#novpad

[jenroseyokel]

Welcome to the Poetry Pub

Happy November! Either I inadvertently hibernated after finishing Write 31 Days OR I had a strange first half of the week. There was definitely a moment last night where I was in the kitchen making a grown-up drink and my husband and I pretty much were like this:

While I get my bearings, I wanted to let you know about something fun we started over on Facebook. For the past five-ish years, I’ve done the November Poem a Day Challenge with varying levels of success. The basic idea is NaNoWriMo for poets: except instead of trying to bang out a novel you write a poem each day. The Writer’s Digest poetry blog has a daily prompt, or you can ignore them altogether and write what you want.

Normally, I’d post them on the blog, but this year, I’m NovPadding at a brand new Facebook group called The Poetry Pub! Because NovPadding is way more fun with friends.

There are SO MANY good poems already, y’all. And I hope this space will be a safe place to practice poem-writing, get feedback and encouragement, or just share some of your favorite poets and poems... in November and beyond.

Right now, we’re sharing the daily prompt in the group, so if you want to jump in on NovPAD, feel free to request to join. Hope to see you at the Pub!

And just so I don’t completely neglect the blog... I figure I’ll share my favorite NovPAD piece of the week in this space. :) Here’s a love poem to salsa, for the prompt “glorious”:

It would've been enough to have tomatoes onions limes peppers cilantro (depending who you ask)

but the fact that salsa exists in a world that's sometimes as broken as the chips at the bottom of the bag

is no small thing.

[jenroseyokel]

Light a Candle if it Gets Too Dark

unpack the blankets, whether you need them or not, 
put Bon Iver loud on the record player
 to fill the cold hard air, 
and let the sun go down 
(as if you could stop it.) 

They talk about changing time zones
 So we’ll get that last hour of daylight
 (as if we had the power to add hours
 to our shrinking days)

 How very like us humans
 To think we can make time bend
 our way. 

I feel winter’s gloom creeping in 
and my marrow revolting against
 encroaching cold. 

I drink coffee too late,
 light spice scented candles,
 half long for Christmas
 half pine for summer
 fully beg for some light.

This poem is for Day 9′s prompt,” ___ if ____.”

[jenroseyokel]

Sabbath

Continuing with NovPAD catchup... Day 7′s prompt was Days of the Week/Weak and I’m still thinking about limits... Give me one day,
 just one to rest,
 to sleep, 
to think, 
to remember
 my blessed limits.

[jenroseyokel]

Corn + Salt + Vegetable Oil

Today’s NovPAD prompt is “triangle.” This is what happens when you write hungry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Note: Lays didn’t pay me to write this, although they probably should.) ***

Just about every other week, 
I’m back at the store buying
 tortilla chips. The great thing 
is no matter where you go, 
from the chaos of Walmart 
to the smallest town grocer,
 you can count on Santitas —
 triangles of crunchy goodness
 encased in a crisp red and white plastic bag
 emblazoned with a smiling young woman
 who declares in bold font 
$2 ONLY 
and it’ll be exactly $2 plus tax. 

Grabbing an extra bag is 
a habit now, even if 
we don’t need chips.

 Who am I kidding? 
We always need chips.

[mutters-of-dissevering-power]

Sunday Evening Comin' Down

The prompt for Day 18’s Poem a Day Challenge hosted by The Poetry Pub, is “harmattan” which the dusty NE wind that blows through West Africa in the winter. The dryness and dustiness can provide a metaphor to a heart condition that I experience when I am especially tired after a day of ministry. Also, ever since I saw Larry Gatlin talk about Kris Kristofferson’s song “Sunday Morning Comin’ Down”…

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[mutters-of-dissevering-power]

Second Joy

The Day 17 Prompt for The Poetry Pub’s November Poem a Day Challenge  is a Form Friday prompt. The poetic form is “terza rima” — a form invented by Dante Alighieri which he employs in his Divine Comedy. This poem I’ve actually been working on for four years since attending a summer class at Regent College. The class and the eight late July days in Vancouver were some of the most refreshing days…

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[mutters-of-dissevering-power]

Solstice

Day 9’s prompt for Poetry Pub’s November Poem a Day Challenge is “solstice.” This sonnet is a tribute to all the Poetry Pub Poets who have been such an encouragement and blessing over many years. They have show me kindness and hospitality that has been life giving. And I am a grateful to the Lord for them. Write on, poets. Your words enchant and are being used in the work of Him Who Makes All…

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[mutters-of-dissevering-power]

Bright/Dark

Poetry Pub’s November Poem a Day Challenge’s prompt for Day for is: Bright/Dark. Here’s an attempt. Noon is noon. It resists our manipulation In spite of attempts at hour inflation It comes neither late or too soon. New is new. The moon wanes each month does not listen To songs, waxes full with drips glistens Just once is a moon very blue Let it go Time is relative, is bright and…

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