April 2025 Poetry Madness Part Five April 26 to April 30
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You can find my prior April Poems here:
April 2025 Poetry Madness Part Four April 19 to April 25
April 2025 Poetry Madness April 13 to April 18 Poems
2025 April Poetry Madness Part Two April 6 to April 12
April 2025 Poetry Madness Part One
April Poetry Madness 2024 April 26 to April 30, 2024 Poems
April Poetry Madness April 21 to APril 25 Poems
April 2024 Poetry Madness April 15 to 20 Poems
April Poetry Madness 2024 April 7 to April 14
April 1 to April 6 Poems 2024 Poetry Madness
PSH April 2023 Poems
April 20-30 2023 Poems Do Drop In
April 2023 Poetry Dew Drop In April 11-15
Writers Digest April 2023 Poems
April 2023 Dew Drop In Poems
April 30th, 2022 Poems
April 29th Poems
April 26th and April 27th, 2022 Poems
April 23rd, April 24th and April 25th, 2022 Poems
April 22, 2022 Poems
April 23rd, April 24th and April 25th, 2022 Poems
April 22, 2022 Poems
April 18 to April 20, 2022 Poems</a >
April 18 to April 20, 2022 Poems
April 16 and 17, 2022 Poems
Enjoy and stay safe, everyone
Beginning Poems
I am again entering the April Poetry challenge and will write every day and post once a week or so
I will not post everything though some I will withhold for possible publication, others I will withhold because they are too politically sensitive in these politically charged times. I will post the prompt.
Enjoy and stay safe everyone
Day Twenty-Six
NaPoWrMo
Berkeley Mad Psychotic Pineapple Burns Sonnet
\the Berkeley mad psychotic pineapple.
was an underground Berkeley icon.
The pineapple said, “Bad Luck comes in threes.”
Last night he smoked a joint and went for a walk.
the pineapple dude encountered a cat,
not just a cat but a cosmic black cat.
and the cat was riding on a dog,
and a mouse was riding on the cat,
and the pineapple was amused to see this,
I told him only in the SF Bay area,
thinking back to when I was eight.
and wished I had a cosmic cat.
I would have made such a cacophony.
the cosmic cat was still my secret friend.
- 14 lines
- 10 syllables per line
- Those syllables are divided into five iambic feet. (An iamb is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable). The word “admit” is a good example. In pronouncing it, you put more stress on the “mit” than the “ad.”
- Rhyme schemes vary, but the Shakespearean sonnet is abab cdcd efef gg (three quatrains followed by a concluding couplet).
April 26 Prompt Sonnet not in traditional iambic meter
We finally made it to the weekend, everyone!
Today’s featured participant is Eden Ligon, whose “live concert” poem for Day Twenty-Five shows all the sweetness of music that has ripened with time.
Our daily resource is the online collection of Spain’s Reina Sofia Museum, which houses an incredible collection of modern and contemporary art. You can find Picassos aplenty here, of course, but also things like this vertiginous sculpture that makes me think of a rollercoaster, this mysterious Magritte, and this collaboration between Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
And now for our daily (optional) prompt. The word “sonnet” comes directly from the Italian Soneto, or “little song.” A traditional sonnet has a strict meter and rhyme scheme. It’s a strange form to have wormed its way into English, which is relatively unmetrical and rhyme-poor compared to Romance languages like Italian.
But thanks to William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, and others, the sonnet in English bloomed. It also became a sort of rite of passage for poets, with the Victorians especially loving very strict sonnets.
To refresh you on the “rules” of the traditional sonnet:
- 14 lines
- 10 syllables per line
- Those syllables are divided into five iambic feet. (An iamb is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable). The word “admit” is a good example. In pronouncing it, you put more stress on the “mit” than the “ad.”
- Rhyme schemes vary, but the Shakespearean sonnet is abab cdcd efef gg (three quatrains followed by a concluding couplet).
- Sonnets are often thought of as not just little songs, but little essays, with the first six-to-eight or so lines building up a problem, the next four-to-six discussing it, and the last two-to-four concluding.
- Given all these rules, it’s perhaps surprising that love poems make up quite a chunk of sonnets in English, but maybe that’s just because love poems make up quite a chunk of all poems in English?
If you want to intimidate yourself about poetry in general and sonnets in particular, read this quote from Saintsbury’s History of English Prosody.
To have something to say; to say it under pretty strict limits of form and very strict ones of space; to say it forcibly; to say it beautifully; these are the four great requirements of the poet in general; but they are never set so clearly, so imperatively, so urgently before any variety of poet as before the sonneteer.
And now, by way of illustration, let’s take a look at a few contemporary takes on the sonnet. The first, by Dan Beachy-Quick, is a pretty strict traditional sonnet. The next two –by Terrence Hayes and Alice Notley – are looser. And finally, the last one, by June Jordan, is a rather strict sonnet (rhyme- and meter-wise, though somewhat looser in line-specific syllable count) that doesn’t sound strict at all. It is joyfully informal in its language and tone.
After all this, here’s your prompt! Try your hand at a sonnet – or at least something “sonnet-shaped.” Think about the concept of the sonnet as a song and let the format of a song inform your attempt. Be as strict or not strict as you want.
2025 April PAD Challenge: Day 26
Nigerian scam Hermit Crab found poem
Attention,
This is to inform you
that we have been working
towards the
eradication of fraudsters and scam Artists
in Africa with the help of
the Organization of African Unity (OAU)
United Nations (UN), European
Union (EU) and FBI.
We have been able to track down some scam artist
in various parts of African countries
which includes (Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Burkina
Faso Ghana and Senegal with cote d’ivoire )
and they are all in Government custody now,
they will appear at International Criminal
Court (ICC) soon for Justice.
During the course of investigation,
they were able to recover some
funds from these scam artists
and IMF organization have ordered the
funds recovered to be shared among
the 10 Lucky people listed around
the World as a compensation.
This notice has been directed to you
because your email address was
found in one of the scam Artists file
and computer hard-disk
while the
investigation,
maybe you have been scammed.
You are therefore being
compensated with sum of ($300,000.00)
Three hundred thousand US dollars
valid into an (ATM Card Number 4061730956305619).
Since your email address
is among the lucky beneficiaries
who will receive compensation funds,
we have arranged
your payment to be paid
to you through ATM VISA CARD
and deliver to your postal address
with the Pin code as to enable you
withdrawal maximum of $5,000 on each
withdrawal from any Bank ATM Machine of your choice,
until all the
funds are exhausted.
The ATM Card with Security Pin number
shall be delivered to you via
courier Service,
depending your choice.
In order to proceed with this transaction,
you will be required to
contact the agent in-charge
(Mr.Francesco Savgae)
Kindly look below to
find appropriate contact information:
CONTACT AGENT NAME: Mr.Francesco Savgae.
Phone (00226)744-803-62.
Email: (francescosavgae205@gmail.com)
You will be required to e-mail him
with the following information:
YOUR FULL NAME:
YOUR AGE:
ADDRESS:
YOUR COUNTRY:
CITY:
DIRECT CONTACT PHONE NUMBER:
OCCUPATION:
We advise you to stop
all communications with everyone
regarding your
payment as we have short listed
to deliver to you
and now urge you to
comply and receive
your ATM Card funds.
Thanks for your understanding
as you follow instructions while I wait
to hear from you today.
Yours in Services
Mrs.Paulina Federik.
Comment: the latest scam
a claim that the scam artists
are fighting against the spam artists –
all you have to do to receive the 300,000
is to give them your information.
Sounds too good to be true
which of course it is
For today’s prompt, write a hermit crab poem. A hermit crab poem is like a hermit crab essay, which is an essay that takes on the form of another type of literature. So a hermit crab poem might be a poem that looks like a to-do list, footnotes, obituary, spam messages, or a message on a postcard.
Poetry Superhighway Prompts
April 26, 2025: Poetry Writing Prompt from Randy Fowler
I am not a Christian
I am not a Christian
Jesus Christ said upon his return
After realizing his followers
were not following his teachings,.
He went across the world
I am not a Christian
he would proclaim everywhere,
The church leaders were not amused.
The public began to follow
The returned Jesus
I am not a Christian
Jesus responded on social media.
But the powers that be
decreed amongst themselves
The returned Jesus was a false prophet
I am not a Christian.
This poetry writing prompt submitted by Randy Fowler:
Dissonance: Write a poem about disharmony in your or humankind’s values, views, or relationships: stating belief in one value but doing another, saying you love someone but you really don’t, our nation’s original declarations vs. its current reality. For symbolism, think of all the areas dissonance applies – music, city noise, abrupt sounds (alarm clock, fire alarm), anything that produces a vibration in your mind that something is off key.
April 26—Travel
Noisy Korea Now My Home
When I first came
To South Korea in 1979
To do my Peace Corps duty
In a rural country town,
I thought that the old name
Of Korea
“the land of the morning calm”
Was absurd.
Korea was a noisy place
From early morning on.
Cars, horns, radio TV blaring
People talking to crowds everywhere
At night people drink and dine.
And loudspeakers
Blasting you awake
At 6 a.m.
And during elections
Sound trucks everywhere.
Now 45 years later
It is my home
No longer a noisy
Chaotic exotic place
Just home.
Bonus Poem Visit to Korea
I first went to Korea
In the Peace Corps
After a long plane ride
My first international flight
I ended up in South Korea,
At the old Gimpo airport
A chaotic crazy drive
Through Seoul.
To the town of Chuncheon
Where we did our training course
For four months.
First visit to another land
First foreign travel
To a strange land.
Exotic people
Strange sounds and sights
And the smells of incense
And the food ah the food
But over time
Became my second home
45 years later
I returned to Korea
Ending up living
Next door to Gimpo airport
Where my journey began
45 years ago
Day Twenty-Seven
NaPoWrMo
Buddhist Temple Hell Paintings
Hell is often depicted in Buddhist temple art
In Buddhism, hell is a real place
And hell is filled with demons
the demons torture their victims
while a Buddhist saint looks on in judgment
In Buddhism, hell is a real place
But hell will end when your karma points add up
and you are reincarnated after learning your lesson
And hell is filled with demons
I based my poem on these images and remembered images from all the Buddhist temples I have visited over the years.
free pictures of Buddhist hell – Search Images
Co-pilot provided background information
“In Buddhism, the concept of hell, often referred to as Naraka, represents a realm of intense suffering and retribution. Unlike the eternal damnation found in some other religions, Buddhist hells are temporary states where beings experience the consequences of their negative karma. Once the karma is exhausted, they are reborn into other realms. There are various types of hells, including fiery and icy ones, each corresponding to specific sins or actions.
In East Asia, Buddhist temples often depict these hells in vivid and graphic paintings. These artworks serve as moral lessons, illustrating the consequences of unethical behavior. For example, the Dazu Rock Carvings in China and murals in Japanese temples like those depicting Jiokui (Japanese hell) showcase scenes of torment and judgment. These paintings are not only religious but also artistic expressions, blending cultural and spiritual narratives.
If you’d like to explore more, you can find detailed descriptions and examples here and here.
Note on form
The cascade poem was a form invented by Udit Bhatia (who also apparently created the Alliterisen, which I’ll try to deal with in a future post). For the cascade poem, a poet takes each line from the first stanza of a poem and makes those the final lines of each stanza afterward. Beyond that, there are no additional rules for rhyming, meter, etc.
Happy Sunday, everyone. I hope you find it to be a relaxing and inspiring day for writing poems.
Our featured participant for the day is Hayashi whose first attempt at a sonnet brings a lovely blend of grief and self-deprecating humor.
Today’s daily resource is the online collection of the Harvard Art Museums, where you can find this bright and pretty drawing of a tulip poplar, a rather forbidding poster comparing various causes of death in Wisconsin, this beautiful jade paperweight, and much more.
And now for today’s optional prompt. W.H. Auden’s “Musee” takes its inspiration from a very particular painting: Breughel’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus.” Today we’d like to challenge you to write your own poem that describes a detail in a painting, and that begins, like Auden’s poem, with a grand, declarative statement.
I based my poem on these images and remembered images from all the Buddhist temples I have visited over the years.
free pictures of Buddhist hell – Search Images
Co-pilot provided background information
“In Buddhism, the concept of hell, often referred to as Naraka, represents a realm of intense suffering and retribution. Unlike the eternal damnation found in some other religions, Buddhist hells are temporary states where beings experience the consequences of their negative karma. Once the karma is exhausted, they are reborn into other realms. There are various types of hells, including fiery and icy ones, each corresponding to specific sins or actions.
In East Asia, Buddhist temples often depict these hells in vivid and graphic paintings. These artworks serve as moral lessons, illustrating the consequences of unethical behavior. For example, the Dazu Rock Carvings in China and murals in Japanese temples like those depicting Jiokui (Japanese hell) showcase scenes of torment and judgment. These paintings are not only religious but also artistic expressions, blending cultural and spiritual narratives.
If you’d like to explore more, you can find detailed descriptions and examples here and here.
Note on form
The cascade poem was a form invented by Udit Bhatia (who also apparently created the Alliterisen, which I’ll try to deal with in a future post). For the cascade poem, a poet takes each line from the first stanza of a poem and makes those the final lines of each stanza afterward. Beyond that, there are no additional rules for rhyming, meter, etc.
2025 April PAD Challenge: Day 27
Join poets from around the country and the world to write a poem each day of April. For today’s prompt, write a New Blank poem.
New World Order Emerging
The American MAGA revolution
and the rise of the alt-right
across the world
raises serious questions
Where are we going
What are we doing?
They say that history
Does not repeat
But it rhymes.
So we have echoes
Of the 1890’s
The 1920s
1930s
1950s
And even ancient Rome
And the fall
Of the Roman Republic.
Ending globalization
And the old international order
Restoring great power games.
As the US struggles
To avoid
The collapse
Of the American experiment
And the American empire.
All in the name
Of creating
a new world order.
and a grand reputation
Of the 60’s and 70’s
And the 20th century
And the 21st century
progresive vision.
Going back
to the 19th century.
Gilded Age
and Robber Barons.
For today’s prompt, take the phrase “New (blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles might include: “New Moon,” “New Car,” “New Significant Other,” “New World,” and/or “New to This City.”
And yes, it is totally fine to replace the word “new” with the word “knew” if that helps you get your poem out today!
April 27, 2025: Poetry Writing Prompt from Patty Bennett
“Deep Fried Blood Alien chicken-pork cutlets for dinner”
Sam Adams is the owner
And the chef of the UFO restaurant
Bar and grill in Berkeley.
He was a famous UFO nut
And opened the UFO theme restaurant
Complete with alien memorabilia
Movie and TV posters.
And what became famous
A sign over the bar
“Space Aliens drink for free”
Every night some joker
I tried to claim the free drink/
Sam always said
You have to prove you
Are a space alien.
One day mysterious
Man in a black suit
Who had a pan-ethnic look.
Could pass for almost any nationality
But had a vague almost unhuman look
And a strange alien accent.
Walked in and spoke
He wanted the free drink
Sam said,
“Prove you are a space alien.”
The man
Morphed into Donald Trump
Then Elon Musk
Then into his true form
A red skin two legged reptilian form
Before morphing back into
Man in black look
Sam laughed
And asked him,
“Well, okay then..
Drinks are on the house.
What do you want ?”
“ one bourbon, one scotch
And one beer. And a favor.
“What’s the favor?”
“Use of the kitchen
to cook my favorite food from home
I’ll teach you recipe and leave
Enough for you to have a supply
On hand.”
“okay”
The alien went out and brought out
Ten alien creatures –
Who looked like a cross
Between a chicken and a pig
He called them “biblog”.
They would cook one
And the rest he could keep
They bred very rapidly
So he would have a ready supply
On hand.
They went to work and Sam and Mr. X
served the customers
all night.
some posted to the media
and Mr. X was interviewed
the meal was a great success
it tasted like chicken and pork
purple and orange colors
with yellow coloring
with a strange after taste,
and a fragrant smell
and a somewhat tough texture
but it was delicious,
with an out of this world
hard to pin down
umami flavor!
the City, State and Federal authorities
came the next day
confiscated the biblog creatures,
and demanded the whereabouts
of Mr X.
Sam smiled and spoke,
‘‘Mr. X said
you all would be coming
And left for home.
But he is coming back next year
To open trade negotiations
with the Sirius star system
and I am his agent.’
They arrested him
And finally released him
And the biblog.
and told him
to keep in touch.
Sam posted everything online
And Mr X came back
With a trade delegation
Later that year.
The biblog escaped
And became an invasive species
But hunting was allowed.
crisis averted.
This poetry writing prompt submitted by Patty Bennett:
Imagine you are a gourmet chef at a fancy restaurant. Invent a new dish, and using the five senses, describe it.* Then serve it to a group of repeat customers, and record their reactions.
*What does it look like? What does it smell like? Can you hear it while it’s cooking? Can you touch it, or describe what it feels like if it’s finger food? And of course, how does it taste? Served hot or cold or room temperature?
April 27—Duty
Congress SymmetrelRepublicans in Congress, Symmetrel Stanza 1 7 subject repeated at end Note: a bit political but hey I call it as I see it |
Day Twenty-Eight
Funeral Music for the Death of America
Sometimes when I watch the news
And see the continued assualt
On American institutions
Rule of law and basic human decency
All done in the name of promotion
Traditional Christian values
Hiding their true authoritarian impulses
Challenging everyone who opposes them
With being soft on crime, immigration
And terrorism
Shredding the constitution
In the name of preserving
Democracy
Meanwhile, gutting the social safety net
Threatening to fire judges
Lawyers and government officials
Illegally impounding funds
Already approved
Daring anyone to stand up
Against their takeover
Of American society
I wonder what music
Would it be appropriate
For the funeral
Of American democracy?
Perhaps Elgar’s Nimrod?
Or Barber’s Adagio for Strings
Or Mahler’s Adagietto Symphony 8
Or Edward Grieg Solveig’s Song (from Peer Gynt):
Or Chopin’s Funeral Sonata
Perhaps protesters should start
Their protests with funeral music
As they march against
The end of American democracy?
Welcome back, all. As of today, there’s just three days left in this year’s Na/GloPoWriMo.
Today, our featured participant is Mariyah, who brings us a poignant take on Modigliani portrait in response to Day 27’s painting-based prompt.
Today’s daily resource is El Museo del Barrio, a New York City museum focused on the experience of Puerto Ricans and Latin Americans in the United States. The museum’s website provides highlights from its permanent collection, as well videos exploring the art and artists featured.
Last but not least, here is today’s prompt (optional, as always). Music features heavily in human rituals and celebrations. We play music at parties; we play it in parades, and at weddings. In her poem, OBIT [Music], Victoria Chang describes the role that music played in her mother’s funeral. Today, we challenge you to write a poem that involves music at a ceremony or event of some kind.
Happy, or at the very least, meaningful, writing!
Funeral Music for the Death of America
Sometimes when I watch the news
And see the continued assault
On American institutions
Rule of law and basic human decency
All done in the name of promotion
Traditional Christian values
Hiding their true authoritarian impulses
Challenging everyone who opposes them
With being soft on crime, immigration
And terrorism
Shredding the constitution
In the name of preserving
Democracy
Meanwhile, gutting the social safety net
Threatening to fire judges
Lawyers and government officials
Illegally impounding funds
Already approved
Daring anyone to stand up
Against their takeover
Of American society
I wonder what music
Would it be appropriate
For the funeral
Of American democracy?
Perhaps Elgar’s Nimrod?
Or Barber’s Adagio for Strings
Or Mahler’s Adagietto Symphony 8
Or Edward Grieg Solveig’s Song (from Peer Gynt):
Or Chopin’s Funeral Sonata
Perhaps protesters should start
Their protests with funeral music
As they march against
The end of American democracy?
Co-Pilot’s list of funeral music
- Barber – Adagio for Strings: Known for its profound sadness, this piece has been played at the funerals of figures like Albert Einstein and Princess Grace of Monaco.
- Elgar – Nimrod (from the Enigma Variations): A deeply moving piece often associated with remembrance and reflection.
Mahler – Adagietto (Symphony No. 5): This calming and poignant movement is a favorite for its emotional depth
Edvard Grieg.
Certainly! Classical music often plays a significant role in state funerals, offering solemnity and reflection. Here are some widely recognized pieces frequently used in such ceremonies:
- Barber – Adagio for Strings: Known for its profound sadness, this piece has been played at the funerals of figures like Albert Einstein and Princess Grace of Monaco.
- Elgar – Nimrod (from the Enigma Variations): A deeply moving piece often associated with remembrance and reflection.
- Mahler – Adagietto (Symphony No. 5): This calming and poignant movement is a favorite for its emotional depth.
- Bach – Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring: A timeless piece often chosen for its serene and uplifting qualities.
- Chopin – Funeral March (Piano Sonata No. 2, Movement 3): This iconic march has become synonymous with mourning.
- Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending: A beautiful violin piece evoking a sense of peace and transcendence.
- Arvo Pärt – Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten: A minimalist yet profoundly emotional piece written in memory of a fellow composer.
Edvard Grieg
-
- Solveig’s Song (from Peer Gynt): A hauntingly beautiful piece that evokes longing and farewell.
- Arietta (Lyric Pieces, Op. 12): While not explicitly funeral music, its gentle and introspective tone makes it suitable for solemn occasions.
Russian Composers
- Tchaikovsky – Hymn of the Cherubim: A deeply spiritual and serene choral work.
- Rachmaninoff – Vocalize (Op. 34, No. 14): A wordless melody that conveys profound emotion and reflection.
- Mussorgsky – Promenade (from Pictures at an Exhibition): Though not traditionally funeral music, its introspective nature can be fittin
2025 April PAD Challenge: Day 28
For Day 28 of the 2025 April Poem-A-Day Challenge, poets (and other colorful people) are prompted to write a color poem.
Color of Justice is Gold and Green
The color of justice
It is gold and green my poor friends.
Those with enough gold
Buy all the justice they need.
No gold or green, no justice.
Wow! Today marks 4 weeks of poeming for this April. Let’s get to it.
For today’s prompt, write a color poem. The poem could be about a color, mention a color, or be somewhat “colorful.” Of course, the title of the poem could be a color (or include a color) and then not mention colors in the poem at all. So there’s a lot of wiggle room with this prompt.
Waka. Japanese 5-liner.
The waka is a Japanese 5-line poem (or stanza) that is often considered synonymous with the tanka, because both have a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable per line structure. However, the waka groups its lines together in a particular way. The first 2 lines should make up one piece, the next 2 lines should make the next, and then, the final line can stand on its own–or as part of the second group.
It’s possible to end stop after line 2, 4, and 5. But other forms of punctuation can do the trick as well.
If you write a poem from this prompt, post it as a comment underneath the prompt in the Poetry Superhighway Facebook Group.
April 28, 2025: Poetry Writing Prompt from Alex Phuong
snarling cup of coffee (latest version)
Snarling Cup of Coffee
I like to start my day
with a hot cup of coffee
I pound down the coffee.
First thing I do every day
as the dawning sun
Lights up my lonesome room.
Yeah, but not just a simple cup of java Joe, but a God damn snarling sarcastic smarmy cup of coffee
I mean, – we are talking about an alcoholic, all speed ahead, always hot, always fresh, always there when I need it, angry, attitude talk to the hand Ztude, bad, bad assed, beats breaking, beatnik, bluesy, bitter, bitchy, bombs away, capitalistic, caffeinated up the ass, cinematic, communistic, Colombian grown, Costa Rican inspired, Cowabunga to the max, crazy assed, devilishly angelic, divine, divinely inspired, dyslexic, epic, extreme vetting, evil eye, expensive, erotic vision inducing, Ethiopian coffee house brewed, euphoric, freaky, freazoid, foxy, Frenched kissed, French brewed, funkified, foxy lady, graphic, GOD in my coffee, with Allah, Ganesh, Jesus, Kali, Buddha, Christians, Durga, Hindus, Mohamed, Jesus and Mo and their friend, the cosmic bar maid, Sai Babai, Shiva, Taoists, Zoroastrians, drinking my god damned coffee in Hell; growling, gnarly, happy, hard as ice, Hawaian blessed, high as a kite, hippie, hip, hipster, hip hoppy, hot as hell yet strangely sweet as heaven, jazzy, jealous, Kerouac approved, kick ass, kick my god damn ass to Tuesday, kick down the doors and take no prisoners, grown in the Vietnam highlands by ex-Vietcong, Guatemalan grown, kiss ass, illegal in every state, imported from all over the god damn world, insane, lovely, loony, lonely, lonesome, malodorous mean old rotten, motherfucking, nasty, narcotic, never whatever, never meh, never cold, not approved by the CIA, not approved by DHS, not approved for human consumption by the FDA, not your daddy’s sissified corporate cup of coffee, NOT DECAFE coffee, not your Denny’s truck driver weak as brown water cup of fake coffee, not your establishment friendly cup of coffee, Not your FBI coffee, Not FAKE Herbal coffee substitute, but a real cup of coffee, not your farmer brothers dinner crap, not made in America for Americans, not safe for work, not your Starbucks average expensive overpriced crappy corporate chain cup of coffee, Not pretentious, Not White House approved, not State Department safe, nuclear, Not Patriotic, operatic, Peets’s coffee approved, paranoid, pornographic, psychotic, pontific, politically aware, rapping, rhyming, right here, right now in River city, rock and roll up the Yazoo, sad, sadistic, sarcastic, sassy, satanic, schizoid, shitting, silly, sexy, smarmy, smelly, smooth, snarky, snarling, stupid, stinking, sweet as honey, sweat inducing, symphonic, Trump can’t handle this coffee, vengeful, Wagnerian, wicked, with nutmeg and cinnamon swirls, with a hint of stevia, with a hint of vanilla, with a hint of rum, with a hint of whisky, with a hint of cherry, with a hint of fruit overtones, with a hint of drugs spicing up the coffee, spendific, speeding, splendid, superior accept no substitutes, survived the Vietnam war, the Iraq war, the Afghan war, the first and Second Korean war, World War 11, the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on black people, the sexual revolution, Soulful as a summer’s night in MOTOWN- James Brown approved, TOP approved, Berkeley approved, the coffee that Jimmy Hendrix drank before he died, the coffee that Elvis drank on his last breakfast, the coffee that Barry White crooned as he drank his cup of coffee – and the coffee that made the white boy play stand up and play that funky music, the coffee that made Jonny B Goode play his guitar, and made Jonny bet the devil his soul after he drank his morning cup of righteous coffee and the coffee that make the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll, the coffee your mother warned you against drinking, the coffee that Napoleon drank when he became the Emperor of all Europe, the Coffee that Beethoven drank when he wrote the Ninth symphony, the coffee that Mozart drank as he wrote his last symphony, the coffee that Lincoln drank before he was killed, the Hemingway drank before he killed himself, the coffee that started the 60’s, and ended the 20th century, the coffee that Lenin drank as he plotted revolution, the coffee that Hitler and Stalin drank with FDR as they divided up the world after World War 11, the cup that JFK drank before he was blown away, the coffee Jerry drinks while driving in cars with random celebrities and political figures, the coffee that Jon Stewart drinks before he goes on an epic take down of some foolish politico, the cup of Arabic coffee that Sadaam drank the day he was executed, the coffee that GW and Cheney drank when they bombed Baghdad, the Indian cup of coffee that Bid Laden drank before 9-11 and just before the seals blew his ass to hell, the cup of coffee that Tiger Woods drank with his mistresses while playing a 3, 000 dollar round of golf at Sandy Lane golf course in Barbados, the last legal drug that does what drugs should do, the cup of coffee that Obama drank when he became President, Vietnamese, Vienna brew, wacky, whimsical, Whisky Tango Foxtrot, wild, weird, wonderful, WOW, Yabba dabba doo! Yada Zappa’s favorite cup of cosmic coffee, and Zorro’s last cup of coffee, Good to the last drop rolled into one simple cup of hot coffee
As I pound down that first cup of coffee
And fire up my synaptic nerve endings with endless supplies
Of caffeine induced neuron enhancing chemicals.
I face the dawning day with trepidation and mind-numbing fear
I turn on the TV and watch the smarmy newscasters in their perfect hair
Lying through their teeth about the great success
the government is having
Following the great leader’s latest pronouncements.
I want to scream and shoot the TV
and run out side Shouting
“Stop the world.
I want to get off this fucking crazy planet”
The earth does not care a whit about my attitude
It merely shrugs and moves around the Sun
In its appointed daily run
And I sit down
The madness dissipating a bit
And enjoy my second cup
Of heaven and hell
In my morning cup of Joe
the latest version published on Creative Gremlins also can be found on my blog which is https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com © May 2018, john Cosmos Aller
This poetry writing prompt submitted by Alex Phuong:
The publication of poetry could potentially result in an enduring legacy. Please write a poem so beautiful that it could possibly leave an indelible mark on the literary landscape.
April 28—Back to work
My Life as a Diplomat
For 27 years
I served as a foreign Service officer
A U.S. Diplomat
Representing the U.S.
Around the world
And in Washington, DC
I served in ten countries
Antigua
Barbados
Grenada
India
South Korea
Spain
St. Kitts
St Lucia
St. Vincent
Thailand
I did everything
From issuing visas
Blogging about program evaluations
Serving as a program evaluator
Helping American businesses
Helping Americans who got into trouble
Organizing conferences
Coordinating classes
Investigating visa and passport fraud
Serving as a labor officer
Serving as a commercial officer
Serving as a human rights officer
Serving as an economics officer
Serving as an environmental officer
Visiting prisoners
And through it all
I was always proud
To serve my country
And make the world
A better place
Winning friends
And influencing people
Promoting American values
Around the world
Day Twenty-Nine
NaPoWriMo
Rock Stars of the 19th Century’
Way back when
In the 19th Century
Way before we had
Rock stars
We had mad musicians
Piano players mostly
Who stormed across
Europe and America
To enthusiastic crowds
And rumors of sexual escapades
And rich women groupies
To use a modern term
Among them the most famous
Was Franz Liszt
And Frederick Chopin
And many other romantic
Music greats
Of that by gone era
Happy Tuesday, all, and happy penultimate day of Na/GloPoWriMo.
Our featured participant today is Adil Akbar, whose response to Day 28’s “music and ceremonies” prompt rather reminds us of César Vallejo.
Today’s daily resource is the online galleries of the Whitney Museum, where you’ll find artwork as varied as this fun portrait of Billie Jean King, a Frank Stella sculpture that looks like what would happen if a space station fell in love with a bridge, and this contemporary take on the classic embroidered sampler.
And now for today’s prompt – optional as always. Just as poets make poetry, musicians make music. There is always a living being behind the words, the rhythm, and at the heart of every song. Just as music and poetry can fascinate in their own right, so do the personalities behind every form of art. In her poem, “Canary,” Rita Dove riffs on Billie Holiday, and how her life has been spun into myth. Likewise, in “Ode for Donny Hathaway,” Wanda Coleman muses on another tragic figure, in the form of the eponymous soul singer and keyboardist.
Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that takes its inspiration from the life of a musician, poet, or other artist. And while our example poems are squarely elegiac, don’t feel limited to minor-key feelings in your own work.
2025 April PAD Challenge: Day 29
On Day 29 of the 2025 April Poem-A-Day Challenge, writers are challenged with the fifth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt of the month.
The beginning of the End of MAGA Dreams
The American public is growing weary.
They are growing leary.
The MAGA madness is growing dreary.
The public no longer buying what they are selling.
The authoriarians are on the retreat.
No one follows what they tweet.
People joining rallies voting with their feet,
No more bowing down and knelling.
ochtfochlach (pronounced: “UKHT-uh-KHLAHCH”) is irish for “eight line stanza”
“ocht” – meaning 8
“fochlach” – meaning line/stanza
so…
an 8-line stanza
with a rhyme scheme of: aaab cccb.
Before we get into today’s prompt(s), I just wanted to give another quick update on the 2024 November PAD Chapbook Challenge results. I’m almost there and blocking out time today to finish it up; so I’m hoping to make the announcement this afternoon/evening and link to the results in tomorrow’s final prompt for April. I’m so sorry for the delay; it wasn’t intentional. On to the poetry!
It’s time for the fifth (and final) Two-for-Tuesday prompt:
- Write a “near the end” poem and/or…
- Write a “near the beginning” poem.
Are we near the end of writing poems or near the beginning of revising them? I don’t know.
MAGA stands for Make America Great Again and is the name of the movement that President Trump launched prior to his first term and his second term in office.
April 29, 2025: Poetry Writing Prompt from Maria DePaul
the revolution is coming
A revolution is coming
I can feel it in my bones
A revolution is coming
And it will wipe out
The collapsing edifices
Of the American Empire
The masses are rising up
To throw off their chains
And demand justice
The masses are coming
For the masters of the universe
Their day is numbered
And they know it too
One day
The masses will rise up
Storm the citadels of power
Arresting the corrupt leaders
In the name of revolutionary justice
As the revolutionary fires
Consume the nation
And I can’t wait
For the revolution
Is long overdue
This poetry writing prompt submitted by Maria DePaul:
In times of upheaval, poetry can inspire resilience and resistance. If an issue touches the heart or inspires an action, share that on the page so that others may find ways to express themselves. Poets of the world unite — all we have to lose are the chains that block free and full expression! Now is the time!
If you write a poem from this prompt, post it as a comment underneath the prompt in the Poetry Superhighway Facebook Group.
Dew Drop In Prompts
April 29—Birds
The attack of the Birds
One day
Back in 2005
When I was living
In Suburban Virgina.
I felt like I was living
In an episode of a famous movie
The “Birds.”
A band of outlaw starlings
Decided to live
On my roof,
And on a door frame
Spending all day there.
Flying back and forth
And making a huge mess
On my front doorstep.
We tried the fake owl
We bought at Walmart
They quickly learned
To ignore it.
We put beanie babies
Up on ledge over the door
That scared them
For a day.
We came home
The bird had totally
Destroyed the beanie babies
And were looking at me.
Grinning as if to say,
“That’s the best you can do, human?
You don’t scare us what with your fake owl
And your fake beanie babies. !”
Our contractor sealed off the ledge
And destroyed their nest on the roof
And the birds reluctantly flew
Off down the street.
But I still saw them
About Flying
Grinning and laughing
At me.
Day Thirty
NaPoWriMo
Tower of Power Still Rocks
Tower of Power
Has been rocking
The world
Since the late 60s
A band straight out
of Oakland
East Bay
they were the best funk band
ever
the poster child
of funkiness.
The best horn section
The best guitar work
The best singers
The best drummers.
their greatest hits
Include,
“What is Hip”
And the immortal make-out song.
“You’re Still a Young Man”
The first song I slowly danced to
The song I played
When I first met my wife
Hearing that song today
I still wonder
How many babies
Were conceived
After slow dancing
To this song?
Final Ode to Tower of Power for this challenge
Wow, we made it, everyone! Today’s the final day of National/Global Poetry Writing Month. We hope you make it to the end of the day with thirty new poems under your belt. But even if you didn’t manage to keep up with the whole poem-a-day thing, we hope you had fun!
We’ll be back tomorrow with our final featured participant and some closing thoughts for the year’s challenge, but in the meantime, our featured participant for today is Catching Lines, who brings us an elegy for Janis Joplin in response to Day 29’s inspired-by-the-music-makers prompt.
Our final resource is Matterport, a site that lets you take virtual tours of all kinds of museums, ranging from the National Museum of Ireland to the Bicycle Museum of America.
Finally, here’s the last prompt of this year’s Na/GloPoWriMo (optional, as always)! In his meandering poem, “Grateful Dead Tapes,” poet Ed Skoog riffs on the eponymous tapes that he’s found in a secondhand store, remembering various instances of hearing the band, both live and in recording. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that also describes different times in which you’ve heard the same band or piece of music across your lifetime.
2025 April PAD Challenge: Day 30
For Day 30 of the 2025 April Poem-A-Day Challenge, poets (and other party people) are prompted to write a remix poem.
Ghosts Commit Immigration Fraud Prose Poem Version
One day, Bob Jones encountered one of the most memorable fraud cases during his time in India as a U.S. immigration officer. People often pretended to be single instead of married, or married instead of single, to jump the immigration queue. Sometimes officers would reluctantly issue fraudulent visas because proving fraud was nearly impossible and very difficult to do. In general, visas were only refused for fraud when it was blatant, right in front of them, and when the applicant continued to lie even when presented with evidence of their dishonesty.
One day, Miss Patel approached Bob, asking him to reconsider holding up the visas for her four siblings, who were married but pretending to be single. She claimed her father, a U.S. citizen, was in the hospital, and his dying wish was for his children to join him in the U.S. The only problem was that Bob had already checked and found that her father had passed away two weeks earlier. When he died, the petition for the visas died with him. Miss Patel had lied to Bob, pleading for him to grant the visas.
Bob called her up to the window and asked her
,
“So, Miss Patel, when was the last time you spoke to your father?”
She replied,
“Oh, I spoke to him just now. He is still alive and waiting for his children to arrive to see him before he dies.”
“He is alive right now?”
“Yes, he is still alive, and he’s waiting for the immigrant visas to be processed.”
Bob said, “OK, well, there’s just one problem. Do you believe in ghosts?”
“What?”
“Well, you see, here’s the problem. There’s only one way you could have spoken to your father today—and that is if you spoke to a ghost. According to the hospital, he died two weeks ago.”
Bob then showed her the fax from the hospital confirming Mr. Patel’s demise.
Miss Patel started crying. Bob then said,
“Well, I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can do at this point. The law is the law, and I have an obligation to enforce it. Under the law, the penalty for visa fraud is a 99-year ban on entry to the U.S. However, planes fly both ways—you can go visit them every year if you want, but they’re not coming into the United States. You can file for them again, and in eight years, seek a visa waiver for ineligibility. It is sometimes granted.”
Based on a true story from 2003, the immigration system has been broken for decades and remains so to this day.
In my opinion, there is substantial fraud within the immigration system. However, I disagree with massive deportation actions. Instead, I believe we should implement a grand reset by offering amnesty to illegal immigrants working in the U.S. illegally. Green cards could be granted to those meeting three criteria: they either have a job or can secure one, they speak minimal English, and they agree to pay back income taxes on a payment plan spread over several years. Those who fail a background check, do not have a job lined up, or cannot speak English would be given a quick hearing and deported.
This proposal would go hand in hand with a massive overhaul of the immigration system. I would eliminate the sibling category entirely, as well as Diversity Visas (DV). However, I would allow anyone currently in line one year to register with the government and one year to process their visas. Priority would be given to educated immigrants, and a pathway to green cards would be offered to all foreign students. Additionally, I would enforce an English-speaking requirement for all immigrants.
I would also mandate E-Verify systems, ensuring that employers hire only legal immigrants.
This plan would clean up the immigration queue, restore order to the system, and better match the needs of the economy. While immigrants are necessary, it is essential to ensure the process is carried out legally.
April 30, 2025: Poetry Writing Prompt from Brendan Constantine
Jake Piano Jones
Jake Piano Jones
Often blamed his parents
And their weird sense of humor
They said
“Hey it was the 60’s, man!”
For giving him the middle name
Piano
Based on the fact
His father was a jazz piano player
And his Mom his biggest fan
He decided to call himself
JP Jones
And the name stuck
He felt it was a better name
For him as he grew up
And became known
As JP Jones
And became a rock star
In his own right
One day
His real name leaked
His fans loved it
And started calling him
Jake Piano Man Jones
And that became
His new name.
Items in my room
Piano
TV
Pilates ball
Couch
Coffee table
Cabinet
Photos
This poem writing prompt submitted by Brendan Constantine:
WHAT’S MY NAME?
Take a few minutes to look around your immediate surroundings and note down 6 different sights. They can be anything. For instance, when I look around my desk I see the following:
An antique lamp
A painting of a cowboy
A glass of lemonade
Hotel Insomnia (book title)
An origami bird
Rabbit shaped candy
Once you have your list – choose one with the most pleasing sound. From my list, I think I’ll go with the last one: Rabbit Shaped Candy
Now set this aside and think about this:
A few years back, an american couple was denied a birth certificate for their infant daughter when they attempted to name her Zuleykha Graceful Allah. A civil lawsuit was subsequently filed in Georgia Superior Court on their behalf. In the supporting argument, the following list of names was offered. They are all names which parents around the world have attempted to bestow on their children.
Tiny Hooker
Stud Duck
Cash Guy
Giant Pelvis
Ghoul Nipple
Sex Fruit
Yeah Detroit
Candy Stohr
Fish and Chips
Fat Meat
Acne Fountain
Legend Belch
Freak Skull
Satan
Dracula
Zombie
Loser
Lust
Sloth
Violence
Cholera
Messiah
Latrina
Crimson Tide Redd
Louisiana Purchase
Number 16 Bus Shelter
Tula Does the Hula in Hawaii
A recent article in Harper’s notes a recent trend in baby names reflective of the global pandemic. Since the outbreak of Covid -19 worldwide, the following new names have appeared:
Corona
Corona Kumar
Corona Kumari
Covid
Covid Marie
Covid Rose
Coviduvidapdap
Lockdown
Sanitizer
Covid Bryant
You can probably see where this is going. Your task is to compose a new poem in which you explore what it would be like to be named for the thing you chose from your list. Your poem can be in any style or person: 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
In my case, I would have to write about Rabbit Shaped Candy.
What’s your name?
Take your time with this one.
April 30—Ars poetica
Why do we write?
40 lines
A writer is often asked
Why do you write?
What motivates you?
What keeps you going?
How do you handle the constant rejections?
The self-doubts
What comes with the writer’s life?
I write as many writers do
Because I must
Because the damn muse
Will never leave me alone
The characters in my head
Demand to let their voices be heard
Demand to be freed
To tell their tales
And I am a slave
To my muse
Who takes me
Where she will
No matter what
I must write every day
Usually starting my day
Drinking coffee
Watching the news unfold
Writing my thoughts
Letting the poetry flow
Out of my soul
Bleeding onto the computer screen
The words waiting to be spoken
To tell their tale
Before the day is over
That is why I write
Because I can not write
That is the Buddha nature
Of being a writer after all.
Most of us probably started writing to fulfill the requirements of our teachers in school. We wrote to pass the course and gain recognition through grade assignments.
During some self-analysis upon leaving the Navy and starting my job search, I realized that the things I enjoyed the most and had the most success with involved writing of some sort. Therefore, a technical writing job seemed to be the perfect union of that interest with my engineering education. For the next few years, I wrote to instruct field technicians on how to implement retrofit modifications on aircraft.
Later, in the business world, I wrote to enlighten co-workers, managers, and customers about procedures, policies, and systems.
Nowadays, while I sometimes still write for those reasons (as I’m doing here), many more factors keep me engaged in this wondrous process. That’s probably the case with you, too.
If you feel a need to express your most personal response to this mysterious, beautiful, and sometimes painful world in the shapes, colors, sounds, and smells of your imagination, creative writing can provide a powerful means of therapeutic release.
The pure joy that comes with meeting the challenges of crafting the language into something meaningful, like molding a piece of clay with your hands, can be a refreshing recreational outlet.
Many writers are driven to publish their work on the printed page. I can vouch for the exhilarating sense of satisfaction that comes with that first acceptance letter.
Upon receiving a reviewer’s comment that one of my stories reminded him of a stand-up comedian’s routine, I realized that the desire to entertain/is also a driving force that keeps me motivated.
For whom do you write?
Many writers resist criticism and defend their writing with the claim that they write only for themselves. While some therapeutic or recreational writing may not be intended for sharing with an audience, writing is usually employed as a means of communicating with other people. Of course, the grocery lists and phone numbers you scribble on scraps of paper probably are intended for only you. However, those things within you that won’t rest until they are given voice–the burning memories that linger in your heart and the fanciful fugitive images floating around in your head–must be shared with someone else to satisfy the need for expression.
When you sit down to write, you should keep your audience in mind. Whether it be your friends and family, a group of readers interested in a particular genre as identified here at WDC, or an editor for a specific publication, the language you use serves as a bridge between you and the reader. Choose accordingly.
Your reasons for writing along with your prospective audience will influence the voice you use in your writing, as the relationship between the writer and the reader develops into a true collaboration in this wondrous experience.
Today’s Practice Session: Write about your objective(s) as you continue on this marvelous journey.
Then ponder the postings of your peers and exchange views about the various motivations that keep us all inspired in this venture.
Bonus Poems Writing Com Weekly Challenge
Prompt Week 34
The seasons of the year 2024
Winter started with Arctic blasts
Polar vortexes
Political turmoil everywhere
and fear of the future.
Spring came and went too soon
I remained in Korea until late Spring
Yellow dust in the air,
Spreading Political turmoil
Summertime in the US is hot, with the fear of wildfires
Went to the US DC, Oregon, California
Political earthquakes in the U.S. continued
Stayed many months dealing with renovations
In the autumn, I attended the 50th High School reunion
Grateful, I am still alive and kicking
Thinking about the future of the world,
Wondering what it will mean for me?
Use the following words in your poem:
Winter Spring Summer Autumn
Prompt 35
Enjoying La Dolce Vita Italian Style
The Italians
Know how
to celebrate life
how to live
the la Dolce Vita
the sweet life
enjoying fine wine
and great food
with friends
and family
knowing that life
is meant to be savored
life is meant to be enjoyed
one cup of espresso
and one cup of red vino
after another and another
PPC5 Logo 2024 -2025
Prompt/Week # 35
{XLphoto:1074207}
Translation of “La Dolce Vita” is The Sweet Life
PPC5 Logo 2024 -2025
Prompt/Week # 37
Old phone has a story to tell
Back in the day
Sam Adams
Was serving
In the consulate in Mumbai.
In the old Palace
That the US took over
To make it into the consulate
Way back went.
The telephone people
Were there to finally
Modernizing the consulate’s
Aging phone system.
Before moving
to a new modern building
A few years later.
One of the telephone workers
Found an old phone dating back
To the 1920s perhaps.
It was the police hot line
That connected the consulate
To the local police authorities/
No numbers or dials
Just picked up
And the police would
Be on the other end.
Sam took the antique phone
Home with him.
Imagining the stories
The phone could tell
If the phone could remember
To tell the stories
It had heard.
The phone sadly
Sat there
Dead phones
Tell no tales
After all.
Pick any object in your room.
Now write a poem describing this object.
Prompt 38
My favorite Childhood Games
As a young lad
I did not have many “toys”
But I did have a few
Favorite games
First played Monopoly
With my siblings and brothers
When I was five
Last played it decades ago
I also played cards
Learned how to play blackjack
Gin rummy, poker and bridge
Playing Risk and Life
Parcheesi, Scrabble
and other games
My mother killed
At scrabble
and bridge too
My father installed a pool table
When I was perhaps 13
And I played pool
With my friends
My brothers and sister
And father
Until I left home
Last played pool
At my Mom’s house
Perhaps back in 2002
Before she moved
To a nursing home
And the pool table
Was sold
When we sold the house
I have found memories
Of playing monopoly, Risk
Life and other board games
And playing pool too.
PPC5 Logo 2024 -2025
Prompt/Week # 38
Write a poem about your favorite childhood toy.
Review For Poems for April 25 2025
Chapter 26 of the book April 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
Jake, this is an impressively varied and emotionally honest collection.
Your Zappa tribute feels personal and grounded, giving us a glimpse of how his rebellious spirit resonated with you-a nice mixture of admiration and speculative sadness.
The insomnia piece captures the spiraling “what if” panic of sleepless nights with a raw, repetitive urgency that feels very true to experience.
The Sphinx poem leans into a mythic voice nicely, though stretching the imagery a little further could have strengthened it even more.
The caregiving piece is the most affecting-plain, unvarnished, and brutally human. You capture the conflicting emotions-duty, guilt, sadness, even relief-with a refreshing lack of sentimentality.
Small polishing in line breaks and smoothing occasional typos (e.g., “saddest” to “saddest”) would lift the technical finish, but emotional honesty is what shines through most.
A moving and wide-ranging contribution to your NaPoWriMo journey.
Thanks a lot i will fix the typo
thanks a lot i will fix the typo
Michael Ludwinder
7 hours ago
Review For Poems for April 25 2025
Chapter 26 of the book April 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
I really enjoyed the way you shared your thoughts. Your tribute to Frank Zappa felt sincere. I could feel the admiration you have for him as an artist. I also loved how you shared your thoughts about the world. The care you took in describing Sam’s experience with his mother was wonderful. Thank you for sharing these poems – they were full of emotion. Thanks a lot as always
thanks a lot as always
~Dovey
17 hours ago
Review For Poems for April 29 2025
Chapter 30 of the book April 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
Way to go, Jake!
You did a fabulous job keeping up with all the posts for NaPoWriMo!!
I am so glad we all made it!!
Good luck in the voting booth!
Kim thanks Kim
Dolly’sPoems
a day ago
Review For poems for April 28 2025
Chapter 29 of the book April 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
The death of America? Oh dear, I hope not. I looks like your post is full of gremlins and those dreaded (A) letters are all over the place. I wish this site could fix this problem. It sounds like you did a bit of travelling in your working life Jake. I learned a little bit more about you in this post, love Dolly xthanks I will fix that
a day ago
Review For Poems for April 29 2025
Chapter 30 of the book April 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
From musicians to politicians and revolutions to birds here Jake. I expect you are glad the challenge is finally over now and you can rest your well-worn pen, good luck with the contest result, love Dolly xthanks a lot
Michael Ludwinder
a day ago
Review For poems for April 28 2025
Chapter 29 of the book April 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
Great job again. Your poem about the “Funeral Music for the Death of America” is so thought provoking! I liked how you used music choices to share the sadness running through your words. Your voice is clear and honest, and it made me stop and think. “Shredding the Constitution” and “Illegally impounding funds” also really stood out to me – powerful lines. Thanks a lot
Michael Ludwinder
a day ago
Review For Poems for April 29 2025
Chapter 30 of the book April 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
I enjoyed all your poems. The bird story was my favorite though – it’s so funny. And I loved the birds with attitude! Great job – keep sharing more like this!
Review For Poems for April 25 2025
Chapter 26 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
Jake, this is an impressively varied and emotionally honest collection.
Your Zappa tribute feels personal and grounded, giving us a glimpse of how his rebellious spirit resonated with you-a nice mixture of admiration and speculative sadness.
The insomnia piece captures the spiralling “what if” panic of sleepless nights with a raw, repetitive urgency that feels very true to experience.
The Sphinx poem leans into a mythic voice nicely, though stretching the imagery a little further could have strengthened it even more.
The caregiving piece is the most affecting-plain, unvarnished, and brutally human. You capture the conflicting emotions-duty, guilt, sadness, even relief-with a refreshing lack of sentimentality.
Small polishing in line breaks and smoothing occasional typos (e.g., “sadest” to “saddest”) would lift the technical finish, but the emotional honesty is what shines through most.
A moving and wide-ranging contribution to your NaPoWriMo journey.
Timthanks a lot i will fix the typo
thanks a lot i will fix the typo
Michael Ludwinder
7 hours ago
Review For Poems for April 25 2025
Chapter 26 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
I really enjoyed the way you shared your thoughts. Your tribute to Frank Zappa felt sincere. I could feel the admiration you have for him as an artist. I also loved how you shared your thoughts about the world. The care you took in describing Sam’s experience with his mother was wonderful. Thank you for sharing these poems – they were full of emotion.thanks a lot as always
thanks a lot as always
Review For Poems for APril 23 2025
Chapter 25 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
I loved this poem collection! Your story about the crazy magpies made me smile! Each was unique and enjoyable in their own way. Your poems are full of heart – keep them coming!
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Review For Poems for APril 23 2025
Chapter 25 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
Jake, your collection for April 23 offers a rich variety of tone and subject, and there is real pleasure in the movement between them.
The mocking birds piece is wild and vivid, capturing a surreal sense of menace with a playful edge-the birds cackling in Korean and English is a brilliant, slightly absurd detail.
Your piece on “reprogramming your mind” is a warm, important counterpoint: it reminds readers (and perhaps yourself) that joy still exists if we choose to seek it, without falling into preachiness.
The short memory about your house feels quiet and grounded, and the Shakespeare piece is a real highlight: personal, affectionate, and tinged with a sense of time passing.
Your affection for the classics shines through clearly.
If anything, the different pieces might feel a little loosely stitched when read together, but as a daily writing project, this kind of natural shift between moods feels entirely fitting.
A heartfelt and honest set.
Tim
5 days ago
Review For poems for April 24 2025
Chapter 24 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
It sounds like you enjoy your music and your family Jake and I wish you luck with your piano playing as you work your way through all those ancient composers, love Dolly x x x
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Michael Ludwinder
5 days ago
Review For poems for April 24 2025
Chapter 24 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
Nicely done again. I like the unique formatting at the end. It’s clear you’ve put a lot of care into writing this. I can feel the frustrations of the system. Well done.
Michael Ludwinder
Review For Poems for April 22
Chapter 23 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
I love the heartfelt flow of your writing. I like how you speak about your Shakespearean actor friend and how that connection shaped your love for the Bard. That flows so naturally into Earth Day musings. The ending – about walking on Mars with your love – was perfect.
Dolly’sPoems
Review For Poems for April 22
Chapter 23 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
I glad to hear you have kept up your piano playing and music brings such a joy to others as well as pleasing your own ear. Shakespeare was far from gay, ha ha ha, he had many female lovers, love Dolly x x x
Dolly’sPoems
Review For Poems for April 21 2025
Chapter 22 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
I am sorry you had a fall that caused you to have many operating Jake, how very sad this is. I had a fall that took me weeks to recover from earlier in the year. You are nearly at the end of this challenge and I admire you for keeping this up, love Dolly x x x
Michael Ludwinder
Review For Poems for April 21 2025
Chapter 22 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
This was well done. The “DOGE Team Attacks” part was a nice touch that gave your poem a fun feeling. It’s nice to read your humor and personal experience in your writing – keep having fun with it!
Review For Poems for April 30 2025
Chapter 31 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
You finally posted your last poem for the April challenge. So many desperate people want to live in the US thinking it is the best place to live, many are disappointed when they get there, love Dolly x x xthanks a lot
Michael Ludwinder
5 hours ago
Review For Poems for April 30 2025
Chapter 31 of the book APril 2025 poetry madness
| Excellent |
Your poem about Jake Piano Jones made me grin – I love how you showed his name changing over time and how he embraced it in the end! Your writing style is so easy to follow. The line “the damn muse will never leave me alone” made me laugh because it’s so true! Great job.thanks a lot
jade garden 8 jpg
Among the many sins
