2025 NaPM 27 April

[RiverNotch]

Rules: Write a poem for national poetry month on the topic or form described. Each poem should appear as a separate reply to this thread. The goal is to, at the end of the month have written 30 poems for National Poetry Month.


This year, there are no form requirements, only "tiers" or "rankings" given informally to all participants:

Bronze Tier: Participate at least once.

Silver Tier: Participate all days.

Gold Tier: Participate all days, and have all entries be the same form or have all entries be different forms.


Write a poem involving the sun.

[Mark A Becker]

Clouds

The sun will not be seen today,
clouds have gotten in the way.

Flowers hang their heads in sorrow,
they'll have to wait until tomorrow.

The sky is cloudy, dark, and gray,
the sun will not be seen today.

My first poem, written for an English class in 1966.

[dukealien]

Let There Be


Sun, shine on us:
just, unjust, worthy, spiteful, blind–
Sun, shine on us.
None may flee fate so serious
as life which cannot ever find
relief from service as designed–
Sun, shine on us.


[Form:  Rondelet]

[carahmellow]

The sun wasn’t the star
of the show today.
It stepped back,
gave the clouds the spotlight,
let them sing their discorded melodies,
tune carried by its peeking rays.
As we forced a grin
and applauded their effort,
we hoped the radiant star
would return tomorrow,
to belt its shining overture.

[carahmellow]

Clouds

The sun will not be seen today,
clouds have gotten in the way.

Flowers hang their heads in sorrow,
they'll have to wait until tomorrow.

The sky is cloudy, dark, and gray,
the sun will not be seen today.

My first poem, written for an English class in 1966.

It's so cool seeing your very first poem! I would love to start a thread where people can share their very first poem. Mine was freshman year of college (2003) in the dorms. A friend of mine messeged me... and was freaking out over writing a poem for her creative writing class. She had no clue how to write one... and asked for my help. I told her I didn't know how to write a poem either... but I would give it a try. The poem was called Only Time Will Tell. I realized, in the process of writing it, how much I enjoyed it and how lost I got in the process. I don't know if she ever turned it in... what her grade was on it... or anything. It wasn't great... I can tell you that much, I still have it written in an old journal from that time, along with all my other cringey poems.

[busker]

Clouds

The sun will not be seen today,
clouds have gotten in the way.

Flowers hang their heads in sorrow,
they'll have to wait until tomorrow.

The sky is cloudy, dark, and gray,
the sun will not be seen today.

My first poem, written for an English class in 1966.

Would love to hear the backstory. 
And what was it like living in 1966?

---

Clouds

The sun will not be seen today,
clouds have gotten in the way.

Flowers hang their heads in sorrow,
they'll have to wait until tomorrow.

The sky is cloudy, dark, and gray,
the sun will not be seen today.

My first poem, written for an English class in 1966.

It's so cool seeing your very first poem! I would love to start a thread where people can share their very first poem. Mine was freshman year of college (2003) in the dorms. A friend of mine messeged me... and was freaking out over writing a poem for her creative writing class. She had no clue how to write one... and asked for my help. I told her I didn't know how to write a poem either... but I would give it a try. The poem was called Only Time Will Tell. I realized, in the process of writing it, how much I enjoyed it and how lost I got in the process. I don't know if she ever turned it in... what her grade was on it... or anything. It wasn't great... I can tell you that much, I still have it written in an old journal from that time, along with all my other cringey poems.

That’s a cool story.
I wrote my first poem at 9. Then lots more at 12 or 13.
I wrote them in a school notebook covered with glossy white paper. Then in a couple of A4 sized diaries.
They were all terrible

---

Beyond the sun
and planets in their orbits bound,
is another world beyond my reach,
and that is you. You are the one
nucleus I spin around.
In you I found
the terminus of each 
and every path. The sound
of waves and laughter on the beach.

[Mark A Becker]

Would love to hear the backstory. 

And what was it like living in 1966?

No BIG back story; I had to write a poem for an English class assigment. So I went out out to the side porch on a dreary day and just wrote what I saw. Funny that I still remember it clearly- a first poem is sorta like a first kiss, in that regard. I spent more time on that short poem than I spent on longer papers.

I was only 12 years old in 1966, so my main interest was baseball, and our rotten team in DC, the Washington Senators. I was blissfully unaware of anything outside of being 12, with girls starting to look more appealing. I was sorely disappointed when my older brother would not take me to see the Beatles that summer. My oldest brother has just gotten out of the military, just as more, and more soldiers were heading for some place called Viet Nam.

Pretty lame stuiff, really; being 12 was mostly looking forward to being 13.

[rowens]

Entitled

I have my own Way.
So far down from history,
everything I say
can't be other than New.

I shine like the body after death,
before birth.
My lover is a pale reflection.

My daughter: a chip off the old block.

[RiverNotch]

You should be pleased to find, my Phoebe, how
like to your merry band of nymphs, I've found
a flock of followers to call my own,
only we're somewhat more diverse a throng.

More of us men, of course, or better called
mere boys---the fallen Icarus, the scorched
Phaëthon, and those hairless rumps desired
by two or more ungenerous divines---

but no small count of women, mainly elves
who all bemoan their choice never to pledge
themselves to you, as if your punishments
were not so harsh, or else your sworn defense

were so infallible....I must confess
I still love you, just never as goddess.