Poem 20150412

Now that that sapphics nonsense is over and done with, here’s the prompt for day 12 fron #NaPoWriMo:

And now for our prompt! Yesterday’s was a doozy, so today’s is much more laid-back (and optional, as always). It comes to us from Dr. Cynthia A. Cochran of Illinois College:
Here is a great prompt for anyone who likes to write descriptive prose but shudders at writing poetry–and it really works:

Describe in great detail your favorite room, place, meal, day, or person. You can do this in paragraph form.

Now cut unnecessary words like articles and determiners (a, the, that) and anything that isn’t really necessary for content; leave mainly nouns, verbs, a few adjectives.

Cut the lines where you see fit and, VOILA! A poem!

who to pick
what to say
favorite person
who to include
who to eschew
how many people offended
how many people alienated
describe them how

obvious physical attributes
smooth white skin
brown hair
arms
legs
ankles
feet
breasts and ears and napes of necks
their movements slinky or awkward
their body language happy or nervous or angry or
stricken

or an approach more ephemeral?
their voices loud or quiet
their laughter
their smiles
the pixie look on their faces
when they’re up to something
the pixie look on yours
when you realize it