On April 14, 1912, RMS Titanic hit an iceberg at 11.40pm off Newfoundland. If you need to, you can find out more factual details at Encyclopædia Britannica or any other reputable site. Based on what you learn, write a poem from the point of view or the ship herself as in “Titanic Speaks.” This will give you an opportunity to imagine people and events that you may not know from the historical accounts.

As usual, you can post your poem here if you like. You will need a password. Write to theliterarynest@gmail.com if you need the password.

Most likely, at some point in life, you have been blindfolded and played “pin the tail on the donkey” or have broken a piñata at a party. Think about the sensations while you were blindfolded. How did it affect your reflexes? Did you have the enhanced tactile sense? How effective or ineffective was your spatial orientation? Imagine any of your usual activities from the visually deprived perspective and write a poem about the experience.

As usual, you can post your poem here if you like. You will need a password. Write to theliterarynest@gmail.com if you need the password.

Let’s write an ekphrastic poem today. Just in case anyone is unfamiliar with the concept, here’s the definition of Ekphrastic Poetry from Poetry Foundation.

“Description” in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.

Write a poem based on the image above.

As usual, you can post your poem here if you like. You will need a password. Write to theliterarynest@gmail.com if you need the password.

Following surgeon general’s advice on handwashing, some of you may often be singing that 20-second handwashing birthday song these days. Today’s theme for poetry is the quarantine birthday.  How would you celebrate a loved one’s birthday when you can’t be physically there. Suppose you were quarantined by yourself on your own birthday. Think about these scenarios and write a poem. That’s it – short and sweet.

As usual, you can post your poem here if you like. You will need a password. Write to theliterarynest@gmail.com if you need the password.

Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are working on, one thing is certain that these are uncertain times. No authority, no wisdom, no golden light at the end of the tunnel to guide you at this time. There’s a poem by Emily Dickinson with the theme of uncertainty.

If you were coming in the fall,
I’d brush the summer by
With half a smile and half a spurn,
As housewives do a fly.

If I could see you in a year,
I’d wind the months in balls,
And put them each in separate drawers,
Until their time befalls.

If only centuries delayed,
I’d count them on my hand,
Subtracting till my fingers dropped
Into Van Diemens land.

If certain, when this life was out,
That yours and mine should be,
I’d toss it yonder like a rind,
And taste eternity.

But now, all ignorant of the length
Of time’s uncertain wing,
It goads me, like the goblin bee,
That will not state its sting.

Write a poem using the phrase “If I could see you in a year,” of Dickinson’s poem as the first line of your poem.

As usual, you can post your poem here if you like. You will need a password. Write to theliterarynest@gmail.com if you need the password.

Today’s prompt is a light-hearted one. You have heard songs with a slew of popular culture references, such as “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel or “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron. The lyrics of these songs are widely available. I have linked them here for a quick reference.

Write a poem that refers to several pop culture items. Your poem can be light-hearted, or it could deal with any topic that is relevant to today’s climate or future. Have fun with it.

To those who have checked-in with me with their reasons for not writing daily or not posting, don’t worry. You can write as many or as few as your life’s demands permit you. You can always write something that isn’t inspired by a particular prompt. The Academy of American Poets states the motivation behind the NPM on their website.

National Poetry Month was launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996 to remind the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters. 

So, the point is to keep poetry alive and thriving by making sure the poets stay relevant. As usual, you can post your poem here if you like. You will need a password. Write to theliterarynest@gmail.com if you need the password.

“April is the cruellest month,” wrote T.S. Eliot in his long 5-section poem “Waste Land.” Here’s an excerpt from the first section.

For Ezra Pound
Il Miglior Fabbro

I. The Burial of the Dead

April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.

This particular April of 2020 seems to be difficult, but why would Eliot or rather the speaker of the poem call April the cruelest month? Much activity takes place in nature during spring and there’s work to be done. The cozy winter days of inactivity, dormancy are coming to an end and the lilacs are blooming. There’s no time for story-telling and leisure. How do you feel about the spring, about April? Can you flip the first line on its head and write a poem about the kindness of April?

As usual, you can post your poem here if you like. You will need a password. Write to theliterarynest@gmail.com if you need the password.