POETRY FOR 30 DAYS IN APRIL DAY 15

Project Details Hello friend, I am Timothy Kimo Brien, head instigator at Create Art Podcast where we help you to tame the inner critic and create more than we consume. Every year in April National Poetry Writing Month occurs, this is a challenge to write 30 poems in 30 days and comes from the NaPoWriMo site. When you participate you are given a prompt every day for 30 days and you can choose to follow the prompt or not. Each prompt has a commentary with it and a style of poetry that you may not be familiar with. I enjoy it because it stretches my creative muscles and helps me organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy a good challenge. There is also an opportunity to read other people's work as they post on their websites and for you to comment on their work, giving them encouragement or offering a suggestion. Care to join me on this journey? Day 15 Prompt And now for our prompt (optional, as always). Today’s prompt comes to us from Juan Martinez. It asks you to think about a small habit you picked up from one of your parents, and then to write a piece that explores an early memory of your parent engaged in that habit, before shifting into writing about yourself engaging in the same habit. Day 15 Poem Share A Smoke When they asked for prayer requests I raised my 8 year old hand And loudly declared That I would like my mom To stop smoking There was a hush in the church And right on que She said that she wasn’t ready She defied god that day When I was threatened to get kicked out At the ripe old age of 16 Because I had decided that church Was not the way to spend Sunday mornings I looked for the loophole And there I sat behind the pastors kids Reading Also Spake Zarathustra While “attending” service When they asked me what I was reading I replied “The Death of god” And that day I defied my father And god And my mother smiled When she was hospitalized for the second to last time after she had lost the power to talk like a grown woman she motioned at me from her bed to take out the contents of my shirt pocket She knew what was there And we shared a silent nod I grabbed the nearest Unused wheelchair Not caring if it was meant for someone else Picked her frail body up And placed her gingerly on the seat Rolling her out The nurse started to protest Getting fresh air was all she heard And I rolled mom to my car Where I ad the aqua filters she used To place on the end of her smokes Thinking it would save her And there I was, pulling out a bowl Puffing away  And now in my mancave The same age as she was When things went downhill fast All I can think about Is getting these words down Stepping on my deck Lighting up another stick Sticking my middle finger in the sky For the god that took her Who now is trying to take me My daughters on Saturday morning Watch me step out from time to time As I wait for them to say I’m praying for you to stop lighting up And trying to die 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 lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy