Happy Monday! A few days ago I was sitting down to write my poem a day, and feeling very uninspired and wordless. This happens sometimes, and in those times I look to writing prompts to guide me out of the muck. I had recently moved my creative space away from the living room (where there is a TV I am guilty of watching while writing after long days) and into a more creative space. I sit at a table with bookshelves beside me, chock full of fantastic literature and references, poetry and prose (shown above). Suddenly, writing prompt inspiration hit!
Glance at your bookcase. Pick 4 words that jump out to you from the spines. Create a stanza that includes those words in a cohesive way. Pick 4 more, and write more. Repeat until you feel you have formed a well rounded piece. Try to assemble them in a not so recognizable way
For me, this was an awesome exercise in using words outside of my typical vocabulary, and finding new flow with those words. I actually really love the poem that came out of this for me, and its full of fun secret references to works I love dearly! Some I'm sure you can spot, others I know are buried well. That's the fun of it! So here's my bookcase poem, conveniently about how books can build our character.
Still Surround You Prepare to be invisible Prepare to be a wreck Prepared to be awakened You phantom on the shelf. Raise high your history, Stranger than your love Than your loathing. Wolf watching your Pocketknife diary work. This list, a staggering portrait Of running and ranting Down the street. Farewell to the mixtape. Thread your western wonder Through smoke and drink. Raise high the bridge Raise high the chandelier Raise high the girl you built. Everything that rises Must shatter glass bell jar Become castle become Crumble and heartbreak Become lunch and knucklebones Become fear and youth Become nirvana Become you.
