april poetry challenge – Page 2 – Strangely Close to Home

Poem a Day Challenge #6

Laurie asks us to focus on a color Yellow is my nemesisthe color of my jealousy. She glides through the day lithe and loving like a sit-com mother. I watch, transfixed, as shebrightens every roomshe touches, her laughlingers warm like the smells of drying bedsheets. In my quilts I have tried to use her, includeContinue reading “Poem a Day Challenge #6”

Poem a Day Challenge #5

A sestina, Laurie? A sestina? This flipping, flopping, churning form that reminds me of a taffy pulling machine, constantly pulling and turning inwards? THAT’S what you want us to write today? Fine, fine. I’m FINE. I was not happy. Every day was different, yet the same. The routine that provided securitykept me – us –Continue reading “Poem a Day Challenge #5”

Poem a Day Challenge #4

Laurie gives us the start and end – we provide the juicy bits. I do not have anything to say about my bodythe world already gives me reasons to doubt my body. I have weighed between three-fifty and one-sixty and eachspectrum end all people feel free to shout at my body. I have run 5ks,Continue reading “Poem a Day Challenge #4”

Poem a Day Challenge #3

Today’s theme is transportation It’s rare these days that I drive aloneand that’s really for the best.There’s a muscle memory that clickswith my seatbelt and if I’m not carefulI find myself on cruise control andblow past my exit, traveling to aspring night from high school, througha college snowstorm, a summerafternoon alonealonealone.My home in my rearviewContinue reading “Poem a Day Challenge #3”

Poem a Day Challenge #2

Laurie’s prompt today is bird-themed. You have come to me as a hummingbirdthree times now.Once for joy, once for strength, oncefor hope.Each time I have felt your loved and it overwhelmedme, knocking airout of my lungs and I have gaspedeach time I realized that it was you – I feltunworthy.But you have loved all yourContinue reading “Poem a Day Challenge #2”

Poem a Day Challenge #1

As prompted by Laurie MacDiarmid, beloved writing professor. She invites us to participate in this challenge with her. Here is mine. David, do you remember the letterswe wrote a thousand miles and a lifetime ago? Before husbands and wives and liveswith kids and pets, mortgages and paymentsfor windows? We’ve always been better on paperseparate fromContinue reading “Poem a Day Challenge #1”