Slumber’s seduction: morning breaks, choices brawl.
Tasks nag, silent house, duty calls.
Breathe in, breathe out, stubborn resolve.
Laundry, groceries, clean—endless list unfolds.
Tackling tasks; which one comes first?
First: me time, tasks will wait.
It’s not about the satisfaction of doing something difficult. It’s not about the ability to say “I did that.” It’s not about the pride in not giving up. It’s not about proving a point to anyone. It’s not about seeking validation from others. It’s not about collecting accolades and trophies. It’s not about comparing yourself…
Although I am often critical of social media, it occasionally provides some interesting poetry prompts.
One pattern I have noticed is how quickly people can become critical of things they don’t understand. Sometimes the criticism is lighthearted. Too often, however, it becomes another opportunity to divide the world into us and them.
Hitting backspace, delete, erase, and purge
Cancelling histories of contemptible captains
The room
still
holds
its warm
cozy charm
but cold
judgmental
thought
invades and harms.
Imagine an orchard lush with plentiful peaches, pears, apples, and plums.
A poem usually becomes preachy when it explains the lesson instead of creating an experience. The problem begins when the writer stops trusting imagery, story, or emotion to carry the meaning and starts directly telling readers what to think or feel. At that point, the poem can sound more like a lecture than a lived experience.