Day Nineteen Click for full post.
Our featured participant today is Poem Dive, where the chapter title “The Answer Squash,” from Day 19’s prompt, led to a deliriously rollicking trip to the produce aisle.
Today, our reading is a live event that will take place tomorrow, April 20, at 6 p.m. eastern daylight time. It’s a tribute to the work of the poet John Godfrey, hosted by the Dia Art Foundation. Readers at the event will are Erica Hunt, Duncan McNaughton, Maureen Owen, and Anne Waldman.
Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a humorous rant. In this poem, you may excoriate to your heart’s content all the things that get on your nerves. Perhaps it’s people who tailgate when driving, or don’t put the caps back on pens after they use them. For inspiration, perhaps you might look to this list of Shakespearean insults. Or, for all of you who grew up on cartoons from the 1980s, perhaps this compendium of Skeletor’s Best Insults might provide some insight.
Happy writing!
PROCESS NOTES:
I thoroughly enjoyed today’s featured poem. It was a fun, entertaining and at times surreal. A great concept – the talking butternut squash and a clever use of fonts (which used to be possible on WP but has been done with images), I read it several times.
These lines shone out to me – they won’t make sense without the rest of the poem, so make sure you read it too!
…. I’m decisive
as tattered chard
O butternut dumbbell
My intellect is a butter knife
Then sage silence.
And you, my anti-Siri,
I spent some time reading up on the event and people involved. I read a selection of poems, I particularly enjoyed Anne Waldman’s work.
Then I moved onto the prompt. I love the parallels which happen all the time in April! I spent time yesterday researching Old English insults – including a handful of Shakespearian ones, littered throughout his plays. And here we are today with a link to this rich resource material.
I feel the opposite of rage and rant this morning – but have plenty of bug bears so sure I can vent my way through today’s prompt.
The Shakespearean insult generator was fun. And He-Man & Skeletor – blast from the past!
And with that all familiar theme tune I set off to write a poem!
First I listed all my narks/pet hates
then I played with the insult generator and listed 5 insults
then I did some free writing in verse form marrying a selection of the two lists together.
I am fairly sure the end result using humour to gut punch the reader at the end.
automated ticket apps have done a lot
for these frothy fool-born flap dragons
who have all day to make the bus late
for those who don’t.
awritersfountain 