What do you know about?
A new poetry prompt
I recently got into a conversation with somebody about perspective and how direct experience is the true essence of awareness. Conversations have given me so much insight, and I have discovered that everybody knows something that others might not. When people talk to me about autism, I can give my personal experience, and I feel people always come away from those conversations more knowledgeable. I was wondering how we could apply this to writing. Then I realized that this format also plays well with fun poems, so today, I am giving you a prompt to write two poems. They will both be titled ‘Things you didn’t know about _____’ with the blank being filled in with things such as ‘things you didn’t know about depression’ or ‘things you didn’t know about coffee’. For the fun poem, the facts don’t necessarily have to be entirely accurate, and we can use hyperbole (exaggeration) or personification (non-living things given living traits) to demonstrate our points. I want you to pick something that you live through, whether it’s the ‘bus commute’ or an illness or sexuality or something else close to you, and I want you to tell us about it. What are the struggles? What are the positives? Then, on the polar opposite of this, tell us something about your interests or dislikes through a poem. You might not like farmers’ markets; now is your time to tell us why they are awful. In summary, make the serious poem fact-heavy and the fun poem opinion-heavy, but dress your opinions as stone-cold facts. I don’t want to hear you tell me, ‘I think the markets are too busy’ I want you to inform me that they are in an over-the-top way. ‘Farmers markets are rush hour traffic highways that people choose to attend’. I started a poem about depression, which I will share below, and I will finish this week and post in notes. I am also going to explore the relationship of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes on notes so keep your eyes peeled. If you have questions or require extra guidance, then sound off in the comments, and I will help you out. I cannot wait to read your poems.
Keep kind & stay true
Things you didn’t know about depression
On the eighth day, God felt it.
They learned the hard way
that there is always
something more powerful.
The light in your hands
will buckle under a darkness
beyond your comprehension….