W3 Prompt #7: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Intro

Dear friends,

Welcome to our seventh W³ Poetry Prompt, which will we shall be publishing on Wednesdays at The Skeptic’s Kaddish.

You may click here for a fuller explanation of W³; but here’s the ‘tldr’ version:

Part I

The main ingredient of W³ is a weekly poem written by a Poet of the Week (PoW), which participants respond to in verse.

Part II

The second ingredient is a writing guideline (or two) provided by the PoW. Guidelines may include, but are not limited to: word counts, poetic forms, inclusion of specific words, and use of particular poetic devices.

Part III

After four days, when the prompt closes, the PoW shall select one participant’s poem as the W³ prompt for the following week, and its author becomes the next PoW.

Simple enough, right?

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Okie dokie ~ Let’s do this thing!

I. The prompt poem:

‘Work in Progress’ by Sarah David

Family: work in progress.
Like tree branches arching, you will grow:
the forks you choose for each limb unknown
until you reach the intersecting valleys,
relying on gentle hands and histories.
Father’s journey: tapestry of mysteries;
Mother’s stories: secreted into galleries.
All life’s answers unneeded to go.
Love, dirt, and time; our truth will follow.
Family: work in progress.

II. Sarah’s prompt guidelines

• 12 lines or shorter;
• Includes a contrast in images or ideas.

III. Submit: Click on ‘Mr. Linky’ below

In order to participate and share a poem, open up this blog post, outside of the WordPress reader. At the bottom, just below these words, you will see a small rectangular graphic with the words ‘Mr Linky’. Click on that to submit.

Submissions are open for 4 days, until Sunday, June 19, 10:00 AM (GMT+3)

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Last week’s W³ poem

This week’s W³ prompt poem (above), composed by Sarah, was in response to last week’s W³ prompt poem, which Britta Benson wrote:

‘Family’, by Britta Benson

Hopscotch gatherings of twice removed ties,
stubborn hearts strung, as the drunken crow flies.
Comings and goings, swift handshakes, goodbyes,
we harbour ghosts, truth, iridescent lies.
Hope never tires, surprise never dies.
Tidied mess? Work in progress? Compromise?
Hub of kindness, chances, crunch hugs and cries.
You’re welcome, want it or not, we’re the prize!