The Poetry Marathon

Stardust
You loved that song
I had forgotten
Until this moment
Now my heart aches

You loved daisies too
I will not forget again
I would carve it all into my palms
Before I too am
Stardust

(Prompt: Write a poem that starts and ends with the same word. It can be short, but it has to be at least five lines long. If you can’t think of your own word to start and end with here are my suggestions: hope, stardust, cheese, sleep, and shoes.)

We often dreamt of astral travels
Walked through corridors of dreams
Danced a slow waltz in Austria
And the last tango in Paris

Graced a castle in Peru
Strolled at midnight through the Louvre
Wore the Crown Jewels to breakfast
Broke bread with Elvish Kings

Flew supersonic jets into the heavens
Swam and dove through nebulae
Tiptoed on active lava flows
Ran with cheetahs and gazelles

Talked for hours with Tesla and the Buddha
Sang with Bennie and the Jets
Spoke of world peace at the Final Summit
Soothed a teething Baby Grogu

Solved for peace here on Earth
Watered, housed, fed the masses
Created consciousness spontaneously
Found everyone their soulmate

Built Stonehenge, breathed stars into being
Birthed Rasputin, Cleopatra, Elvis, and Joan
Taught Nietzsche and Superman everything they know
Do you ever think it will be our time to rest

(Prompt: Pick the title of a book that you love, that title is now the title of the poem. That poem can be about the book directly, or indirectly, or it can use the title as a jumping off point, and be about something else entirely.)

Somewhere you sleep, perhaps across the ocean
Dreaming beautiful ideas to life

Living your best life, as you are meant to
Fully in the present, wasting nothing

Shining light into the darkness
Bringing joy and comfort to the fallen

Tempering your strength with kindness
You consciously create each moment

Perhaps one day when I have found you
Our two souls will both be ready

(Prompt: Use the word Tenderness as this hour’s prompt.)

gumdrops fall, like rain
bouncing off my umbrella
singing acapella

cotton candy threads fly by
almonds glide and hop
will they never stop

red and black liquorice strands
dance around the square
like Rogers and Astaire

that sure was some dream
think i better stay away
from sriracha and Bublé

(Prompt: Write a poem that’s no more than 50 words, but one of those words must be either umbrella, or almond.)

soul slowly healing
spotlight shining endlessly
heart behind high walls

tuesday afternoon
how did my life come to this
walls crumble to dust

hope springs eternal
the watchtower is no more
my heartbeat expands

(Prompt: Write a poem using one of the following titles: The Watchtower, Second Breakfast, Books for Beginners, The Woman with the Top Hat, Echo Husband)

Millions of strangers hurry to and fro
Working ten hour days
Then race to a broadway show
You can’t see when you’re in the maze

Cars rev past before day break
Sirens wail in dark of night
Subway trains make windows shake
Cops are here to break up a fight

The city is vibrant, it never sleeps
It expands your view of humanity
With poignancy to make you weep
Full of life and creativity

(Prompt: There are so many nature poems out there. Our prompt for this hour of the night is to write a poem for a city, real or imagined.)

Hooves thud across lush green meadows
Manes and tails flow with each stride

Inhale fresh wet clean earth
On muscled flanks, raindrops glide

Crunch sweet juicy apples
While playful foals dart and hide

Watching, a mare nickers to call them back
Dark beautiful eyes shine in pride

Coats gleam in rays of sunlight
Stallion and mare huff, necks side by side

(Prompt: Write a poem about a moment of joy.)

On warm rocks, basking
Tail in sea water, swishing
Combing long red hair

Leaving clothes behind
Run freely, earth under paws
Bright white moon looms low

Rainbows shimmering
Cobbled shoes in pots of gold
Here, please hold my beer

(Prompt: “Write a poem that involves a mythical monster in some capacity, whether it’s as a side character, a prop, a villain or even the protagonist.” – contributed by Bhasha Dwivedi.)

Twin Flame to my soul, I have dreamt of you
Yet I do not know, are you real

I grow and evolve, with each dat that passes
Am I meant to be happy now, until the end of time

If our Souls exist outside of time
Will we meet with our loved ones again

Both Time and Christmas are Fathers
So who is hooking up with Mother Nature

If Luck is a Lady and chance is a fine thing
Shouldn’t all our wishes on crossed fingers come true

With benevolent Aliens watch us, waiting for us to evolve
Wouldn’t it be time we all start group therapy sessions

If the Illuminati truly exist
Why don’t they start their own reality show

Living under God, Muhammad, Shiva, Quan Yin, and Buddha
Can’t we simply thrive in peace and love

Since I am Creatrix of all reality
Shouldn’t I be Queen or Cher by now

Knowing I am the Watcher, not the Thought
Do I truly exist?

(Prompt: “Write a poem with the last line being a question and the answer being the title.” – Contributed by Megan Ameel Dobson.)

If you know, you know
Soul smart is the new sexy
Dance a tango through the cosmos
Unfettered souls laid bare and free

Spirits intimately entwined
Although without you, I’m still whole
Together we can be so much more
Twin flame, mirror to my soul

Over seven billion people here on Earth
If I must wait until the end of time
How can I be sure that you exist
I will know you by the light you shine

The way you see the universe
Beautiful, magical, rare, and true
Waiting for the other half of me
Each rotation another day to find you

(Prompt: “Write a poem about someone or something you have lust for.” by Daryl Cole Curnow.)