Poetry Marathon Prep Pt. 2:
This is me, seeing how many prompts I can write to in a single hour.
Peace Pirate Poetry May 2022 Prompt Responses:
- Too Late:
If you know you’re going to be late,
too late for the showing, or so late that
even the ice in my water will have melted
before we’re able to order, then I hope
you know
you will be crafted into a work of art.
You will be immortal as a poem and
most likely you will outlive every other
thing I’ve created. Because there will be
love and hate broiled into every word
to hit the page so completely that
you will be my most quoted creation.
It does not matter if we have been
on dates before, or if this is the first.
It does not matter if you have lived
in my home with me or not, because
poetry is the only consistent home
I have ever known – and to welcome
you within these pages is indeed
wonderous and rare – it does not
account for tardiness. And I will
not stand for such flippant responses
to our love. Our life. Or my time.
-M. Rene’
2. Perfect Pair
I have a “pair” of sneakers
that is composed of one
black sneaker and one white sneaker.
They are covered in sharpie dreams
of lyrics and dreams and people we
have always wanted to be – but will
never know how to walk the path
of becoming. These are my favorite
shoes, because everyone always
has something to say. Has something
to wonder. Has to take a photo of.
And I would not it any other way.
-M. Rene’
3. Company:
Darling, you have always been such beautiful company.
Carrying words in your heart and art on your skin.
Filling every room we venture into with laughter.
Standing tall no matter the storm raging around.
Existing blissfully – just knowing that you are mine
& I am yours.
This friendship, I believe, is the epitome of
everything that the world has tried to keep us
from being, and living, and understanding.
Thus, we shall carry on as we have for all of time.
Despite the distance ever dancing between us.
-M. Rene’
4. May the Force:
If you have a hobby, a fantasy world, a memory
that you embrace so whole-heartedly that it
appears in every big momentous occasion you live,
then I shall support you and the artistry of such things.
But you must know, Star Wars has never been
and likely never will be a favorite of mine for any
reason other than the place it holds in YOUR heart.
-M. Rene’
5. For Now:
For now, I will breathe
and pretend that everything is okay.
But I want you to know my lungs
will be the first thing to give out on me.
And when that happens, I’ll likely lose
the ability to raise this voice of mine
in crowded rooms and empty coffee shops alike.
And if that happens, the artistry flowing through me,
coursing through these veins and bleeding itself
onto pages that will be photographed but
never held – will carry on until my heart
beats its final measure. I’ll simply rely on you
to do the talking. Which may seem odd
at first, but I promise, you’ll find
it’s just like breathing.
-M. Rene’
6. People Watching:
Walk into any cafe, bar, restaurant you like
order the first thing on the menu that catches your eye –
even if you have no idea what it is. Find a seat outside
of the incoming sunlight, the center of the room, or
by the register – I know this can be difficult, but I
have faith in you. Take out a book, pretend that you
are reading every word stamped onto the page
as intently as you stare into your first love’s gazes.
Know that you are really tasked with people watching.
With exploring the way the building sways in the wind
and how people dance around each other and the words
that get carried across the steam rising from the coffee you
know you’ll need. With being a part of everything and nothing
all at once – because someday the world will need to know
the goings on of places like this in times like these and you
are the greatest artist I have ever known. This task is yours.
And I only hope you will continue to appreciate such findings
as the times and places continue to change – and so do you.
-M. Rene’
7. Cat Eyes:
SKIP – because this would be more of a gut reaction rant rather than an actual poem
8. Wizard’s Staff:
My friend, I know, I know with
every
single
fiber of my being, that you
are certainly going to be part
of the creation of a fabulously
powerful human being in a
multitude of beautiful ways.
But you cannot under
absolutely
any
circumstances name your child
Bathazar or Gwenevier or after
any of the characters you’ve
built within fictional lands.
There is a difference between
a wizard’s staff as an artifact or
decoration and actually believing
that you are chaotic enough to
BE a wizard or a warlock or a
demon master in this day and age.
And no matter how ridiculously
amazing your child will indeed be,
you cannot ask them to live through
the taunting and the teasing and the
madness that will undoubtedly follow
them through the hardest years of
their life with a name like that – a
standard to live up to that simply
no youth should be asked to.
It would be like giving birth to a
Shakespeare and demanding them
be the next Currie. It cannot and
should not be done regardless of
how confident you may be upon
the day of their birth. I do wish you
every possible happiness though.
-M. Rene’
9. One Hand Song
In your arms you carry every meaningful
moment you have ever encountered.
Songs and poems and stories and toys
and memories and dreams and dances.
Some would say you are overburdened
that you must let go of the resources
in order to carry new ones – I say
I trust you. And in my eyes, if you
trust yourself that is more than enough
to counteract what ANY of us may believe.
But, you have a one hand song
taking up so much space that
could be utilized in other ways –
if only you could understand that
music is just as much a soulful
experience as it is a tangible one.
And I know you are going to do
whatever it is you think best for yourself –
but I just wanted you to know that
some of the things that matter do not
need to be carried in such heavy ways. ‘
-M. Rene’
10. Tradition:
Every morning
as the sun rises
and the mosquitoes buzz
you and I have coffee
on the Veranda.
Yours in a purple espresso cup
mine summer yellow – because
we need to start things off joyfully.
Afterall we do not want to be here,
these are some of the most impactful
days we will ever know, and still
we must move forward – making
the most of what we have if we
ever wish to change things.
This is the most beautiful tradition
either of us will ever know.
-M. Rene’
11. Spell of Sparrow:
While this IS a really cool prompt, it’s really just not speaking to me right now. And honestly, I hope that’s cool. Maybe if you’re reading this, it’ll speak to you though. That is always a wish I carry.
12. Self Guided:
The box of stickers resting patiently
in the closet that has not been opened
since Christmas – is too good for us.
It is a self-guided discovery of its own
that will someday litter the pages of
our dreams and wonders and everything
we were not actually able to become
within the confines of this lifetime.
And it is a beautiful and terrible thing
all at once to know that a person’s fate
and entire story can both be told and
detailed in a handful of misc. stickers.
-M. Rene’
13. Reconcile:
To reconcile the halves of myself
that remain unnamed despite the
importance of such things would
be just as tiresome as telling two
neighbor boys they have to be friend –
and in the world today also expecting
them to eventually be lovers.
And proud of who and what they are
and vocal about the story they’ve written
both together and as individuals. You
cannot simply expect someone or something
to grow into the shapes you could not
just by believing it so. And I will not and
by no means will ever try to explain
my own reasons to the parts of myself
that refuse to listen or change.
I will simply exist in the ways that feel
best and most important to the person I am.
-M. Rene’
14. Hippie Names:
My mother wears burkenstocks
and I like paisely and raves –
interchangeably everything you
just read makes sense regardless
of the order you read it in.
Because of this, people in our lives
call us hippie names and refuse to
believe that we can actually function
as adult people in the society we were
born into. And though things have
changed over the years, there is
absolutely nothing wrong now or then
with hippies, or the people we have become.
Despite whatever the world around us
chooses to believe at any given time.
And such things will remain true for even
the furthest of generations yet to come.
-M. Rene’
Okay so it’s 11 pm for me – I’ve been up since 6 – and was not *exactly* planning to prep for the event today, but I am. I’ve got 9 minutes left of my one hour timer, and I’ve written 12 poems and racked up 1600+ words. If I can properly sleep, eat and caffinate prior to the real deal – I think I’ve got this under control. HOWEVER, since writing my introduction I’ve decided to alter my pledge – I will donate $5 to charity for every hour I successfully write more than 3 poems. Because taking care of yourself is first, within reason, and encouraging a community is almost always secondary. Let’s see how many more poems can be written in the remaining few minutes shall we?
15: More hope:
The world always needs
more hope;
and to be honest, so do
most of us
on a more personal level.
This is why poetry deserves
every goddamn award known to man.
Why artistry is the most important
task any soul can be assigned.
And precisely why the starving artist
belief is a complete and utter myth.
Even if we do not have money
in the bank – we are rich with
the wealth of encouraging ourselves
and others no matter what life
sends our way. And that is
more than any prized possession
could ever offer, create, or understand.
-M. Rene’
16. Stay:
Stay with me through the rain
through the chilly nights with the window open
and in all the most beautiful parts of ourselves as well.
Stay and I promise, we will both
be better because of it.
-M. Rene’
On the note of “Stay” is anyone here an Atticus fan? His latest merchandise line has some beautiful creations of galaxies and stay and his poem with this word as the mainstay. It’s wonderful. If you’re a fan.
And if not, this concludes my hour of testing and trying and playing. These are all brand new drafts and I can’t wait to see what they become over time or how more of these practice attempts play out either. Thank you so much for reading and your support. Good luck and write your souls out~
Sincerely,
BlueJay
