We’ve reached the last Strange Prompt! Thirty whole new pieces of writing from me, with multiple contributions from 24 other poets and flash-fiction writers. It’s been a very satisfying outcome from my writing residency, and not at all what I expected. I’ve played with some fun techniques and poetic forms. I’ve written more flash fiction prose than I would ever normally do. I’ve been delighted by the quality of the shared writing, and very much enjoyed seeing some writers become slightly addicted to the prompts (Ann Cuthbert, I’m looking at you!). So thank you to everyone who has contributed, read, shared, commented and enjoyed this little project – I’ll see if I can come up with something great to follow.
Here’s my last one – just a little mesostic…
Thanks to Esther Bonner for this meditation on time…
Time passes..
Tick tock.
Seconds, minutes, hours.
Tick tock.
Birthdays, anniversaries,
work, pleasure.
Life never stops.
Tick tock.The beating heart, like a clock.
Tick tock.
Life slips away.
So STOP!Grab a moment to lift your face to the sun, let its warmth caress you.
Blow on a pearly white feather, watch it float idly on.
Rest your weary eyes.
Listen to the wind sigh on an Autumn breeze.
Trail your hand though a cool, fresh mountain stream.
Let your senses be cossetted and renewed by life.Time passes..
Tick tock
Julie Easley has a great take on the subject, fierce and feminist as usual!
she was adorned with bruises
ornaments of torture bejewelled about her body
but it was her poise that goaded him
her sealed room approaches
The doll, she said,
won’t dress herself, won’t sit to attention,
the doll won’t respond
if you tell her she’s miserable
Infinite gratitude to Tony Gadd, martial art guru and spoken word powerhouse, who sends us this wisdom from the depths of his own current, very serious, health struggles…
Walking the tightrope of an ECG
An emotional and bodily state
Balance in life
Like balancing stones
A lifetimes work
Practice the key
Physical and mental equilibrium
Unsettled by other
Forces and influences
Rebalance essential
Eyes closed, breathe and just be…
Kirsten Luckins 