2026 NaPM 29 April

[RiverNotch]

Write a poem for National Poetry Month based on the topic described....rather, write a poem set in, pertaining to, or inspired by the given region, whether its entirety or just some part of it, as this year's prompts are going to be unified by the theme "Around the World" like last year's prompts were unified by the theme "Esoterica". Each poem should appear as a separate reply to this thread. There are three levels of participation:

Bronze. Participated at least once.

Silver. Participated every day.

Gold. Participated every day, with all entries either being the same form (e.g., every one a sonnet) or being distinct forms (e.g., no two haiku).


Today's region is Central Africa.

[dukealien]

Deep River


Rift-born Congo powers across Equator
twice in tearing cataracts, forest called “dark”
by light strangers who were not even born there–
sojourners, only.

Muslim, Christian, all taught the dwellers how to
rule and worship as if they did not know these
things from forest and from their tribes and living
in the great Congo

Basin.  Yet the visitors taught them also
scale: of ruling men in their millions, power
from the river’s torrents of water and men’s
jungles of mind.