Roadkill Poetry Prompt #2: A Letter Unsent.
Virtually anything that could be expressed in letter form but wasn’t.
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The Prompt:
A letter you wished to send to anyone or anything but didn’t. So, it can be to a pet, yourself, or even an inanimate object for that matter, expressed in poetic form.
When we think of unsent letters, we tend to think from an emotional perspective, it seems, and people such as lost loves, parents, and similar come to mind as those we should have expressed ourselves to.
Though not necessarily standing apart from emotions, there are numerous others who’ve affected us in life, such as a kind boss or a hardass one, or a kind or a nasty teacher or coach, or maybe we could imagine our pets could read, and we wish we’d have said something to their dear hearts.
Or maybe a friend passed or moved away, or someone you knew had a drug or mental health issue that greatly shaped their life, and as a result there’s something you hold inside.
Could it be that there was a time or place where you wished you’d told someone something? So, virtually anything you’d want to write to anyone.
Sure, we could just speak to them, but the letter simplifies things a little.
I’ll ask but one favor—though this is a tough time politically and I won’t refuse politically inspired poems, I am trying to keep this publication politically low-key. Don’t let that have you feel confined, as it’s a suggestion rather than a rule; the people must speak to rectify, whether we agree on what’s being said or not.
If you meditate, why not meditate the idea to evoke deeper meaning? Or even ask your cat or dog what you should say. Let the universe talk to you. Crazy ideas? Perhaps. But in such moments, your intuition and imagination soar. With that said, I’ll post a few images to help evoke thoughts.
These prompts are going to be updated at two weeks. All entries will be displayed in the ‘Prompted Poetry’ section of the Roadkill Society publication’s homepage. Then, when the next prompt comes out, entries relating to the previous prompt will be listed on the community announcement page to help promote them.
The expiry date for this one is February 17th.
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If you’d prefer not to be mentioned, please let me know. Likewise, if you’d like to be added to future prompt mentions, drop a comment below. Questions? Feel free to ask in the comments section.
If you’re not signed up with the Roadkill Society publication and are curious why you’re tagged here—well, I’m working to raise a new poetry publication to the next level of activity. So, I invited a selection of amazing poets, which included you! Thank you very much for checking this article out.
Mike Ketch🖌, Claire de la Varre, Colleen Millsteed, Thesilkroads, Ulf Wolf, Chris Bunton, Zail Dugal, Otba, A. Gee, Braileigh Belair, S Maheshwari, Sheridan Walter, Nancy Santos, Nandini Padigalwar, Taryn Ariel, Bin Jiang, Julia Kalman, Gratiela Grigorini, Harry Hogg, Jonny Masters, Runa Heilung 🌻, Grim Flandango, J. Brandon Lowry, JF Danskin, Brittany Amara, CJ Coop, Maria Rattray, Poet In The Arctic, Nancy Oglesby, Eaflevin, Nancy S Rust, Denée King, Greg Fewer, Maisie Archer, Scott Nuce, Mary Acton, Neera Handa Dr, Pooja Vishwanathan 🦋, Alan Campbell, Daphne Ayo, Amy Wolf, Sanchit Bains, Holly Emery, Noriko Yanyan, younghock2, Elizabeth Simmons, Rafa Martin, Sandy Seeber-Quayle, Louise Foerster, Connie Song, Elisa Affanato, Safia, Ani Eldritch, Jenine Bsharah Baines, Helen L, Ingrid Vergara, Jill Eng, Cecile Gerwel Proches, Tom Ward, Miles Garrett, Mat Mendonca, Ro ❀, Boots Davidovitch
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© Jude Ravenhall, 2025 forward.
