I love this poem by Jessica Walsh. It feels like an anthem, a beckoning to let my feet thud on the floor and stomp into a new day.
I have never been punk, never pretended or believed myself “cool” or “hot” especially after motherhood changed my perspective and direction, after repeated failures pulled my eyes to ground. No, I am not tough, but I am still here, after I had stopped wanting to be a tourist to my life and decided to live it even though I do it all wrong. I can only hope my daughter will be punk in a similar way—living a long life and proving the doubters wrong.
For the first prompt, write a poem or essay in response to what a loved one has said to you or criticized you for. Like the poet here, use the criticism as part of your title. Remember, you don’t have to be polite unless you plan to show it to them.
The second prompt is to write a list poem of how you demonstrate that you are here to stay: setting money aside for a trip you won’t take until the kids are out of the house, buying a swimsuit at summer’s end for next summer, planting a tree, buying another book for the unread stack, write a to-do list.
For the third prompt, write a story or poem about the decision you (or a character) made to stay alive in spite of it all. What did you (or the protagonist) give up, give away, take or make in order to make that choice possible.
The next prompt is to take a favorite song and weave the lyrics in as the poet does here with “Once in a Lifetime” by the Talking Heads.
For the last prompt, write a poem or story using the following word list: “grudges,” “odds,” “role,” “snow,” “steady,” “surrendered,” “bottle,” “bomb,” “nails,” “gas,” “spite” and “teeth.”
Bonus prompt: write a poem or story about this image. Don’t worry, if Katy Perry can repeat “boom, boom, boom” and “moon, moon, moon” you can too.
Good luck writing! Have fun!