As you may have noticed, I’ve switched to posting on Monday rather than Sunday nights. I hope this change improves my consistency since Sundays are less predictable.
I don’t believe I have posted a poem by Charles Simic, a poet I need to read more of. I hope you like this one as much as I did. I also need to post poetry by Phillip Crymble soon, whose work and social media posts I enjoy.
I enjoy how the poem lazes throughout—its sleepy repetition of “l’s,” “s’s” and “z’s”—until the end with its abrupt “click” sound for turning on the lamp. For the first prompt, use the last line, “To click on the yellow table lamp,” as a ghostline. After using it as the starting point for a poem or story, erase the line and credit the poet in your title or with an “after” statement.
For the second prompt, begin by naming one of the seven deadly sins (or other vice) and then provide a setting for it in a poem or story or a description from a remembered place and time for an essay.
The third prompt is to borrow the title, “The Secret of the Yellow Room,” and mash the use of personification with tropes of the YA mystery genre (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys or more modern detectives). Be sure to credit the poet for the title.
The next is to write a poem or story using the following list of words from the poem: “lolling,” “dressing,” “breeze,” “dozing,” “silky,” “lilies,” “nuzzle,” “dillydallying,” “stupor” and “lamp.” I love the word “dillydallying”—its sound matching its meaning. The whole poem is a treat to read aloud.
Bonus prompt: Write whatever this photo of a bathroom with cat walkways and stairs inspires you to write. I have no idea where my daughter found these photos.
Additional bonus prompt: write a lullaby for this bee.
Good luck writing. Have fun.