read write prompt #26: are you my mother?

It’s the time of year when the earth blooms with warmth and color, baby robins crack through eggshells to naively take on the world, and Hollywood moms proudly strut about to reveal their winter-night-born love-bumps. And the American greeting card industry is counting on us all to send our mothers a card.
I resisted making this [...]


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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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  • 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 — predator

  • random
    collaborating tip

    Read a poem with a friend, and each of you compare notes about what you got from the poem.


  • random
    writing tip

    Find a news story — maybe something well-known and controversial, maybe something obscure and bizarre — and write a poem based on those events.

  • random
    reading tip

    Get to know your local library. Talk with the staff about what poetry you like and see if they can recommend something new. If there’s something you want that they don’t have, most libraries can order it for you. And it’s free — as long as you get your books back on time!

  • random
    poetry quote

    Collaborations lift the need to be great and reveal the need to just be together. — Bob Rosenthal