Favorite activity to do with my sister. We sit down together in a park, cafe, wherever, and each write a poem! Sometimes we start with a prompt, sometimes we find a poem to take inspiration from (this is how I first read The Orange by Wendy Cope), other times we just run wild and free! Usually doesn't take more than five minutes. Then we read aloud for each other! Here's mine from today!
I am a high school English teacher, and recently I’ve been making a lot of collaborative collage poems with one of my classes. We all write for 5 or 10 minutes on the same prompt. Then, we all read aloud our poems. While the kids read, I write down a line or two that strikes me from each of their poems. Then I read aloud the resulting collage poem. The prompt for this one was “What can a poem be?”
I love the surprise at the end, when we hear everyone’s words put together. And I love the strange and fresh weirdnesses that come out of stitching their snippets together.
We do a “question of the week” every week (that has nothing to do with work). This week, someone asked that each of us write a line for a poem. One person started it then tagged another person to write the next line… it was a fun time.
everyone should write poetry about their lovers but also their friends and even strangers! I ask on my Instagram every so often for people to write poems about and I always get a few takers and they always like the poem. It’s so sweet. I do this with strangers on the street if I get the vibe too!
i keep it pinned in my notes app! Good conversation starter for fellow word enthusiasts! One of the first times I hung out with one of my now close friends we realized we both had a list like this and it was a blast to compare and contrast.
To quote him,
Words are so good!!
Literally changed my whole perspective. Suddenly my world is full of possible and wonder and whimsy. I may only write in my journal right now... but I'm a writer goddamnit!
Headphones OFF. Listening to the birds and the leaves and neighbors on walks on phone calls. Journalling and jamming and eating cherries!!! For all the complicated emotions a childhood home evokes I will always relish in the privilege of a porch.
