To Write a Poem
Cash in your gold
Don’t just spin it
Don’t reinvent the wheel
Don’t spoon-feed words
into someone else’s mouth
Don’t walk a mile
in stolen shoes
Hide a rhyme
Wear a beret
Meet the muse
at the last minute
Don’t wait for the U
to use the Q
Don’t take shortcuts
or use your notebook
to balance an uneven table
Cross the threshold
Walk off track
Skip the advice
and forgettable parts
Wait for thoughts
Don’t put them there
Hit a note
and break a barrier
Renew your poetic license
Take the unplanned route
Adjust your mirror
Follow the meter
and by the moon’s high beam
Find the truth
______Colleen Redman / Poets and Storytellers United/ dVerse Poets Pub
March 27th, 2021 3:13 pm
I managed a Q without U last Sunday. I got 12 points for QAT. Earlier they would not let me have CINQ.
March 28th, 2021 5:56 am
After over a year of lockowns with the Covid crisis I am sure we all need a break. Sadly though too many of us are still being careless.
March 28th, 2021 7:01 am
Love it, especially that joyously defiant last verse.
March 28th, 2021 8:51 am
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…No, wait; somebody’s already said that, right?
March 28th, 2021 9:36 am
It’s a powerful breakthrough that lives in these words: “Don’t wait for the U to use the Q”.
March 28th, 2021 10:29 am
The delight that spills out of this one makes me want to run around the room cackling. This is the best how-to poem I’ve ever read. I’m off to “kick a stone”!
March 28th, 2021 11:46 am
i would love to use this poem in my ‘poetry lesson’ series. 🙂
delightful!
March 28th, 2021 11:48 am
Cashing in my gold, putting on my black beret … ready to go! Wonderful poetry as always Ms. Colleen from the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia!
March 28th, 2021 12:24 pm
Feeling feisty, are we? Me too!
March 28th, 2021 12:50 pm
This dance between wisdom and whimsy put a smile on my face this morning. I’m going to dig out my fox ear beret and do it in the road!
March 28th, 2021 4:11 pm
Don’t do what someone else does, or follow in their footsteps, blaze your own trail, create your own words, go forth and do it now! Wonderful momentum!
March 28th, 2021 9:51 pm
I’ve never tried doing a poem in the road, but you’ve inspired me!
March 29th, 2021 10:07 pm
Cutting your own path despite what others may think.
April 1st, 2021 3:05 pm
A joyful assertive defiant write! Love it! Love especially those last three lines! Thanks for sharing on OLN!
April 1st, 2021 3:16 pm
I love this!
April 1st, 2021 3:21 pm
This is both delightful and defiant. A fun combination.
April 1st, 2021 5:08 pm
I absolutely love, love this! Splendid write 😀
April 1st, 2021 6:15 pm
It’s Spring. Let’s all start a love epidemic!!
April 1st, 2021 6:15 pm
Heavens, I didn’t know that poesy was such wheezy huffy hurlyburly! Thanks for the octane.
April 1st, 2021 8:48 pm
I love this! What we seek in poetry is authenticity! Without it everything becomes chaff!
April 1st, 2021 9:34 pm
Love this! March to your own drummer!
April 2nd, 2021 1:47 am
To me, these lines were sheer brilliance:
“Don’t wait for the U
to use the Q”
I might use that some day!
Yours,
David
April 2nd, 2021 4:31 am
Yes to all of these things! Great advice 🙂
April 2nd, 2021 2:26 pm
Spring’s
Lesson Flower
Oh How Easy
To Miss
Colors
The Call
And Fall
to Summer’s Winter..:)
April 2nd, 2021 3:16 pm
I do adorn the delightful in your face style of this. The last paragraph is so on point, but oh that challenge of Q without the U? Now that’s good.
April 2nd, 2021 3:51 pm
Delightful and fun. I enjoyed this.
April 2nd, 2021 4:32 pm
Excellent piece for this April 1st. Be nobody’s fool.
April 2nd, 2021 4:34 pm
This is great. I was going to point out my favorite lines but there are too many!