Sealey Challenge is almost finished, and I won’t pretend I came close to finishing it or even reading more poetry than I usually do. Some weeks (months) are like that. I hope you were able to make more time to enjoy poetry; if not, there is always tomorrow to pick up a great collection or follow some poets online and read theirs and those they share.

I did finish a small chapbook Laughing in the Face of Death by Californian poet Kevin Ridgeway, who has always been fun to see in person and to talk with.

For the first prompt, write about the difficulty of comforting someone through a loss. This can be in an essay, poem or story, whatever medium (or hybrid) works best.

For the second, begin a story or as poem with someone thanking you (or the narrator)

The third prompt is to write a poem or story that switches from one emotion to a contrasting one. Experiment with the amount of space you allow for the transition.

For the last prompt, write a poem or story using the following list of words: “failure,” “lost,” “tied,” “rawness,” “tissue,” “chased,” “underneath,” “ground,” “shook” and “needed” but excluding the words “tears,” “die,” “died,” “dead” or “death.”

Bonus prompt: This photo doesn’t do the sky justice, not with how lightning flashed in the rosy clouds while the dark ribbons hung next to the moon, but write whatever it inspires.

Good luck writing! I hope this month has led to discovering new poets to enjoy!

Distractions—Prompts Inspired by Anne Carson

So this month has not gone as planned. I read a chapbook, chose a poem and promptly (pun intended) lost the damn book. Since then, my brain has been filled with dryer lint and stale crackers. Even small tasks seem beyond me; everything is consumed by work even at home. I won’t pretend I will be able to catch up on posts this month, but I hope to start reading poetry regularly again rather than just snippets here and there. Since I am reading slowly, I decided to choose a collection that requires time for reflection: Anne Carson’s Glass, Irony & God.

I like the idea that God is as distracted as I am, procrastinating the to-do list in favor of something shiny. Perhaps I could develop a feel for God then, even a sympathy.

For the first prompt, write what creature or plant God chose to work on instead of creating mercy.

The second prompt is to use the line “God could see the machinery humming” as the title or first line of a story or poem, remembering to credit Carson.

For the next prompt, write a list of five insects, flowers or animals and a list of five tools and appliances. Mix and match to see what resonates.

The last prompt is to write a poem or story using the following list of words: “track,” “long,” “turquoise,” “bend,” “transparent,” “mounted,” “glassy,” “bank,” “humming,” and “vibrated.”

Bonus prompt: write if the dragonfly’s creation was worth the lack of justice or what creation would be. Or just write whatever you want to about a dragonfly lying on the sand.

Good luck!