W3 Prompt #40: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Intro

Dear friends,

Welcome to our W³ Poetry Prompt, which goes live 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 read before participating in the prompt.

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 five 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:

‘A Riddle – Can You Answer?’, a poem by Jaideep Khanduja

I am a thing that’s always true,
A treasure that’s always new.
I am a thing that’s always pure,
A treasure that will forever endure.

I am a thing that’s often sought,
A treasure that is dearly bought.
I am a thing that’s hard to find,
A treasure of a different kind.

I am a thing that’s hard to see,
A treasure that’s concealed from thee.
I am a thing that’s hard to touch,
A treasure that’s beyond your clutch.

I am a thing that’s hard to hear,
A treasure that’s always near.
I am a thing that’s hard to say,
A treasure that’s given away.

I am a thing that’s always true,
A treasure that’s always new.
I am a thing that’s always pure,
A treasure that will forever endure.

What am I?

II. Jaideep’s prompt guidelines

Urban Landscapes

• Form: Tanka (5-7-5-7-7 syllables);
• Must include:
  • The phrase “Concrete jungle”
  • The poetic device of personification
• Goal: To bring attention to the beauty and complexities of urban landscapes through the traditional Japanese poetic form of the tanka.
• Feel free to use the free image of New York City to the right (click on it for the full sized version)

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 5 days, until Monday, February 6, 10:00 AM (GMT+3)

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Last week’s W³ poem

This week’s W³ prompt poem (above), composed by Jaideep, was written in response to last week’s W³ prompt poem, which Brandon Ellrich wrote:

‘The Actor and the Realtor’, a poem by Brandon

See the contemplating of the actor,
I think he's angry at the common factor.

The realtor is typing on her phone, 
Leaving him to tour alone.

He walks into an upstairs room;
It smells of death, regret, and doom.

Just one object alone exists,
His vanity cannot resist.

His arrogance and self-affection,
Cannot pass up his own reflection.

He stands before a dusty mirror, 
Leans in closer to see it clearer

A hand reaches out and grabs his tie, 
Draws him through to the other side

His conceit, vanity, and pride,
Keep him trapped forever inside.