read write prompt #40: be in the moment
by Juliet Wilson
The world can sometimes seem so full of distractions that we don’t notice what is around us. This week’s prompt offers an opportunity to sit still and focus, to be in the moment and to use that as inspiration for writing poetry.
Either sit in your usual writing place, focus on what is around you there and use that as inspiration. Or take a trip out to an inspiring place — whether that is your local park, a riverside walk or a crowded city square or nightclub — and write about what you find around you. Concentrate on what you see or hear or what you feel.
Many writers feel that Japanese forms such as haiku, senryu or tanka are ideal forms to use when you want to ‘be in the moment’ — so you can use these forms to respond to this prompt, but you don’t need to! You can just as well write a stream of consciousness piece or a prose poem, or whatever you want!
However you choose to write about your moment, remember to come back on Monday to share your link!
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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!”
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Yay!! Carpe Diem!
I’m going to see if I can find somewhere different and just write…
That’ll be nice and dreamy.
I’ll definitely post this prompt since summer school will be over for me!
Great prompt and great reminder to come back to the moment! Thanks Juliet!
A perfect use for identi.ca. Awesome.
[...] Read the entire prompt at Read Write Poem. [...]
[...] few senryu for this week’s ReadWritePoem’s prompt this [...]
This is one I really like, and the GA State Botanical Gardens is a good place to write it!
Also…Just thought I’d tell you that I am just finishing up a collaborative poem with two other poets…it will be on my blog, as well as on theirs. It was a WONDERFUL opportunity, and we liked it so much we’re gonna start a collaborative blog where people can send us collaborative work to post on our site! We are quite excited about it…
I guess we’re on the same track here Holly. I just left a link to the poem after the funnelcakes interview.
[...] when I saw the prompt on readwritepoem, to write a poem about being in the moment, I wanted to find a way to convey this feeling. I’ve also tried my hand at a lune chain for [...]
I gave it a try sitting in my room! and here’s the link
http://musingsbytrinath.blogspot.com/2008/08/distance.html
[...] Morning in Five Parts This tanka chain was written for Read Write Poem Prompt #40: “Be in the Moment”. [...]
Hello, Juliet. Should I leave the link for my ‘in the moment’ poem here?
http://gingatao.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/not-all-men-are-dead/
It is called ‘not all men are dead’ and it is about an artist and his subject being united in a moment.
Hey, Paul (I’m not Juliet, but can answer this one) and Trinath.
Leave your link in a comment to a post that goes up just after midnight Monday (CST). Folks won’t see it here (as easily).
It will say “get your poem on #40″. That’s where you do it. (Come back, both of you.)
Okeydokey, thankyou Deb.
I am happy I found this site. I gave this prompt a try with a glance at the parental challenge of letting go when school starts.
here is the link: http://thruchocolateeyes.com/?p=1335.
Thank you.