Poetry Jam

Anaphora Poem

2012-02-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Hi Poetry Jammers,

I have what I think is a very interesting prompt for you today. And that is to write an Anaphora poem, and it is not as hard as you may think. Never heard of an Anaphora poem? An Anaphora is "the repetition of a word or expression several times within a clause or within a paragraph". In poetry the repetition of the phrase can be just at the beginning of each line, setting the tone as a meditation or a mantra, or it can be utilized more subtlety within the poem. The poem can be free verse or prose style. If this still is not clear, consider some of the repetition in William Blake's poem "The Tyger." Note the repetition of the word "what."

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

Another example is Shakespeare's "Sonnet 66" Note the repetition of 'and.'

Tired with all these, for restful death I cry,
As to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity,
And purest faith unhappily forsworn,
And gilded honour shamefully misplac'd,
And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgrac'd,
And strength by limping sway disabled
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly--doctor-like--controlling skill,
And simple truth miscall'd simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill:
Tir'd with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone.

A few more examples:

Allen Ginsburg's poem "Howl"
Howl

Walt Whitman's poem "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking"
Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking

If you are looking for the 'bottom line' for this prompt, use repetition: repetition of a word, repetition of a phrase to intensify feeling, itensify emotion, or ....... just because. Repetition of any kind counts!

We hope you will write a NEW poem for this prompt, and also that you will visit the poems of other poets. It really IS all about community and reciprocity.

Link your poem using Mr. Linky below, and be share to leave a comment!

Prompt provided by Mary who blogs at In the Corner of My Eye.

So Much Depends Upon.....

2012-02-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Photo: Early morning, Bommer Canyon, Irvine, California, 2003 (by Peggy Goetz)

So Much Depends Upon.....

There is a pretty famous poem by William Carlos Williams ("The Red Wheel Barrow") that begins with a simple stanza, "So much depends/upon".

I think these words open up to many possibilities, so many directions you can take using these words as a jumping off point.

So play with these words, see where they take you and I look forward to what you will write. Post your efforts on your blog and link below with Mr. Linky. And do visit the poems of others who share. Remember, you can return many times during the week to find additional poems.

Peggy Goetz
Blogging at On a Day Like Today

Photo: Sunset, Laguna Beach, California, 2003 (by Peggy Goetz)

Have You Seen a Miracle Lately?

2012-02-15T00:05:00.000-08:00

Photo © by Chris Alba

Miracles come in all shapes and sizes.

Acts of God, the unexpected gift, a small moment suddenly huge with wonder.

Please write a poem about a miracle you've witnessed. You have all week. Those of us who want to jam with other poets will be back, checking regularly as the days go by, to share the music of our combined voices.

Posted by Chris who blogs at Enchanted Oak.

Recipes and Seasonings

2012-02-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

Yummy- chocolate chip cookie: many people's favorite!

This week we hope you will think about recipes and / or seasonings.

You can do this prompt in a number of ways. For example, you could write in poetry form a recipe for a a favorite culinary delight. Or write about the foods you remember from your childhood. (I remember my mother's delicious chocolate chip cookies, her rhubarb torte, and a delicious rice and ground beef casserole and probably could whet your appetite for each if I let my imagination take over).) Go ahead, make us all hungry as you focus your poetic energy on a recipe in some way.

Doesn't this look tasty? What poetic words could describe it?

Or write a recipe for something else. Examples: Love (thinking of Valentine's Day right around the corner), disaster (maybe last year's Valentine's Day romance didn't work out?), success, "parenting" a cat, grocery shopping in record time, a perfect evening, or.......(you get the picture).

A Perfect Evening?

Another option: write a poem that makes use of seasonings. How about salt? Saffron? Basil? Oregano? Cinnamon? Garlic? Let your mind and tastebuds conjure a spicy poem, and think of a way to 'spice up the jam' creatively this week.

We are looking forward to seeing what you come up with. The hope is that you will write a NEW poem rather than using one from your archives. Also, be sure to link Poetry Jam, so you can send some of your readers back to our site. And, most importantly, if you link a poem you have written, PLEASE visit the poems that other bloggers have linked. (So many seem to link and run.) Linking is a reciprocal thing. We ALL enjoy comments on our work.Me too! I'll comment on each of yours!

This prompt provided by Mary who blogs at In the Corner of My Eye.

Cold and Hot

2012-01-31T18:14:00.000-08:00

Photo by Peggy Goetz

Cold and Hot

For your writing this week, concentrate on the details of what it feels like to be very hot or very cold (in whatever sense you want to take it). Make us feel the way you or the subject of your poem feels. Are there sounds, smells, visual images that go with feeling hot or cold?

There are many ways to use these words and many ways we experience cold or hot besides the weather outside--like swimming in a northern sea, sweating over a stove or wearing too many or too few clothes. The way one experiences hot and cold may change over time and with circumstance.

And of course both hot and cold can also be metaphorical or symbolic.

I look forward to reading about how you experience these feelings that are with us all. Post your efforts on your blog and link with Mr. Linky below.

Peggy Goetz
Blogging at: On a Day Like Today

sensual poetry

2012-01-24T17:26:00.000-08:00

we all are familiar with the five basic human senses ~

touch

hearing

sight

smell

taste

did you know there are more senses which are scientifically accepted? { i did not.}

other senses include ~

temperature

kinesthetic sense**

pain

balance

acceleration

**{the kinesthetic sense provides the parietal cortex of the brain with information on the relative positions of the parts of the body at all times.}

there are internal senses which involve numerous sensory receptors in internal organs, such as stretch receptors that are neurologically linked to the brain.

and then there are extrasensory perceptions which are not universally agreed upon by the scientific community such as ~

empathy

telepathy

clairvoyance

precognition

and more, including time perception

some animals have senses which humans do not, and even some plants have senses!

for this week's prompt, i have several sensual suggestions to choose from ~

select one of the senses listed above and write a poem using that sense in any way you'd like.

select several of the senses and incorporate them into your poem.

select one or more of the senses attributed to plants or animals and write a poem about a human who has that ability.

write a poem about life or a situation without senses {one or more or all of the five senses; or any of the additional senses.}

invent your own sense and write a poem about it.

of course, you could always write a "sensual" poem in the sexual sense

use the image above as inspiration for your poem {the painting is called "The Five Senses" by Austrian artist, Hans Makart (1840-1884) and is in the public domain. go HERE for the downloadable image.

if you would like more information about the senses, the above was obtained at wikipedia under sense (HERE) {including plant and animal senses}; and extrasensory perception (HERE).

i hope that you will enjoy this prompt ~ i'm looking forward to your poems!

thank you for participating. {please remember to provide a link back to this post within the body of your post.} Take your time ~ you have all week. Try to come up with something new and, after you have linked your poem using Mr. Linky, please visit some of the others who have linked theirs as well. We all enjoy visits. Please leave a comment for us, too. Happy jamming!

dani ♥

my heart's love songs

Hi Poetry Jammers

2012-01-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Poetry Jammers! No, there is not a new Poetry Jam prompt yet. Take a look later Tuesday night; but if you want to write to this week's prompt, it is still open: You Can Go Home Again.

One thing I have noticed is that some people will share their link and not visit any other people's sites. It seems these people want visits to their site, but aren't willing to visit others' sites. This doesn't feel fair to me. If we all did that, how would everyone feel? I personally make it a point to TRY to visit everyone's links, at least those who have linked Poetry Jam so that people can find their way here. (If you don't link Poetry Jam, I probably won't comment. I will be honest. If you have written for / linked Poetry Jam, promote us.) And I personally appreciate visits to my site too. Please, if you post a link on Poetry Jam, give Poetry Jam a shout out!

Also, our preference is for you to write a new poem for the Jam. You have all week to do this. So please link a new poem that you write rather than something you have written in the past that you somehow believe will 'work.' Let's make Poetry Jam a site for NEW writing.

Poetry Jam really is not such a large site that it would not be possible for people to comment on most, if not all, writings shared. It makes people feel good to have visits. We are all human and enjoy reactions to our words.

There are also Blogger sites that some of us cannot comment on, as you have chosen the 'imbedded comments' option; and what we see when we click on your link is a big blank page. It is a blogger issue; but if you are a Blogger and want comments choose another option.

Dani has a great prompt ready to go later Tuesday night. There is still time to do my You Can Go Home Again prompt and to comment on the writings that others have shared if you haven't.

I truly believe in Poetry Jam, wish it to be a viable poetry site. I hope that YOU do too.

You Can Go Home Again

2012-01-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

(Picture from Google)

You Can Go Home Again

I have fond memories of my childhood home. In fact, I can still visualize it very clearly, see the rooms, the furniture, the pictures on the wall. In my mind, I can sit down on the couch, turn on the television and watch some of my old familiar childhood shows. (I won't tell you which ones, as that would date me.) And, yes, those are my dolls over there in the corner. I can smell the chocolate chip cookies Mother is baking in the kitchen. I can escape into my childhood bedroom, crawl into my bed, and, as we didn't have an air-conditioner when I was a child, I can hear the summer neighborhood noises coming in through my open window. I can visit the attic and the boxes I spent hours looking through. I can visualize my childhood basement, where I used to sometimes rollerskate, and I can see my dad's wonderful collection of tools. I loved it when he showed me how to 'make things.'

(Picture from Google)

So what does this have to do with Poetry Jam?

Thomas Wolfe wrote the book You Can't Go Home Again. The title comes from the end of the novel when the protagonist George Webber realizes one can't go home to one's family, back home to one's childhood, back home to one's dreams of glory and fame, back home to places in the country, to old ways that at the time seemed everlasting but which kept changing.

The words "You can't go home again" have entered American speech to mean that you can't, after you have left your previous way of life, return. It is said that attempts to relive those youthful memories will always fail.

Well, what I would like you to do this week is to refute the words "You can't go home again." I would like you to return to your childhood home in some way and write from within your experience of your childhood home. Whether it be the house as a whole, a description of a room, something from within the room (favorite toy, kitchen table, etc.), an experience, or someone (even yourself) who lived there. Write from the perspective of either you as child or now as an adult.

One way or another, here at Poetry Jam write on the subject: Going Home Again. You have all week. Take your time. Try to come up with something new; and after you have linked your poem using Mr. Linky, please visit others who have linked theirs as well. We all enjoy visits. Happy jamming! Please leave a comment for us too.

As an Aside: Some of us who have wanted to comment on links in Poetry Jam have had trouble navigating Blogger sites that seemed 'frozen.' Thus, we cannot post comments. It has been those who have a comment area that is IMBEDDED rather than POP-UP or FULL-PAGE comment windows. If you wish to fix this problem of people being able to comment on your blog, go into Settings / Comments and select 'pop-up-window' or 'full page.' You may find you will get more visits.

Laugh in the Face of Everything

2012-01-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

In this photograph taken in 1940, not a banner year in history, a Polish farming couple from Connecticut appears to be enjoying a joke, possibly made by the gentlemen about his pants, which he is hoisting.

It spoke to me, made me write this haiku:

In feast or famine
No matter what life hands us
Laughter lifts the heart

The challenge: Write what the photo says to you. Then post the photo (it’s in the public domain) and the poem on your blog.

Blogger comment problems: Apologies to all who received no comments this week owing to Blogger's issues. If your comments are imbedded in your posts, rather than a pop-up box, visitors may have been unable to leave word of their visit. But your poems were read and appreciated!

Photo credit:
Public Domain Photograph from the Farm Security Administration – Office of War Information Photograph Collection in the Library of Congress; Jack Delano, photographer.
Posted by Chris of Enchanted Oak.

Color Your Life

2012-01-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Colors are all around us and have long been used as metaphors and symbols. Teams have colors, schools and countries do too. Colors are associated with states of mind and mood. People can be green with envy, or feeling blue. Some people are passionate about particular colors. Do you know someone who has always loved green or blue or red? Color can be a moving thing and changes in color can be significant as well. So choose a color and write!!

Color names are fun, too. If you aren't inspired by ordinary colors, look Crayola Creativity Central™ for a list of past and present Crayola colors and pick a few at random. Or if you have one of those big boxes of Crayons around, open the lid and pick some hues that appeal to you. You find many color names in other sources so use what you like.

See where the names or the colors themselves take you poetically. Let yourself go with these, think about how they make you feel, or people and places or events they make you think about. Or just pick a color you like--or dislike--or one that give you a special feeling and write about it.

Perhaps you are one of those people who have unique relationships with colors, like the ability to hear colors. Tell us about this.

Post your colorful efforts below with Mr. Linky.

Peggy Goetz

Blogging at On a Day Like Today

the sound of music •♪•♫•♪•

2011-12-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

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i don't know about you, but i find inspiration for poetry everywhere. many of my poems start with an image or a song. i often listen to music while i'm writing, do you?

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the prompt this week is to use music as your inspiration. maybe you have a favorite song or have heard one recently that made you start thinking of a poem. i usually go to http://www.youtube.com/ either looking for a song or a singer/band. sometimes i type in a word or phrase and see what songs come up in a search ~ or you can just browse. most of the music videos have versions which contain the lyrics either in the video or in the description below the video. you might find a line which you want to incorporate into your poem. you can also look for an artist/band or specific song at http://www.songlyrics.com/ {the lyrics are not always correct though.}

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you can include a link to a music video or the music video itself in your post if you'd like. sometimes the videos will not allow you to embed them on your website. i have found that if i select a video which has had less than 500,000 views, it will almost always play on my blog. {i never click on a video with less than 5,000 views in case there may be a virus.} or include a link to a video {ie: http://youtube.com/ sample-video-identification number which is found in the address bar at the top of the page} or at least a footnote referencing the song which provided the inspiration for your poem. i include the lyrics at the bottom of my post as several readers have said they like that, though it does make for a long post. {smile}

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i hope you find your inspiration in a song this week!

thanks for playing along and Happy New Year!

dani

my heart's love songs

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Solitary

2011-12-20T18:05:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Jammers! We've been heartened by the wonderful participation Poetry Jam has had these past weeks. Thank you, all, who have participated, and do spread the word.

We think we have another good writing challenge for this week. The theme is solitary, and I suppose I could just leave it at that but I'll throw out some additional ideas to perhaps inspire your creative juices:

A solitary wine glass:. Where are you? At home? Elsewhere? What fills it? Oor is it empty? Does the glass itself have significance to you? A gift maybe?

A solitary coffee cup: Where are you? At home? Elsewhere? Is anyone near?

A solitary candle: Did you light it? What does it signify?

A solitary rose: For what occasion? For whom? Or from whom?

A solitary walk: Where are you? On the beach? In the woods? Walking through your old neighborhood?

You may want to just reflect on the word itself. Is "solitary" positive or negative for you? What are your solitary joys, sadnesses? When you think of it, life itself is a solitary journey, isn't it?

These are just a few ideas. Take the word 'solitary' and go wherever your mind takes you. We are hoping for some interesting writes. Many are in the midst of a busy holiday season right now. Perhaps not much 'solitary' time for writing. But we'll be here all week, so hope you will find time for a write. (We encourage you to write a NEW poem, even if it takes a few days.) I will be around to visit all who write / share a poem, and I hope if you post a link you will visit as many others as you can too, as we all enjoy comments. Come back a time or two during the week to read new additions!

Oh, and Happy Holidays to those who celebrate!

Posted by Mary who blogs at In the Corner of My Eye

Occupy THIS

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

This week let us occupy ourselves with ~

(that is, engage, absorb, inhabit, hold, dwell in, and otherwise take up the cause of)

the power verb

OCCUPY

in any form ~

Perhaps you are preoccupied, even obsessed, with something? …

Maybe what moves you is an occupation, a person’s or a foreign army? …

Does the Occupy movement itself ignite a protest poem? …

Have fun!

Posted by Chris who blogs at Enchanted Oak.

Past and Future

2011-12-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

Photo: Old and young, a Yi village in Western China, 2005

Past and Future

Now there's a broad spectrum of time to think about. We all have a past and a future, everything has them. They may be earthly or not, imaginary or in some other dimension. And who can forget Dickens' Christmas ghosts (of past and future)?

Some people seem to have a particular affinity for a certain period of time. Some seem always to be looking to the future and others to live in the past. And there's always the tantalizing idea of time travel. Lots of places to go with past and future. What periods of time do your like to imagine about? There are people, places, events, feelings--all sort of things go with past or future.

So see where these ideas take you. Use one or both. I look forward to your efforts posted here with Mr. Linky.

Peggy Goetz

Blogging at On a Day Like Today

Poetry Jam Reinvented

2011-12-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

Hi Poetry Jammers! Let's get Poetry Jam "on the map" of the blogosphere. I want to tell you all that we have a new team here, a very dedicated team. Each of us is dedicated to doing all that we can to further the cause of Poetry Jam.

New prompts will appear every Wednesday (or perhaps late Tuesday night) here in the US. You will have a week to respond to them. And we sincerely hope that you will. We also hope that you will respond at least to some of those who responded to the same challenge you do. Blogging is reciprocal, after all. We are a small enough site that it is possible to visit a lot of posters, I think. I (Mary) will be responding to everyone. I consider it the right thing to do, but also enjoy comments on my writings, as do others who share. See you all late Tuesday or Wednesday for a new prompt.

I have also added a Blogroll of people who have participated in at least one of the last two challenges. I will continue to update this with participants and also try to keep it current (listing regular participators), so I hope you all will continue to come back!

I am posting this Monday night. Watch for Peggy's prompt later Tuesday night or early Wednesday. She has a good one. Please follow us if you want to be updated as to when a new challenge appears. Thank you for taking part in Poetry Jam.

Deep

2011-11-29T17:04:00.000-08:00

Deep. Always there is depth. All around us if we but look.

Anonymous

Think about deep.

It can be a modifier or a noun, with meanings including extending far from the surface, intense, extreme, meaningful as well as the bottom of the ocean or any remote, mysterious region.

We talk about deep in the jungle, deep space, deep green, deep winter, deep water, deep in thought, dig deep, deep depression, she is a deep one, deep sleep. For poets too it might mean looking deep inside yourself--or someone else--for your writing topic. What does it mean to know what's deep inside? What does it mean to know someone deeply?

Deep can be used as a metaphor with many layers. Try to go unexpected places with this.

Just let your mind drift and see where it takes you. Post your efforts using Mr. Linky. I look forward to reading what you do.

Peggy Goetz

Blogging at On a Day Like Today

Paradise Lost

2011-11-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

I sung of chaos and eternal night....

John Milton

"Paradise Lost"

'The fall of Luciferìì' by Gustave Doré 1866

Illustration for "Paradise Lost" by John Milton

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paradise_Lost_9.jpg

the prompt which i have selected for this week's jam is "Paradise Lost" by John Milton, an epic poem published in 10 books in 1866. before you think i am asking you to read all ten books, let me give you the four options i was thinking of ~

1) take the title "Paradise Lost" and make that the theme or topic of your poem.

2) take the line "I sung of chaos and eternal night...." and use all or part of it in your poem.

3) select an illustration from the books published in 1866 {such as the one shown above by Gustave Doré} and use it as the prompt for your poem. wikimedia commons provides a selection of the illustrations at the following link:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Search&redirs=1&profile=default&search=Paradise+Lost&limit=20&offset=0

4) in some other way unique to you, use something from or about "Paradise Lost" as the prompt for your poem.

you can find more about "Paradise Lost" at wikimedia at the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost

i hope you find something here to inspire you. i may not be able to visit every day, but i will visit everyone by Monday, Nov. 28th.

for those celebrating it, have a happy Thanksgiving.

it would be great if you would leave a comment when you link up.

thank you,

dani
my heart's love songs

A Time to Ponder

2011-11-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

Please use this photograph by Dorthea Lange as your prompt to compose a poem this week. You may reproduce it in your blog and use this credit:

Photograph of Florence Thompson with three of her children by Dorthea Lange, 1936. Reproduced from The Commons on Flickr with use restricted to personal, educational or research purposes.

The link to The Commons, if you'd like to use it, is
*** flickr.com/commons ***

Posted by Chris who blogs at Enchanted Oak.

Still Life

2011-11-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hi Jammers,

This week I would like to suggest the topic "Still Life." Everyone has seen artists' still life paintings, I know, but here is a definition: A still life is a painting featuring an arrangement of inanimate, everyday objects, whether natural objects (flowers, food, wine, etc.) or manufactured items (books, bottles, crockery, etc.). Here is a still life painting by Kevin Frank:

What I would like to suggest this week is that you write a poem based on a "still life." You can find a painting of an artist or photograph of a photographer and write to it if you wish. But MY preference would be that you set up your own 'still life' scene, photograph it, share it with us, and write something based on your OWN photo. Fruits, flowers, ANY inanimate objects. Or if you are by chance a painter, share your painting and write a poem about that! Lots of options.

Today I photographed a few 'still life pictures' of things I have in my own home. I do not know if I will use one of these photos to write to or whether I will set up another scene, but I thought I would share these to give you ideas. And also to let you know that the photograph of your inanimate object does not need to be of professional quality.

Once you have a 'still life' photo, write about it. Perhaps tell us why it is significant. Perhaps get inside one of the things photographed, and write from its perspective.

Though it would be fun to see your own photograph, if you are not a photographer, find a still life photo on the web that appeals to you. And write based on it.

Mr. Linky may not appear today, but will appear tomorrow. That will give you a little time to photograph, think, write, and blog. I hope you will enjoy this. I look forward to reading what each of you writes. (And don't forget to visit other jammers' writings as well.)

Submitted to Poetry Jam by Mary who blogs at In the Corner of My Eye.

Windows

2011-11-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Jammers,

This week I would like to suggest the topic of Windows. Looking in. Looking out. Or perhaps trapped within the glass, neither in nor out.

If it is possible, I suggest that you take a photograph of a window in your area and write to or about that window. (I walked around with my camera today being aware of window and taking photos. The photo of the one above was taken today. You could do the same.) What is on the other side? What is the view? Or, if you are looking in, what do you imagine? Do you generally see yourself inside looking out or outside looking in? Is the window open to fresh air or closed, covered with shades or curtains or blinds? When you walk or drive by windows, do you ever wonder what is on the other side? It would be interesting to see photos of windows from all over the poetry blogosophere. Or if you are thinking philosophically, you might want to write about the window to your heart, your soul, etc.Take your time. We will be here all week. Try to post by Monday. Consider windows in whatever way moves you to write, and include a photo if you can.

Here are a few quotations that may inspire you:

Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world. -- George Bernard Shaw

Don't waste a minute not being happy. If one window closes, run to the next window- or break down a door. -- Brooke Shields

Doubt comes in at the window when inquiry is denied at the door. -- Benjamin Jowett

I look out the window sometimes to seek the color of the shadows and the different greens in the trees, but when I get ready to paint I just close my eyes and imagine a scene. -- Grandma Moses

When you have written your poem post your link using Mr. Linky. I will look forward to reading your poems. Posted by Mary who can be found In the Corner of My Eye and who is honored to be mixing the Jam this week.

Hallows Eve

2011-10-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hallo all, are you ready for that fabulous festival, the Night Before All Saints Day? What Hallowed entity looms in your mind?

I don't want a spooky scary Halloween-as-usual poem. Give us a day-before poem. Something coming up to an event, after which all is different. Or perhaps a poem showing how the Hallowed in question got to be so saintly.

That is your mission. Interpret it as you will.

Having got that underway, I would like to express my regret at having been so busy these days that I rarely read the Jam, let alone write a poem for it. Life is chasing me down. With no end in sight, I'd like to know if anyone would like to do some of the administrating? Chris is already a Jammy Administrator, as are the Watercats (Vic! are you out there?!), and there's not much to do but make sure the Linky is up and keep the calender going, maybe send a reminder if the new theme is running very late (eventually, post a theme if the scheduled person doesn't, but that's never happened yet).

Ahhh, the Calender!

Yes I have added Dani for November 28, but as you can see, the rest of our future is a Big Empty. So leave us a comment and we'll fill up the next month or two.

This is a random crab, a propos of nothing.

Connections

2011-10-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

Connect the Dots

Does fighting Chaos work for you?
Do you like to take the random
and make it see a connection?
Go to the Times Best Seller list, (or the new tunes in iTunes,
new movies, some place with unfamiliar titles) and pick three.

This is your beginning, middle, end. Or your box. Or door.
You can use the words themselves,or some image or concept they suggest,
but write a poem that, in some way, connects the three.

When you're satisfied, post your poem on your site,
and sometime in the coming week add your URL here
with good ol' Linky.

Your Assignment

2011-10-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

I'm Chris from Enchanted Oak, and I'm sitting in the moonlight at 3 a.m., second night running. I'm stirring the pot and five words bubble out. This week, write a poem using these words:

laugh

laundry

ghost

edges

beer

It will be enchanting to see what worlds we create. Post by Monday, Oct. 17.

Photo credit: "Lace," William Henry Fox Talbot, 1842

for October 10th this jammer simply wants you to -

2011-10-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

An actual one. With actual emotions and as few clichés as you can manage. It's my pseudo-husband's birthday on the 13th, hence this prompt.

I'd like to point you to Seamus Heaney's lovely skunk poem. Not the most flattering love poem there ever was, but a true one.

Go forth.

"Baby Got Back"

2011-09-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

When I was a girl, I had a number of physical "attributes" which I fretted about and caused me all sorts of grief. One of them, I swear, a song was written about (see title of this post). If you don't know this song, don't go lookin' up the lyrics as they are crude, but you get the general idea. I remember when I was young I never enjoyed that song and always turned it OFF as back then I was far too insecure. As I have matured (ha! a nice word for aged), some of these don't bother me so much anymore. I don't know if it is because I have grown to ignore them or accept them. I will have to ponder that.

What about you? Do you have a physical or personality trait which once was seen as a flaw but has ended up helping you succeed in life? Or maybe it is the other way around. Perhaps certain physical or mental traits once seen as an advantage have hindered your life's journey.

Feel free to explore this in a variety of ways. Perhaps it is something you see in others: your child, a friend, an enemy, a movie star... So hop aboard and let's JAM that Poetry!

Aphrodite's Jam

2011-09-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Tell us something about a well-known place in myth or fiction. Something no one knows (until now) but you. What flavor is Aphrodite's jam? Whole wheat, or white?

I came back into poetry through NaNoWriMo, the write-a-novel-in-a-month insanity, and as November gets closer, I get itchy for narrative. But I have the attention span of a...well, not a novelist. And plotting: forget it. It's the details of those made-up worlds that get me buzzed. What would Scarlet O'Hara's curtain dress smell like? (or the inside of the Trojan horse) What would an adult, looking out the kitchen window, see when we know Snoopy is at this typewriter?

Give us a little something that never made it into the story. Awful. Wonderful. Awfully silly.

through the eye of a poet

2011-09-11T23:48:00.000-07:00

how do you get your inspiration for a poem?

sometimes a poem comes to me whole and i barely have time to write the words down before they are completely gone. i feel those are the poems from my muse and i am merely the transcriber.

sometimes i use word or image prompts from some of the great sites where one can look for inspiration {such as Poetry Jam.}

sometimes i am inspired by a song and i will listen to it over and over on my headset as i write the poem on my laptop.

many times it is a combination of two or three of these "prompts" which come together and show me the direction to take.

of course, there are times when something starts to build in my mind which was not prompted by anything but what i am feeling or something i have seen or from out of nowhere.

this week i would like to encourage you to use a photograph as your prompt.

does a flower appeal to you?

how about a magical wood?

does the moon on a dark night set the stage for something mysterious?

.
.

.
maybe the sun will show you a light?

does the sea sing to you? maybe she dances or maybe she rages ~

only you know what she says to you.

Ainsley Allmark, photographer and poet, generously allowed us the use of these five photographs as prompts for this week's poetry jam. please feel free to use one of these photos or from any other source which you would prefer. if you do use one of these photographs, please credit Ainsley and link back to his site:

Photograph courtesy of Ainsley Allmark at Dolphin Visions

http://dolphin-visions.blogspot.com/

i really hope you have a lot of fun with the prompt this week.

dani . haiku love songs

A drug-induced world

2011-09-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hello jammers. FIRST OFF, I apologize for my coming by on Friday, the nervous and very close to deadline day. It's been a tough two weeks and I've changed accomodation from one place to the next and only have internet from time to time. Luckily! Today I have it. Hurrah!

So. I shall send you off with a rather medical theme. Prescribed drugs are part of our everyday lives, for some people it's what they live on, for some people it's just something that's come along on the way. In my short life I have encountered doctors who want to solve everything problem with a pill. Like the world is just a big pile or bubblewrap and whenever a bubble is burst it needs filling instead being supported to live in its new, lowered state. I guess I might've gone a bit too far with the bubblewrap, but I hope you get the picture.

The human mind is still mostly an unknown territory. Everything is linked to another thing, which means different drugs when put together have whole different effects. What is your view on prescribed drugs? Painkillers, sedatives, allergy meds? Anti-depressants? I don't want an essay, this is poetry jam. But you rarely see poetry on medication. And I'm curious.

I, for one, have been living in a spiral of anti-depressants, sleeping meds and sedatives for several years, asthma meds have accompanied me my whole life. I have terrible hatred towards any sort of pill. I fear it'll mess with my brain or my body in a way it isn't supposed to. So, if anything good comes of it, the hallucinations I get now and then give me things to write about.

So, jammers...

Xanax, anyone?

watch this space

2011-09-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

heyy'all, I don't have word from Lilu yet about her theme, but if there's nothing posted by Saturday evening when I pass by here, I'll post one. I know how you guys love your jam. Can't do without it.

Humor In Poems

2011-08-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

The world needs more funny poems.

I think as writers we tend to discount the funny, downplay it. At least I do. As if being humorous or sarcastic renders the poems, well, weak. The real issues of life are not amusing, so the best poems and the serious writers will be writing about death, love, mortality. Not usually fodder for giggles.

The idea of writing a funny poem scares the crap out of me. Sure, I can do bitter and ironic, but funny? That remains to be seen.

My idea for the Jam this week is for us to write poems that involve humor. This could easily include sarcasm and irony, so cut loose! Summer should leave us chuckling, not mourning shorter days and coming storms!

Y'all know how to do this, write, post to blog and then enter it into the Mr. Linky. Read others if you can!

This is my first time posting for the Jam! Hope I didn't mess it up too badly. I also try to hook up with the Jam as much as I can, but if you'd like to read more of me...
www.fillingahole.wordpress.com

Evelyn

(I still haven't written my contribution. How funny is that?)

Hope my Linky worked.

Always Looking Up

2011-08-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am very honored to be able to provide this week's prompt. In short it is Always Looking Up.

This is how I came up with it: One of my heroes is actor Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future, Family Ties, Boston Legal, Doc Hollywood, etc.), who has been battling his Parkinson's Disease, which continues to worsen and debilitate him more and more each year. In 2009 Michael authored a book called Always Looking Up, which is a memoir of his previous decade. Despite his disease, Michael remains optimistic about his future. He has also formed the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help find the cause, treatments, and the cure of this awful disease. Here is Michael:

Here is a quote from Michael's book: "For everything this disease has taken, something with greater value has been given--sometimes just a marker that points me in a new direction that I might not otherwise have traveled. So, sure, it may be one step forward and two steps back, but after a time with Parkinson's I've learned that what is important is making that one step count; always looking up."

On that note, the prompt for this week is: Always Looking Up! (I figure if Michael J. Fox can look up, so can we all.) What comes to mind when you hear those words? If you disagree with them, feel free to write an opposite viewpoint. I look forward to seeing what you all come up with.

(Posted by Mary, who blogs at In the Corner of My Eye, and loves Poetry Jam)

NanU's note: if you have signed up to cook the Jam but are not yet an author to this blog, please send me your email address (not a website, not blogger.noreply) so I can set that up for you.

Will Write for...

2011-08-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

925 million people do not have enough to eat, every day. Sometimes, when I read statistics like these, it just causes me to go numb. How can someone like me do anything in the face of those numbers. How can I make a difference.

Two days a week, I work at the local soup kitchen. We feed 175 people each meal. It is a small drop in the a very large bucket. When not serving, I will sit and talk with them, hear their stories. Some are not much different from my own. A choice or two different and they could be me.

What does this have to do with poetry? Have you ever thought how your words could make a difference in a life? Maybe it is directly by writing something for someone that needs to hear a bit of encouragement to keep going. Maybe it is by raising awareness on a particular plight or highlights and organization that is doing something to make a difference.

Our words have power. This week for the Jam, I want you to write a compassion poem, a call to action poem, an awareness poem...a poem that touches on an issue that pulls your heart strings.

What will you write FOR...?

Have at it. Let's change the world.

~Brian

Evening plans

2011-08-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

Hello Jammers. Is it only Tuesday? Yes, indeed. Tuesday and already next Monday's theme is coming up!

But before we get to that, a little bloggo-business. The calender is getting short. We're set for one theme after this one, and then, well, there's a big void.

I'm going to put some new dates up, and your part is to fill them in. Send me a comment with the date(s) of your choice. You may have more than one. More than two. Dates off in the future, even, if you'd like to reserve a special day.

If you're not yet an author and you'd like to be, let me know your email address so I can set that up, and then you can post your theme directly when it's time.

The theme for next week is Evening.
Just like that. Evening. I like the colors of it, and the transition from one thing to another. And the particular sounds. You?

Songs for the Dead

2011-08-04T02:13:00.000-07:00

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

from Canto 27, In Memoriam A.H.H., Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Greetings from Chris of Enchanted Oak. This week marks the one-year anniversary of my mother’s final dance here on Planet Earth, which prompts the following prompt:

If you have loved and lost anything at all, jam with us as we write elegies this week. It’s no-holds-barred, no rules at all, except for one: write a poem about the loss of something or someone beloved.

Let’s have elegies for lost hair, lost teeth, lost loves, and lost innocence! Mourn out loud the passing of people or polar ice caps! Let there be wailing and gnashing of teeth! Take a cue from Dylan Thomas and “Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Or say, “so long” lightly, in a limerick like this (by Cosmo Monkhouse):

There was a young lady from Niger,
Who smiled as she rode on a tiger.
They came back from the ride
With the lady inside,
And the smile on the face of the tiger.

Whatever you do, may your swan song sing!

That Jam Isn't Moldy!

2011-07-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Here I am watching two baseball games at once and trying to come up with a Poetry Jam prompt. Hmm. Well, besides baseball what's most on my mind these days is my impending hip surgery (it's on August 8th - there'll be a party in my hospital room on the 9th). And the natural progression of that thought is, if I'm already this decrepit at 47, what in the world will life look like at 67?

So, here's your prompt: write about what you think your life will be like at age 67. If you're already there, then tell us what your life is like now. And while you're at it, write in a form you don't usually use. If you're a rhymer, don't rhyme. If you're not a rhymer, rhyme.

The goal is to post your poem by Monday, August 1st, but of course you can post it earlier than that if you want to.

Now, I'll go back to watching my games & let this prompt percolate a while. I have no idea what I'm going to write.

And the theme for the 25th is...

2011-07-20T03:24:00.000-07:00

"Oh, Adam, dear. Wouldn't you like a taste of this lush, juicy apple?"

"I'm tempted but we're supposed to be on this diet, you know. Maybe a plate of brownies?"

"But Adam - I'm trying to watch my figure and stay beautiful so you will never be tempted to look at another woman."

"You know you are the only one for me, Eve. There aren't any other women in my life."

"Yeah yeah.  That's what men always say."

"No, Eve. I mean there really aren't any other women.   In fact, until I had my ribs broken, there weren't any women at all."

"Okay. I'm tempted to believe you. Now how about that little nibble of my fruit?"

"I guess a little temptation couldn't hurt. Wait a minute, Eve!   'That's what men always say?'   What men?"

--------------------------------------------------

Anyhow, this is Mark, Bagman, and Butler as we are lucky enough to be providing the theme for this week's poetry jam.   And in case you haven't guessed, the theme we have chosen is TEMPTATION.

BUTLER: "You need to inform the other poets that the choice of theme was not unanimous and that there was an educated minority that objected to it."

BAGMAN: "Yah, yah. Big whup! This is poetry, man! Mark and I like temptation. Dante liked temptation. You were outvoted, and your suggestion sucked anyhow!"

BUTLER: "You, my good man, are a dolt. I think we would have had many good entries if my idea -- 'Exploring the integration of the trochee with an Elizabethan sonnet' had been chosen."

So, in anycase, unanimous or not, we submit temptation as this weeks theme. The stress between obsession and denial -- food, sex, money, drugs, sex, sloth, gluttony.  I'm tempted right now to keep writing and babbling on but I'll be good and shut up instead and go try to figure out how to install Mr. Linky on this blog although I might need help on that.

PS: The painting at the top was done by my grandfather, Joseph Cowell, who raised me after my mother died.

Jessica Maybury has the pot to watch! Here's the prompt for Monday the 18th, peoples.

2011-07-16T04:34:00.001-07:00

Hello hello! Here we are. Apologies for the delay, there were some crossed wires tangling up all over the shop. I have a choice of prompts for yous today! I simply can't decide between them so I'm going to leave that up to you.

POEM NUMERO UNO

I haven't been sleeping lately, and I've been letting the entire Internet know about it. There are a great many 'insomnia' poems, & so you should write one, too. For such a bland and prosaic prompt, however, you'll be needing to really push it and see what happens.

POEM THE SECOND

I was stalking friends of friends on my facebook (as you do...) and it struck me how much time and effort they must put into their appearances. They're all goths or cyberpunks even lolita girls or alternative at least in some way. Here's some links with photos for inspiration (each word has a different link, there). You could write about the process itself or why you'd want to do it in the first place or if it makes you feel you belong to something ... or anything that comes into your head when you see the photos!

Fly, my pretties!! I hope these are OK. Have fun :) I added in a random photo for your delectation....

On the way!

2011-07-16T04:34:00.000-07:00

Do not worry, dear Jammers, Jessica is on the way with a new prompt pronto. Stay tuned...

Poetry Jam: New Challenge for 11 July!

2011-07-08T03:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a new prompt from Jeanne Iris!

Poetry Jam for 11 July BE A SPORT!

Sorry, I'm a little late. See, I was watching the Yankee game, waiting for my favorite player, Derek Jeter, to make his 3,000th career hit. He didn't in this game, but he's at number 2,998... Maybe tomorrow! Now, about our weekly poetry challenge. Hmmm....

Okay, here goes.... Let's think about our favorite summer sport and write a brilliant poem about it. It could be ANY sport, at any time of your life...whatever floats your boat. Let's bring this Jam to a full boil, ladies and gents! It's ♫summertime, and the livin' is easy.'♪♬

Now, I'll cross my fingers, make a wish and hope this challenge gets posted on the Poetry Jam's page. [Ha - it did appear like magic]

I'm in a bit of a jam...

2011-07-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

This just in from Poetikat:

And it’s gooseberry!

How forgiving my friends can be. Despite not having taken part in the Poetry Jam since its inception, they are willing to let me jump in and run the show. I have great friends!

Here’s the prompt:

As it’s summertime and the flowers are in bloom, all around us, I want you to write about flowers, BUT as it’s me who’s directing this “jam”, I want you to write something dark.

Use your imagination and write about flowers that are used for ill-will, or a funeral, or that conjure up sad memories, or are ragged and dirty and war-torn.

I don’t want anything pretty … or flowery, if you get my meaning.

Go forth and bloom … or wilt.

Have fun!

Kat

Bits

2011-06-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

! Poetikat ! Will you be giving us direction soon? We wander without your light.

! Watercats ! Hog Eye Navvy will be playing at the Tall Ships tonight (Friday) at 6:30, at the North Wharf stage. I will have your jam. We're playing Saturday as well, same place, I think at 7. Come & get it, kitcats! Any other poets in Ireland, I'd be gladta meetcha. I'll be the band groupie with the leather jacket and the pink rabbit.

! Bug ! In the meantime, July 18 was snagged. Will put you down for August 1st, if that's ok.

Sorry about skipping the last theme, but I am On Vacation, and not much On Line.
-NanU

Moving to the Music (for the 27th)

2011-06-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hello Jammers! My name is Brian Miller and it is my honor to host the Jam this week. Sorry I am a bit late, I literally just got back to the hotel room from seeing U2 at Ravens Stadium in Baltimore. It was amazing. Truly a moving experience.

Music is an essential element in my life. When I write poetry or prose, I often have music playing in the background. I find it helps me to find my rhythm. It also spawns new ideas as many great song writers tend to dabble in poetry as well.

This week for the Jam, I would like you to pick a favorite song and either use a line from the song in your poem or write a poem inspired by that song. Mr. Linky will show up in a bit, but go ahead and get started. You can link up as soon as it is available, but we try to shoot for having our poems up by Monday.

Look forward to reading what you got!

For the 20th of June

2011-06-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

The new flavor for the "Poetry Jam" this week is all about summer "chillin'". My entire family enjoys a campfire, but my husband and second oldest daughter sit for a long time, quietly mesmerized by the flames. Since childhood I have loved hammocks. The lazy days of summer are upon us and I hope you get a chance to truly "chill" and relax. What is your favorite summer "chillin'" activity? Where does your mind drift? Play with the idea and be creative and then come back here and link up with your actual post and not your whole blog if you can. Thanks!

What you Will

2011-06-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

At the Poetry jam this week

it's take your pick

from these pictureprompts

psst! pick the rugby pic! go on!

Swim Swam Swum

2011-06-01T03:08:00.000-07:00

The Bug, 2004

Well, we finally had a scorcher here in Xenia, Ohio so I am thinking about a cool refreshing dip (of ice cream, really, but it could be swimming). I want to hear your thoughts about the subject of swimming – in a pool, in debt, in a sea of emotion… Whatever suits your fancy. Then come back here & link up. If you think about it, link to the actual post with the poem, not just your whole blog. It’s less confusing that way. Thanks!

P.S. I'm hoping Mr. Linky magically appears at some point? If not, please shoot me an email with instructions. Thanks!

ta-DAAaaa
Thanks!

For the 30th

2011-05-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

A poetry task? anybody? Please sign up to make your favorite flavor of jam!
For Monday the 30th let's do: Forgetting. What did you forget? What did somebody else forget? What do you wish they would only forget!

The Father of Us All

2011-05-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hello, all erstwhile Bus riders and Poetry Jammers from Chris of Enchanted Oak. I have shook off the rain that soaked us here (who knew the power of last week's poetry theme could be taken so literally by the Weather Man in the Sky?), and we await the arrival of our Poetry Bus rider friend Rachel, et al, at our outpost this weekend in sunny California. Mi casa is a pit stop on her USA tour. Maybe if I keep our theme simple, she will take time from gawking and dash off a poem.

[She has arrived, with her family in tow, intact! We've had a lively supper and now all household members are off doing the thing of their choice. Poetry Jam time is warming up. Rachel says she might have a poem. And the Linky list has begun.]

I asked to choose the weekly theme for the date of May 23 for a reason: my long-gone father's birthday falls on May 24. Dad was a child of the Depression, a self-made man born in Oklahoma and transplanted to a small town in rural California. He was a poet in his way, a honky-tonk poet. I'm posting a photo of him in his prime.

The theme for our Poetry Jam this coming Monday, then, will be your choice of two wide-open topics, fertile ground for the Muse:

1) Write a poem about Father, fatherland, daddy dearest, your experience of fatherhood, the father you never had, your father or your own fatherhood, or the father of your children, or the father of your father, or your Heavenly Father, or go father afield and do what you will with the notion of fathers.

2) Write a honky-tonk song. Wikipedia's discussion of honky-tonk music is here.

AND SO. IT BEGINS!

2011-05-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

Howdy folkages! It is Vick here, some of ye will know me from my blog, others will know me from my hideously sickening international notoriety.. but some of ye have probably never heard of me. It matters not.
I have the great pleasure in being the first person to add a prompt to the reincarnated 'Poetry Bus'. It is a daunting thing...

This prompt is not going to be difficult though, I hope.. indeed, it is quite predictable in it's approach, but I think it's fitting, for the day that's in it. It is simply this.

BIRTHDAY

Write any sort of poem, in any sort of style, with whatever take on the word 'BIRTHDAY' you like.

Away with ye now. Go to your various blogs and write ye're masterpieces.

Try to aim for them to be completed by Monday (but before and after is allowed too).

Come back here and add your details to the MR Linky gadget beneath this post. We are still figuring out the doovery, but it will be here before monday!

Click on other names in Mr Linky to visit other people's poems.

Sit back and revel in the enjoyment of a global community.

Try not to spill tea on your keyboards.

Hello, All!

2011-05-03T03:01:00.000-07:00

So, while the name of the new poetry blog is still being debated in the comments of HGWT, I had some time on my hands (really I didn't but this is so much more fun than writing the grant or coming up with an exam paper!) I took my favorite and went with it.

Sorry for the preemptive action. But there you are, and it is a popular name.
Two things I'd like to deal with:
1. How it works
2. Who's in charge, if only vaguely

How it works is up for debate, but I would like to suggest the following
- First, an administrator lines up a calender of people wanting to suggest a prompt, and gives each one Author status
- In the week leading up to the Monday in question (we could pick another day if you'd rather), the Author posts the topic. For TFE's Poetry Bus, the calender was on his blog and the prompts were on each driver's blog, making us click around a lot (especially if you didn't follow the prompter's blog already). Here they would be in the same place, and you can see if a new prompt is up just by following this blog. You can still post the prompt on your own blog as well, of course.
- Once the topic is up, an administrator adds a Mister Linky widget. I've not done one yet, but I understand it's pretty easy. Perhaps even the author providing the prompt can do this (though I doubt it, it probably requires admin rights).
- People responding to the prompt come to this blog and add their url to the Mr Linky. Easy, efficient, self-service!
- Now to visit the participants, just click on the links.

Part 2, who's in charge.
Blogspot allows up to 100 authors to post to a blog. I don't see why then each participant shouldn't have that status.
Other functions, such as changing the look of the blog, adding sidebars (the calender, etc), widgets, determining commenting rules, and adding authors, etc, requires administrator status. Here we need more than one (though not 100, that will likely become unworkable). It's our blog, not mine.

Questions for you:
Who else wants to administrate?
Any changes to how it should work?
Do you want to change the name of the blog?
Who wants the first prompt? Actually, since there are possibly several people wanting to put their 2 cents in, if you want to do a prompt give me several possible dates and I'll get the sidebar calender started.

Special thanks with some fresh fish thrown in for the customized template by Vick of the Watercats!

premier jet

2011-05-02T03:54:00.000-07:00

et voila, voila. Une petite confiture de poésie.
Comme personne ne regarde, je peux dire n'importe quoi. Haha!
Il me semble que...
...
que notre premier parfum de poésie sera: Cerise!
Oui, oui, cerise. A l'instant, ils sont toujours petit, vert, et pas très bien à manger, mais dans quelques semaines il va pleuvoir des cerises dans le jardin.
D'ici la fin de semaine, je promets d'afficher un vrai sujet, et là, c'est à vos claviers, stylos et autre crayons! En plus, il y aura un annonce, des explications, un beau en-tête; tout ce qu'il faut, quoi.
Parce qu'il n'y a plus de bus. Faut marcher. Allez.