poll dance: smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em

I love the phrase: “smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em.” It’s more colloquial than carpe diem, and it’s a cowboy version of laisser-faire.
It’s also a very colorful, concise way to say, “Do what you want when the mood strikes you,” and “If you have something at your disposal you can use, go right ahead.”
As [...]

Posted by Carolee on 09.09.2008 at 12:01 am// Tagged: Carolee, Discussion Thread, Poll Dance , , , ,


welcome to read write poem

Read Write Poem is an online gathering place for those who love poetry — and for those who suspect that, with a little nurturing, they could grow to love poetry. Whether you are new to writing poetry or have been writing for years, you are welcome here. If you don’t write poetry but love to read and discuss it, this is also the place for you. Read more about the project.


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read write poll

Do your new year's resolutions include poetry goals? (Choose the best answer.)

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  • read write poem newsfeed

      "Adam Penna is on a roll. For nearly a decade, he’s written one poem every day, almost without fail. He writes for the love of poetry, believing that poems reveal truths that can easily be missed, and offer a way of connecting the universal human condition with individual experiences.

      Mr. Penna writes poetry because he believes it’s the best type of writing to distill the essence of a simple moment. Simply put, poems transform the ordinary into extraordinary, he said."

      Read the full article, which includes news about his *two* new books, published by different houses. "Success for an everyday poet" is written by Pat Rogers for The East Hampton Press & The Southampton.

      And visit Adam Penna's online poetry journal, Best Poem.

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      Have you visited The Page? It's a spot for gleaning bits of "poetry, essays, language, ideas."

      Cool content, and it looks good, too. Edited by Andrew Johnston, with contributions by Stephen Burt.

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      Dana and Jacob are at it again. If you are interested in learning more about The Seattle Poetry Brothel they are creating, visit My Gorgeous Somewhere for the scoop.

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      A new poem by Sean O'Brien, written in response to the latest phase of conflict between Israel and Hamas:

      Katyusha, Katyusha

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      One of our new participants, Lyn Hopper, will be using our writing prompts as a way to fulfill her personal challenge and be creative every day. Sound like something you'd like to do? I am sure you would be welcomed by Leah Piken Kolidas, the CED diva, into her creative fold.

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  • random
    poetry prompt

      A different word or phrase will appear here each time you visit the site or refresh the page. Your current prompt is — cherry

  • random
    collaborating tip

    Use instant messaging to write a poem with a collaborator by taking turns one word, one phrase or one line at a time. With group chat, you can do this with more than one partner.


  • random
    writing tip

    Try to think of something you’ve never read a poem about, and write a poem about that thing.

  • random
    reading tip

    Some poets are so prolific that it would take a year to read all of their works. So, why not take a year and piece through a hefty collected works? You can learn a lot about the development of a poet’s aesthetic by reading their collected works chronologically. Sometimes, reading a famous writer’s juvenilia makes you feel much better about your own junior high verse.

  • random
    poetry quote

    To write in your own voice means taking a risk. — Kevin Clark