Monday, August 6, 2012

Poetry Prompt

In my life right now there is little time carved out for writing. I am anticipating the return of a schedule once school starts for my girls. In the meantime I continue to journal write and find time for poetry prompt.

So here is this week's a poem by Julie Hanson from her book Unbeknownst
 First read the poem aloud. Read it a second time and write down words that you like. Or completely use her poem as a structure for your own.

Here is Julie's poem:

This will remind you of who has abandoned you;

if not, winter
will.

And this will remind you of what you forsook;

if not, spring
will.

And this will remind you of what has found you and welcomed you;

if not, summer
will.

And this will remind you of the good you withstood;

if not, fall
will.



What I like about this poem is all of the possibilities of subject matter and form. You could chose to focus on the seasons or the reminders. The point is it gives you a great jumping block into pool of your choice. I ended up writing about five versions so far.

Here's one I wrote for my husband:

This will remind you of our first date;
if not, the full moon will.

This will remind you of holding our first born;
if not, hunting chanterelles will.

This will remind you of the gains and losses;
if not, picking thimbleberries will.

And this will remind you of our future;
if not, the past will.

18 comments:

  1. Just Ahhhhh! I am tickled (& impressed) with how you find poetry everywhere.

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    1. It's easy to find because it is everywhere.

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  2. How much do I love this? SO MUCH. Gorgeous, Gina. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Irene, thank you! I hope that you will write your own version.

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  3. I love your prompts.

    Here is one from me...

    This will remind me of a defenseless time;
    if not, the blushed, undercooked laces on my daughter’s shoe will.

    This will remind me of braving new schools, towns and close apartments;
    if not, the caution in my sister’s voice will.

    This will remind me of whispered threats;
    if not, the way I jolt when you touch me unpredictably will.

    And this will remind me of endurance;
    if not, every fresh daybreak will.

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    1. This is wonderful, Juliet! It evokes so many emotions. As I wipe away a tear, I say, "Thanks for sharing it."

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    2. Aw, shucks my love. You are my personal writing hero this week. My GOD DID I MENTION HOW MUCH I LOVE RB??

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  4. Oh, Juliet, I love this, this is beautiful. Nice Swagger! I am so glad that you shared this. Thank you!

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    1. Thanks, love. Thank you for the continued inspiration.

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  5. Nice work, Juliet! I found promise in your poem, although the third line gave me chills. Great poem. :)

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  6. Great post Gina, love how you always give us something to think about and something to write about and I too have written a few of them based on your prompt... and I like that I don't have to stray too far from Swagger's to find inspiration.

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  7. I'm no poet, but here's a shot at it...


    This will remind you of who we are,
    If not my hug will

    This will remind you of why we are,
    If not my kiss will

    This will remind you of what we are,
    If not my smile will

    This will remind you of how we are,
    If not my touch will

    This will remind you of what we can be,
    If not my hope will

    And this will remind you of how much I love you,
    There is no if not for that.

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    1. If you think you're not a poet, Jon, you're hugely mistaken.

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