Aditus

April is National Poetry writing month (NaPoWriMo). The challenge is to write a poem a day until May. Over the last years, we had several poets who took up the gauntlet. I understand that many of you can't or don't want to write a poem a day, but we are looking forward to every poem or poetry collection that will be posted during the next month. We are happy we could win AC Benus as a special guest to get us started with two brand new poetry prompts: Skyscraper Let's Write some Skyscrapers! Never heard of it before? PT#33a) Stand-alone Skyscraper – by this point, we are all tired of winter in the northern hemisphere, so write a Skyscraper thinking ahead to how eating your first slice of season-ripened watermelon will make you feel. Capture the moment and the undercurrents of emotions. Alternately, choose an animal of your choice to write about, be it bird, frog, ladybug, firefly, or anything that makes you reflect upon nature and the current season. PT#33b) Stanza-pattern Skyscraper – write a poem of at least three stanza-form Skyscrapers strophes. Base your poem on the feelings raised in you by listening to the following Karl Ditters composition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nRUxdA59yQ&t=339s https://youtu.be/0nRUxdA59yQ Alternately, go to the following image hosting service and write a poem based on any of the pictures that engage your creativity. Be sure to include a link to your inspiration picture with your completed poem. https://unsplash.com/s/photos/mist Whichever theme you choose, be sure to have your Skyscraper(s) consist of 7 lines of the correct syllable count. Also, carry your thought out through all of the lines, avoiding any hard-stops or one-and-done lines of poetry. The Skyscraper is verse, and all about how you turn the line beautifully from one to the next. Remember that. Ballad Let's Write an 8-10 Ballad! Never heard of it before? PT#34 Write one 8-10 Ballad (or as many as needed) to explore your feelings concerning the war Russia is waging against Ukraine. Perhaps start with remembering where you were the moment you heard Putin had actually invaded. This is an excellent form to tell the war’s “story” to this point in time, while also relaying how the fighting/defending makes you feel (i.e. the Narrative and Lyric elements united together). Alternately, choose a memory of a kid’s birthday party and write about it. Perhaps write about one you celebrated as a child in the context of one you have thrown or attended as an adult. Whichever theme you choose, be sure to make each 8-10 Ballad contain 4 quatrains for a total of 16 lines (and use as many 8-10 Ballads as you need, which you will label i., ii., iii., etc. – and title individually if you like). Be sure to only rhyme on lines 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, 12, 14, 16, for a total of 4 pairs; do not use any pair of rhymes more than once in the 16 lines of any particular 8-10 Ballad. Avoid repetition to keep the poems sounding fresh.

I don't think I can pronounce that. *mumbles in a low voice*, nope.

Just some plot bunnies...

Don't over do the interjections. Never! I hate yelling. I even can't use !? anymore without getting an Edit! from @Valkyrie

Cascarda was like watching them through a chiffon veil. Pavane felt like a forever memory to savour. This is a wonderful collection, a real masterpiece. Thank you.

I don't have time!!!!!

My inner lab rat judges the single factor by colors: red acidic (which can be an acquired taste), blue basic, purple neutral aka meh.

@Parker Owens I hope there might be a tomorrow. Always.

Today, I think the poem is almost too personal, it lets me touch what I'd rather not touch...but that's today. It's still insanely good, maybe too good today.

Exactly, the prompts are an invitation to play... And I never said the coffee was tongue-scalding hot when I started to read your story.

My coffee was cold when I reached 'THE END'. No time even to take a sip. I want to know about the aliens..or the copter? Anything!

Great! @Bill W

If it had been 'Die Kanzlerin' he would have compromised with the creature, which definitely hadn't resulted in so many 'likes'.

Yay!

@Bill W There is no special place for prompts. Please post the story with your other stories ...or you could create a prompt collection and add it to your list of stories and post there all the other prompt stories you're hopefully going to write in the future. We hope we can inspire you with our prompts. Thank you! ~A.

A challenge! “Don’t you need your flute?” Sorry, easily amused. Nice.

Me too, I just started a new story which may become a series, But, I always wanted to do this again, soooo I might open my bar again and let's see what happens. My motto is to be understood as a warning though.

In my family we use going tabula rasa, if someone relentlessly and radically creates order or clarity regardless of loss. Something like wipe the slate clean.

I tried a round robin once, I guess my story start didn't appeal to the others. @JamesSavikHaving a game plan is always good, for a prompt it can be short, unless you plan a longer story. And I totally understand why Brian can't have the zombie apocalypse in his chapter, they would clash with the vampires living in the old St. Clair's mausoleum and the ghost in Berta Meyer's mansion.

@Carlos HazdayThere's no time like the present to remedy past mistakes...I'm only saying.

@northie, whatever inspires you the most.

A Round Robin isn’t a fat bird. It’s actually a lot of things, but the only interesting definition concerning prompts is that it is a form of storytelling. There are several variations. Let’s try two. PT# 27 Tell a story that begins at the same place as it ends. PT# 28 Find at least one fellow author and tell a story together. Write its paragraphs or sentences alternatively.

No problem.