February Poetry Project: Week 3 Prompts

Ruth is hosting this week’s Poetry Friday link-up. Please join the part at her blog, There Is No Such Thing as a God-forsaken Town.

This past week, we have been working through the saggy middle of my annual February Daily Poem Project.

You may have heard novelists complain that their energy wanes midway through writing a book. That can happen with this project too. I coach participants to focus on getting a poem written without judging it. To embrace the weird and awkward. When stuck, I advise leaning on poetic forms: acrostic, sonnet, Blackjack, or one that’s new to you. The constrictions of a form can force our minds to take unexpected paths.

Are you thinking, “What is this poetry project of which you speak, Laura?” Read about this year’s project here. And there is background on this project — now in its ninth year! — at this post.

2021 Theme: Bodies

Read more about this theme at my Week 1 project post here.

Every day, a member of the project shares a prompt related to our theme. With their permission, I am posting those prompts here on my blog, for those who’d like to follow along with the project. Your daily task is to write a poem based on that day’s body-inspired prompt. The point of this exercise is to practice the habit of writing regularly, even if it’s just for one month.

For those of you following along, the third week’s prompts are in this post. Feel free to post your poetic responses in the comments.

Ready for the next set of prompts?

DAY 15: Monday, February 15, 2021
Prompt by Linda Mitchell (Shared with permission)

I’ve been weeding my school library and in doing so came across this treasure in the stacks. This “old” book was new to me and a lyrical gem as well as a primary source. Take the image or words in any way you wish. I so look forward to seeing what comes from these pages. The book details are at the bottom of each pic if you want to cite the source.

DAY 16: Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Prompt by Pat Valdata (Shared with permission) DAY 17: Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Prompt by Rebecca Brock (Shared with permission)

The Brain.

The Brain—is wider than the Sky—

For—put them side by side—The one the other will containWith ease—and you—beside—The Brain is deeper than the sea—For—hold them—Blue to Blue—The one the other will absorb—As sponges—Buckets—do—The Brain is just the weight of God—For—Heft them—Pound for Pound—And they will differ—if they do—

As Syllable from Sound—

Emily Dickinson, c. 1862

Here are two articles to guide your writing.

https://www.powerofpositivity.com/five-secrets-of-the…/https://www.brainpickings.org/…/beautiful-brain…/DAY 19: Friday, February 19, 2021

Prompt by Patricia VanAmburg (Shared with permission)

Astral Bodies

I mean the light bodies described in this Wikipedia article.If that topic doesn’t interest you, astral bodies can also mean planets and stars.Happy writing, everyone! To catch up on any prompts you  missed, Week 1 is here. And Week 2 is here.Tweet