once again, poetry challenges have rescued me

I’m writing again, quite reliably. Most of the last week, I wrote every day, and often, the result was a complete — even if brief — draft. I’m convinced it has to do with assignments and support/encouragement from fellow poets in the form of poetry challenges. Here are a few examples:

I’ve been writing for a challenge Jill and I started last Sunday (mine is on board games) and for a chapbook a few writers are assembling (the first prompt is about watching someone die, something I’ve been avoiding writing about).

I’ve been completing speedy free-writes to image prompts for my August Poetry Postcards (a poetry challenge). I’m trying to post the poetry postcards here about once a day, and I’m trying to send them to their intended recipients ahead of the posting schedule so the posts here won’t be “spoilers.”

I credit Dustin’s Poetry Swap for inspiring the brand new poem I sent to my poetry pen pal. I wouldn’t have written this specific poem* without the perceived freedom of writing with someone new, someone who doesn’t “know” me. What came out was a piece about grieving and loving — which I am figuring out are the predominant themes (juxtaposed interestingly, I hope) in the second manuscript I’m assembling. This piece is the first one encompassing both themes.

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*I also wouldn’t have written this particular poem if I’d followed directions. We’re supposed to swap poems written by other people.