Totally Optional Prompt - Firsts

Totally Optional Prompt: Firsts

There is something very memorable about the firsts in our lives. I remember my first day of kindergarten, clinging desperately to my mom with one hand and having the teacher, Mrs. Neilson, practically pulling my other arm out of its socket trying to get me away from her. Kind of ironic that I became a teacher!

Anyway, that's the prompt this week: write a poem about a first in your life. The possibilities are endless, really.

First vehicle - First kiss - First marriage - First grade - First flight - First drink

It started out with young love
Happy, exuberant, joyful and free
He was my first kiss, my first love
But I've come to learn firsts don't last

Four years of dating
Freshman through senior
Couldn't wait to be married
It was my dream come true

The first three years were fairly normal
Learning to live as one
But a miscarriage of fate turned the tides
It was probably the beginning of the end

When the first girl was born
At the end of the third year
My heart filled with so much joy
Until the betrayal slipped from his lips

Where do I go, what do I do
I was hopelessly trapped with no way out
Embarrassed by the mistake
That was now coming clear

But I thought the second girl
Would change it all back
Unfortunate for me
This was the nail in the coffin

So after four years of dating
And six as man and wife
My world ripped apart
And would be years in the mending

(Art by Eric M. Chicago)

Totally Optional Prompts

This week's Totally Optional Prompts asks:

Your prompt for this week: be someone or something else. Write a poem in the voice of whomever or whatever you'd like.

The Spark is Gone

I speak from the darkness
An inky black dot
Swallowed by emotions
Too strong to speak

I once was a princess
Living the high life
Cherished by the one
As my heart beat for two

I went away when your spark was lost
Sinking, falling, crashing into despair
Unsure what to do or where to go
I was adrift on the waves of saddness

I continue to fight every day
Trying to find the spark
That moment of happiness
That gives me back my life

Totally Optional Prompts - Unsavory

Totally Optional Prompts - Unsavory

This is not an original poem, but ever since I did a poem based on Jingle Bells, I've had this ditty running through my head from childhood.

Jingle bells, shotgun shells
Santa Claus is dead.
Rudolph took a 45
And shot him in the head!
GI Joe, GI Joe
Tried to save his life,
But Barbie doll, Barbie doll,
Stabbed him with a knife.

Now, how unsavory is that??!!!

Totally Optional Prompts - Sound

Totally Optional Prompt: Sound

Okay, I'm not a computer expert and the sound and video components are waaaaaaay over my head! So, instead of getting actual sound for this prompt, I'll try writing it. No promises!

The Art of Sound

Split, splat the rain comes down
Swish, swash go the wiper blades
Squeak, squash are my shoes on the tile
Splunk, splack the rain barrel is full

Creak, creak goes the garden gate
Chirp, creep as the crickets start to talk
Crunch, crunch acros the crinkling grass
Crash, crack was that really the dog

Blip, bling those damn video games
Burp, blurb can you say excuse me
Beep, beeeeeep traffic jammed again
Boing, Bong you've got mail

Whish, whip is the wind in my face
Whirl, whash goes the water down the drain
Whack, whack as the back door slams
Whoo, whoo from the old barn owl

Totally Optional Prompts - Expectations

This week's Totally Optional Prompt is:
Write a poem that creates expectations - specific ones. You may choose to extend the poem to fulfill the expectations. Or to have something completely unexpected happen. Or leave the reader to fill in what happens: there can be a lot of fun in that.

Expectations - come one, come all
To the land of daytime dreams
What are they, you may say
Just pull up a chair and listen

First we expect to have a happy childhood
Sugar and spice with snails and puppy dog tails
No cares, no worries
Just cotton candy promises and love

When school arrives to interrupt your day
The expectations change to routine and schedule
Gone are the days of carefree fun
Now it's stand still, sit up straight, do your work

Then the dark times arrive with pimples and grief
And an alien starts to inhabit your will
Curfews and groundings, screaming and yelling
Oh my god, will this time never end

But you break out again and head off to college
Or maybe you enter the workforce
No longer a child, but not quiet an adult
You have no idea when the expectations changed

Maybe wedding bells now come into your life
Or a little bundle of joy
You're off trying to fulfill your dreams
Still hopeful one day they'll come true

A half a century has already passed
So what are the expectations now
Do we wither away, or are we ready to play
Burdens lessen, but the end is creeping nearer

And now we enter the Golden years
The twilight of our life
To wait for the greatest expectation of all
To go into the light

Totally Optional Prompts - Marketplace

Now, for this week's Totally Optional Prompt:

A marketplace can be a lot of things. A farmer's market with local produce and livestock. A mini-mart full of plastic packages. An economic abstraction. But real or imaginary, a marketplace is a place to buy, sell and trade; a place to meet other people doing the same.

This week let's consider poetry in relation to marketplaces. Have you ever seen or heard poetry performed in a marketplace? Ever marketed your own poetry, or someone else's? Bought or sold a poem or a book of poetry?

Poety is not my strongest writing ability, but I am slowly trying to add a few poems to my collection.

Because I live in a small town, we don't have people performing in the marketplaces. As a matter of fact, my town doesn't even have a book store, so we have limited access to books of poetry.

However, we do have several talented poets in our community. One gentleman - Charles Semones - has several published works and his books are promoted heavily at the public library.

I would love to see more attention to the written arts in my community, but I think I'm wishing to the wind. We do have a strong state arts council and they are normally very good at marketing and publizing new Kentucky authors. I just wish it would trickle down into my small, rural town.

Totally Optional Prompts - Elections

Totally Optional Prompts:

This is a good time to reflect on elections in general and this election in particular. You don't have to say whom you're going to vote for (or have already voted for), but feel free to. Or you could reflect on the importance of elections. Or the lack of importance, if you happen to feel that voting doesn't make a difference. Discuss the process. Comment on particular races.

The 2008 Presidential election will be the most important election so far in my life. I am 46 years old and I can't imagine our country being in a worse shape than we are right now!

We are in the middle of 2 wars, with no end in sight. We are in the worst ecomony that I can remember, with maybe an exception for the early 1980s. We are losing our financial base as it is sliding over the abyss. And after thinking that racial tension was a thing of the past, it comes back with a vengence to bite us in the ass.

I am a registered Democrate, although I have been known to vote for a few Republicians. I try to judge the person I vote for on their merits and not their political party. However, I will be voting for Obama. I agree with his ideas, I agree with his tax plan, I agree with his green policy and I agree with his goal of health care. I think he will be a steady President who is able to think the problems through and then gather advice and recommendations from trusted people around him.

I, personnally, think McCain may be too old to be President, and with his health issues, I do NOT want to see Palin become President. Although this election is not about her, I feel she would sink our country even lower than it is right now. I don't like McCain's temperment, I don't agree with his tax plan, I don't know what his economnic policy is, and he has no plans to end the wars.

I think it is every American's right to vote for our political leaders. I don't remember a time when women or blacks were not able to vote, but I'm glad we are past that time in our history. It doesn't matter who you vote for, just get out there and vote.

Remember, if you don't take part in the election process, then you don't have a right to complain about how things are run.

The Change

This week's Totally Optional Prompt is blank verse. I'm not very good at this, but here goes:

THE CHANGE

Suddenly a crashing noise came from the door downstairs,
Leading them into a room,
Where boys and girls are changed.
I think it used to be a jail,
Or binding cage somehow,
Something cold like iron and steel,
Makes the change seem real.

© Bobbi Rightmyer

Totally Optional Prompt: Conversations

The Totally Optional Prompt for this week: Conversations
Write a poem in the form of a conversation among at least two speakers. They can be people real or imagined, animals, plants, inanimate objects, or anything else you can think of. You could use direct or reported speech.

RUMORS

"Did you hear what she said?"
"I can't believe the total gall!"
"You'd think she would try to stall..."
"No, I think it's gone to her head."

"But why would she say such a thing?"
"I just don't understand."
"Maybe she just wants us all to see her hand?"
"I guess it could be, cause look at that bling!"

"I don't care how pretty she thinks she is..."
"Do you think we're jealous?"
"Nah, I don't feel any malious."
"I just thought she'd always be a Miss."

"This doesn't change my feelings."
"Nor does it change mine."
"If she wants to marry him, then fine."
"You know it'll change with every single telling."

"Just keep her away from me."
"And from me as well.."
"But what if she wants to tell?"
"Well, she'd better leave it be!"

"I don't think I'm going!"
"But why, it might be fun."
"No, his life will just be done!"
"I guess, the winds are blowing."

"Okay, so what should I wear?"
"Well, nothing that looks like a tarp."
"You know we must look sharp."
"Maybe I'll wear flowers in my hair."

"Hey, did you hear what happened?"
"They say she ran away!"
"I guess we had some sway,"
"So now this tale is ended."

Time to Leave

The Totally Optional Prompt for this week is: Time to Leave.

Time to Leave

Goodbye my dears,
The time has come;
So many years,
So many tears.

The time to leave,
Is a personal one;
You must cleave,
Or forever interweave.

So now it is time,
The choice has been made;
You can drop the dime,
Or make it rhyme.

It's time to leave,
Don't feel sorry for me;
Even though you may grieve,
I have made my decree.