While perusing poetry for Open Link Night at dVerse Poets’ Pub, I ran across the work of Esther Douek on her blog “Life in a Poem.” As she explains, Esther wrote her poem with the specific purpose of eliciting a feeling. She invites the reader to experience the feeling over the meaning of the words and to share their emotional response in comments.
For this week’s prompt, I invite you to write a poem designed to evoke feelings and to respond to other participants by sharing the reaction their poems caused you to have.
You might enjoy visiting Esther’s poem and see some of the comments her poem produced: http://www.estherdouek.com/?p=473
Here’s my effort:
Untitled
in the corner of the dark
room spider spins her web,
traps a fly.
you are prone, sipping
from a straw. your smile
flickers then you wait.
why do fireflies compete
with lightning when summer
becomes indefensible?
you are prone, tugging
at fringe on your prayer
shawl. deep breath. sigh.
tomorrow they say
will be the same as today
or the day before yesterday.
you are prone. glasses
smudged with grease and
sweat. how will you see tomorrow?
today the rent was due
they picked up garbage and
the mailman delivered more junk.
you are prone, fingering
rosary beads. eyes closed.
and still we wait.
Now, it’s your turn. Write your own “feeling” poem, post the link or the poem in comments, then visit and comment on your fellow poets efforts. It’s fun! I’d enjoy reading your feeling-feedback on mine, as well.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 
Hi Victoria,
I must say that the past week has had a few challengs that hit very close to home. For me, this one shouts out a message that I am in the midst of. The waiting and trying to not wait moments of death. For all who wait it is by far a very intense feeling as is this very moving poem. I love the question, “How will you see tomorrow?” Hopefully, gleefully enjoying a cup of java on a sunny porch with the a writing pad. ~~~~ : – ) Hope that’s the message as I did not to look at the comments other’s have made.
Hugs and Namaste,
Izzy
Now for my submission for your challenge. I have written a Fiction Short Story …. for me, feelings
make up the essential composition of who we are … sooooo … my story is intense …. and that’s all I will say.
http://insidethemindofisadora.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/selfless-love
Hugs and Toodles,
Izzy xoxox
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Catching up with my blog! I think I commented on this on yours but want to encourage others to take a look. Well done, Izzy!
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I just posted this. I don’t like to post things about feelings, and I don’t write much about feelings anymore. http://zongrik.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/delivered/
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You wrote this is such an elegant, understated way though, Bat-Ami. That’s my personal preference for writing about feelings, too. So gladn you shared.
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[…] https://liv2write2day.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/monday-morning-writing-prompt-writing-a-feeling/ […]
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Oh clever – emotive. Great read, Shy to put mine up now ;D Shah. x
http://wordsinsync.blogspot.com/2011/08/monday-madness-linky-plus-poem-cyclic.html
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Shah, your writing is incredibly powerful and you allow the world to share your experience. Thank you. Sorry I’m so late in responding.
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it’d help if i give you the link, wouldn’t it? {sorry) it’s “heart shaped box”
http://haikulovesongs.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/heart-shaped-box/
thanks. ♥
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i read the poem twice before reading anyone’s comments. i didn’t realize until the last line that it was not only about the person dying, but those waiting with her, so that’s when i read it the second time. very poignant and very real, Victoria. i imagine that might have been the kind of thoughts my mother had the last few days of her life in the hospital.
this is a great prompt, though my take on it may seem a little twisted. i’d tell you what i meant, but want to wait until others have a chance to comment. speaking of which, it’s almost 6am here and i was up all night writing a short story and this poem. i look forward to visiting everyone to comment on their poems after i get some sleep. {smile}
thanks for doing the Monday Morning Writing Prompts, Victoria. ♥
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I hope you get lots of comments on that great poem and I look forward to hearing what you have to say about it. I understand the being awake all night thing. It’s a creative spirit’s disease, I’m afraid! Take a nap!
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[…] Monday Morning Writing Prompt at liv2write2day’s Blog prompt: “For this week’s prompt, I invite you to write a poem designed to evoke feelings and to respond to other participants by sharing the reaction their poems caused you to have.” {thank you, Victoria!} […]
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To me your poem was one of waiting for death. The person is prone–watching the world from a prone position. Waiting, wondering, watching–each day the same as the other. Do you still think about the rent though when death is imminent–I’m not sure.
Here’s my attempt with a feeling: http://bodhirose.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/phantom-wanders/
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You’re the closest so far. It is about waiting for death, but the point-of-view narrator is a loved one who is waiting with the dying person. The italicized lines are addessed to the dying person while the one watching is also concerned about the mundane. Bravo, Gayle. The mood is one of sadness, grief….or that’s what I was aiming for, anyway.
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It did feel sad but also a feeling of resignation was there. As we know death is coming–but not knowing when. I’m glad I got it (mostly)–thanks, Victoria.
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It’s always fascinating to compare your point of view about a poem and the real message sent by the author. It’s strange how words can be taken in so many different ways … See Gayle had a clearer view at your writing, maybe much more creative imagination to get the right meaning 🙂 I really like your prompts Victoria, giving the chance to develop thinking out of the box!
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I had a go, combined with another prompt: http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/the-view-from-up-there/
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I see I’m late in thanking you for linking up, Viv. Thanks for joining.
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U have described this emotion of what life is like, almost like the rut that we sometimes put ourselves in, but its not that we put ourselves there its just the way of life, it becomes a boredom and the human get so used to the way there life is, more like a routine that is in us…
here is my try: http://mypoetrywriting.blogspot.com/2011/08/complications.html
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This is my take on a feeling when someone betrays you..its real & its a feeling that doesnt go away….http://mypoetrywriting.blogspot.com/2011/08/only-way-i-know-how-to-feel.html
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Hi, Chim…I’ve tried several times to access this and get a message that the page doesn’t exist!?
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[…] https://liv2write2day.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/monday-morning-writing-prompt-writing-a-feeling/ Victoria asks us to write a poem designed to evoke feelings and to respond to other […]
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Your poem gives me the feeling that the routine of every day life is boring and uneventful, apart from some meaningless happenings. The narrator/ you I guess/ wants something different. Have I understood it right?
The other day I wrote a poem about what love is, love is a feeling right? so here I will link the poem about love and how I see it! It was inspired by one of Jamie’s posts.
http://brokensparkles.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/what-love-is/
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It’s so cool to see how we all perceive things based on what’s going on in our own lives at the moment. That’s part of the beauty of poetry.
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A very clever poem: that feeling: boredom and hopelessness are what I imagined the ‘you’ in the poem is feeling. Was that your intention?
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