read write image #2

It’s Monday. That means it’s time for the semi-weekly image prompt. Write whatever you like in response to the image below. Leave a link on our Thursday Get Your Poem On post. Leave another link Thursday for the Read Write Prompt. Or leave a link Thursday to whatever you like.

This heart is yours by Kyknoord

read write image #1

Who’s ready for some visual stimulation? This is our first Read Write Image prompt, companion to our Read Write Word prompt that you may have worked on last week. We want this prompt to be as open as possible. What is your response to the image? What about this image really strikes you?
We want your [...]


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.


Get the Read Write Poem badge for your site! We have two versions to choose from. Just click on the badge to the left to snag the code.


read write poll

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

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

other read write poem joints

Facebook (sign up to be added to our mailing list)
Identica (sign up to be part of impromptu collaborative poem events)

participant-run journals, zines and sites


  • 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.

      -----

      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.

      -----

      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.

      -----

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

      Katyusha, Katyusha

      -----

      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.

      -----

  • 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 — crank

  • random
    collaborating tip

    Send a chainpoem to a collaborator through email or regular mail. Supply the first line and ask the recipient to supply another line then pass the poem on to someone else, and so on and so on, until a recipient adds a final line and deems the piece finished.


  • random
    writing tip

    Pretend an event in your life needs explanation. Write the rules for this event as if it were a board game. How many players are there? What is the objective of the game? How do you win? How do you get home? You could also apply this process to a dream, and use the dream as the foundation for the poem.

  • random
    reading tip

    A great way to learn about a region is to read their poets. When planning your next vacation or trip, also research the region’s famous poets. (If you’re going out of the country, look for good translations.) You may be surprised at how well a poet can capture a regional spirit in verse. You’ll be more prepared for your trip and you can impress residents by knowing about their local writers.

  • random
    poetry quote

    Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships. — Charles Simic