from a different perspective, change the familiar angle. To me, this is an opportunity to explore and create, to tilt the head and see something new. Inspiring! ❤️
So much truth–I always think of Nye’s poem about finding poems in the odd sock and the eyes of a skunk. Love the geometry and the meaning in angles and planes.
Oh! I just commented on the verb “blooms” as being perfect for a poem. I love the combination here of the mathematical angles and planes–and then the more artistic and open idea of it “blooming.” Really lovely.
Glenda,
what a way to shift our thinking through these shapely metaphors! Love it!
Glenda, why am I actually tilting my head at the “tilt your head” line? I think it’s because of the set up “our world is a sideways place”. It is. But your call to “look where poems bloom” is such good guidance!
Glenda, I love the way you speak directly to your audience. I’m here tilting my head and looking at your picture, which now looks like a ladder. And doing the same around my home, looking for the angles and planes and where poems are blooming. Such lovely images.
Oh, Glenda.
This economy of this poem is lovely, a contrast from the complexity of the sideways of it all, and so the white space does much work here where, like soil, possibilities bloom. And I just love that word bloom so much. Hugs.
Surviving end of semester grading
Tell yourself you’re going to grade x number of papers each day,
intending to make things manageable.
Walk into your office and open email.
Realize that you’re late for a meeting
Watch your day burst into flames.
Tell yourself that you’re going to grade x+1 number of papers in one less day,
intending to stay sort of on schedule.
Start cleaning up your desk,
telling yourself that you need to be organized in order to settle down and grade.
Go home having graded nothing.
Tell yourself that you ABSOLUTELY MUST grade x+2 number of papers TODAY
or you’ll never get grading done by the end-of-semester deadline.
Look out the window: wow, it’s a pretty day.
Go on a head-clearing walk.
Okay, enough procrastinating: sit down in that chair and grade NOW!
But first, fix yourself a snack. . .
Sheila, your poem defined my approach to responding to papers. It’s easy to derail yourself because grading is tough stuff. From the straightening the desk to fixing a snack, I could relate. Love the honest humor of your poem.
Sheila, and may I add a line “and write that poem for VerseLove”? 😄 Sorry! O a more serious note, I hear you. The end of the semester pressure is real. My grading marathon will begin next week. Take care of yourself.
Sheila, the day bursting in flames is as real a line for teachers as any. One Halloween, I went to school as “The Road of Good Intentions” and taped passes, sticky notes, emails, etc. onto me with flames…I came as a road. I should have thought about preparing snacks!
I love that costume idea!
Love the algebra…and the procrastination! Good luck with the grading!
Sheila, this really rings true right now. I too, create quotas, and adjust those quotas. I love how you balance and honor the human that is doing the grading being disrupted by a “day burst into flames” and also “a head-clearing walk.” It’s so real.
Hi Sheila! Thank you for sharing this poem with us. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the incorportation of mathmateical equations. “x+2.” I can relate to this when it comes to getting my late assignments turned in. Everytime I have a solid plan something ruins those plans. I loved the ending of your poem. “But first, fix yourself a snack…” Made me giggle a lot and is very relatable.
Sheila,
I love how this poem uses humor and repetition really effectively to capture the cycle of procrastination and pressure, making it feel both relatable and frustrating. The way the stakes are paired with everyday distractions highlight the chaos of end-of-semester stress in a way that feels honest and engaging.
Jessica, I fell in love with your poems and decided to use your structure to write my own using an incident that, when it occurred, I knew would turn into a poem.
Instructions for a Poem About Misunderstanding
Imagine a conversation
where your mind
isn’t fully focused,
overhearing
“Topless Movie Place,”
and picturing a
Blockbuster rental store
where all the movies
feature topless people.
Write a poem about your laughter
when you realize he said
“Tropical Smoothie Place.”
Cheri,
Oh my gosh — hysterical! I’m glad that structure worked well for you to bring this to life.
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
Ha! Your poem is great! I cannot tell you how many times I misunderstand people.
Ahh, so funny! Thanks for capturing that.
Too funny!
Well, you’ve made me smile. Fun poem and what a way to turn a misunderstanding into a laugh outloud moment.
I have only learned of tapas eateries in my later life. I had to ask why so many of my colleagues went to topless joints, only to later learn I, too, was hearing it all wrong.
Hi Cheri! I loved this! This was hilarious. I definitely misunderstand people a lot.
Cheri,
I like how this poem uses humor and misinterpretation in a really clever way to turn a simple mistake into a vivid and memorable image. The contrast between what’s heard and what’s meant makes the ending feel light and satisfying.
Thank you for the prompt, Jennifer! I loved your rich, metaphoric poems. Thank you for pointing to Yoko Ono’s work. I jotted poem this morning before heading to campus and thought I’d post it, but then I got distracted (what’s new?) and headed to class. Instead of the planned writing prompt for today, I offered my Linguistics students to write a poem. I asked them what kind of instructions they wanted to develop, and they came up with this. I gently edited, but it’s our collaborative effort:
How to Survive College
(A Practical Guide from Seasoned Students)
Start with time management.
Lose it by week three.
Improvise from there.
Befriend the syllabus,
carry #2 pencils, a pen,
and unreasonable optimism.
Trust the Canvas Calendar.
It is the only one
who truly understands you.
Be patient with the smartboard.
It is also trying
to survive college.
Eat when you remember.
Trade sleep for coffee.
Breathe when you can.
Break assignments
into manageable steps.
Break down occasionally,
also manageable.
Call your parents.
They will say,
“Just do your best,”
and somehow mean it.
Laugh at something,
preferably not your GPA.
Stay ahead, or at least
don’t fall dramatically behind.
Remember:
the harder it gets,
the funnier it has to be.
And when in doubt,
go to class.
You’re paying for it.
Leilya,
Brilliant! I love collaborative poems. My favorite section is “Call your parents./They will say,/’Just do your best,’/and somehow mean it.” I’m totally stealing this idea for my high school seniors as a final writing prompt in a few weeks!
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
Leilya, this is a magnificent idea and I love the collective poem work. I often ask my grad students to summarize learning in a poem and have them work as small groups/partners, You have given me another idea!
Leilya,
This brings back memories, even w/. the updated tech references. I think I still have some syllabi from back in the day, and when I taught in the Early College Program I trained students to be attached to the syllabus and refer to it often. I love the biting humor in this poem and. congratulate your students and you on offering a timeless look into academia. Please wish them all A grades and sleep from me. Hugs.
My favorite stanza: “Remember:/ the harder it gets,/ the funnier it has to be.” That’s terrific advice. So smart to create a collaborative poem!
Oh, I loved how you got your students involved with writing this poem. What a great idea!
Oh my, Leilya, this is wonderful. It just shows that students do know how to succeed like going to class and paying attention to the syllabus. I would have loved to be in your classroom today to see this collaboration evolve. So much wisdom and humor in this one! Bravo to all!
Leilya,
I am totally trying this out with my students in the fall. I am on Sabbatical right now, but love the eruption of creative and teaching moments along with the prompts from #Verselove. Perhaps my daughter will also heed this advice. Thank you.
Great advice Leilya! Lose it by week three. Improvise from there. Guess I’m been improvising a long time.
How perfect to find this poem just after coaching my college-freshman daughter through some of the very troubles mentioned here—and ahead of a meeting tomorrow with a college junior who lost time management “by week three.” I imagine they’d appreciate this poem, that it would help them feel less alone.
Leilya, what a great set of instructions for new students. I hope this can be shared with a wider audience at your campus. It is lovely, humorous, and, I believe, helpful.
My heart is full from this genuine care weaved throughout your poem. I laughed a bit on these lines because my board has gotten a little glitchy and finicky lately. I decided it’s mad because I won’t be taking care of it after school ends. 😂
Poetry for the Heart
Hear your voice
splatter across the page,
a teardrop symphony.
If you dare, share—
be ready for the crossbow’s spear.
28 April 2025
Thanks for the prompt, Jessica. I read through Ono’s pieces which were fascinating. I wanted to focus on poetry writing and considered changing the title to How to Get Your Heart Broken because of how frequently rejection occurs.
These are the kind of images I want to write, Barb. Your poem has a quality of synesthesia, and I love it.
Barb,
Your poem is a masterpiece. The juxtaposition of two words incongruous to one another is your superpower: “teardrop symphony.” Stunning language. Similarly, “splatter across the page” evokes a far-reaching idea as well as something messy and artistically beyond the control of the poet once written, I am in awe of your poet voice and am sorry you have felt “the crossbow spear.”
Barb, I have posted right above you, so I get to read your poem first this evening. Your words and images work magic every time, as in “splatter across the page,” and “teardrop symphony,” creating evocative metaphoric images, blending sensory details. The internal rhyme in “If you dare, share” and a long dash creating a pause prepare readers for the final line. Masterful!
Barb,
I echo Mo, Glenda, and Leilya — way to pack so much craft into such a short poem! I too struggle with the constant rejection inherent to writing/publishing poetry, but find VerseLove the perfect space to remind myself that the process of writing is just as important as the product.
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
Barb, that image you paint of words splattered across the page waiting for the spear if shared is powerful. No spear from me. You are masterfull.
Barb, that final “crossbow’s spear”– wow. Such a visceral image. That’s exactly what negative criticism feels like. Which I hope you did NOT receive at any point this month in this forum. No spears here!
Barb,
Ooh — I want to hold an be this poem. So special, love it!
I’m really taken by “if you dare, share” because this season of Verselove, I’m really feeling how much bravery it takes to really show up!
Barb, wow, this is so good. You are so good at metaphors. The images here are so very strong.
I’m fascinated about your alternative title. You have captured that. Dare to share, but it might get your heart broken. (Is that regarding submissions of poetry? Hopefully not sharing with friends and family.)
What a super cool prompt, Jessica! I so wish I had more time for writing and responding today. I was able to steal five minutes, and this is what I’ve got:
How to Write a Poem about Loss
List every object you remember
losing track of.
Don’t include them all—
that would be embarrassing.
Think of loss more abstractly
and try to be brave:
name those feelings you’re missing
you’d prefer not to admit.
Take a break; loss is exhausting.
Come back rejuvenated and
log more loss, then
surprise yourself,
finding something once gone
through the writing.
Kate, your poem speaks directly to my heart. I absolutely love the way the opening of this poem grabs you and pulls you right in. I can relate to “and try to be brave” . Your ending is the best part because writing is healing, especially when you are able to relive a moment or remember something you’ve forgotten while writing. I also loved “loss is exhausting” … oh yes! This is such a strong and amazing poem. Thank you!
You speak so much truth in your poem, Kate. You had me at the embarrassing list of list things and kept me all the way through to the healing power of writing.
Kate, you’ve created an amazing poem in five minutes; this exemplifies a strong wordsmithing skill. I like how you offer to list things lost first and then find “something once gone” again. Writing certainly helps finding things, especially about ourselves. Thank you!
Kate,
What a draft for just 5 minutes of writing! It’s amazing what we can come up with even with (because of?) constraints.
I love “Don’t include them all –/that would be embarrassing.” It was a nice moment of levity before “log more loss.”
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
I love the turn from loss to finding…and of course, the finding is in the writing!
What an amazing idea for a prompt! Thank you for this idea that had me thinking for hours.
Instructions for a Poem about Nostalgia
Sift through old photos
Let the memories play in your mind
Like a movie you’ve watched so many times
You can quote each line from memory
Yet still blurry enough in your mind to know
You just have to rewatch it again
Hear the laughter of your friends
Or that song that you all once loved
Blasting through car speakers
Your voices harmonizing with a dissonance
That only you could recreate
Listen to the conversations of that night
Or those couple of months
Or years
Play out in your mind
Embody the person you once were around them
For just another moment
But please, goodness please
Don’t write about the sadness of what once was
Now just a memory
Don’t talk about what you could have said
Or done differently
Don’t describe the longing for it all back
Or rekindling a flame that is now just ashes in the wind
Write about smiling because it happened
As cliche as it sounds
Because after all
We are mosaics of the people we encounter
Each person adding a colorful piece
For which we can thank them for
I like this idea of sifting through nostalgia, capturing the good memories and avoiding the bad.
Kaylee, this is a great poem with instructions. I love how you suggest to lean into warm, dear, and heartfelt memories and avoid sadness and regrets. I am going to hold onto these:
“Hear the laughter of your friends
Or that song that you all once loved”
Thank you!
Kaylee,
The lines “Your voices harmonizing with a dissonance/That only you could recreate” takes me back to high school, when my friends and I (all terrible singers) would belt out lyrics to whatever country song was playing on 93.7 FM.
Thanks for the poem and the memory!
–Jessica
we play together
while I toy with words and verse
the poem chases me
This is wonderful, Maureen. Such terrific imagery. I just love the idea of the poem chasing you.
Pure fun! That is a great personification of poetry.
Maureen, this is quite a creative process you have going on there toying and chasing. Spot on!
Maureen, this is a happy image of you creating by “toying” with words. I feel like you have the words at the end of a yo yo string!
Maureen,
The ideas of playing with poetry and a poem chasing someone immediately brought to mind Mark Strand’s “Eating Poetry” for some reason. I love the idea that the poem is already ready for action while the poet is still toying around with the wording. I hope my current writing project will “chase me down” and help me finish it!
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
SO joyous and FUN!
Maureen, love this. I like the idea of “we play” while “I toy…” The poem does chase us sometimes, especially in play.
Maureen, fun!! I think it’s incredible how well you bring the joy of poetry within a haiku. Let’s hope we can all be chased by poems. 🩵
I enjoyed your poetry today Jessica — especially the balloon imagery/metaphor in poem 1! What a fun concept for a poem and it made me look back at the poetry I wrote this month. My favorite was the poem I wrote on April 11, so I wrote instructions for that one.
“Instructions for Writing a Poem About Your Girlfriend”
Wait until she is occupied:
her dogs, her pillow, sweat or sleep.
You pluck the moment from the air, gently,
between the pads of your fingertips
and then crease it onto the paper’s edge.
You’ll pass it to her later, between moments,
unexpected, a murmured whimsy.
“I wrote you a poem.”
Savor the swell in your chest
when her gaze returns to you
and the poem is pressed back
hand to hand, lips to lips,
her own form of poetry.
This is lovely. This “pluck the moment from the air, gently,” and “then crease it onto the paper’s edge” seems to me the very essence of love. And your sweet ending, “her own form of poetry” radiates such understanding of all the different ways we show our love.
Beautiful! I love the “murmured whimsy” and how you surprise her with it so simply “‘I wrote you a poem.'” Her response to it is perfect. What a wonderful companion poem to your original.
Erica,
How lovely! I love all of the “p” sounds throughout the poem. And that final line — “her own form of poetry.” You’ve got me teary-eyed!
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
Erica, lovely. This prompt has so much potential, so many ideas. I like how you wrote this about how to write the poem you wrote on April 11. I love the ending with her gratitude and love being “her own form of poetry”
I’m not feeling super creative today, so this will have to suffice. Believe it or not, I know two people who are currently being scammed online and won’t listen to reason. Today I was unwillingly dragged into some of the drama, so it’s on my mind quite a bit.
How to Not Get Scammed
By Mo Daley 4/28/26
Listen to your gut
really let it speak to you
Get your head out of the clouds
plant those feet firmly on the ground
Get off your computer
take a minute to breathe fresh air
Keep your private information private
lock it up and consider throwing away the key
Listen to those who know you IRL
save Fantasyland for Disney
Talk to people
Be nice
Get out of the house
Ask the important questions
I could feel your frustration. We often hear the phrase “listen to your gut.” But, I wonder if some people have lost that sixth sense. I’m glad they have someone like you to try to help them–even if they won’t listen.
Oh no! I know a couple people who have fallen for scams; one, very recently. Those first four words are so pivotal – they feel it and they ignore it. I kept think “slow down! I wish you had slowed down!!” which you write so much more poetically with
Your instructions are a public service message! Thanks, Mo!
Mo,
Im sorry folks you know are being scammed. I’m sorry you have been dragged into the drama. What stands out to me in your poem are the verbs: get, listen, talk, be, ask. These words signal sage advice. IRL is key here. As we age, I think about scammers and their sophisticated ways often. I hope things work out for your people. I hope they listen to you.
This poem gives more instruction beyond not to get scammed. It is a call to many to get off your computer and get out of the house. So needed!
Oh, Mo, I had a friend get romanced scam. It was the worst. I am completely empathetic. I love how your poem delivers the honest point about scamming and the urge to just get out of the house. Be nice. Ask the important questions. Hell, yes! Powerful poem!
“Get off your computer,” “Get out of the house,” such good advice for the type of people you are dealing with. Sometimes the best way to reduce our frustration is to put it to paper like you did.
Mo, I believe you, and i think the best pieces of advice is: “Listen to your gut,” and “Get your head out of the clouds.” Love it!
Scams are real and scary and the scammers seem to seek out those who might have a crack in their vulnerability. I too know someone who recently was scammed out of a lot of money and did not listen to the cautions of others. Your frustration is real.
Mo,
Thanks for writing and sharing today, despite not really feeling it! I hope you found the experience at least a bit cathartic.
I really loved the irony of using “IRL” before encouraging others to get out of the house. Clever!
Thanks for sharing (and for the savvy reminders)!
–Jessica
What especially strikes me is the emphasis on getting out (of clouds, the computer, the house). So much of getting scammed is being alone with technology! I’m struck, too, by “Be nice”!
How to Write a Poem
Listen to the wind
as its soft breeze calls.
Play with its voice in the palm of your hand,
then blow your own words into life.
Look at the sunset
as its golden colors melt and mingle.
Study its rays and shadows,
then whisper your own words to the horizon.
Taste the rain
as it glides down your face.
Dance among its puddles and rainbows,
then throw your own words into the sky.
Smell the pine trees
as the sappy, sharp scent fills the air.
Reflect as the fragrance lingers,
and let your own words settle in your mind.
Feel the dirt between your toes—
the memory of forests past.
Sing along with its ancient melody,
then plant your own words and watch them grow.
Melissa, such a cool poem they way you immersed all the senses we experience with nature- With a twist of human spontaneity!
The ending is wonderful.
hopefully I can plant some words to grow today.
Melissa,
What an ode to poetry and the artful process. I love how you engaged all our senses as you curated memories in the making. Beautiful!
I adore these five nature elements as being the foundation of poetry – so very, very true. I also love the wonderful ways that poetry arrives – dance, study, whispers, reflection, song…this is fabulous!
Melissa, you found a way to invite the senses and put them to work. So many stunning lines here. These are my favorite:
“Dance among its puddles and rainbows,
then throw your own words into the sky.”
Melissa,
This is such a well crafted poem! The imagery is so good, right from the first stanza.
Those are such descriptive lines!
Buut the thing that is really striking in your poem is how you pair your verbs in the 1st and 3rd lines of all the stanzas, listen and play, look and study, taste and dance, smell and reflect, and, finally, feel and sing. These are so good and so descriptive.
Jessica, Thank you for the options today. The second pathway was a good fit. I love the image you created with the red balloon. Feels like a perfect metaphor for a moment when it all clicks. Possibly I can hold that image next time I sit to write.
Pathway 2: my plan forward
in the palm of your hand
hold each word
like a rock placed there
turn each word over
to examine its weight
hold on to it
listen to its sound
as it rests in your hand
How does its music follow
the word before it?
And flow into the next word?
How does the word feel
against your lips?
Each word a sprout destine
to dig into richness of neurons
in search of its meaning.
Jamie, I love the metaphor of the rock, holding and examining it, listening to it, feeling it on my lips. I should follow your see of instructions. Beautiful.
Jamie, the image of the rock in my palm will stick with me. When writing poetry, I do tend to measure the weight of the words. Excellent advice.
Jamie, I always joke that I collect words like rocks — especially when I am doing something like found poetry. Your first stanza really connected with me in that regard.
I am taken with these lines, thinking how meditative this action would be – to hold a rock and listen. This is the poetic space I desire. Lovely poem.
Such an apt way of describing what poets do with words, checking it over, making sure it feels right with its surroundings. A great metaphor!
Jessica, this was fun. I have three poems going already this quiet morning. I will come back to your prompt. Thank you for the inspiration. I love the idea of writing a poem in the same meter as the body’s beat. Such a beautiful image. I wrote a cento poem with a line from all this month’s hosts so far. Thank you to all of them!
———————————-
How to Write a Poem (Or How to Let the Verselove Hosts Speak for Me)
Inside me there is a river, a landscape,
Slow down, merge gently, for here is a poem.
From darkness to light,
channeling inner birdsong and crystal-splashing waterfalls,
from beginnings to find my way back–
But now, here’s April—month of light.
Be brighter, be belligerent, be beautiful.
In Poetry we say, what stands, what breathes, simply is.
It’s the floppy flight of a monarch butterfly,
excellence for the rest of the world.
I should take time to write–
the warmth of the sun shining through the window,
bless this world with peace,
hoping to save the world.
The elements engaged in perpetual play:
Every joy we’ve pictured–
A fragrant curtain falling gently over the story
in between the line of this life-giving text.
Press play, make connections, strategize–
Language is my art, and this is my declaration:
Stop all way becomes stop all war,
a place of symphonic sound.
Then the moon appeared,
so I simply return to our book.
Think critically, fight the boxes,
Reveal the backwoods of stories
Sitting in the driver’s seat
let the other half of the brain long for it.
——————————————————–
In order of April hosts’ mentor poems and the cento poem above: Sarah Donovan, Leilya Pitre, Melissa Heaton, Kim Johnson, Jennifer Guyor Jowett, Wendy Everard, Luke Bensing, Linda Mitchell, Bryan Ripley Crandall, Susan Ahlbrand, Kate Sjostrom, Rita DiCarne, Ann E. Burg, Mo Daley, Erica Johnson, Stacey Joy, Kratijah, Angie Braaten, Stefani Boutelier, Corinne, Sharon Roy, Margaret Simon, Denise Krebs, Scott Mc, Ashley Valencia-Pate, Clayton Moon, Dave Wooley, and Jessica Sherburn.
Fantastic, Denise, this is so, so good: it flows so well! (And what an honor to be a verse among these poets!) Thank you for this!
Oh wow, Denise!
What a fantastic tribute to our community of hosts. I love this so much—both the thoughtful idea and the careful implementation which flows so well. It’s fun to recognize the lines and to see how you’ve put them together into something new.
Love this stanza:
And you’ve given me an idea for May. Write some centos with my Verselove poems. I’m already worried about having prompt-withdrawal and even more EthicalELA community-withdrawal.
Well done, Denise!
Denise, this is a such a special way to commemorate all the excellent, inspiring poems and prompts we’ve been privileged to read this month. Thank you for taking the time to do this!
Denise,
This is an ambitious project you’ve taken on. I’ll not mention a favorite line for fear of impugning myself and to protect the guilty, although I do have a favorite. Centos are tricky, but you’ve done an admirable job constructing this one so that it has a lovely flow. We can just end the month today and pretend April is February’s sibling.Tomorrow’s host(s) can go sit in the timeout corner, and since Sarah is bookending the month hosting the first and last day, we can call Thursday April’s leap day. 🥰
Hey, that’s leap day for you and Barb! We not skipping that. I’ll have to add a line tomorrow. 🙂
Don’t. What’s done is done.
Oh Denise,
A gorgeous poem and tribute that flows smoothly with love and adoration. Thank you for creating this dedication with your art and poetics. You all have tugged at my heartstrings.
I loved this so much Denise! Thank you
Denise, this poem is an extraordinary gift to all of us! It so beautifully explains how to write a poem. I am awed.
Thank you, Denise! This poem truly is a gift to all of us. You weaved each line seamlessly. I already miss April–two more poem dates here. Love your poem and you ❤️
So lovely, Denise. Makes my heart swoon and soar today as we sip coffee within Norway’s fijords and a few seconds of cell service today read poems.
Such an intriguing prompt, and your poems are fantastic, Jessica! For my poem, well, welcome to my failings.LOL
How to (Not) Write a Novel-in-Verse
1.Meet a published poet in a writers group.
2.Emulate her practice of writing a poem a day.
3.Learn of a Nazi POW camp that was outside Trinidad,
where my father grew up.
4.Become the unofficial “keeper” of family stories, including
my great-aunt’s hilarious narration of growing up in Trinidad
5.Learn that poet friend had written and published a successful
novel-in-verse.
6.Attend a workshop she conducted about writing a novel-in-verse.
7.Become quite inspired!
8.Realize that the two Trinidad stories could make a great novel-in-verse.
9.Travel to the Denver Public Library to see their memorabilia of the POW camp
10.Start writing ideas
11.Do more research
12.Think…and think…and procrastinate…and procrastinate…
13.Start an MFA program to kick writers block to the curb.
14.Battle internal demons and eke out several parts of a novel-in-verse
15.Finish the class
16.Let life get in the way and never look at the work again.
17.See that the poet friend has since published 2 more successful books
18.Beat myself up from time to time.
Julie, this sounds like you are giving yourself an invitation to pick it up again! You have done some work, haven’t you: 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13. Thank you for the vulnerability in numbers 12 and 18. You are enough, but I’m just going to leave the Instagram profile here of a friend who has been wanting to tell a story in verse for 22 years about a student who died. She has worked on it for years. This week she has finally self published it. I hope someday to read your Trinidadian verse novel. https://www.instagram.com/jonerushmacculloch/
Julie, I feel this…every line of it. I’m I a similar situation with my own writing. Thank you for your willingness to share.
This is such a vulnerable poem! I think you have the makings of a great verse novel. Keep plugging away!
Life does get in the way sometimes but you are here and with words and thoughts and I hope you start weaving them together again!
Jessica, loved your two poems!
If you want the best,
find a quiet place with friends
that invites your thoughts.
Or sit on your bed and think.
The back deck is also nice.
Open up your heart –
let the muse inhabit you.
Tell the whole truth.
Anything less will ring false.
And it won’t be near as fun.
“Let the muse inhibit you” is the line that hit me in your poem. I can see that the first stanza reflects how you connect with your muse. For me, it is a lovely walk in the woods. Thanks for sharing.
Wendy, I love that you begin with place – a quiet place with friends, on your bed and back deck. I’m there with you. Maybe not on your bed. I’m not so disciplined. And your second stanza beginning with Open up your heart – reminds me of Georgia Heard’s Awakening the Heart. A book I continue to revisit when I need a teacher.
Wendy, great advice. I wish I could “let the muse inhabit [me]” It sounds easier than doing it. But what strikes me is those last three lines. I need to take them to heart–something I can and want to do, but I don’t. Love your positive attitude and that it would be fun. 🙂 Thanks!
It is about opening our hearts, isn’t it? That is so true, and I love your direction to “tell the truth” because anything less wouldn’t be as fun. That’s perfect.
Wendy,
I like the two part instructions. They seem right on and sage like advice.
Anything less will ring false.
And it won’t be near as fun.
Beautiful.
Wendy, we began this month with a place, and you are bringing us back to it, the one that is quiet, nice, inspiring. It is so important to have a place to walk, think, sit, think…and let your words tell the truth. A wonderful advice!
How to write a poem:
Start with a spark—
a word,
a bruise,
a memory that won’t sit still.
Listen for the line
that taps your shoulder
and refuses to leave.
Cut what you don’t need.
Keep what hums.
Break the lines
where the breath
catches.
Let the quiet parts
speak louder
than the loud ones.
Stop when the poem
starts teaching you
what it wants to be.
Great line ” Listen for the line that taps your shoulder and refuses to leave.” That is often how a poem begins for me, a line that just keeps floating through my brain making itself known. Your ending is so true as well- the poem on the page definitely teaches us when to stop.
Abby, My favorite spots in your instructions are: a bruise, a memory that won’t sit still and Cut what you don’t need – I constantly need the reminder, and definitely – Stop when the poem starts teaching you what it wants to be. Always looking or listening for that.
Oh my – starting with a bruise…that’s heartrending and so necessary sometimes. “Break the lines” – excellent direction.
Abby,
Wht a cool way to capture the process and open us up.
I like the delicate opening and specific suggestions that are so natural and important to begin writing. Thank you.
Abby, this is golden:
“Listen for the line
that taps your shoulder
and refuses to leave.”
I am taking this advice to heart. Thank you!
How to Make Your Students Make You Cry
Step one, read “Mugo” by Julian Aguon
and meditate on the gunk that collects
in the corners of our eyes
and the gunk that collects in the corners
of our lives, the sticky detritus after people leave us.
Step two, think about your own eyes
and rubbing the rheum deep into the itch
of your longing.
Step three, reread “Mugo” with your students,
just four weeks before they graduate
and face a world bigger than the rock
in the salt sea we live on.
Step four, ask everyone to think of that person,
the one who is gone, either dead or estranged
or missing, vacant, detached like useless retina
of roadkill…Step four b, write down that person’s name
followed by comma, followed by you are [fill in this blank with
concrete simple descriptor].
Step five, write exactly this line:
These are the questions I want to ask you.
Step six, list the questions you need to ask,
the silly, the mundane, the embarrassing.
Give each question its own line, and honor
each for the need it holds in its syllables.
Step seven (this is key), ask students to read
out loud,
to the class
and let the questions leave their lips
and let the questions land on all of the heads
of the people in attendance
and cry, when needed.
Jonathon, this was just lovely and made me tear up. What a beautiful activity to do with the kids.
Jonathan as a fellow teacher of senior students this poem hit particularly hard! I loved the detail and I could easily put myself in your shoes — making students write like this in my own class has been so inspiring and amazing and I am thankful you shared this with us today.
What a great way to invite students into this space of community and open them up to real life vulnerabiltiy. Now I want to read “Mugo” and learn more about this author. Thanks.
Instructions on How to Move On
Mourn for the memories you hold
The ones that remind you
Let them breathe
But don’t let them consume you
Know they will always be a part of you
Understand it’s not an easy journey
One that needs to be done
At the beginning
the ache in your heart will sustain
By the end
that ache will no longer be
The memories will remain
Accept them
Forgive them
Move on
But don’t forget them
They’ve shaped you
Let them guide you
To the next sunset
For days on days to come
How to move on; a unique, complicated endeavor
Ang thank you for your powerful words!
Ang, I keep listening to your words – some I know and try to do – don’t let them consume you – accept them, forgive them. Great reminders: They’ve shaped you Let them guide you To the next sunset
I appreciate how you navigate mourning and offer postivity! I love the last stanza!
Jessica, thank you for the prompt. It reminds me a bit of Jamaica Kincaid’s prose piece “Girl” and that’s where my mind was taking me. Your poem on letting go definitely strikes a vivid image and the exact feeling that truly letting go brings. Wonderful pieces! Here is my attempt.
How to Write a Poem
First, suspend disbelief and the imposter syndrome that
leaves notebooks half-filled with felt-tip scrawling.
Then, attempt to brew a comforting chai spiced with
warm cinnamon, ginger, and condensed milk for the sweet,
but you were never that good at brewing tea, so it’s a bit watery.
Silence the interruptions: the buzz of the phone, the chime
Of email. The children are another matter, but snack or sleep
Are the best of my solutions. When they come to find you,
(inevitably little feet will pound at the stairs) tuck their soft blankets
Around them and drop a kiss to their smooth foreheads not yet
Wrinkled by time or pocked by puberty. Remind yourself:
It’s only a little while in the grand scheme of life. When the pen hits
the page, or fingers strike keys, try not to think too much.
Each line does not have to be rigid, unbending, nor does
there need to be perfect euphony in each syllable.
Eventually, the threads in your mind unravel, start to take form like
perfectly purled yarn becoming a hat or a blanket. Some may
be crooked, need to be unstitched, and reworked again, but
we will come to that at the end. And when it’s all done, tuck it
away in a half-done notebook, a document in progress, tell yourself
you will come back later. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t.
Remind yourself that you never wanted to be a poet, you were always
too practical. But also remember, the poems will find you.
Act accordingly.
Jordan I am not a knitter and yet I absolutely love your comparison of writing to knitting — acknowledging how the threads come together but also how sometimes they have to be reworked. I also loved your admission that “you never wanted to be a poet” because I think that many feel that way and yet here we are weaving poetry together! It’s a beautiful poem.
Jordan,
I love the rhythm of this poem in the long breath followed by action verbs. I love thinking about the poems that find us. Wonderful.
How to write a poem
there’s many things to do
think of rhymes
think of time
think of how it binds
the words you write
the pace you speak
the things you want to say
Must it rhyme
every time
the answer is sublime
A poems what you make it
whatever you might feel
there’s some for pain
some for joy
some to help you heal
When sitting down to write
think of anything
for a poem is bunch of words
that sometimes you can sing
you should never feel trapped
by a poem you are tasked
poems can be whatever
you make them look like.
So how to write a poem
the answer is one that varies
don’t let freedom to explore
be something scary.
Alli, thank you for your amazing effort in this piece!
Alli, I really appreciated your attention to process and purpose in your poem. Your first stanza speaks to the attention that a poet must pay to the techniques of writing a poem, and then your third stanza hones in on the purpose of writing those poems. All of which speak to the idea of poetic instructions.
Love this inclusive turn in the final stanza to welcome poems in the ways that find us, each of us, as they need to arrive.
Jessica, thank you for your beautiful poetry and prompts. I am thinking about the red balloon, floating away, longing, and holding on. The instruction to.. is a timely prompt for me.Late last night, I received a message of a friend’s spouse passing away. It was a complete shock.. My heart literally jumped out of my chest as it was utterly unexpected.. Not sure anyone is ever ready.
Thinking of You
Delicate beats
of bleeding hearts
Pain that holds us in
Drips and drops
Pain that holds us in
Despair against our air
Holding criss cross
activates
the lung meridian
releasing
the stored grief
in the chest
and shoulders
You and I
are just two of
seven plus
billion people
Holding on
and
learning to
let go
Darshma, this is really powerful. Thank you for connecting this to relationships! Great job
Darshna, I am so sorry. I love how you’ve developed the balloon imagery here. The hard fact at the end is striking. Loss and despair are truly universal. I appreciate your poetic approach to a tragic loss. Thank you.
Darshna, I am so sorry for your friend’s loss. You are right, we are never ready, and learning to let go lasts for the rest of our lives. I am glad your friend has you to talk, to lean on, to quietly sit together. Take care of yourself, too
Darshna, my condolences to you and your friend. That is so sad–especially sudden death is so hard to deal with. “You and I are just two…holding on and learning to let go.” Wow. Such hard truth.
Jessica, thank you for the really great prompt and your poems. This line, “Write a poem
In which the meter matches your body’s beat.” is just perfect for when your poetry and your thoughts mesh. My own share today is more of a reflection on the up and down feeling of writing than instructions! I am trying and becoming more confident in sharing.
Some days,
Words form easily,
Thoughts, gel with form
I feel like a writer who matters
Bold stances flowing from a full
Fountain of memories, ideas, images,
Some days, it is really hard. I
Am a writer who struggles,
Stares at my cursor
Remembers the
Challenge
Is hard.
Anita,
You’ve delivered on the challenge and then some! Beautiful and so relatabe! Love the shape of your poem as it is so visceral.
I can totally relate to the words your penned today. It is great when “thoughts, gel with form” and things flow. I love how your poems shows both the success and the challenge, Your form supports the message about writing,
Anita, boy, do I know that up and down feeling. I am so impressed with how you’ve cleverly formatted this one. I do love a day when the fountain flows. I do hate the day when it’s hard to put two words together and you feel more defeated than inspired. Fantastic poem!
Anita, I appreciate you sharing the writing with us. I can relate because there are days when poem just appears without a notice, and sometimes I am pulling myself to produce a few lines. I also sincerely believe in productive struggle, which is mostly rewarding. I’ve been reading your poems and always find depth and craft in your words. Thank you!
Fun and grace filled prompt, Jessica! I look forward to reading all submissions, let me share my attempt, if I may, This kinda goes along with yesterday as well, since I am quite distracted, interupted, anxious.
Step 1- start collecting those scraps of ideas that you may conglomerateaggregate together to form a more concrete poem today
Step 2- you can’t write it down, since you’re in the car, but when you get to the outpatient medical center waiting room, you will be able to get some ideas out of your head and write them down.
Step 3- you should probably do the more responsible thing and check your emails and check in on your classes, since you aren’t at school today, first, before thinking about your poem.
Step 4- look outside. Even if you can’t feel the breeze or the sun or hear and smell the birds and trees and cars and other noises, at least look, and ponder.
Step 5- Stay steady, stay the rock, help your partner not think the worst about these medical tests today.
Step 6- rearrange these steps. They aren’t in the best order. Reprioritize.
Step 7- Take a breath and start writing. Whatever comes out will be what is meant to come out today.
Step 8- One day at a time. One hour at a time.
Step 9- …
Post script Update: my wife’s results are all good! No cancer! No issues!
Thank you for this good news! That’s wonderful!
I’m glad that you got good news!
Luke, this is a powerful poem about the intersection of the parts of your life. I celebrate your wife’s good results as well as you poem about trying to balance it all.
Luke, I appreciate the honesty in your writing! The way that you connect such real experiences with the emotions being felt. This was great to read!
I really love this poem, especially Step 4 and Step 6. Perfect. Also, the instruction to breathe…important in all moments of life
You perfectly capture the trepidation felt when waiting with a loved one for test results. “Stay steady, stay the rock” – love this. “Whatever comes out will be what is meant to come out today.” I love when the words come out, and I find a poem there. You found one here and shared it. Thank you.
A great description of worry, waiting and anxiety with steps taken to fulfill the needed tasks. I’m glad to see you give yourself permission to rearrange the steps.
Now I just read below and see the good news! Hooray!
Luke,
Sending your family positive and healing energy. You all have been through a lot. These steps and instructions guides the reader towards your patience, flexibility, and ability to take pause.
Luke, I don’t know if you believe in number symbology. I do some days and for me I often see #7 as sacred. Your Step 7 feels that way for me today.
Sometimes what comes out is something I need to admit or unload. Other times, when I read the feedback comments, that reluctant writing speaks to someone in positive ways.
Today, that’s what your poem is doing for me. Thanks.
Luke, such a good poem. All poems begin in our personal experience. And we are never disconnected from the personal. That’s sage advice for aspiring poets. And just for being present when and where we’re needed. Amazing writing.
Jessica,
Such a unque prompt today. I can think of numerous topics to go with, but I chose the one I am currently in the throes of.
how to navigate the family group text
I. share the specifics
II. read the questions being asked
III. process what is being asked
IV. respond to all rather than side-texting, causing division
A. be clear
B. be honest
C. be transparent
V. if you want support and assistance, listen to others
VI. respect the input, needs, and boundaries of those you expect to help you
VII. you are not the center of the universe
VIIi. love is a verb
~Susan Ahlbrand
28 April 2026
Susan, this is honestly a great framework for navigating so many eyes and perceptions. I always think for a while before responding.
Susan, I really enjoyed this! I often find myself not sure how to respond in my family group chat because I’m worried that people don’t want their phone to be blown up. I also really appreciate the change in how you listed the steps. Thanks for sharing!
I enjoy the interruption of the roman numeral with the ABC. Also, step VII is so so so key!
Your poem provides great advice for coping with the huge amount of texts in a family group. “Respond to all rather than side-texting” is one that rang true in my mind. Strong last line too.
Susan,
Such sound advice and poetry. Need to remember all this for my own rounds. Thank you.
Since we are nearing the end of VerseLove, this prompt made me think back on the writing I did. I am grateful for all of the hosts who pushed me past my comfortable writing boundaries this month to try new forms and topics. I posted even when I felt a bit uncomfortable about the quality of my words. I am also grateful for your supportive comments. I have grown so much this month. The following poem came while thinking about this April challenge.
How to Write a Poem that Pushes Your Creative Boundaries
Open the daily inspirational prompt
Ponder threads of thought
Peruse mentor texts and fellow poets’ posts
Sush your inner voice of inhibition
Discard your mind’s reluctance
Step forth with bravery to push past safe boundaries
Compose word by tentative word
Read, read, and reread- revise
Take a deep breath
Exhale
Close your eyes
Click Post Comment
The end of this piece is wonderful…Breathe, close eyes, click post…yes
I appreciate how you push through the discomfort and break boundaries and arrive in your poetry. This is wonderful!
CM, You’ve peaking in my window! Your poems captures both ends of the spectrum of poetry writing for me! The thrill and the fear.
“Take a deep breath
Exhale
Close your eyes
Click Post Comment”
I feel this way about comments sometimes, too. 🙂
Jessica, your idea of letting go, spurred my :true confessions: poem today. Thanks, I think. More fun when I uploaded the poem to have ChatGPT generate a graphic! I’m going to do this in class. You know, reverse Ekphrastic!
Seeding then Weeding
Letting go and letting imagination reign
Can sometimes be a pain!
If the idea comes out of my fingers
Then it seems to linger.
How can I let it go?
But when I write a poem
The ideas seem to flow.
Those ideas are like seeds
Seeds that start to grow.
But without revisions, they
May be crowded out by weeds.
How, then, can I succeed?
Oh, the thought almost makes me bleed.
Ah, but blood is a sign of life!
Maybe I can work through this strife
And get to what I really need.
Confidence that all will be alright
I just have to get it written
Then maybe I can get it right.
Lots of poignant gretness in here Anna. I love “If the idea comes out of my fingers
Then it seems to linger.
How can I let it go?” and
‘Those ideas are like seeds
Seeds that start to grow.
But without revisions, they
May be crowded out by weeds”. and
“the thought almost makes me bleed.
Ah, but blood is a sign of life!’
Just love the rhyme in your poem! I so enjoyed reading it in rhythm. I struggle with writing poems containing rhyme but you do it so wonderfully. Thank you for sharing.
Anna,
I appreciate the metaphors and rhymes in your poem that get at the heart of the push and pull. Well done.
Hi Jessica! I enjoyed this.
Instructions for a new day
wake up
bright eyed
take a walk and listen
see a rising sun over the mountain
hear a rooster crow
hear a dog bark
breath crisp, cool air
discover the morning quiet
listen to a car starting up
know the day has begun
Listening can be so vital, can’t it? I think that one word holds this whole poem together Thank you Sue! You are amazing!
Sue, this was so beautiful! Starting the day is something we each do everyday that we wake, so seeing these steps and the appreciation you have for the things around you is really beautiful to read! Thanks for sharing!
Sue,
This such a delightful way to start a day and get in the creative space. Beautiful way to begin… indeed.
Instructions on Saying Goodbye
Understand the wishes of the person you love.
Make time for them; be present and listen.
Don’t force interactions, let them be.
Share your favorite stories.
Talk about the photos in the many albums.
Play their favorite music, or what calms you.
Tell them you love them.
Tell them you’ll be okay.
Let them know it’s okay to let go.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Let them know you know you’re loved.
Say goodbye, let them go.
©️Jennifer Kowaczek April 2026
Jessica, thank you for this prompt. I’ve been following along and writing every day but sharing has been hard. My mom entered into hospice care and just this past Sunday she died, my sister by her side.
Your prompt provided an avenue for me to start thinking about what I might say at her funeral if I have it in me to speak. This poem is pretty rough but now I have something to work on.
Thank you!
Oh Jennifer,
I’m so sorry about your mom.
I was with my mom when she was in hospice and when she died about a year and a half ago. So I know what good advice this is. And how hard it is. I hope you will find a way to share this with your family and friends.
Sending love and peace, Jennifer.
You expertly made this word goddbye so heartbreaking yet tender, compassionate, loving. So loving. You are a true artist Jennifer. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your mom. (I know that seems trite and cliche “thoughts and prayers”, but I mean it)
Jennifer,
Thank you for sharing your tenderness as you say goodbye. Sending you healing and positive energy as you navigate this time. I love how you have memoralized her in this poem.
Thank you Jessica for your creative prompt. As often happens, it was just the prompt I needed this morning. I’ve been visiting family which has been good, but I’m looking forward to going home tomorrow.
—————————————————————————
I’m really struck by the last stanza of your first poem. It surprised me. I might need to ponder that more and channel that feeling. Thank you.
————————————————————————
How to Return Home
text “Landed!”
text your dad
see if he made his connecting flight
text your aunt and uncle
thank them for a good visit
text your cousin
let her know that you are thinking of her
sending love and peace
text your brother that you’re back in town
let him know that your dad’s doing well
says his hand isn’t bothering him
text your husband the letters and numbers
you’re waiting between
wave when he drives up
let go of the handle of your luggage
lean in for a long hug
if he’s had time to cook
return to the land of
grains, greens, and beans
if not grab a couple of tacos
chat about the little things you didn’t share
while you were away
sleep in your own bed
wake up early the next morning
go for a hike
listen for Golden Cheek Warblers
who breed only in Central Texas
pick up the new Ben Lerner
on hold for you at the library
Sharon,
I love how your poem starts with all the texts we have to send while traveling, but ends with a beautiful images of tech-free nature and reading: “listen for Golden Cheek Warblers/who breed only in Central Texas/pick up the new Ben Lerner/ on hold for you at the library.” This makes me think about how when I return home, I’m constantly balancing the things I feel expected to do with the things I want to do. I think I’ll explore that in some writing later this week!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
–Jessica
Well you know I’m now seeing more knowledge about Golden Cheek Warblers…love the contemplations here…the way a brain works upon a return (and I’m always thinking about getting the mail….like it might be rewarding like it used to be). The entire listing works wonderfully, Sharon, with the title, too.
PS: just listened to the warbler. I’m hearing, “I welcome you home.”
Sharon, the best way to appreciate home more deeply is to travel to visit family once in a while. Nothing like returning home to bed and being back in our own space. I love that you’re listening for warblers and happy to see you have a book on hold ready for pickup. It’s ready to go to your home, too.
Sharon, this descriptive homecoming is pleasing to my ear and my mind’s eye! I love your directions for stepping back into your home life after time away.
Sharon,
I love the way you compose your text exchanges into your poem. It’s a way to let the readers know that you trust them with your intimate details. There’s sound, rhythm, authenticity that exudes followed by the perfect gift at the end. Welcome home!
Sharon, how fun. I can picture your whole time from texted everyone that you’re home to sleeping, and beginning the next day. I love the “lean in for a long hug” and picking up the new library hold.
Thank you for this prompt, Jessica! Your instructions on how to write poems about breathing and letting go inspired me to write a poem about forgiveness. I wish forgiving harsh words could wipe them away; but I know words can hurt for a long, long time despite the rhyme we all learned as children.
How to Write a Poem About Forgiveness
First, write your hurts on the paper of your heart.
Fold, crease sharply, make a boat.
Carry it in cupped hands; set it sailing
in the burbling creek of the past.
Should it stall in the shallowest part of you,
use sharp sticks of memory and nudge it loose.
Send it skimming over stones, wrongs washed smooth.
It may round bends; if so
break into a run. Keep it in sight.
Cheer loudly. “Boat, made from my heart, sail on!”
You may feel dampness, deep in your bones,
when it lists sideways, taking on water,
the ink of your pain dissolving…
but take heart,
your words will flow red or black
through the riffles, staining a leaf
floating bowl-like downstream.
Never mind.
Leaves love the colors of letting go.
Say in a whisper, “The hurt inside me has floated away.”
as the little white heart paper boat
disappears from view.
Oh, to write down the hurt and truly let it sail away.
Lori,
Your poem is so well-crafted. I love how you have turned the heaviness (or at least that’s how it often feels to me) of forgiveness into child’s play. Both your extended metaphor and your threaded message of the childhood chant work so well.
I am going to carry these instructions with me and repeat them until I get them right.
Thank you!
Lori,
What a beautiful idea. I was struck by the opening image of a sharp crease in the paper — it makes me think of rigid boundaries and paper cuts. This contrasts with the softer images of cupped hands, burbling creeks, and skimming stones. I’m imagining this boat peacefully and rhythmically bobbing on the water until it’s out of sight. I’ll definitely be stealing your ending mantra of “the hurt inside me has floated away.”
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
beautiful, fragile yet powerful. You have a gift Lori. I loved feeling and reading this today. Thank you.
Lori,
This metaphor is so powerful and gentle at the same time. What a tough theme to tackle and you’ve done it with such creativity and thoughtfulness. Thank you!
Lori, what a lovely poem with the embedded childhood rhyme that isn’t true. I’m always in awe of metaphors in poems that just sound so natural, like the paper boat made with your heart. Wow. Thank you.
Jessica, thanks for hosting and offering such a rich prompt. It amazes me how such heavy thoughts could be placed so lightly, I particularly liked the poem about letting go…the turning away and finding peace in not knowing…beautiful!
How to Find Peace
At night when you take the dog outside
to do business, look up.
See the stars.
How to Find summer
Go outside. Pick a dandelion.
Remember.
Ann, both of these made me smile (during a meeting). I loved the juxtaposition of the dog doing business and the stars. I really appreciated the How to Find Summer dandelion.
See the stars. Pick a dandelion. Remember.
Simple. Find peace and summer. Feels so calm.
Ann, I love the simplicity of your poems. The second one in particular washes peace right over me today.
Ann,
These small moments!
Thank you
I love these poems to start (or end) my day…peace, simmer, stars, dandelions.
Anne,
I love both of these. What great reminders to enjoy the beauty of quotidian moments.
“How to Find Summer” reminds me of a moment from last spring. I’m fortunate enough to have a courtyard outside of my classroom window. Last year, some students and staff (myself included) were complaining about how the courtyard is never maintained and is often overrun with dandelions, which choke out the other flowers the school has planted. Frustrated, I took a picture of all the dandelions to show my sister how “unkempt” the courtyard was. My nephew took one look at the picture and said “Wow! Look at all those wishes!” It totally changed my perspective.
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
wow, both super short poems hit deep. Awesome, Anne.
Love both of these, Ann. I’m also laughing, because when I taught in Denmark, I was provided an udhus outside my skin vogn, the trailer home. It looked out over the fields and towards the city of Roskilde. I loved seeing the stars, too, hovering above the cows at night (and yes, I was afraid of what might live in that udhus, too). Such is the business of dogs.
Ann, I love these small poems about beautiful, small moments we tend to never think of. “Look up./See the stars” is such a wonderful reminder, and it’s one I often do when doing this exact chore in the evening. We cannot forget to appreciate these small moments, and thank you for reminding us of that!
Ann, both these sets of instructions gave me chills. Their brevity added to their impact. I will think of this tonight when I walk my dog and tomorrow when I’m looking for summer.
Ann,
This is a perfect combo – juxtapositon at its best. Let us all remember. Simply beautiful.
Ann, both pieces are magnificent: look at the stars and pick a dandelion. I will remember.
Another great prompt to get us thinking, Jessica. I think the instructional (step by step) process is wonderful for K-12 writers, too. So cool. Congrats on your floating balloons and heart-beat rhythms.
April Instructions for Punxsutawney Phil
b.r. crandall
Wake up 20-minutes
before the alarm
because you hate
the startling process
of morning shadows.
Give your middle finger
to the world & tell
the universe
to go %@#$
itself.
You need coffee first.
Dog out. Dog in.
Yogurt. Granola. Fruit.
#VerseLove. Prompt.
First Thoughts.
Doom-scroll subscriptions
to international outlets
reporting the demise
of humanity.
Play your games.
Audio…1st five letters.
Sing Nants ingonyama
bagithi baba / Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
with feet firmly planted on
cold, linoleum tile
while mediating
social behavior with a joy
for deleting emails,
texts, & messages.
Take a Walk.
Ignore the leaf-blowers –
those men who love having
tools in their hands.
Peacocks. (the same ones
that mess with mufflers).
Contemplate life.
Look for birds.
Observe new roadkill.
Reflect.
Soon,
it will
become
a poem.
Bryan,
Love how the walk settles the lines of your poem into calm, into a poem.
There is so much I can relate to in your poem. I invariably wake up before the alarm. The games I play to kickstart brain are The Guardian quick crossword and then Wordle. My first five letters are SLATE. My neighbours are expert tool wielders – so the drilling and hammering never end throughout the year. My best time for quiet contemplation is between 3 to 5 am. Thank you for sharing!
Bryan,
Another lovely poem! I enjoyed the juxtaposition of “Doom-scroll subscriptions/ to international outlets/reporting the demise/of humanity” with “Contemplate life./Look for birds/Observe new roadkill/Reflect.” It’s amazing how many things we can see, experience, and contemplate in one day. At least it’s all fodder for the poetry!
Thanks for sharing!
Jessica
“the startling process
of morning shadows.” is so golden. And also “Contemplate life.
Look for birds.
Observe new roadkill.
Reflect.
Soon,
it will
become
a poem.”
So awesome, as always. You are a poetic hero and role model Bryan
Bryan,
So much of our lives can seem like Groundhog Day, and you really nail those bits of routine in our lives that seem like minutiae, but really that’s where we find our creative selves. I love the images of “you hate the starting process of morning shadows” and “observe new roadkill.” Definitely a little bit of Phil in all of us! Thank you for sharing your poem today!
The first step in writing is being present and noticing. Love this poem.
What a wonderful concept this is – writing a poem about instructions of how to write a poem. I can feel the rhythmic pulses in your second poem. A poem/ in which the/meter matches/your body heat? Simply stunning!
Instructions for writing about a colourful day
Watch closely the colours of your day
The sun painting the sky in flaming hues
The red boots of a little girl jumping in a puddle
The blue notes pouring from a saxophone
The yellow joy in a dimpled smile
The orange brightness of a sudden brainwave
The green toy a little pushes to the edge of a table
and sees it fall for the hundredth time
The silver moon speeding through cotton candy clouds
Your colourful poem awaits patiently –
It’s a luminous pearl
Inside a closed oyster.
Krish,
I love the direction you took this! I often have students reflect on which emotions they associate with different colors, but you’re inspiring me to extend this to also include specific objects and situations. Last week in class, we had a fun conversation about which color folder is best for English class — I could see my students really digging into a conversation about “which color are the notes from a saxophone?” or “which color is a sudden brainwave?” To me, your poem is a magenta splash of inspiration!
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
Unwritten Month
Leave behind the hurt you’ve
been running from
since you were a child.
Place the torn envelope
with the blue cursive leaking out
in a box taped shut
in your sister’s attic.
Fold the clothes you never needed.
Carry only what does not ask to be named.
Do not write the poem about wrinkles.
Do not write about miracle
balms or eyebrow pencils
estradiol or retinol in .5 or 1 or
whatever; it won’t matter now.
Do not write the poem resting in
empty womb or a life
you’ll never meet here.
Walk through new streets
with your face unmarked
welcoming unspoken stories.
Gather seeds for another life
in beats, breaths: verse hums.
Let the wind take what it wants.
Set a page out where memory gathers.
Do not follow it.
Let the unsaid loosen its grip.
without your hands.
I love this Sarah…I wished I could close my eyes and hear it spoken…the torn envelope with cursive leaking out…the poem in the empty womb…the seeds for another life…really this poem is breathtaking
“Welcoming the unspoken stories” so beautiful. I felt the lines about the torn envelope with the blue cursive leaking out in my heart. I found peace in the line “gather seeds for another life” and in the directions in the last three lines. Thank you for a beautiful moment in lines. I read these aloud and was so touched as so much resonated.
Wow. Let the month be written. Let the sincerity of today’s poem resonate loudly around the world. Let it be read, tasted, shared, and understood. Powerful in so many ways.
Sarah,
I think I need to do a “Don’t write the ____ poem” prompt for myself next. What a genius idea!
I’m haunted by the line “Carry only what does not ask to be named.” Another favorite: “Gather seeds for another life/in beats, breaths: verse hums.”
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
All of these imperative verbs and what follow are just so powerful and nuanced. This is such a perfect execution of this prompt. I am thankful for you and your expert skill, Sarah! Awesome
Haunting and beautiful, Sarah. As always, gorgeous language.
Sarah, the opening of your poem completely pulled me in. The narrator immediately establishes the mood and the long hurt. I am so intrigued by the layers of hurt here and what needs to be taken, what is especially painful like “the poem resting in empty womb or a life”. Then the shift to what the narrator believes should happen occurs. Love “Let the wind take what it wants.” There’s something so freeing and visceral in that line, but also pain. I’m feeling this one!
Sarah,
I love the sensuality of this poem. It really invites and opens me up. Your imagery and attention to diction really brings poetry to life. Thank you.
This is really speaking to me today. I’ve been wanting to “leave behind the hurt” and “let the wind take what it wants,” to “not follow” the “page…where memory gathers,” to “let the unsaid loosen its grip.” Thanks for putting this into words. I’m inspired to “gather seeds for another life.”
Thanks for the writing inspiration in the process and your poems!
Instructions for Writing About a Memory
Snap the clapperboard
Let the mind movie play… then
Pick up pencil, write
Sweet and snappy, Diane. Love how a title can do a lot of the work for a poem.
I love the idea of “let the mind movie play”–there is so much there that spoke to me. That moment when the memories and ideas play in your mind before you write…love this poem.
I love this haiku about writing imperatives!
Diane,
I had to look up what a clapperboard was — I’m glad to finally have a word for an object I’ve seen so many times!
I agree with Sarah’s comment. I love a title that grounds a poem and offers context.
I’ll also be using the phrase “mind movie” for my next imagery-based writing prompt for sure!
Thanks for sharing!
–Jessica
Instructions for a poem “On How to be Whole”
Go back to your earliest memory
Not just ones that people have told you about
But the ones that you remember.
Who was there?
Say thank you
Where were you?
Say thank you
How did you feel?
Say thank you.
If there was sadness,
Beauty was also there.
Say thank you.
Simply beautiful. Gratitude makes a difference.
Love that part about the memories people tell us about. I often wonder if the memories I have are mine or what people have planted in me. So great.
This is an absolutely stunning poem, moving in the most simplistic of ways! We often forget to say thank you, even for the bad that happens. We are human after all and that is a gift! This poem will stick with me, thank you for writing it.
Cayetana your poem hits perfectly for me today. Thank you for sharing.
Such an intriguing idea.…differentiating between memories we have been told about and ones we remember. Sometimes I wonder just how much I remember versus things I have been told about. I love how you connect gratitude to wholeness.
First of all, apologies if this is a repost. I seem to have angered the spam-filters with a previous attempt. Thanks very much, Jessica, for the variety of options here. So often, people approach poetry as … I dunno … as merely decorative — it’s nice to have your reminder that poetry can persuade too, can encourage us too. I especially appreciate how you remind us in “Instructions for A Poem About Breathing” that poetry is in some ways an expression of a body. I’ve been thinking about prayer this month (and before). This time, I was inspired by personal experience, as always, and by this turtle on campus last week (see bottom right of the image).
“Instructions on prayer”
Resolve to think quietly & bravely,
taking up the burden of selflessness.
You will fail. You will try to solve it all.
Words of wisdom will come — maybe not yours —
and you’ll discover the burden lightened,
the effort cleansing. Your mind will seem clear,
but the worry, the ego will return.
Spectres of judgment & mercy will dance
through the torn curtain of your certainty
while you limp & pause, ready to give up.
This part — a kind of death — comes to us all.
A thistle weighed down by rain bends earthward.
With time, with grace, with the light of the skies,
it rights itself — frail, still, rooted, alive.
Thank you for writing about prayer. So meaningful.
A thistle weighed down by rain—that is lovely. I am not sure I’ve ever used the word thistle in writing. I am just hanging onto this for a minute, enjoying imagining how words find our way to us.
Joel,
Thank you for your beautiful poem.
I like the symmetry of the first and last stanzas.
Both carrying weight, frailty and continuing on.
Beautiful.
Your poem gives me such a sense of peace.
Thank you.
Joel thank you for writing today. I struggle sometimes with prayer and your poem is helping me rethink what prayer is.
Aw thanks, Jennifer. Cradle Catholic here, so I’ve been rethinking prayer all my life. [whispers] each line here is loosely inspired by a different step in the stations of the cross
This belongs in a book of prayer or something. Really well done Joel. I enjoy this and so many of your poems a lot!
omg thank you, Luke! Not sure we’ve interacted much this month, so I appreciate your encouragement : )
Joel, the image of the rain-soaked thistle righting itself will stay with me. I believe in the power of prayer, and I feel privileged to read your lovely, powerful poem today.
Joe,
This poem feels meditative and offers a type of protection. What an important way to capture this entire concept of prayer that embodies vivid language. Thers’ this balance between the tangible and intangible. Divine.
Thanks very much, Jessica, for the variety of options here. So often, people approach poetry as … I dunno … as merely decorative — it’s nice to have your reminder that poetry can persuade too, can encourage us too. I especially appreciate how you remind us in “Instructions for A Poem About Breathing” that poetry is in some ways an expression of a body. I’ve been thinking about prayer this month (and before). This time, I was inspired by personal experience, as always, and by this turtle on campus last week (see bottom right of the image).
“Instructions on prayer”
Resolve to think quietly & bravely,
taking up the burden of selflessness.
You will fail. You will try to solve it all.
Words of wisdom will come — maybe not yours —
and you’ll discover the burden lightened,
the effort cleansing. Your mind will seem clear,
but the worry, the ego will return.
Spectres of judgment & mercy will dance
through the torn curtain of your certainty
while you limp & pause, ready to give up.
This part — a kind of death — comes to us all.
A thistle weighed down by rain bends earthward.
With time, with grace, with the light of the skies,
it rights itself — frail, still, rooted, alive.
What beautiful language, Joel! I was especially hit by
that dance is certainly real
Thanks very much, Jessica, for the variety of options here! So often, people approach poetry as … I dunno … as merely decorative — it’s nice to have your reminder that poetry can persuade too, can encourage us too. I especially appreciate how you remind us in “Instructions for A Poem About Breathing” that poetry is in some ways an expression of a body. I’ve been thinking about prayer this month (and before). This time, I was inspired by personal experience, as always, and by this turtle on campus last week (see bottom right of the image here).
“Instructions on prayer”
Resolve to think quietly & bravely,
taking up the burden of selflessness.
You will fail. You will try to solve it all.
Words of wisdom will come — maybe not yours —
and you’ll discover the burden lightened,
the effort cleansing. Your mind will seem clear,
but the worry, the ego will return.
Spectres of judgment & mercy will dance
through the torn curtain of your certainty
while you limp & pause, ready to give up.
This part — a kind of death — comes to us all.
A thistle weighed down by rain bends earthward.
With time, with grace, with the light of the skies,
it rights itself — frail, still, rooted, alive.
Thank you for the prompt today. It was interesting to think about writing a poem with instructions for writing a poem. I wrote two because it was that kind of morning.
Instructions for A Poem About Dreaming of Writing
Wake with a sentence
still warm in your mouth,
a line that felt
like truth in the dark.
Sit very still—
don’t reach for it yet,
let it hover
just out of reach.
Notice how quickly
it begins to fade,
how the shape of it
won’t stay still.
Write down what remains—
the feeling of almost,
the echo of a word
you can’t quite name.
Write a poem
that admits
the dream knew
more than you do.
Instructions for A Poem About Grief
Hold something small—
a cup, a ring,
a photograph you don’t
look at often.
Turn it over slowly,
as if it might
tell you something
if you’re careful enough.
Notice what is missing
before you notice
what remains.
Sit with that space—
don’t name it yet,
don’t try to fill it
with meaning.
Let the quiet
stay quiet.
Write a poem
that does not
try to make
it whole.
Thank you for your instructions. Several lines spoke to me “Sit very still, the echo of a word you can’t quite name, Let the quiet stay quiet”. I felt like I was on retreat.
Thank you!
“Write a poem that does not try to make it whole.” Such a good instruction.
Thank you!
Oh, that stanza about a poem that admits the dream knew more than you do. Wow. That is beautiful.
Thanks so much!
Oh Melanie!
Not one but two gems! Glad it was that kind of morning.
This made me smile and move my mouth, searching for sentence:
Thank you for your stillness and wisdom in your poem about grief.
Indeed
Thank you so much.
Melanie, two poems are a double delight. In the first one, I can absolutely relate to waking up needing to write – – I’m an early morning thinker….
Wake with a sentence
still warm in your mouth,
a line that felt
like truth in the dark.
And so much thinking happens in the shower – – before the pen hits the page. This is the advice I needed, to tell the truth from the dark.
The grief? I’m working through that now. I’m keeping the lines Notice what is missing
before you notice
what remains as a nudge to sit with things and not try to make things whole.
Thank you!
Melanie,
In both your poems you give great pieces of advice about the craft of the poet. For the moment I will hang on to these two:
“Sit very still—
don’t reach for it yet,
let it hover
just out of reach.”
and
“Notice what is missing
before your notice
what remains”
Thank you!
Thank you.
!
Both of these are magnificent!
These lines stick to ribs:
Thank you so much.
Wow Melanie – two lovely poems here – how often have I held that line that won’t stay still…how hard it is to let the quiet stay quiet.. really love both of these. Also, my husband said that the English teachers loved the poem you wrote. I thought their exact words might be meaningful for you: “A few of the stanzas made my heart squeeze. Is someone cutting onions here?” Poetry is a gift.
Oh, I am so glad to hear they liked it! That makes my heart so happy! Thank you for your comments on these poems as well. I like writing.
Let me rephrase that–I love writing, and I love how this community is so supportive of writers and writing. So often we write in the silence of our own spaces and the words never travel beyond our notebooks. It is a delight to know the English teachers appreciated the poem; it also a joy to hear from the readers/teachers/poets here. It feeds the writer’s heart.
Jessica, thank you for hosting today and providing a variety of pathways. I appreciate the experience of your line, “drum of your heart,” as it connects to our breathing.
a poem’s self-care manifesto
find a poet willing to draft you
an iterative word coordinator
maybe not a soul mate but
one who cares for your versed
being as much as the published
poem you have potential to be
a poem-er who can
sense your assonance
couple with the author who won’t
refrain from personifying you
poeming through life together
I love this! I paused and reread this phrase over and over again “one who cares for your versed being” is so beautiful to me–such a moment in a line. It resonated so much with me.
Stefani, this made me smile; I love the flip to the poem’s perspective. Poems have needs, too! And I totally agree: every poem needs to find “one who cares for [the poem’s] versed / being as much as the published / poem [they] have potential to be.”
Stefani, I like how you have soul and mate separate and that phrase of caring for your verses/being. Lovely. I am swimming in the line about poeming through life together. So sweet.
Stefani, I am in awe of this, and the first line I keep coming back to to read again and again and again……the self-care manifesto is a perfect reminder for today.
find a poet willing to draft you
Stefani,
Love your word play. Reminds me of e.e. cummings.
Wow!
Totally making me smile. Love this so much.
Jessica, I wanted to write with beautiful metaphors like you. “A balloon filled with longing,” “drum of your heart”, but my mind drifted to yesterday’s prompt about distractions. i would love to try this idea with students to see what they would write.
Instructions for Turning a List into a Poem
Margaret, this is fun and I think we need a shirt with the line: Write like no one is reading!
Getting out of our own way is a good reminder and also a helpful connection to all of us at some point. Thank you for sharing.
I really like the first line because I can’t read without mine! Sometimes though when I can’t see to read, thoughts come to my head that prove to be worthwhile. Smile
Begin in the middle – the heart of the poem and believe in grace, permission, and persistence. I’m going to try to remember this.
Oh, Margaret. So many beautiful seeds of poems that sit so poetically, vertically in this form as a gathering of verselove notes and reminders. I think it is one of thos poems to print or scratch on a sticky not beside wherever one writes.
Margaret, I love all of your advice – – look for what is hiding, look closely with spectacles on, start in the middle, and get out of our own way…..and trust the process. This is a great topic for an instruction poem on poeming. I needed all of those reminders, especially the last line……
Margaret,
Thank you for this wisdom which made me smile.
In all the advice, Margaret, I believe the last line is the hardest, but most important.
Margaret,
I love these contrasting ideas:
Margaret, I enjoyed your poetic directions! I loved “Write like no one is reading./Write like everyone will read it.”
Maraget,
Thank you for your poem and sage advice. So important to hold on to all these tenets.
Jessica, thank you for these compelling prompts, choices that spark such inspiration. The idea of writing poem instructions for poems to write in the future instantly grabbed me – akin to my making lists of lists I have to make, ha. Your balloon image of longing and the comfort of not knowing if it pops, for all its brevity, is starkly powerful. The breathing poem invites me to think of new life coming, noticing rhythms – a metaphor for poet and poem, even. Thank you for these gofts today.
I return to a favorite word and idea that is always in my mind. Will I ever get it written? We shall see,
Instructions for Sifting the Shards
Observe the pattern
of their scattering
don’t be afraid
to touch
the biggest pieces
with sharpest edges
expect the bloodflow
it will happen, but
hold them
to the light
or you will never see
the beauty
in the brokenness
the strange wholeness
of
a holiness long lost
yet
somehow reflecting
infinite iridescence
in the shattering
yes, hold up each shard
write the memories
the bone-deep slices
make your mosaic
and be free
Fran, you are a so skillful in metaphors. This is gorgeous and profound:
“hold them
to the light
or you will never see
the beauty
in the brokenness”
Your poem makes me think about a natural habit to shove the pain into the deepest corner. And you suggest to face it, bring forward, relive, and be free. Thank you for your words, wisdom, craft!
Oh, my goodness…talk about exploding a moment. This is beatiful…and the breakage that makes a mosaic. The visceral wounds and bleeding. Wow. Well done, Fran.
I love “beauty in the brokenness” and how broken glass can be a metaphor for how we can feel so shattered, yet God makes a mosaic of us, a beautiful complex mosaic.
Wow Fran – what a beautiful image you’ve given us – finding our freedom by embracing our brokenness. If I were to quote my favorite line. I would have to quote the whole poem. Simply beautiful. I am holding on to this.
Fran, I like the imagery of bone…mosaic brought to me as I read through this. Your early question of, “will I ever get written?” could have been the title of the poem I drafted today. Thank you for sharing.
“Make your mosaic and be free”–wow! There is so much beauty in this poem. I love the metaphors, the images created, the intentional beauty built from broken shards. Beautiful.
Fran,
Oh, that echo is beautiful in the “Yes, hold up each shard.” This is a gorgeous invitation the hold what we usually are told to leave. To be afraid of. The bone-deep slices as our mosaic is indeed free-ing. My godmother makes are pieces of these shards.
Sarah
Fran, geez, you are on fire! I am hoping that this is an introduction, of sorts, to what you have been writing….I have often sung God Bless the Broken Road (okay, let’s be real – – I hum it because I can’t sing), and this reminds me so much of the sifting of the shards here in your poem. I love the sifting and I also love the shifting that happens in the perspective of looking through to capture the light there that we never see when it’s on the ground. This part had chills running down my neck:
hold them
to the light
or you will never see
the beauty
in the brokenness
Just wow…..you lead us into places and remind us not to fear the blood. Yes, there will be pain but yes there will be perspective and beauty.
Phew. Powerful and beautiful today, Fran. “bone-deep slices” and a “mosaic.” Everything about this is a giant THUMBS UP.
ooh nice! great poem, Fran. Beautiful!
Fran,
This poem is so intensely beautiful between the imagery and metaphors, WOW!!
Jessica, thank you so much for hosting us today. What an exciting adventure you had seeing the Ono exhibit! Your poems are uplifting, and your prompt brings to mind Mary Oliver’s Instructions on How to Live a Life, Ada Limon’s Instructions on Not Giving Up, and Joy Sullivan’s Instructions for Traveling West. So many of the greats pick up pens to write directions, just as you have done today and inspired us to do! Wouldn’t it be fun to have a whole book on instruction poems?
How To Enter The Next Chapter
get a library
card ~ reserve your books online
check out locally
Kim, yes, just get a library card. I picked up a little pile of books for the Summer Institute yesterday–feels like a huge free gift. 🥰
Oh, and I love your title!
Kim,
March and April have taken a toll on my reading life what w/ the SOLSC and EELA poetry and travel and my firm conviction that we are in conversation in these spaces, and it is selfish, rude, and narcissistic to post w/ out reciprocal commenting, so I am looking forward to returning to books and updating my holds and checking out locally. Thank you for reminding me to check my Libby notifications. Just don’t recommend any poetry books for a while as I try to catch up!
Kim, I can read this a number of ways – practical advice to the reader, saving money with a library card vs. purchasing books, and metaphor, especially “check out locally.” I think of the reserves of energy we must tap into to write, and checking out of our immediate surroundings to concentrate on craft. You always make me think. 🙂
P.S. Kim, I forgot to say that I went back to comment on your poem yesterday. I have learned to go back and check myself, or I’d miss reading late comments that mean so much. My granddaughters are keeping me busy in the evenings now that they’re playing ball – Franna is there for it, Fresca in hand, coming back to poetry later than my tired self would like, but that my poet-soul still needs.
Yes! Do all the things. Libraries and librarians love being relevant.
A wonderful anthology idea! Poems of Instructions. I need to be better about checking out books from the library. I rarely check out. My husband is better about it than me.
Kim, this is a perfect haiku for my students today. We are taking the bus downtown to visit the main city branch! Your title works so well. Thank you for sharing.
This hit home with me. The library has always been one of my favorite places and I revel in the magic that is the library card and what it allows you to do. Thank you for bringing this magic to life!
Kim,
Three cheers for our local libraries and the hold system!
Kim, I interpreted this as relating to my current “chapter” = retirement! I can say truthfully that my library card and the Libby App, along with my Kindle have enriched this new chapter already. Thank you for these stellar directions!
Kim, there’s something so sweet about handling the next chapter. I love the narrator’s practical voice. The active verbs here add a positive energy, and your last line is perfect. Loud applause. Taking those next steps into a new chapter is not always easy. Thanks for being such a dear friend, too. Hugs!
How to Engineer a ChatGPT Prompt for an A++ Essay
Step 1) Don’t.
_____________________________________________
Thank you, Jessica, for your prompt and mentor poems today! I love the “turns” in each of your poems: the assurance that “letting go” brings “peace” in the “not / knowing” and the invitation to listen to our “body’s beat.” Vital instructions, both!
Ha! Oh, my gosh this made me giggle way too early in the morning. Well played.
Scott, the great Chekhov used to say”Brevity is a sister of talent.” You are! Love your instruction – crystal clear ))
Scott,
Oart 2: What role does AI have in writing instruction? Answer: None
Keep heading donne the Never AI path. I’m walking beside you.
Hilarious, Scott! Bam!
This is a great example of letting a title carry the weight of a poem!
Oh, oh, oh. Perfection!
Laughing. Succinct perfection.
This made me laugh! Message received, loud and clear. Those are some directions I’m happy to follow.
Oh, my. This reminds me of another AI poem you wrote once. You could have a chapbook of them someday. So perfect!
Scott, I recently read an interview with Young Guru–he’s Jay Z’s primary engineer, full time business manager, and sometimes producer–and he said that alot of current producers are using AI prompts to create digital “samples” that sound like funk, soul, or R&B snippets that would traditionally be sampled to create new tracks.
As a “cheatcode” this would eliminate the need to clear samples–in other words, pay the writers of the original songs–and eliminate the countless hours of digging through records to find the perfect samplable snippet of a song to begin with. Just write the right AI prompt and, voila, open sesame, a clearance free, labor free block of sound to be used at one’s discretion.
I think I would direct those producers to your Step 1.
Jessica, I think I went in an offshoot direction here and then borrowed one of your cats at the end of the poem.
Kevin
Don’t bother
with the rhyme –
there’s no time
to worry about
such a flurry of words –
Maybe you heard;
a poem is a container,
an anchor, an odd stranger
to which we imbue
a sense of mission
And if you lean in and listen,
it will write itself:
a cat spilling tea
from the highest shelf
Oh, that cat spilling tea is the best way to end this poem…yes. I will wipe up the mess for a good poem.
Kevin, I read and smile:
“Don’t bother
with the rhyme –
there’s no time”
The rhyme is here )))
I do agree that “if you lean in and listen,
it will write itself.”
They so often do write themselves…if we hold on a bit more loosely and let the poem take the reins…
“A cat spilling tea from the highest shelf” is a surprise ending. Irene Latham spoke about surprise endings in her webinar yesterday. This is a great example!
“Don’t bother / with the rhyme – / there’s no time” but also “words –” “heard,” “container” “stranger,” “mission” “listen,” and “itself” “shelf.” Nice!
I especially like the first paragraph! I teach elementary students and wonder who in their very young lives insisted that poems rhyme? It’s a challenge giving permission and be believed that poems don’t need to rhyme.
Jessica, this prompt is brilliant! I’ve been frustrated with not keeping up this month.
Instructions for an Imperfect Period of Writing
First, forgive yourself…you
have a day job.
Then, think of an artist…Any
artist will do. Ask,
did they produce daily masterpieces?
No. Not one.
Next, place your right hand
over your heart, beating
inside your chest. Ask your own pulsing
heart…What today?
Begin. Repeat
as necessary.
Linda, yes, we need to learn self-forgiveness. Love this advice: “Ask your own pulsing
heart…What today?”
Linda, that first line. A thousand times yes. Plus that second line! How concisely you capture the artist/poet’s heart, that great and wild pull to create something meaningful, beautiful, lasting, and the constraints. A good dose of reality and a valuable reminder to persevere.
This poem should go into the anthology that Kim suggested. “Ask your own pulsing heart…What today?” Is how I feel every day of Verselove. It’s the beatings of our collective hearts.
Linda, my goodness, yes!!! Yes to forgiving ourselves. I love the pulsing heart – – it is the excitement but sometimes can become the anxiety, and it reminds me how the perspective comes into play in our writing lives. Process over product, the journey not the destination. The draft, not the manuscript masterpiece. Slow travel, one step at a time, while breathing in/out/in/out….I am feeling you today, my friend, and standing in agreement.
Yes. This Linda. Quoting the entire poem. Masterpiece!
Linda,
I’m in the same boat. April always gets away from me because of my day job. I do a lot better with the Sealey challenge in August than the traditional April Poetry month challenges. But I’m learning to give myself more grace!
Your line “did they produce daily masterpieces?” also reminds me that my writing doesn’t have to be good. It just has to be.
Thank you for sharing!
–Jessica
Linda, this is a poem of grace given to self and also to others in need of the warm hug grace offers. Thank you!