The Poetry Marathon

Hour 4: Who we could be – I knew i wanted this to be a generic poem about suicide and mental health and I think there’s definitely room to spiff it up, but I took time to get food and feed animals and stretch and feed myself. I rolled the mental health dice and posted about those as well. I got things set up to be productive for the next few hours and I’m proud of that. So here’s the poem:

 

If only/ you/ could have/ found/ it in your/ heart/ to stay.// We could/ be/ gardening/ and sharing coffee/ we could/ be/ painting promises/ and singing daydreams/ into a vibrant sky/ into the world// If only/ you/ could have/ become/ a gentle breeze/ a midnight melody/ or a future/ that could have/ changed all the/ futures.// If only/ you/ could have/ seen/ just how incredible/ we could be/of we/ just stuck/ together.// -M. Rene’

Hour 3: Missing the Veranda

 

We still buy coffee from the green siren

that bears the same name – but we live

in a completely different place with an

entirely new environment – we have a porch

 

but less of a view. We have time, but not

as often as we once did. We have artistry

flowing through not only our veins but

the world around us too. There are actual

hummingbirds that appreciate our yard –

 

they bring me reminders of all the people

who dared to leave and they keep the

flowers in bloom – don’t ask me how

but they do. Maybe it’s magic. And I am

 

alive here. Even if it doesn’t quite feel l

ike home. I’m missing the veranda again

 

.-M. Rene’

Coffee at Sunrise HOUR 2: 7am

The majestic wonder – sky fire

is beginning to peak throug

hthe window. My guests are

missing the beauty –

 

but if I’m being honest they

see it more often than I do

these days. I’ll just remind

myself that I signed up for

this – the coffee is hot and

 

my ideas really are coming

strong, I just have to

 

write about what really matters:

 

And today that’s the newest

story of the Hummingbird Lounge.

 

The place where we gather to

revel and weep, to create and

inspire, to listen and be heard.

 

-M. Rene’

 

I guess I should probably explain what one of my goals is for today aside from completely finishing the full marathon – I want my poems to serve as the skeleton of a chap book or poetry collection titled the Hummingbird Lounge which is also the name of my Substack Newsletter. Today is National Humminbird Day in the US and I feel like this is something I can lean into and enjoy.

Early Morning Thoughts: Hour 1 6am September 2, 2023

Waking up, coffee in hand,

the sun still isn’t here,

rain clouds coat the sky in

layers of silver linings and

potential. I am exactly where

I need to be, even if I cannot

 

name this place, sipe spresso

on the veranda with my mother,

or smell wild mint crawling up

the driveways of people I love

and miss more now.

 

-M. Rene’ AKA SincerelyBlueJay Poetry

Right now This is my prep page. It’s the night before. We have an air mattress set up for cyn, the pool room bed for ronan, ashs bed for lunden and two pillow fort type spots ready to be assembled. We also have the outdoor furniture and the living room depending on time of day and necessity. We have the dining room and the patio if it stops raining although I’m going to be honest, I do not want it to stop raining. We have water and tea and coffee and to is bringing some soda as well. I have just ordered a fuck ton of chicken nuggets and frozen cokes for mom and I.

 

If you’re not interested in prompts or snack ideas you can stop reading here. The rest is just getting things listed and off of my chest so I can sleep well tonight and show up ready for the marathon. I’ll also make a separate post tomorrow of all the out of context quotes in the house during the marathon as well. They make pretty good prompts and memories. I’ll post the final draft of it after the marathon, so it doesn’t get lost in all my poem drafts.

 

The Food we have procured:

blueberries

bananas

clementines

apples

spinach

spinach dip

artichoke dip

bell peppers

carrots

queso with spicy jelepenos

chips

ramen

coke a cola

iced tea peach

iced tea green

iced coffee

candy in chocolate varieties of hersheys mixed, reeces pieces, and milk duds and sour candies including sweet tarts and skittles sours

and we ordered chicken nuggets in a fuck ton variety and we also have tv dinners we can modify and things of that kind. I also have a frozen coke which is delicious. Cyn is also here and shes making matza ball soup which is delicious and we appreciate it and I have missed it for a long time. And I’m looking forward to this experience. And I’m excited about the snacks and the projects and all the things coming up. I have some prompts prepped and I also have a charity stream I’ll be hosting so I’m going in and prepping Instagram right now and Twitch as well. I’m getting squared away for that as well. We are trading chicken nugget stories as well which is great. And we are just kind of hanging out getting ready for tomorrow but trying not to stress out or over react or over think. I’m also doing Pen.Ember which is writing every day this month and I need to pop in and do that for today as well. And I need to finish this damn battle and I’m soooo close but I’m also not trying to be rude to cyn or ro. And we’re worried about lundens reaction to reiki or tarot cards and we’re trying to figure out what health care precautions need to be taken over the course of the weekend. Zach and his parents are at dinner. But they’ll be here soon.

Now we have new developments and I don’t really know how I feel because well, it’s been a lot. The soup was delicious but I’m still hungry so probably going to dive into the nuggets that are now readily available. I’m glad Cyn ate the fries. And I’m glad I got myself a frozen coke – my throat and stomach both feel better. Ronan is doing a reread for tomorrow’s final draft goal. Cyn is resting on the air mattress and vegging out. And well, my computer is factory resetting… everything. I am losing all my undercurrent notes – but not really because they are stored here on 4thewords and on novlr – but I’m losing the formatting and the pretty esthetics. So anyway my computer is factory resetting because it wasn’t registering the fact that I do have a camera and that I do need to stream tomorrow. Zach has his brand new laptop as well. And thank god I have the keyboard for here and I’m able to get my words in and my prep done and my worries off of my chest before going to bed and waking up and putting my best foot forward for the actual challenge tomorrow. I am looking forward to it thought and I’m ready to track all the words I write – not just the poem an hour thing. And I’m also ready to see what I’m capable of. And I kind of want to try collaging every hour on the iPad too since I’ve never just sat down to do that. Although I much prefer the regular real tangible stickers for that. Though my wrists will probably prefer not having to do the weird motions getting the sticker paper off and making sure the stickers don’t stick to the wrong things. We still have two to three hours before Lunden gets here and I want a cup of tea. I have decaf constant comet and I’m really thinking about it after this battle. I’m ready for the marathon. For the updates. For the prompts. The encouragement. The candy. The everything. And I’m very much looking forward to the fake nails as well. So yes anyway I’m ready for this shit.

Here’s my master prompt list in case I run out or add to it as i go or whatever: Tomorrow is National Hummingbird Day so I want to write a collection or chap book titled “The Hummingbird Lounge” and I want to explore how that name came to be and where we’re going and who I miss and all of those kinds of things with that in mind these are the bare minimum 24 prompts::

1. Early morning thoughts

2. Coffee at sunrise

3. Missing the veranda

4. Who we could be

5. Sip on summer

6. Embracing change

7. Pastel ghost

8. Crumpled pages

9. Nicknames outlive you

10. Away with the butterflies

11. Exploring wonder

12. What you want to remember

13. Fabric flowers

14. Growing up paint splattered

15. Silver linings

16. Recycled books

17. Paper airplane wishes

18. 2 am phone calls

19. The artist’s hour

20. Waltzing with memory

21. Listening to music you left behind

22. Naming hummingbirds

23. Softly laughing

24. Fascinating feelings

My September Prompts in case I need extras because I plan on writing way more than one poem an hour. But will still adhere to the challenge of writing at least one poem within every hour and using that as the poem I post to the site/blog thing.

1. Life is good

2. What you’re wishing

3. Tasting tomorrow

4. Playing hopscotch

5. Sparkly dragon scales

6. Half made dreamer

7. Pour a drink

8. Anxiety and answers

9. Plastic hearts

10. Over a cup of coffee

11. nauseas and noble

12. Side effects of you

13. Percentage of autumn

14. Winds are coming

15. Leaves twist and turn

16. Facts of feeling

17. Dancing with yesterday

18. What do you call home

19. Did you name yourself?

20. Worth the phone call

21. Stories you tell

22. Purple flowers of silk

23. Aching with yesterday

24. Who we could be

25. Balance is key

26. Adventure whispers

27. Pruning the trees

28. In the garden

29. You still sing

30. Comfort rewatching

September Prompts by Nicoleting

1. Tell me a secret

2. Write about the “feeling of being so grateful to have something worth missing” from happy place by Emily Henry

3. Like a song and underwater

4. Long live and electric touch

5. Almost radiant

6. Lose your mind

7. Labyrinth and lost in translation

8. Write a poem inspired by this line: “every story has the potential for infinite endings: from once upon a broken heart by Stephanie garber

9. What we survived

10. Write a poem about the things you’re leaving behind

11. the sound of peace

12. Was it worth it

13. I still want

14. Sweet nothing and oblivion

15. Stuck on replay

16. Surrender and maelstrom

17. Twin paper airplanes

18. Last light of summer

19. Eyes open and waiting room

20. Write a poem inspired by this image: “autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place” from all too well tv by Taylor swift

21. Red and gold and childlike

22. Undeveloped film

23. turn to page 30 of the nearest book and find 3-5 words that stand out – these words are your word bank or prompt

24. Broken chandelier

25. Fly away and white noise

26. Write about the things that are left, hanging in the air like a rumor from in the dream house by carmen Maria machado

27. I am thinking of you

28. Was it true love

29. Bitten apples and sweet and ironic

30. The after taste of an escapade < Honestly I love this prompt so so so much and I can’t wait to write for it.

Some journal prompts to explore if needed: by memories by Meyer’s

1. Person you always share news with first

2. Most daring person you know

3. Person who is most like you

4. Kindest person you know

5. Most authentic person you know

6. Most driven person you know

7. Person you aspire to be like

8. Most selfless person you know

9. Most unique person you know

10. Most talented person in your life

11. Most confident person you know

12. Person you spend the most time with at work

13. Most positive person you know

14. Person you call for emotional support

15. Person who makes you laugh til your stomach aches

16. Most prepared or organized person in your life

17. Most patient person you know

18. Person you miss the most

19. Person you thought would still be close to you but isn’t

20. Person in your life with the most self discipline

21. Person who makes the most delicious food

22. Person who bakes the most delicious treats

23. Write about your oldest friend

24. Write about your newest friend

25. Someone who taught you an important lesson

26. Person who makes you feel the most authentically you

27. Person who makes you feel valued

28. Person with the greatest impact on your childhood

29. Person you go to for advice and tough love

30. Person who is most critical in your life

BONUS: write about yourself and any of your attributes from above

September poetry prompts from libbyjenner who i still have mixed feelings about but the prompts are good and they are categorized in an interesting way that might spur a chap book into actual chapters or introduce mini projects. Which would be good, I’m going for words here.

Water:

1. Silky sheets of waves

2. Concocting storms < love this on

3. Breaking the surface

4. Breaking free from the chains of seaweed

5. Growing gills to breathe under the pressure

6. I will not dilute myself

7. Brushing against the waves

8. What emotion have you found difficult to process recently

Earth:

9. nurturing the sill I’m planted in

10. What does your safe space feel like

11. Flowers growing in the cracks

12. Skeletal trees now in full bloom

13. When do you feel grounded

14. Returning to an old home

15. I need familiarity

FIRE:

16. Consumed by flowering fires

17. Dressing myself in flames

18. Break me out of this furnace

19. Seduced by sensuality

20. Ashes of who I once was

21. Eyes glowing like embers

22. Crackling next to crackling fires

23. Didn’t you hear? I burned it

AIR:

24. Wings made of clouds

25. Butterfly hues

26. Birds tapping on my window

27. Write about a daydream you had recently

28. I am still discovering my voice

29. Whispers amongst the trees

30. Lullabies laced into the night sky

August Prompts by Libby Jenner which again still unsure how i feel about her but we’ll get through that on a separate task:

1. Poetry lives in the chambers of my heart

2. When writer’s block won’t pay rent

3. Stanzas etched in the summer sky

4. Bottled up sun rays

5. Tinkering with my emotions

6. I was not made of this

7. Pearlescent strokes of moonlight

8. Searching for shards of peace amongst calamity

9. Documents a moment where you’ve felt like your most authentic self

10. This shopping list is called what a poet needs to survive

11. I don’t scavenge for approval it will always leave me starved

12. Every time I open my drawer the contents change

13. How does your poetic lense change how you perceive the world.

14. If not for writing…

15. Stars fall at my feet, and I dust myself with their shine

16. Drinking from a poisoned well

17. Flowers don’t grow on their own

18. What plant would you be and why

19. Write about a love story between the sun and the moon

20. I don’t want to be the acquaintance of chaos anymore

21. What does writing feel like to you?

22. Rose quartz earrings for self love lullabies

23. Write about a childhood hobby that you want to pick up again. What memories are tied to it and how might you approach it differently at this or a future age?

24. What;s something that makes you feel fiery fury

25. Write about something you’re missing and whether you’ll be able to find it

26. I just need the clouds to clear

27. This bridge is a little harder to cross than I pictured

28. What do you let back in even though it might go bad again?

29. How do you know the world had magic?

30. Letters trickle down my page like honey

31. Write about a color without saying what  it is.

I’m writing this just 2 days after the release of my 3rd poetry collection. And two weeks before my honey goes back to school. That’s kind of an odd feeling – especially because last year was my first time participating in the Official Poetry Marathon and my life was in a totally different place – and it was earlier into the summer. I’m not complaining – I’m just getting the nerves out and letting the differences between preparing for last year and this year feel heard so that I can move on and prepare for another successful year. Since last year, I have participated in an unofficial poetry marathon- successfully all 24 hours, and I have participated in two iterations of the 24 hour novel. And of course I have a new poetry book in the world. That’s really incredible. So I’m not worried about not finishing the marathon the way I was last year – but I do want to see how this goes. Especially because this year I’ll have some friends and family participating with me from my home. And I definitely think that will help me to be even more successful and also more motivated. I write under the name SincerelyBluejay and I’m going to gather my prompts for the marathon throughout the week, I’ll also be preparing food and beverages for our gathering of writing. I’m also going to pick a charity – which since this is happening in September – Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month – it’ll probably be for To Write Love on Her Arms – and use this event to generate some love and donations for them through my social media. Wow, we are so close to the Poetry Marathon, I feel like I had more time to prepare last time – from the time I was accepted and signed up at least. Or maybe that’s all in my head.

 

Anyway, it’s lovely to be here. I can’t wait to see how this goes, and I can’t wait to read your work! Good luck and happy writing!

It is the end

of yet another

challenge

 

I took on in a hurry

 

thinking I’d be able to

outdo myself yet again.

 

And while I have grown

and found a new way to

shine – it’s really just

Another day survived

 

And that alone is worth

 

Every moment spent

 

Celebrating.

 

-M. Rene’

Darling

 

We have given ourselves

far too many reasons to

stay whole when really it

is perfectly reasonable to

Crash and fall apart and

maybe even lose some of

pieces in the process.

 

Sometimes growth isn’t about

Flourishing with what we had

To begin with – but rather in

Becoming a gallery of everything

& Everyone we’ve picked up

Along the way and over the years.

 

-M. Rene’

Deceiving devil:

You, you deceiving devil you, have you ever considered the mess you make just by wandering through hearts you’ll never really know or hallways you refuse to actually explore? You, you deceiving devil, you, somehow you’ve made your way to my pages, cracked my spine, and convinced me that this is indeed the best home I’ll ever have. Simply, because you, you are here too.

-M. Rene’

Cityscapes and dreamcatchers:

 

You do such a beautiful job of blending cityscapes and dreamcatchers into your life. AS if you only feel inspired in the hustle and bustle then you step away and the peace just swells within you. As if you’ve finally gotten this one right – and I’m the one behind. You do such a wonderful thing when you wake up and take a deep breath before getting out of bed – and I wish I could do that too; but I just don’t seem to have the time. You have always been a year late – to every party we want to attend and all of a sudden you’re catching up and out pacing me. And as wonderful as that is – it really really is, I just hope you haven’t lost sight of the things that have been important to you all along the way.

 

-M. Rene’

sincerelybluejay poetry