This is an email from Paper Poetry Sparks, a newsletter by Paper Poetry.
Jan 22
Off To A Flying Start
Leaving ‘home’ behind and onto our next weekly poetry prompt
Hello to all our Paper Poetry friends,
What an exciting week we’ve had at Paper Poetry! And it’s all thanks to our wonderful community of followers, writers and readers — that’s you! ✨
A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to the success of our inaugural weekly poetry prompt: Home. We’ve been delighted with the response and as I write we are still receiving submissions — woo hoo, there’s another one coming in!
We started small — by that I mean, micropoetry small — but what a feast of tasty bite-size offerings you delivered. Here they are —
Always Searching by Evelyn Jean Pine
A Simple Meaning by Suntonu Bhadra
Backyard Memories by Thalia Dunn
Dark Home by Toni Crowe
Dear House by Carolyn Hastings
Home Is Where You Are by Lilie Kaizen
Our Home by Wry Welwood
The Swing by Indubala Kachhawa
Tintinnabulation by Monoreena Acharjee Majumdar
The theme so inspired some writers that their words overflowed into longer pieces — it happens! I’ve listed their stories here for your enjoyment —
Heart is Where the Home Is by Wry Welwood
Nest by Dr. Fatima Imam
The Halcyon Days At Home by Indubala Kachhawa
Wellspring by Jean Campbell
Please treat yourselves to these creative gems and support their sparkling creators with claps, highlights and comments. 💞
Join us now as we close the door on our ‘home’ prompt and open wide the door to a new one. ✨
✨ Poetry Prompt — Week 2
Suntonu mentioned in last week’s announcement that our weekly prompts will offer some variety. Our ‘home’ prompt had a single word theme and a word limit. This week, we’re tempting you with something different. ✨
A picture prompt!
And since the only picture in this newsletter is the one at the top, that’s it!
Your task, if you choose to accept it, is to write a poem inspired by the photo at the top of this newsletter.
Technically, it’s called ekphrastic poetry — poetry inspired by some form of visual stimulus, typically a painting or a sculpture. In this instance, the visual stimulus is garden art.
Prompt details
Type: Ekphrastic
Form: your choice of poetry
Theme: your choice but it must connect with the garden art photo above (please do not write about Paper Poetry’s logo!)
Line limit: maximum 40 lines
Title/subtitle/kicker: your choice but should relate to the prompt in some way
Tags: please use W2 Prompt and Ekphrastic tags when submitting your poem
Image: one image only; must incorporate a handwritten/handcrafted element in accordance with Paper Poetry’s submission guidelines. For example, a handwritten portion of the poem, a decorative title, an illustrated version of the photo prompt. A screenshot of the photo prompt or part thereof can be used but it must be accompanied by the writer’s own handiwork.
Extensions: please refrain from adding explanatory notes, backstories etc. that expand upon your poem. We want to keep these weekly prompts simple and poetry-centric. You are, however, welcome to add a promotional link to this prompt and tag other writers to join the prompt.
Submission period: January 22–28
New writers are most welcome to participate in the prompt. In the comments below, please request to be added as a writer and include your Medium @ handle; or email us at sbpoetrymedium@gmail.com
The next weekly poetry prompt announcement will be on January 29.
That’s it from me. Time for you to get those pigs — I mean, pens — flying!
Paper Poetry Editorial Team
Suntonu Bhadra | Indubala Kachhawa | Carolyn Hastings
