One way to begin a poem or story is with our surroundings. The textures, sounds, colors, and names of the things closest to us. The exact shade of mahogany of the dining room table, the scent of freshly grown Thai basil. The way the chain on the ceiling fan ticks rhythmically, the buzzing of the summer flies.
In the specificity of our mundane lives we find the magic of our own time and place.
We begin to be able to share our experiences of the world in a way that another person can feel. Let the details lead you into the heart of the poem.
Billy Collins says this:
“Start small. A poem has two subjects: the subject you start with, and then the subject you discover as you go along. The subject you start with is really just a provisional way to begin the poem, and quickly abandoned once that beginning has led you to what the poem is really about. Rather than starting out saying this is going to be a poem about human misery or another specific topic, start out with just a little something. Start out describing a table setting or what you see out your window. If it's a farm or a cityscape, try describing that. Often, because one thing usually happens after another, that will lead you into something grander, and that's the real subject.”
Here are a few amazing poems that really dig into sensory details
Wild Flower by Maurice Kenny
August by Patricia Hooper
Change of Season by Audre Lorde
Self-Portrait as so much Potential by Chen Chen
Prompts for your own writing
The idea is simplicity and re-awakening to the beauty that surrounds you. Even if you don't have time to create an elaborate outdoor picnic, I invite you to find a patch of earth to eat a peach or a blackberry in.
Find a moment of summer sweetness.
Journaling prompts
Notice what areas of your home or life could use a little attention.
Pick a corner and describe everything in it -
what does your space say about you in this moment?
What do you wish it would say?
Some sweet words for you to play with
blackberry, peach, lemon, fig, fresh, basil, thyme, mint, grass, mowing, fruit, juice, ripe, swollen, pie, sugar, sweetness, sex, sensuality, flavor, joy, pleasure, touch, plum, mango, sticky, seeds, jam, nectar, honey
10 Poetry Prompts (Set a timer for 5 mins and begin with a prompt below)
______________
if only it were as simple as…
I remember that flavor…
she added more sugar…
when you are the first to fall…
it was warm…
that summer…
the perfect amount of…
the bowl was full of…
I dream in…
don't think of me as…
I would love to read what you come up with! Share in the comments or as a note and tag me.
Thank you for sharing this post! I'm saving it and will utilize the prompts you shared. 🙏 I'll share back when I can.
Hi Alix, I shared a response to one of your prompts as a note, earlier, but I may have tagged you wrongly, so - here's a heads-up, lol.