Letters

Letters

Today's Poetry Jam prompt is LETTERS. Letter writing is becoming a lost art, isn't it? I still have in my possession letters I wrote to my parents when I went to college. What a treasure they are now.

I used to write letters to various pen pals I had in Europe. I was so excited when I found a letter from a pen pal in my home mailbox, and I wasted no time writing back. And when I put my letter to a pen pal in the mailbox, I knew that it would be at least two weeks before I could possibly hear back again. I loved writing and receiving letters. How about you? (Today I am still in touch with one of these pen friends, but instead of letters we either write emails or speak in instant messages. How time has changed! And there are no more hard copies.)

I wonder if people write love letters any more, or if they communicate love only in email or in text messages. I wonder if this has the same feeling as actually HOLDING a love letter in hand did. Somehow I don't think so. I wonder if anyone really writes hand-written letters anymore for any reason.  Will handwriting soon be a lost art? I know I personally savor individual handwritten letters or cards when I receive them in the mail. They are rare in this day and age when most mail seems to be advertisements or bills.

My preference for this challenge would be that you write your poem in the form of a letter or perhaps a letter and its response. The letter can be to anyone: real, imaginary, living, dead, a family member, a historical person.You can, of course, invent a situation and write a letter or letters.  If you choose to also write a poetic letter response, that is up to you as well.

Or, another option, if you don't want to write your poem as a letter, then at least write a poem that includes letters somehow. What has your relationship been with letters over the years?  What are the most meaningful letters you have received?  Sent?  Etc.

I will be looking forward to reading and commenting on your poetry this week. I also would like to encourage those who link their poems to visit othes who share their poems.  That is the fun, isn't it?  "Visiting" others and being "visited' in return!

Mary who resides much of the time at In the Corner of My Eye.

What's the genre?

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Our prompt for today is 'genres' which, according to Wikipedia   HERE  ~

"is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or entertainment, e.g. music, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time as new genres are invented and the use of old ones are discontinued. Often, works fit into multiple genres by way of borrowing and recombining these conventions."

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A list of genres may be found   HERE  which includes literature, films {movies}, music... even televisions and video games. The most common are:

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In Literature and Films ~

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Action / Adventure
Comedy
Crime
Documentary
Erotic

Fantasy

Film Noir

Historical/Period Pieces

Horror
Mystery
Philosophical
Romance / Romantic Comedy

Satire
Science Fiction

Thriller
Urban

Westerns

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In Music ~
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Bluegrass
Classical

Country & Western

Heavy Metal

Gospel

Pop

Punk Rock

Rap

Rock & Roll

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Today's prompt is Genre ~
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• Write a poem or song lyrics or a scene in a specific genre
• Mix it up ~ write using more than one genre in the same piece
• Make up your own genre ~ name it, describe it, write in that style
• Write about if a specific genre has had a strong influence on your writing
• Write about an author, poet or musician who is known for a particular genre
• Define a genre or write about their similarities or differences or which ones you like or dislike

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Please write a new poem for this prompt; link it in with Mr. Linky; leave us a comment below; visit as many other participants as you can. { Please leave them a comment, too! }

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I hope you can find something in this week's prompt to inspire you.
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Thank you for jamming with us!
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dani

my heart's love songs
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{the above images are in the public domain.}

The Games Poets Play

The world has been focusing its attention on London and the Olympic Games, which has given me inspiration for this week’s prompt.  Watching athletes push themselves beyond their limitations in search of glory can be quite inspiring, their stories becoming interwoven into our popular culture.

Of course, not all games have the capability of altering the fate of the world.  Consider the games of childhood, the ones found on playgrounds and back yards on a summer afternoon, as well as board games keeping us busy around the family table or video games keeping us busy almost anywhere.

For this week’s prompt, I’d like you to consider games in any variety you’d like.  Here are a few quotes about games and a song to help get your inspiration moving.

Games lubricate the body and the mind. ~~ Benjamin Franklin

Most games are lost, not won.  ~~ Casey Stengel

It is in games that many men discover their paradise. ~~ Robert Lynd

95% of this game is half mental.   ~~ Yogi Berra

Be sure to link your poem up below, and remember to play fair and visit the other participants in this week’s prompt.  Good luck, and game on! Mary Mansfield from Write Wing Conspiracy

What Do YOU Value?

What Do YOU Value? 

I have personally thought a lot lately about 'value' and 'values.' What do I value, and what are my values? I do think perhaps that what one values is different at different times in life. I do not value all the same things today as when I was a teen-ager or when I was aged 30! However, as I think about it, I don't believe my values have changed much since I was a teen-ager. Have yours?

This week I would like you to write a poem about value or values. Here are a few ideas: Write about (1) what you value more than anything or one thing that you personally value, (2) your personal values, (3) how your values have stayed the same or changed, (4) how society's values have stayed the same or changed, (4) the values you wish to pass on to your children, (5) how you developed your values, (6) what is the value of ONE human life?

I will share a few quotes on values:

"The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values."   --  William S. Burroughs

"Try not to become a man of success rather try to become a man of value." --  Albert Einstein

"Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its scarcity". --   Samuel Johnson

"We can tell our values by looking at our checkbook stubs." --  Gloria Steinem

Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” --  M. Scott Peck.

“Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.”   -- William Shakespeare in  Romeo and Juliet.

I request that you link a NEW poem for this prompt.  I also request that you visit the poems of others who link.  This is a small site and shouldn't be hard. 

I want you to know that I VALUE your participation in Poetry Jam!  I really do.  Know that!!

Mary who blogs at In the Corner of My Eye (and who enjoys visits along with the rest of you!)