Tag: creative-writing

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#VerseLove Day 30 with Dr. Sarah J. Donovan of Oklahoma – Congratulating VerseLovers!

Today, Dr. Sarah Donovan, founder of Ethicalela.com, is our host for the last day of VerseLove 2025. She inspires us with several prompt options, which you can read here. I chose to take a line from each host’s poem throughout the 30 days, in order, to create a new poem. I took the last line from my poem on the day that I hosted to become the title. Poets’ names are in the order in which their line appears under the poem.

Even Now

I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love

a new leaf

our friendship remains

wind whips snow and rain and sleet, stinging our smiling faces

older now, but happy

I am from green sticker grass, speckled with dandelions

twining vines together to be held in the right places

a lullaby for what cannot be undone

you might have ooh’d and aaw’d

to keep the memories

unraveling

to write the tears and cry into absence that hope might

taking me to a different time and place

let us walk in the woods

a truer friend is hard to find, so kind

there will be joy in the morning

mind drifting under periwinkle sky

something like the snowballs we wished to have

knowing we will someday die

nor think the illusion a mirage

warm and bittersweet

everything is ghastly white –

all a reminder that newness brings life

secretly embracing

that this wasn’t really

like my thoughts

in the midst of the storm, it can be hard to see clear

into life’s unknown

and still, I hold onto hope

A huge hug and thank you to these host poets with borrowed lines, in order:

Jennifer, Leilya, Denise, Dave, Bryan, Stacey, Erica, Darius, Britt, Joanne, Kate, Sarah, Padma, Brittany, Katrina, Angie, Tammi, Jordan, Susan, Glenda, Margaret, Barb, Larin, Ashley, Scott, Alexis, Donnetta, Stefani, Sarah/Maureen

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#VerseLove Day 19 with Jordan Stamper of Virginia- Bon Appetit! Food Poems

Jordan, our host for this 19th day of #VerseLove 2025, lives in Suffolk, VA.

She inspires us today to write poems about food.

lots of things I don’t do right in this world

but making a fresh sprout and kale wrap

with beets and a half dollop of

mayonnaise is not one of

them, fortunately ~ and

the difference is

right outside on

the porch where

it grows

fresh

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#VerseLove Day 6 with Stacey Joy of California – Where I’m From, Again!

Stacey Joy, our host for Day 6 of #VerseLove 2025, is a National Board Certified Teacher, Google Certified Educator, and 2013 L.A. County Teacher of the Year. Stacey has taught elementary school for 39 years in Los Angeles Unified School District.

Today, Stacey invites us to write Where I’m From poems. She offers this process: “Visit George Ella Lyon’s website for a refresher on Where I’m From. If you are a list person, create a list of people/places/things/memories. Then compose your poem in any way you prefer. If you are more comfortable with a form, you can write your poem following a form you prefer.” You can read her full prompt here.

Today, I’m writing a Where I’m Not From poem.

I’m not from here.

I’m not from this chaos.

I won’t play these games.

I won’t clean up the mess.

I won’t sit at the table.

I won’t partake of the feast.

I won’t bow for a fake prayer (I know the difference)~

I won’t smile and pretend.

I won’t take the bait.

I’m not from this chaos.

I’m not from here.

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#VerseLove Day 4 with Dave Wooley of Pennsylvania – Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Dave Wooley, our host for Day 4 of #VerseLove 2025, lives in Pennsylvania.

Dave inspires us to write from the perspective of a traveller, choosing to focus on the place, or focus on the experience of traveling, or maybe just the idea of being a traveller. He suggests using photos to help relive moments and inspire the thoughts of the poem. You can read his full prompt here.

I chose a photo of my youngest granddaughter with me having ice cream at Leopold’s in Savannah, Georgia and wrote a pantoum poem to capture the memory.

Sisterhood of the Southern Sweet Tooth

there we were, so sassy

Magnolia Mae and I

eating rose petal ice cream

at Leopold’s in Savannah, Georgia

Magnolia Mae and I~

grandmother and granddaughter

at Leopold’s in Savannah, Georgia

of the Sisterhood of the Southern Sweet Tooth

grandmother and granddaughter

sharing a spoon and a knowing smile

of the Sisterhood of the Southern Sweet Tooth

Georgia girls with flowery style

sharing a spoon and a knowing smile

eating rose petal ice cream

Georgia girls with flowery style

there we were, together

My youngest granddaughter and I – sharing ice cream
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#VerseLove Day 3 with Denise Krebs of California – Borrowed Rhymes

Our host for our third day of #VerseLove is Denise Krebs, who lives in Yucca Valley, California, near Joshua Tree National Park. She blogs and resists at Dare to Care. 

Denise invites us to write Borrowed Rhymes poems today in her prompt. You can read the prompt in full here. Please jump in today to read the posts and feel all the harnessed energy of a community of writers. We’d love to have you!

Denise encourages us to find a poem with rhyming or song lyrics we like. “Extract the rhymes and write them down on the right margin. Fill in your own line for each rhyme,” she explains.

I extracted these words: blue, knew, round, down, time, mine, care, anywhere from my favorite Eagles song, Take it to the Limit. I wrote them at the end of each line and crafted my poem using these pairs.

More Time

….when out of the blue,

who even knew?!

can I last one more round?

do I feel too beat down?

I want more time

to call mine – ALL MINE!

to spend time how I care

to day trip anywhere….

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January Open Write Day 5 with Jessica from Chicago

Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Jessica of Chicago is our host today at http://www.ethicalela.com, inspiring us to write poems to the theme of “This is the Year.” She writes, “January is a time for self-reflection, goal-setting, and aspirational thinking.” You can read her full prompt and poems of others here. She encourages us to write poems about the changes we wish to see in 2025, structuring it this way:

  • Line 1: This is the year that _______ (your hope or aspiration comes to fruition)
  • Lines 2-5 and beyond: Provide a concrete description of what this would mean

Enough!

this is the year that

my one little word, enough,

takes on new meaning

helps guide decisions

about life, work, and spending

I don’t want too much

I already own enough

books, shoes, clothes electronics,

and other gadgets

it’s time to pare down

time to use the library

to tone down the noise

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January Open Write Day 4 with Erica Johnson of Arkansas

Erica writes, “Today’s poem was inspired by the poem “Nest” by Jeffrey Harrison.  I loved the surprise discovery revealed in the poem and how the poet marvels over this small miracle that they discovered while putting up their Christmas tree.  It made me want to explore my own little discoveries and what they revealed about myself or the world around me.”

You can read Erica’s full prompt and poem here, but here is her process if you’d like to use it to write a poem of your own today:

Stanza 1 – The initial discovery.  I followed the structure of Harrison’s poem using the words “It wasn’t until…that ___ discovered…”

Stanza 2 – The feeling or reaction to that discovery.  I asked myself the question “What ABOUT this discovery sticks with me?”

Stanza 3 – Start with the phrase “And now…”, how are your feelings/reflection on this discovery evolving?

Stanza 4 – Start with the phrase “And yet…”, what contrast or contradiction comes to play as you continue to reflect on your discovery?

Stanza 5 – Wrap up your poem with a final take away moment.

Photo by How Far From Home on Pexels.com


Scrap Paper Love Note

it wasn’t until

I came to make my coffee

that I found his note ~ ~ ~

amazing, cherished

sentiment on a receipt ~ ~ ~

scrap-paper surprise

and now my heart warms

like steam from my Snoopy mug ~ ~ ~

love wafting outward

and yet he is gone

driving to Alabama

me, spooning honey ~ ~

and adding creamer~ ~

swirling joy, blending heartbeats

across the state line

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January Open Write Day 1 with Shaun Ingalls of Las Vegas

Photo by Kelly on Pexels.com

Shaun Ingalls of Nevada is our host for Day 1 of the January Open Write at Ethicalela.com. You can read his post here. His poem and prompt has my mind spinning with all the possibilities for classroom engagement. Shaun encourages us to write poems using slang words and phrasing from an urban dictionary.

One thing I could do all day is watch Greg Edwards deliver his Thug Notes – – I crack up every single time and love this approach to explaining classics. Even though I never could have shown them in class for fear of parent complaints about language and innuendo, I think Dr. Sparky Sweets (a play on Spark Notes) would have drawn my students into a deeper love of classical literature. I have to say: I got an education as I explored the Gen Z dictionary on Wikipedia. We certainly have a different culture of language from back in the day.

Another thing I could do all day is watch Sam Fricker dive. Lately, I have been following his style on the board and his prankish humor in real life. He has amassed quite a social media following. I’ve always enjoyed watching divers, and I think it stems from my fascination with the high dive at The Beach Club on Sea Island, Georgia. I swam there almost daily in the summers as a child, and there is still something about that high dive that lures me straight into its fear just like those people in horror movies that think they have to go outside alone when they hear a noise in the dark. I jumped off of it several times, but never got my courage up to dive headfirst from it. At that age, it looked like I was looking down from the tip top of the universe. And that’s one of the many reasons I love watching Sam smash all my fears of heights as he boldly twists and flips his way into the pool.

When Sam Fricker Dives

the GOAT looksmaxxes
then plunges without a splash!
who is this diva???

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November Open Write Day 3 of 5

Denise Neal, principal at Our Lady of the Way RC School in Belize, is our host day for the Open Write at www.ethicalela. She inspires us to write poems today by offering this prompt:

“Think about your educational journey. In Aristotle’s words, ‘ The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.’ Because we all have different experiences, our stories will be a collage of joy, success, pain, sacrifice, opportunities, and commitment.  I encourage you to write in 4 lines and have a minimum of five stanzas.

However, you are also welcome to write freely to TELL your STORY.”

I thought of Denise’s words and all the things about my educational journey that really mattered ~ and still do.

What Matters

not the classrooms

not the worksheets

not the crayons

but the experiencing

not the posters

not the desks

not the chalkboards

but the reading

not the papers

not the assignments

not the projects

but the thinking

not the textbooks

not the answers

not the solutions

but the writing

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November Open Write Day 1: An Invitation

Today, I’m your host at http://www.ethicalela.com to kick off the November Open Write. Please come join me at that site to share your own poem and to read the poems of others!

On the last day of October’s Open Write, I shared this poem:

An Invitation

save the date: November 16

you may choose to arrive by stretch limousine

we’ll be gathering in style for a writer’s retreat

whether castle or cabin or on your own street

we’ll spend the day writing in fantasy places

day one: a packing list poem ~ what’s in our suitcases?

so gather your words ~ select them with flair

I’ll be the door greeter to welcome you there!

you’ll need your location and writing utensil

something to wear, and perhaps a spare pencil

we’ll all need a critter (think Hogwarts style)

and a snack to share to write all the while

and then let’s bring one thing – a gift for the group

something to make us all laugh, cry, or hoot

what’ll it be? oh, I can’t wait to see ~

here’s a basket of tickets – take some – they’re free!

let’s keep Donnetta’s theme words sparking and growing

return in November, keep writing ongoing!

I offered a glimpse of today’s prompt, encouraging writers to think of a fantasy writing retreat and these aspects: location, clothing, writing utensil, critter, snacks, and a gift for others.

Today, I offer this poem to inspire others to write poems about a fantasy writing retreat. Come join us, and share yours on the ethicalela website!

Location: I’m arriving by Oz-graced Yellow Brick Road

to this heavy oak castle door with just an armload

Clothes: wearing overalls under my farm-writing cape

this magical cloak of virtual escape

with shimmery amber-hued dragonfly wings

and chicken foot bracelets and beetle leg rings

just a suitcase, you see, for this week here together

with all of my writing pals ~ birds of a feather

Utensil: and speaking of feathers, I’ve brought my quill pen

plucked from the wing of a feisty owl hen

Snacks: I’ve sugar-spun cauldrony crinkles for snacks

shaved off curled spikes from chameleons’ backs

Critter Companion: made easier by Razor, my pink crocodile

I walk on a bling-leash, in true Funny Farm style

Group Gift: and one more thing: I bring a group gift ~

truth glasses for all, to see things others miss