Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our minds can go wandering off on a little daydream. This is the subject of one of my favorite short stories, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber. For those not familiar with this tale, Walter Mitty daydreams himself into a much more exciting life than the one he leads as a hen-pecked, middle-class husband. This story was translated into a major motion picture in 1947 starring Danny Kaye as our intrepid hero, and an updated version is currently filming with Ben Stiller in the title role.
There are several possible interpretations of this prompt. Perhaps you’d like to share one of your own daydreams with us, or you could show us the contrast between your reality and fantasy worlds. You could also take inspiration from one of Walter’s imagined adventures in writing your poem. I’ve also included a few quotes about daydreaming as well as a musical blast from the past to help you get started. So let your mind go wandering!
I live my daydreams in music. ~ Albert Einstein
Visualization is daydreaming with a purpose. ~ Bo Bennett
A daydream is a meal at which images are eaten. Some of us are gourmets, some gourmands, and a good many take their images precooked out of a can and swallow them down whole, absent-mindedly and with little relish. ~ W. H. Auden
To lose one's self in reverie, one must be either very happy, or very unhappy. Reverie is the child of extremes. ~ Antoine Rivarol
Don’t forget to invite the other Jammers to read your contribution by signing up with Mr. Linky. Please remember to mention Poetry Jam in your post. And be sure to visit with the other poets who participate in this prompt, comments and feedback help turn our poetic dreams into reality!
Mary Mansfield from Write Wing Conspiracy
nice...wrote mine tonight and have it ready for in the morning...took a little different approach and maybe walked the dark side of daydreams a bit...but its all good...see you in the AM
ReplyDeleteand i was emailing with Mary this morning and told her how awesome last week was...i think all but two that jammed visited...and that is amazing...that is what communities like this are all about...so thank you all for making it that...
peace.
So nice to hear, Brian! I look forward to seeing your poem tomorrow.
Deletealright, i am back...and will be checking back as well to see who else joins in...
ReplyDeleteThis prompt is right up my street .lol...Loved it!~! Thank you so much. Have a good one all at PJ :)
ReplyDeleteI had a bit of fun with this one!! I'd say we are off to a good start here. Keep 'em coming, and enjoy the work of others throughout the week.
ReplyDeleteThis is a delightful beautifully presented post. The Monkees!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a hoot!
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI've encroached into Poetry Jam which I rarely do. I'm liking it! It's now safely on my Blog Prompt list to remind me automatically of the next one!
Hank
I'm glad, Hank!!
DeleteGreat prompt Mary. I look forward to seeing what people write. I will not be home until the weekend. We are camping in Big Sur, California, with our daughter and grandson (and the campsite has wifi--tho my laptop has a weak battery). I am taking poetry notes but never seem to get poetry written on vacation!
ReplyDeleteYour voice is missed, Peggy; but do enjoy your camping...see you upon return.
DeleteSo many great poems already! I'm really enjoying seeing everyone's interpretations of this prompt.
ReplyDeleteFun prompt, Mary M. It really has inspired a wide variety of wonderful responses.
DeleteThank you, Mary! A dreamy prompt :) I just posted my contribution and will visit everyone in the next few days. :)
ReplyDeletedef enjoyed the smiles it brought...nice piece...
DeleteThanks, Brian! :)
DeleteMy post is up ~ Since its late now, I will be around tomorrow to comment on the links ~ See you ~
ReplyDeleteAll right, I have made my visits to everyone who has posted so far. I will be back again late tomorrow to visit any new arrivals. I thank those of you who visit other people's links...it is the only way this community or any poetry community can thrive. Some of you are SO good about that! Thank you. It doesn't take long, so please....others of you, please read other people's work.
ReplyDeleteSorry about this commenting business, Mary! I write for about three blogs a day, and I make a point of commenting on three other blogs each time. This makes a total of nine comments a day, scattered across the blogosphere. I receive on average six comments a day which I think makes me very generous:-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your response, Rinkly. I do understand what you are saying, as commenting does take time. But could I suggest that, in addition to the three comments you make at each site you post for, that if someone additionally that you had not commented(say from Poetry Jam) visits your blog that maybe you could visit them back. I post in various places as well, and I know sometimes you can't visit everyone's blog; but I will always (though sometimes I might slip up..but I try not to)make a return visit to someone (whose blog I didn't comment on) visits my blog. It feels right to me to do for them what they did for me.
DeleteOf course, myself being an administrator of Poetry Jam and in charge of a few other prompts in various places, I really try hard to visit everyone's blog. I couldn't even count how many blogs I comment each day. Maybe it is because I am a Virgo. Or maybe it is because I just enjoy reading people's poetry (and love it when people read mine. I do enjoy your poetry and appreciate your participation on the sites I am involved in; but then again I think if people don't respond to people on a regular basis, the sites will eventually wither and die......as some are! And that, to me, is sad.
Don't worry, Mary! Poetry Jam is alive and well! I think we have a great core of regular participants who share as well reciprocate. Keep smiling :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Loredana!!
DeleteLovely prompt... thanks!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like I'm kind of late to my own party this week! This one ended up being one of those poems where a few prompts kind of fell together but it works.
ReplyDeleteSo happy with the responses to the prompt this week! Thanks so much to all of you for playing along. I'll finish making my rounds this weekend.
I channeled Albert Einstein... and also combined it with one of the hardest prompts I've had in a long time... writing a structured poem - a rondeau! I hope it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteWill be back in the A.M. poetry writing peeps!! Thank you for the great prompt, Peggy! :)
ReplyDeleteOops with fresh eyes and a return to read I see I've credited the prompt to the wrong person!! Sorry...so thank you Mary, for the wonderful prompt!!
DeleteHaven't been around here for ages, but saw a poem that linked here and got sucked in! Really lovely prompt! Hope you'll like my offering!
ReplyDeleteI just wrote another poem for a different site. It fits here too. If anyone wants to comment on it, fine. If not, no problem; as I had one up here a while.
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank those of you who visited other poets who linked and reciprocated visits. Without you, the site would not thrive.
Rain is my favorite Muse! I often day dream about it and I love getting wet in the rain or simply stare at it pour!
ReplyDeleteIf you feel the same, then do have a look!
http://priyankazneverland.blogspot.in/2012/07/dreaming-rains.html
posting rather late in the game, but i'm up now - love the prompt
ReplyDeleteI'm a Virgo too! Just wanted to say how great this prompt was. Just in time for a new one ...........
ReplyDelete