read write prompt #94
by Nathan Moore
I find this image striking on many levels. The bright red of the figure in the foreground, the way the white figure in the background seems to glow, the reflected light on chrome — the colors and details are brilliant.
There’s something about these figures that fascinates me. Maybe it’s their anonymity, the way they blur into the background. Maybe I like the weird sense of playful sadness they radiate.
What do you see here? Do you think of games and competition? Your childhood? Faceless pawns participating in a system in which they have no control?
Leave reflections on the photo and other ideas in the comments section of this post, then leave links to your work next Thursday in the comments section of the Get Your Poem On post.
 My Angel and My Devil by Thomas Hawk (Note: If you include this photo in your post along with your poem, make sure you credit the artist.)
 Nathan Moore is community director and a columnist for Read Write Poem. In his spare time, he plays with his children and with fire. Never at the same time. He blogs at Exhaust Fumes and French Fries.
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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!”
 Archive for read write poem news »
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It’s like a prisoner and his lawyer meeting at a table, and in the background, other conversations just the same.
Interesting choice.
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Joseph Harker replied:
September 25th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I thought almost the same thing, but not prisoner and lawyer…
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I like that, Barbara, that’s a great interpretation.
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There is sadness and longing…two brothers who are divided by circumstance, one on each side of the Berlin wall…
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Nathan replied:
September 25th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Cynthia, that’s really creative!
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My first thought was Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots but why would the robots each be holding a very large balancing bar thing, like tightrope walkers use?
I think I will start there….
(My writing from images always makes me think I have an odd view of the world. Last time a person left me a comment like I was a thoughtless, self-obsessed bimbo… not in exactly those words… but wow…. and for now, we will see where balancing rock ‘em, sock ‘em robots takes my words…)
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There in opposition, poised upon a plane of conflict and adversity the recycled dogmas of east and west, the ying and yang of bodies politic, squander their opportunities. Their constitutional character stamped “made in China,” awaiting their ultimate end, the land fill of greedy forgotten nations. Yep, that’s what I see!
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Rallentanda replied:
September 26th, 2009 at 6:26 am
That’s very good Donald!
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This image seems color-coordinated with this RWP site — red (read), white, & blue. That got me thinking about virtual online communities, typing on keyboards, and conduits of sound. Maybe I’ll write a poem called “Avatar.”
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Even though I know that these are foosball players, I was struck by the waxen quality of the red – something soft, pliable, temporary.
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Representatives from the two warring factions have finally met and now, for the benefit of flashing bulbs, bear the massive and mutual weight together, in pursuit of peace.
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[...] http://readwritepoem.org/blog/2009/09/25/read-write-prompt-94/?utm_source=microblog&utm_medium=... a few seconds ago from web [...]
cool photo, Nathan!
I took a peek in the photostream–lots of good things. of course, you can’t really go wrong with a name like Hawk.
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Nathan replied:
September 25th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
I know! His work is great isn’t it?
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A staredown. The white man has a cold heart. We don’t know about the red man’s heart. I feel tension.
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this image makes me think of the perspective of our eyes and the mental perspective of each individual being and how there is no entirety that is ever in focus.
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Nathan replied:
September 25th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Yes, that’s really good — we can comprehend a lot but there’s also much that remains outside of our comprehension.
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This week’s poem in’subversive verse chamber rock’ style,clever term coined by Ms Barbara
Brilliant is primarily based on prompt 94 image.
‘The Whopper Tales’ Pt 2 ‘Bored stiff’
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rallentanda replied:
September 25th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Any regular respondent to my poems who doesn’t wish to be characterised please send a message!
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Therese Broderick replied:
September 26th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Thank you for asking permission, Rallentanda. That is a courteous gesture. Go ahead and lampoon me as you will — MFA pedant; soccer mom posing as a poet; lapsed whatever whatever; 50-ish lady who should air-brush her avatar; tweet-challenged. I give you permission!
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Rallentanda replied:
September 26th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Thanks Therese.That’s a relief because Ive already finished the poem and you feature prominently.
[...] by Donald Harbour That master of verbal mayhem, the often dented Nathan Moore, has offered a Read Write Poem Prompt #94using the photo “My angel my devil by Thomas Hawk”. Change chairs, hug difference is in [...]
I see lost hours in college bars. Nicely done, Nathan.
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Nathan replied:
September 26th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Dave, I wondered when someone was going to mention bar time.
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Rallentanda replied:
September 27th, 2009 at 2:16 am
You haven’t featured for a while
‘You have been missed
mine rose cheeked Romeo’
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When we focus on our passion and place good will hazy in the distance we struggle because we can not see the true face of it.
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I see someone struggling with an impossible load. Is the white guy going to help? Ignore? Be derisive?
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I’m intrigued by the notion that the figure in the foreground can’t see the figure in the background too clearly. Hm.
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Making a choice and crossing over to the red side…
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I’m intrigued by the dark spot on the solar plexis of the vague white figure. The solar plexis chakra signifies psychic intuition or a sense of “knowing”. The fact that the spot is black instead of yellow might indicate the red figure – which is sharply focused – is attempting to “bleed” or suck the psychic energy from the white figure.
Yeah, I think I’ll go with this.
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WOW ssuch a blurr….with so much happening or not happening….last call at the railroad bar with two strangers…Im all over the map with this one…hope something comes up from this great image.
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For the first time yet in one of these prompts I am done early… waiting in breathless anticipation for the blog to give us the A-ok to post our links! Woo hoo!
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I feel like we’re doing a projective test here (instead of a Rorschach). Reading the comments was surely fascinating. Can’t wait to read everyone’s interpretations–I mean, poems.
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Living In The Eastern Woodlands. My poem is Puttin’ 0n the Jitz
Thank you for the prompt Nathan. I am on vacation and traveling Thursday. Posted 11:18 pm Wednesday.
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[...] had dozens of interesting interpretations for the image used in this week’s Read Write Prompt. Did you see one person carrying a heavy load that the other may or may not help lift? Or did you [...]
[...] poem comes from Read Write Poem Prompt #94 and a photo, My Angel and My Devil, by Thomas Hawk. The photo didn’t inspire me much, but [...]
[...] is for Read Write Poem’s Prompt # 94. It’s an image prompt. A detail shot of the red and blue players on a foosball table called [...]
there is a circle in the middle of the red knight’s back, and a hole in the white lady’s chest, i imagine a painless arrow joining their hearts
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[...] Read Write Poem prompt #94’s challenge is to create a piece based on the above photo. We were also asked to leave a reflection or idea in the comment section of what the photo might signify to us. This was my comment: [...]
[...] * * Thanks to another fabulous prompt by Nathan for Read Write Poem. Find other poems responding to the photo (or something else [...]