POEM-IN-YOUR-POCKET-DAY

================================
DREAMS - by Langston Hughes


Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow

================================

POETRY CHALLENGE #51

In 1790, while free Blacks paid taxes to support schools, their children were not allowed to attend these schools. Imagine that you were a Black child back then...

WRITE A POEM TELLING WHY YOU SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GO TO SCHOOL LIKE ANYBODY ELSE

A POEM FOR TODAY

A POEM IN HONOR OF EARTH DAY





IS THIS THE FUTURE?

NASA
Discovered
A new planet on the
Horizon much like
Earth  500 light
Years away orbiting a
Dim red star much like
Our sun the closes match
To earth yet
Cousin or  evil twin?

THURSDAY POETRY PROMPT

WRITE A "ONE" POEM

1



Lone wolf
Runs with the pack
Sometimes runs
Alone refusing
To conform doing
What it takes to
Stay safe keep the
Pack safe not always
Playing fair wild on
The prowl constantly
Looking for prey

POETRY CHALLENGE #50

A woman opens her front door and finds a bouquet of flowers on the doorstep...

WRITE A POEM DESCRIBING THE EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THIS MOMENT

POETRY CHALLENGE #49

WRITE A POEM USING THIS VISUAL IMAGE

POETRY CHALLENGE #48

Pick up the book, magazine, or newspaper that is nearest to you and open to a random page. Start your POEM with the first line at the top of the page and end it with the last line at the bottom of the page.

DEDICATION

THE DR. IS OUT
for Maya Angelou


Without knowing you
Taught me the meaning
Of love and understanding
Of myself as a person of
Color in all things to no
Longer be afraid to lift
My voice and sing rise
Above the friction of life
Relegated to the second-class
Citizenship lane to rise above
Life sentenced to the iron bars
Of a caged in soul which now
Sings all praises to you daily
For healing me for making me
Well enough to lift my voice
To rise still rise

thursday POETRY PROMPT

WRITE A "POP" POEM
========================================


Pop Culture



The Godfather of Soul
Hardest working man in show biz
Made a dance song
The popcorn
Get up
Get on up
Everybody

Doing the popcorn but me
Ain't it funky now
That lowdown popcorn
Had Mr. Dynamite exploding
Across the stage
Like hot flames of fire



*Prompt as posted by R.L. Brewer, "Poetic Asides Blog"

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 30

Write a "dead-end" poem.


INSTAGRAM


Looking me up she
Found me on social
Media wanting to be
Starting something personal.
She's cute but grown men
Don't lust after little girls.
I got plans that don't
Include going to jail.

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 29

Write a "haphazard" poem


WHAT IS THIS


Dear Heart
Just a brief line
To say that I'm
Sorry for my moments
Of silence today but
You left so suddenly yesterday I
Forgot to tell you your
Green tree frog gave birth.

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 28

Take the phrase "Important (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then write the poem.

IMPORTANT REMINDER


The truth will set you free
Allows you to dance and
Flirt and engage with life.
But to know truth is to accept
The responsibility that comes
With knowing.

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 27

Write a "take off" poem.


WILD BLUE YONDER


Poised on the runway
Of life the big picture
Clearly before you all
Systems are go for take
Off gather your speed get
The wind beneath your wings
Higher and higher up into the
Wide expanse there's no turning
Back only landing safely

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 - DAY 26

Two-for-Tuesday

Write a love poem. Or write an anti-love poem.

NOT REAL LOVE


Oh he's just a friend is
How she introduced me to
hers.
I thought I was more.
We've been closer than
Close before.
Closer than most before so
I thought we had more.
Don't get mixed emotions don't
Confuse making love with
Being in love she said they not the same.

P. A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 25

Write an "exercise" poem

OM


The alarm sounds every morning
Waking me. I seek my yoga mat and
A quiet place for meditation.
My quest is for inner peace and
Tranquility exercising my mind.

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 24

Write a poem in which something is lost and then regained.


BUS STOP


I should have slept with it
In my lap but it was awkward
Didn't want to drop my new
Typewriter so I put it in the
Overhead compartment on the
Greyhound bus to Albany State
And left it there on a changeover
But by time I got to the station my
Typewriter was right there in the
Lost and found waiting

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 23

Write a "footwear" poem



I HAD GAME


As a teenager
My sneaker game was tight
All it took was a pair of
Black or white chuck taylor
All-stars converse had the market
Cornered and life was simple but
The game changed quickly in '85
When the Nike Jordan ones arrived
A new era of sneaker game was born
Where now you need hundreds of
Dollars to play I'm out who got next?

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 22

Take the phrase "Star (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase. Make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then write your poem.


STAR NIGHT

Twinkle twinkle sparkle
Strung up across the sky
Like holiday lights hung high
You brighten up the world
At night while everyone else
Is asleep

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 21

Write a poem that responds (or somehow communicates) with another poem.


DREAMS BY LANGSTON HUGHES


 I must say so myself that
Your message about dreams
Has been well received for
It is true that when dreams die
It's like a broken wing bird
That cannot fly it's pretty much
A wrap and a backup plan
Is essential to keeping the dream alive

P.A.D. CHALLENGE 2016 DAY 20

Write a poem of what goes unsaid.


STAR LIGHT


My lifestyle
One foot in the blues
One foot in the grave
First star I see tonight
I'll make a secret wish
To get my life back right.
What did the star have to say?
This too shall pass your way.