EPISODE · Apr 25, 2022 · 6 MIN
National Poetry Writing Month 2022 April 24th 2022
from Create Art Podcast
History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The Green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 24th Poetry Prompt Today, I’d like to challenge you to channel your inner gumshoe, and write a poem in which you describe something with a hard-boiled simile. Feel free to use just one, or try to go for broke and stuff your poem with similes till it’s . . . as dense as bread baked by a plumber, as round as the eyes of a girl who wants you to think she’s never heard such language, and as easy to miss as a brass band in a cathedral. April 24th Poem The Donkey In Me 24 April 2022 20 times a day I seek the solitude of being an uncool kid Knowing what it is doing to my body Not caring for the smell it leaves behind Hiding my breath in mints and gum When my parents did it I hated it I didn’t want to give them a kiss Because of the stench And here I am Being as stupid as a jack ass Because I am too scared To lose my pacifier I find myself wishing for the past some days Misremembering that the old times were not the good times And making the same mistakes in life Thinking it will work this time But it just happens again and again and again Waiting for the time it changes I try to climb a mountain But I am not a billy goat My hooves weren’t made for these stones The one thing I know to do is push forward Even if the load is too much Looking at the carrot But not looking closely to see the rot Thinking the goal is what will bring happiness When I don’t know where to find the goal I am as stubborn as a mule And I thought that used to be a good quality But being unbending is not what the great ones taught us Bend but don't break were the words that should have guided me But my long hair filled ears Didn't catch what was actually said Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
What this episode covers
Monthlong Celebration of Poetry. Complete the challenge of writing 30 poems in 30 days. Find new writers and find new enjoyment of poetry
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National Poetry Writing Month 2022 April 24th 2022
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