Day Four
on APRIL 4, 2022
Happy first Monday of Glo/NaPoWriMo, everyone. This has been nothing but fun as
I’m challenged to go places I’ve never been. Click on ‘Day Four’ for the prompt.
Today we’re writing prompt poems. Silly? Well, maybe. But I agree that the poet
Mathias Svalina is on to something big here with his surrealist prompt poems.
I like silly. Check it out: you can find examples here, and here, and here. And I
promise you, this is as concise as I could get mine.
What follows are not my words but the words of Mathias Svalina that I found on the
first HERE example. If you’re on Instagram, the designated HERES will take you right
into Mathias’ account (Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mathiassvalina/ ), but if
you’re not on Instagram, here are MATHIAS’ words to serve as one example for today’s
NaPo prompt:
All rights https://www.instagram.com/mathiassvalina/ Mathias Svalina: December Poetry Writing Prompts: Day 1 1. Search beside the river until you find a good skipping stone. 2. Skip the stone into the river. 3. Where the stone sinks, dive into the river, to the bottom 4. Fill your pockets with the words you find among the riverbottom’s mud & rocks. 5. Back home, arrange the riverwords on a table, until they snap into a poem. 6. Reach into the mouth of the poem, grab tight, & pull. Pull the poem inside out, so that the river pours onto the table, to the floor, & thunders out the door. 7. Lie on the floor & let the poem’s river flow over you, erode you, until you are a canyon. 8. The canyon is the poem.
My First Prompt Poem
1. Arrange the crinoline flat on the floor, and over it, fit the petticoat just as you’d
arrange your keywords to inform your intent under your niche.
2. Wearing stockings, shoes, and undergarments, slide smoothly into the middle and
lift the elastic of the two pieces up to your waistline.
3. It’s advisable to stay down on your knees as your muse wraps the dress over your
head, and while down, aim at believing in the first deep step you just took: no more
silliness about hiding words in drawers.
4. After this brave confirmation, you, the dress, petticoat, and crinoline will alight
from the floor to oohs and ahs from those present: your first audience.
5. Be sure not to stand like a mannequin, as you’ll need to hone the spotlight for the
rest of the day, and no one likes mannequins anyway.
6. The embroidery on the sleeves and bodice, the pearls and tiny beads in the
shape of happy tears, and the boat neckline that fits perfectly, are the alluring
verbs and nouns that will speak to souls and elicit tears to deem your work worthy
of a share on Twitter.
7. For sure, don’t forget to ask your Grammarly friend to help you with the long line
of silk buttons on the back of the dress where your eyes don’t reach.
8. “Oh, happy day,” you’ll hear your image say as someone hands you a bouquet
of lilies and places the long tulle veil on your head. You’ll need to force your eyes
off the mirror, then.
9. You’ll walk erect with a radiance that emanates confidence. At that moment, as
you and your entourage disappear inside and the bells of the cathedral loudly
announce the happy occasion, you’ll feel the poem hold your hand. Oh, happy
day, indeed!
10. Lastly, but most importantly, please don’t forget to show appreciation for those
who leave comments, as that’s the least you can do for those who allow your words
into their busy lives. Acknowledge them: you ain’t no Mary Oliver. Remember!
***
© 2022 selmamartin.com
My friends, the encouragement you give me is fodder for me to keep at it. To know
you’re on the other side of this, reading warms my heart and keeps me honest. Thank
you so much for the support. Stay sweet. I wish you miracles.
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Well done! This one is again so so good. I loved #6 the most💗✨
Wonderful, Selma!! I do love a good dress poem, I’ve written a few myself! And I’m a sucker for a boat neckline 🙂 <3
I’ll need to browse your posts more to find one then. Would love to read. I appreciate your visit. Be well. XoXo
Yay …this is so cute and so whimsical.i love your prompt poem..❤❤
I’m so thrilled you liked it. 😅 Thanks for reading and commenting. I bless you xoxo
Love this! Starting with a skipping stone and the journey you took us on. Wonderful work, Selma.
I’m glad it enjoyed that journey, Michele. And I appreciate the comment. 💗 blessings.
Thank you writer, Selma. Blessings to you. 🌻
Writer, you. Aww, thanks 🙏 🤗
I love how the cute poem held your hand Selma. Wow! Absolutely well done my friend 👍🏻
Yes. Wasn’t that nice the poem did that? Hehe. I liked it too. Felt right. So glad you read, liked and commented. Stay sweet. I’m reading your A-Z posts. Xoxo
“The encouragement you give me is fodder for me to keep at it”: This is exactly how it goes. I feel it too.
I love your output, as much as I loved all the example poems today and especially the poem “Gentle Leader”. I like it that you preserved the numbers, I just didn’t get the Mary Oliver part at the end. I like her work but know nothing about her. Is she famous for not reaching out to her readers? I think that my favourite part is:
no more
silliness about hiding words in drawers.
No more hiding!
Manja, thanks.
All I meant when I added Mary Oliver is to say, “you’re not famous yet. Remember.”
I don’t know how and if she replied to comments.
Sorry it was unclear.
Be well my friend.
For me, Disqus is overwhelming. I don’t know how to find anyone in that ever growing mountain. Phew. I’m struggling with that.
XoXo
Loved it, Selma! That point on Grammarly, so well put. You deserve a 💐
Thanks for the bouquet of spring flowers. I appreciate. xoxo
fun lovey silly poem you captured so well Selma!!!
*deep bow*
Those alluring verbs and nouns…I can just see them twirling on the dance floor! A wonderful poem.
Makes me happy you can see them dance. Surrealism is hard for me but I did what I could with the tools I had. Hehe. Thanks so much for commenting. I so appreciate it xoxo xoxo blessings.
Selma, this is so sweet! I so enjoyed this! Keep raining miracles on us!
Thanks, I’ll take the compliment. I appreciate you xoxo
That was so much fun to read! It reminds me a little of stream of consciousness. I’ve always liked silly. Yet, I’m drawn to, “the embroidery on the sleeves and bodice, the pearls and tiny beads in the shape of happy tears,” which isn’t really silly. Silliness provides balance to life’s seriousness. Great job!
A wonderful memory I hope? I like how you interlaced the poetic aspects with the clothing.
I’m not one to get all that fancy with clothing… A cheery read.
Thanks for reading, Jules. Bless you.