April 19, Napowrimo 2026. Today we are charged with picking a flower or two (or a whole bouquet) from this online edition of Kate Greenaway’s Language of Flowers. We are then to write our own poem in which we muse on our selections’ names and meanings. If so inclined, we could even do some outside researchContinue reading “Bachelor’s buttonhole”
Tag Archives: Napowrimo2026
Eddie
April 16, Napowrimo 2026. Today’s prompt involved writing a poem in which we describe something that cannot speak, and what it has taught or told us. I remember being chastised at school once for simultaneous insolence and dumb insolence. I learnt a lot from that, but I suspect it was not what the Deputy HeadContinue reading “Eddie”
Love on a barn door
April 15, Napowrimo 2026. Taking inspiration from K. Siva Reddy’s poem, “A Love Song Between Two Generations,” today, we we’re asked to write our own poem that muses on love, but isn’t a traditional love poem in the sense of expressing love between romantic partners. Love? Love is for life. Love is travelling alone forContinue reading “Love on a barn door”
Bubbling dreams
April 14, Napowrimo 2026. Today, we are asked to write a poem that bridges (whether smoothly or not) the seeming divide between poetry and modern technological advances. I’m not one for writing “about” poetry or even mentioning it in my work as it irks and leaves me with a sense of self-indulgence and a smatteringContinue reading “Bubbling dreams”
Galaxy of glimpses
April 6. Today’s daily resource for Napowrimo 2026 is Nobel-winning poet Louise Glück’s essay, “Against Sincerity,” in which Glück muses on the difference between honesty and truth in poetry. She pays particular attention to the blue and red corners of Milton and Keats, a virtual debate that inspired the following. On a cold wet marble,Continue reading “Galaxy of glimpses”
Kaleidoscopic hate
April 5. Today’s Napowrimo 2026 task is to write a poem of our own form choice that explores disliking something – particularly something utterly innocuous, like clover. We should try to be OTT and silly and overdramatic. The inspiration for this prompt focussed on hate, so I felt obliged to colour in that emotion. DoContinue reading “Kaleidoscopic hate”
Spring salad days
April 4. Today’s Napowrimo 2026 quest is to craft our own short poem that involves a weather phenomenon and some aspect of the season. We should try using rhyme and keeping our lines of roughly even length. In my spring salad daysBiannually, and without failSeasons signalled change,With revolutionary weather veils. Autumn’s breath would descend,Cloaked inContinue reading “Spring salad days”
Jobsworth
April 3rd, and we are asked to write a poem in which a profession or vocation is described differently than it typically is considered to be. Our poem could feature a very relaxed brain surgeon, or a farmer that hates vegetables. Or maybe we have a poetical alter-ego of our own who runs against theContinue reading “Jobsworth”
Tempus Fugit
Today’s quest in Napowrimo 2026. The Tanka is an ancient Japanese poetic form. In contemporary English versions, it often takes the shape of a five-line poem with a 5 / 7 / 5 / 7 / 7 syllable-count – kind of like a haiku that decided to keep going. Today, we’re challenged to write ourContinue reading “Tempus Fugit”
Edvard Munch’s bladder
This year’s preparatory call for NAPOWRIMO is to start by reading Katie Naughton’s poem, “Debt Ritual: Oysters.” Now, we should write our own poem in which we refer to a specific writer or artist (or work of literature/art) and make a declarative statement about want or desire. The poem should be set in a particular,Continue reading “Edvard Munch’s bladder”
Missives & Musings 