NaPoWriMo Day 28For Read Write Poem
Today’s prompt is provided by member, Julie Jordan Scott.
Arthur Koestler wrote: “The moment of truth, the sudden emergence of a new insight, is an act of intuition.” Akin to a “sixth sense,” intuition brings pieces together. It gives the gift of heightened awareness.
One single, specific memory I have from a math class comes from the first day of geometry class. I was 15 years old.
The teacher asked “What is intuition?”
I raised my hand — an unusual act for me when math was involved. “Intuition is having a hunch,” I said, “sort of knowing or having an idea of something out of the blue, like without really knowing you somehow know.”
What does this have to do with your life and your poetry?
Take a moment to remember a breakthrough moment in your life or a “freeze-frame” moment from long, long ago. An “a-ha” or an “epiphany” moment or a moment that has a story yet to tell.
Let’s prepare to write a poem using our intuition intentionally today. Write this prompt on your page: “When I remember my “a-ha moment” from my past, I understand the place I am meant to go with my words and poetry today is …”
Restate the prompt as you free-write and don’t write a poem yet. Instead, go about your business of the day purposefully not writing a poem.
Notice surprising turns of phrases you hear. Listen to people who say things to you that seem especially surprising, lyrics to songs. Eavesdrop intentionally. Wait for at least 2 hours and then write your poem from the words your intuition and your free-writing gave you.
*
Today’s prompt is provided by member, Julie Jordan Scott.
Arthur Koestler wrote: “The moment of truth, the sudden emergence of a new insight, is an act of intuition.” Akin to a “sixth sense,” intuition brings pieces together. It gives the gift of heightened awareness.
One single, specific memory I have from a math class comes from the first day of geometry class. I was 15 years old.
The teacher asked “What is intuition?”
I raised my hand — an unusual act for me when math was involved. “Intuition is having a hunch,” I said, “sort of knowing or having an idea of something out of the blue, like without really knowing you somehow know.”
What does this have to do with your life and your poetry?
Take a moment to remember a breakthrough moment in your life or a “freeze-frame” moment from long, long ago. An “a-ha” or an “epiphany” moment or a moment that has a story yet to tell.
Let’s prepare to write a poem using our intuition intentionally today. Write this prompt on your page: “When I remember my “a-ha moment” from my past, I understand the place I am meant to go with my words and poetry today is …”
Restate the prompt as you free-write and don’t write a poem yet. Instead, go about your business of the day purposefully not writing a poem.
Notice surprising turns of phrases you hear. Listen to people who say things to you that seem especially surprising, lyrics to songs. Eavesdrop intentionally. Wait for at least 2 hours and then write your poem from the words your intuition and your free-writing gave you.
*
“When I remember my “a-ha moment” from my past, I understand the place I am meant to go with my words and poetry today is …”
…outside. Hushed voices are talking (quietly gossiping) about the recent suicide of a young man.
I can’t understand everything I hear, but the looks on people’s faces, and their reactions make me think ‘Soul Destroying’ and ‘Disgraceful Secret’.
I thought on the themes of what could drive a person to suicide and SD/DS word sequences; scribbled some notes, and came up with (just a hunch) this:
SEMI-DETACHED
Something Distasteful
Deceives Suburbia
Semi-Detached
Domestic Situation
Slowly Decaying
Disturbing Symptoms
Severe Depression
Dialogue Suspended
Shame Degradation
Damage Sustained
Soul Destroying
Disgraceful Secret
Sympathy Denied
Dysfunctional Scapegoat
Statistics Dictate
Downward Spiral
Social Disorder
Declining Standards
Suffering Disguised
Discipline Survives
Suspicions Diffused
Dubious Success
Scars Deliver
Distorted Sentiments
Senses Dulled
Disabling Sincerity
Sheer Desperation
Determines Solution
Sanity Doubtful
Disaster Strikes
Stan, I can see where you're coming from: a very sad poem. But also, yesterday's acrostic prompt has put you on the track of "initial" poems. It's very clever, specially the diminution of stanza length, marking the way the life petered out.
ReplyDeleteThanks ViV; Sudden Death a Devastating Situation.
ReplyDeleteVery clever indeed, Stan, though sad for those involved.
ReplyDeleteThanks Derrick; Once the volume increases, the rumours will circulate.
ReplyDeleteDepressing situation. Suicide does not always have to be like this. I know of some one who committed suicide because she did not want to become any older than she was for obvious reasons. She wasn't sick but she liked her independence and she knew she would lose it and didn't choose to go on. I really admire her.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rallentanda. And Assisted Suicides, for those who choose, should be accepted more widely.
ReplyDeleteGood write, Stan. Very sad when someone reaches this stage of desperation...you just wonder if someone might have had the "intuition" about this to reach out and help...but maybe your "suffering disguised" stanza, which was my favorite, preempted that.
ReplyDeleteClever stuff! Soul destroying as you say!
ReplyDeleteWell thought through!!
Deftly Scribed
ReplyDeleteWonderful Wording of Downward Dive!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I love the look and feel of it-the spacing on the page, the capital letters, the Depressing Symmetry. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteYour two word lines in the "S" and "D" theme really does capture the desperation. Each line is like a burning fuse. The final line of disaster hits like a forthcoming explosion.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, Stan!
~Mark
Great stuff, this.
ReplyDeletenicely done.... suicide...I think we can all relate to someone here....thanks Stanski
ReplyDeleteThanks to:
ReplyDeleteRobin; The signs are not always obvious.
Andy; Hindsight, even when second geussed, always comes too late.
Ron; Sad Departure.
Poemblaze; The way it often goes.
1965; I tried to convey the stages of detriation.
Mark; A countdown to disaster.
Dan; Ironic to think that his death was the talking point of his life.
Wayne; I know I can.
Stan,
ReplyDeleteVery sad poem, I lost a good friend to suicide.
Pamela
Thanks Pamels; I know how that feels.
ReplyDeletesomething different
ReplyDeleteThanks Lucychili; Different but not uncommon.
ReplyDelete