This morning I was awake early, so I checked out today’s prompts, wrote lists of tastes and imagined some music. I thought I would post this in a timely manner (sometime on the 27th) but Mr G. and I were out and I crashed out as soon as we got in, so even though I had it ready, I am posting a few hours late!
Our featured participant today is A Thing For Words, where the archaeology poem for Day 26 imagines future scientists stumbling over the remains of a man without apologies.
Today’s interview is with the poet Sharon Olds, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her collection Stag’s Leap, the definitive sick burn on an ex-husband (Warning to husbands: if you divorce Sharon Olds, she will write a book about it that wins the Pulitzer Prize, and everyone will know). Of course, that’s not all she’s written, but I’ll have to say that book is bracing, to say the least. You can learn more about Olds’ work here, and you can find some of her poems here, here, and many more here.
And last but not least, here’s our (optional) prompt! Many poems explore the sight or sound or feel of things, and Proust famously wrote about the memories evoked by smell, but today I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that explores your sense of taste! This could be a poem about food, or wine, or even the oddly metallic sensation of a snowflake on your tongue.
I was interested in reading another take on Day 25 poetry and having recently purchased Stag’s Leap (following a conversation with poets about the book), I was happy to see today’s reading.
I wrote a list of tastes.
The poem itself was alright, based on short form structure. My initial editing response is I need to put more taste in it and less story. I enjoyed writing with the food in my mouth, tasting my words.
… saccharine fruit honeyed on my insides…
Carrie Etter suggested writing a poem in response to a song. This is something I do from time to time. It is a useful free-writing experience, often used in schools.
I have read comments from other poets who have already approached this prompt. I am currently thinking track choice, but also like the idea of a random piece.
I discovered a website http://top10songs.com/ where you can chronologically search Top 10s from different years. I knew where I was going for this one. I also want to revisit this idea and write differently. I listened to all sorts of soundbites, music I had completely forgotten. In teenage years music carried me through extremely hard patches and I know the transformative power of music, how you are transported back to that time.
The track was Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved.
Lyrics stick to the back of my tongue,
break my smile.
Jo Bell http://www.jobell.org.uk/ gave us God’s Justice by Anne Carson to read.
A good poem, like a good painting, will affect you emotionally before you understand how it does so. – Jo Bell
The Poetry School 
Andrew Parkes gives us
Day 27: The Elements
Fire. Water. Earth. Fermium. Platinum.
Your poem today should contain one or more of the elements, classical or scientific. This excellent dynamic periodic table will be very useful. The title of your poem should be your chosen element(s). Try to steer clear of gold and ‘the element of surprise’ because they’ve both been done to death, and go for one of the more interesting ones. Research is your friend.
Your example poem is ‘The Manhattan Project’ by Spencer Reece on the element ‘Uranium’.
awritersfountain 
I started reading “Stag’s Leap” just after it was published but it was too raw for me at the time; I was going through my own divorce. However, I have kept it knowing there would be a right moment to read it fully and appreciate the story and Olds’ gift to all of us. Perhaps now… Your post is rich with delightful information!