NaPoWriMo 2018 - Day 4

April 4th

Essentially today's prompt boils down to this: Discuss the abstract with concrete nouns. You really should check out the post at NaPoWriMo.net today (linked in the date above). I love Maureen's example (go read it, I'll wait).

Also, you should read the craft resource that inspired today's prompt. It's an essay by a poetry professor that contains the advice "put a dog in it." I find this advice a bit ironic as my Day 2 poem prominently featured my dog.

I think I tend to write fairly concretely, but the idea of writing about something abstract concretely threw me for a loop. It took me awhile, but a subject came to me while I was reading Julie Wade's essay (the one I mentioned above; I'll just link to it here; even though you can get to it from the NaPoWriMo page).

I apologize that my poem is (in my opinion) a bit long. If you would prefer something shorter, I have written a concise poem to the same prompt; just scroll all the way to the end.

Please do comment on today's post or any of my previous (and future) posts. I love the community this project creates. Feel free to link to your poetry blogs - I love reading others' works.



I was afraid to work in my hometown
Because I was afraid of what 'they' would say.
Former teachers, friends, acquaintances, their parents.
I could imagine myself waitressing
They would smile at me
And as I would walk away they would shake their heads and say
"She was so smart. She had such promise. What happened?"
I could imagine them speculating
Un-true realities.
Un-fulfilled promise - that's me.
Like seeds you plant
In perfect soil that you bought from the Tractor Supply store
The kind that leaves your hands black and a bit musty smelling
And you made sure it was in a spot that wouldn't get too much sun
Or shade
And you carefully watered it
Fertilized it too
And, at first,
That little plant grew.
It poked its little green head from the soil
Full of promise of the beautiful flowers to come.
It stretched out its green dicotyledons
But then, for unknown reasons, it withered and died.
That's me, promise unfulfilled.

So instead, I chose to work thirty minutes away
In retail.
Yes, retail.
A store that is open practically every day.
I never imagined it would be this way.





And another briefer bonus poem for today's prompt:

Unrequited love
Is rather like a letter
Sent and returned unopened
Stamped: "Return to Sender."

I feel a bit morose now; I hope today brings you happier poems.

-Sharon