Day Sixteen on APRIL 16, 2024
Welcome to the back half of NaPoWriMo/GloPoWriMo 2024, all!
Our featured participant today is Sarah Zimam, who brings us a riddle in response to Day 15’s stamp-based prompt.
Today, our daily resource is PoemShape, a blog where you’ll find poems, close readings, art, and interviews.
Finally, here’s today’s (optional) prompt, taken from our 2016 archives. Today, we challenge you to write a
poem in which you closely describe an object or place, and then end with a much more abstract line that
doesn’t seemingly have anything to do with that object or place, but which, of course, really does.
The “surprise” ending to this James Wright poem is a good illustration of the effect we’re hoping you’ll
achieve. An abstract, philosophical kind of statement closing out a poem that is otherwise intensely
focused on physical, sensory details.
Happy writing!
Early Sunday morning at the Café in the Park
The butterfly in the milkweed alights.
Simultaneously we turn to it…
as it flits from one bloom to another
our eyes—yours and mine, two strangers sitting
tables apart— meet, but abruptly look
away. First we sip our drinks, then stare at
the quiet between the blossoming plants.
A woman carrying a large bouquet
drops her keys as she opens the shutters
of her salon—disturbs the calm.
At once we sigh. Our exhales stop
half a dozen queued customers
but the butterfly moves again
—all of us turn to it; our eyes
catch and we smile at each other.
This is how dust settles.
©️ selma
…Thanks for being here with me as I try to work on these first drafts outdoors, weather permitting.
Thanks for reading my Day 16. I hope you enjoyed it as it was fun writing this one.
- Day 29: NaPoWriMo 2024–Inside Love Incandescent - April 29, 2024
- Day 28: NaPoWriMo 2024– - April 28, 2024
- Day 27: NaPoWriMo 2024–Opt Out of An American Sonnet - April 27, 2024
The ending is dramatic, Selma. I enjoyed it. 🙂
Yeah, played with the surprise ending. It was fun. 🤩 thanks Kitty. 🐱
Your early Sunday morning at the café in the park is delightful, Selma, from the ‘butterfly in the milkweed’ to the ‘strangers sitting tables apart’ and the woman who drops her keys – such detail! The final line is perfect.
Kim. I’m so happy with this message. Thanks for the enthusiasm. 🤗
My pleasure.
This is so beautifully written Selma. So much feelings expressed here.
Thanks dearly, Sadje. Pleased you liked it. Xoxo
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
beautiful, selma
Beth. 🙇🏽♀️
“but the butterfly moves again
—all of us turn to it; our eyes
catch and we smile at each other.
This is how dust settles.”!
Very interesting & indeed!
Aww. Thanks a million dear Raj. Xoxo
Most welcome always my dear Selma 🏵️. You like my little poor comment.
Selma, this was lovely. It started slow and deliberate with all the details. But the ending was profound. Enjoyed how it reached there. These lines,
At once we sigh. Our exhales stop
half a dozen queued customers
but the butterfly moves again
—all of us turn to it; our eyes
catch and we smile at each other.
This is how dust settles.
Fabulous!
Every detail adds to the change in tension and mood. A great capture. (K)