Today’s host at http://www.ethicalela.com for the July 2024 Open Write, Day 1, is Denise Krebs of California. She inspires us to write septercet poems on any topic we choose. Also called a blackjack poem for the 21 syllables in each stanza, the poem features stanzas of three lines with 7 syllables on each line. You can read Denise’s full prompt here. I’ll be presenting with Denise at this year’s NCTE Convention in Boston in November, and I’m proud to call her a friend!
Goddess of No
Harold Monro held me charmed
Overheard on a Salt Marsh
Gold-leaf’d Childcraft Volume 1
Over and over again
In my closet (with flashlight)
I read those words on repeat
Utterly spellbound, transfixed
Give them me. No. Give them me.
Grew up wearing green glass beads.
The nymph to the goblin: No!
He’ll lie in the mud and howl
for beads on her silver ring
She stole them out of the moon.
He’ll howl in a deep lagoon
(like so many creeps out there).
In the best illustration
the goblin’s fingers spark truth:
it’s sexual harassment.
this primer poem for girls
who could read between the lines
Give them me. No. Give them me.
better than a fair daughter
better than the voices of winds
better than stars or water
Harold Monro held me charmed
Give them me. No. Give them me.
I am a Goddess of No.
Common Threads 
Kim, I was just reading your poem at the link, and I came here to see the poem you loved as a child. I thought I’d have to search for it, but you’ve graced this post with it today. I’ll go back and finish my commenting over there and leave your link for others to find Monro’s poem. Thank you for sharing. Someday I hope to read your book of haiku and/or septercet narrative poems. You are a master!
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Thank you so much, Denise! Your prompts always bring out the best in all of us and enable us to have success with what we write – – it is as much the prompt as the writing. You know I love the short forms, even though I sometimes string them together….(like beads)…..and thanks for sharing the link to the photo! This is definitely the poem that hooked me on poetry and made me love it, and I still have it framed. I can’t wait to see you in Boston!
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I forgot to mention, I am so excited to see you in Boston! Hooray!
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