Gavin Bennett's Blog: 2017 April PAD Challenge: Day 1

Let’s get this poeming party started.

For today’s prompt, write a reminiscing poem. In my mind, this means a poem that remembers something (a moment, a relationship, etc.). The poem could be kind of nostalgic or sharing lessons learned. But for those new to these challenges, you should know that I consider these prompts open to interpretation–so if you have another take, go for it.

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Re-create Your Poetry!

Revision doesn’t have to be a chore–something that should be done after the excitement of composing the first draft. Rather, it’s an extension of the creation process!

In the 48-minute tutorial video Re-creating Poetry: How to Revise Poems, poets will be inspired with several ways to re-create their poems with the help of seven revision filters that they can turn to again and again.

Click to continue.

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Here’s my attempt at a Reminiscing Poem:

“cigarette”

even though we both ran our long distance
races, she offered me a cigarette
at a party & while it made no sense
i took a drag because she was the best
girl in my eyes on that specific night
& i never smoked another again
though i’d date one who smoked Marlboro Lights
but to this day i hear the way my friend,
because she was a friend, urged me sweetly
to breathe in & hold it before i coughed
& like that the spell broke & i was free
to say thanks but that enough was enough
& i recall the way she smiled you bet
but mostly i think of her cigarette

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). If an attractive person offers you drugs, whether tobacco, alcohol, or some other concoction, just say no, kids. Just say no.

Follow him on Twitter @RobertLeeBrewer.

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