24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
Last year, I got to know about this challenge just two days earlier and I jumped in, not knowing whether I would swim or flounder. I did stay afloat with admirable support from the community of marathoners and some comfort foods. It’s one day in the year when I let go. Cheering all the participants as you warm up.
Hi all ~
This is my umpteenth poetry marathon — really, I don’t even remember how many I’ve joined! I think from the 2nd year until now, with a couple of hiatuses caused by illness, etc. This year is the first w/out my biggest cheerleader — my beloved husband. It’s less than 5 weeks since he died. So if my work is a bit dark, or obsessed w/ mortality and its associated baggage, you’ll know why.
In other background? Expat brat (known among the cognoscenti as ‘third culture kids’, even as we age!), lived abroad for many years: Southest Asia, Middle East, North Africa. Lots of travel and exposure to other cultures, in other words. I miss that, as travel has become increasingly fraught. But next month I’m off across the country, to see family & friends in Oregon. The other coast from Virginia, where I live!
Poetry since a kid, writing as both career & passion. Tea right behind writing, and being outdoors with both! Here’s to a great marathon (or half, in my case!). Enjoy!
So I just used the Random Prompt button and this came up:
From the 2015 Poetry Marathon
Prompt for Hour Nine
Set a timer. Write whatever comes in to your head for 5 minutes as fast as you can. Don’t delete anything you type, and don’t bother to spell check. It is all about getting the words down on the paper.
After the 5 minutes are up start editing what you have. Feel free to cut and add material as needed. Try to spend at least 15 minutes, if not longer, editing the piece.
I love how this prompt gives us space to create, such a big part of the Poetry Marathon, but how it also reminds us that editing is an equal part of the process. Though we have little time during the contest, I do try to edit each poem every hour before pressing send (if time allows) and then I return to edit my work before submitting to the anthology. During the hour, when finished a poem, I often stretch, get some fresh air, refill my water or brew some tea and then return to the piece I just wrote and change the font and colour so that it looks different on the page. It is amazing what I notice that I didn’t see before, so I can make the poem stronger!
This will be my first marathon. Should be interesting.
I’m excited to participate in this marathon, again! I hope I am able to complete it this year! Best of luck to everyone here! Happy writings.
I wanted to see if this is how to post my poem and where it might appear. Thanks!
Hello to all the wonderful participants from around the globe! Happy to be creating alongside you tomorrow! Remember to let the process just happen and the words will flow! Enjoy the day! Just prepping for tomorrow with one more practice poem from the handy Random Prompt generator on the main page and then I will use the Random Poem button to read the work of other poets over the past years to get me motivated and be inspired! I am participating in the half-marathon, so I added this same message there to see that I have got my settings reading for posting! ‘See’ you soon! #Poets
Hello — I’m almost as nervous about tomorrow as I was on the day before my wedding. Hoping to turn that emotion into creative energy once the marathon starts. Also hoping to get enough sleep tonight. Such us the power of writing.
Challenging ourselves should cause us to be better at whatever it is that we do. For me this is one such journey. It was not a bucket list item, but it is an opportunity to grow. Looking forward to the experience.
Daun
