Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson


April 15, 2009 - NaPoWriMo - Day 15

I am participating in National Poetry Writing Month, where the goal is to write one poem a day for 30 days. During the month of April, I will be using the writing prompts at ReadWritePoem.org and posting the results.

Day fifteen prompt (instead of)

We’ve designated Wednesdays as our day to write a list poem during the month of April.

Today’s list is about what you do instead of doing something else. For example, in college when I had to write a research paper, I’d suddenly find myself sorting through clothes, sweeping the floor, washing the dishes, you name it, anything except what I had to do right then and there.

Maybe this list poem will be about the ways you procrastinate. Or maybe you avoid a doing a lot of different things. Write a list poem about what you avoid. Most people avoid doing what they most need. Go figure! Maybe your list poem will be about all the things you do instead of writing a poem, but in the end, this time at least, you’ll really have one.


"We are what we believe we are"

I am:

Watching Virgil Tibbs solve a murder in the Deep South.
Reading snarky reviews of American Idol's movie night.
Watching people get fashion advice on What Not to Wear.
Eating dinner: left-over lean pork and vegetables.

My friends are:

Sharing videos of unlikely singing sensations.
Slacking off at the Y.
Voting in the American Idol fantasy league poll.
Figuring out how long they'd last on a gay pirate ship.
Answering questions about themselves.
Extolling the wonders of turbinado sugar.
Sharing eye doctor stories and tax gripes.
Looking forward to cooking ziti with red sauce and sausage.
Painting a dresser blue.
Sharing cute animal pictures.
Complaining about grammatical mistakes.
Loving the weather.
Ordering flowers for a friend's funeral.
Laughing at strange computer results.
Pondering new job possibilities.
Deciding to be either Eeyore or Pooh.
Fascinated by the brain's processing of speech.
Using their creative and artistic skills to amuse themselves.
Quoting poetry.
Making snarky comments about bad fashions.
Complaining about unfair treatment from online games.
Praising guide dogs.
Avoiding work.

 

This poem wasn't going very far when I stuck to the list of things I was doing, but it became a very quirky, entertaining list when I included my friends' activities. The quote is from C.S. Lewis and appeared in a friend's blog.

Moral:
Slacking off can pay off in terms of a poem.

Copyright 2009 by Alyce Wilson

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