read write prompt #15: storm front moving in
by Carolee Sherwood
I grew up in Northern Maine where we claimed ownership of the phrase: “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.” We had two seasons: winter and Fourth of July. We consulted The Farmer’s Almanac and the width of stripes on caterpillars to know how much snow we’d have. We believed the number of blue eggs in a robin’s nest told us how long the warmer seasons would last. We had a really tall, goofy meteorologist who guided his large hand in an exaggerated arc toward the ground when the temperature fell “beee-lowwwww the donut” (subzero).
For this Read Write Prompt, if you want, write a poem about the weather. Your inspiration may be a weather event (tornado, drought, blizzard, heat wave, downpour, hurricane, thunderstorm, flood) where you grew up or where you live now or even somewhere around the world that impacts you.
Weather-related lore or legend or superstition may spark an idea for a poem.
The weather in your poem doesn’t have to be wild weather; maybe you see clear, blue sky or puffy clouds or sunshine with the perfect intensity of light and warmth.
As you think about some of your life’s stories and experiences, do you remember an event that was ruined by the weather? Were you ever snowed-in with someone? An enemy? A lover? Did you ever do anything to thumb your nose at the weather, like a take a polar dip in an icy lake or play barefoot in the pouring rain?
What do you think about when you’re inside quietly looking out the window at the day and its weather?
For an extra challenge, as though you were a mystery writer avoiding opening with “It was a dark and stormy night,” fight with all your might against the cliches inherent in writing about the weather. Steer clear of “a season for everything” and the obvious life and death-cycle metaphors in the changing seasons. Avoid “avalanches of paperwork” and “raining cats and dogs.” I can’t list them all here, but you know cliches when they pop up in your writing.
I’m looking forward to Monday’s Get Your Poem On post to see what cliche-free weather poems blow in! (Of course, feel free to be a rebel and completely ignore the prompt and write what you want or — for shame! — use a weather-related cliche to your advantage.)
|
get the read write poem badge! 
Wear it loud, wear it proud! Display the Read Write Poem badge on your site. Just click here or on the image above to get the code! read write poem news- yes, yes, here’s another virtual book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 6, 2010 | 11:37 amFind the latest tour stop for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace at Jillypoet, Jill Crammond Wickham’s blog, where you can find an interview with Pamela that discusses how she creates manuscripts.
Previous stops include Daniel Romo at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies and James Brush at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- the best of the web is in our ranks
February 6, 2010 | 11:35 amSarah J. Sloat’s poem,”Attending the Tasting” (published in The Literary Bohemian) has been selected for Best of the Web 2010. Congratulations, Sarah!
- another (w00t!) read write poem member on the joe milford poetry show
February 6, 2010 | 11:34 amOn the Joe Milford Poetry Show tomorrow (Feb. 6): W.F. Roby at 9 AM (PST). Find the show here!
Joe describes Will as a “great language poet and bad-ass.”
- ‘literary podcasting made simple with wordpress.com’
February 6, 2010 | 11:33 amDave Bonta has published a how-to article that might be of interest to WordPress users: “Literary Podcasting Made Simple with WordPress.com,” based on his and Beth Adams’ experience at Qarrtsiluni.
Thanks, Dave, for continuing to help make the community aware of technological resources that can expand our art.
- the latest (virtual) book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 3, 2010 | 3:53 pmThe latest tour stop has been posted for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace. Find out how Daniel Romo responded to the work at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies.
James Brush provided our first tour stop at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- planning for napowrimo in april, and you are invited!
February 2, 2010 | 6:12 pmHello, hello dear Read Write Poem community members! We are in the planning stages for NaPoWriMo. (What? Is that a groan I hear, or an excited exclamation?)
We are planning another prompt-every-day for those folks who love to write a daily poem in April (which is, as most of you know, National Poetry Month in the United States — although there is an international following of writing poetry every day in April, too, so it is not just about the States).
Anyway! This is a call for prompts because we want to run your ideas, one every day, in April. So here’s what to do:
- Prompts must be no more than 250 words, and we will take the first 30 that we receive.
- Include “NaPoWriMo Prompt” in the subject line of your email as well as your username (e.g., the name you use when you log in) so we can match you up with your prompt and give you the link love.
- Email your submission (in the body of the email — no attachments please) to prompts (at) readwritepoem (dot) org!
We’ll let you know when we’ve got the 30, but don’t delay because it takes a lot of time to format the posts and we want to be ready come April Fools’ Day. Woohoo!
- new senior contributors at read write poem
February 2, 2010 | 11:51 amWe are thrilled to announce that Ren Powell and Dave Jarecki are moving into the senior contributor role at Read Write Poem. Both have been writing feverishly for the site, as well as providing ideas for content and for the community as a whole. In short, they make this site a more lively, and better, place.
Ren and Dave will fill the roles vacated by Carolee Sherwood and Jill Crammond Wickham, who have moved into the manager role.
Everyone please thank Ren and Dave for their hard work and commitment to Read Write Poem.
- rounding out the virtual book tour of sarah j. sloat’s ‘in the voice of a minor saint’
January 31, 2010 | 1:53 pmOur last stop on the Virtual Book Tour of Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint is with Ren Powell. Find Ren’s review at More Babel.
Joseph Harker provided our first stop in December, and you can find David Moolten’s review at Edible Detritus. David’s was followed by Dave Jarecki’s. Dave’s review is at his blog. Find Jill Crammond Wickham’s at Jillypoet: Mom Trying to Write.
In case you missed the introduction, we are (virtually) hosting Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint. For complete tour information, such as how you can get your own copy of the collection or how you can get involved in future tours, read this post.
- make your own book: get off the computer and onto the paper
January 30, 2010 | 4:19 pmBeth Adams has posted her latest project at The Cassandra Pages. “A Handmade Book” may not explicate all the details of bookbinding, but Beth shows readers the “Secret Belgian Binding.” It’s a beautiful as well as inspiring post.
If you would like more detailed instructions, Google “secret Belgian bookbinding” and find sites such as this one. Or look for a local book arts class for hands-on instruction.
As Beth says, ” … it did me good to get away from the computer and feel my hands at work!”
 Archive for read write poem news »
|
|
Loading ...
Good prompt. I’m brainstorming already.
brainstorming! good one, dave. i don’t know if i should deduct 10 points from your forthcoming poem for being a smart mouth or add 10 points to it for noticing the one, very obvious cliche i overlooked.
Don’t be too worried, Carolee. These cliches’ll blow over, and soon. Sometime next week, near as I can tell.
that’s right, people. get them out of your systems — those cliches better not be appearing in your poems, so go ahead, get ‘em out …
I’m from approximately the same horrible/wonderful weather area as you. Winter: northeren NH. Summer: OOB. Good prompt!
My head’s in a fog… just kidding! i have a poem in mind already. Fun prompt, pdw.
[...] by this weather related poetry prompt, over at Read Write. And speaking of prompts, I’ve posted a new prompt whose theme is time. I hope you’ll [...]