This year’s winner: Peter Donndelinger. Congratulations…and thanks for participating!
April is Poetry Month…and you know we like to celebrate somehow. Here’s 2023’s POETRY CHALLENGE!
Grab a nearby book. Turn to page 45. Find the third full sentence on the page and that is the first line of your poem!
If you don’t like that line…grab a different book!
Using that first line write a poem of any style or length and send it to Library Director Kristine Lendved at klendved@cable.wislib.org. Or, of course, you could mail it to her c/o The Forest Lodge Library, P O BOX 176, Cable, WI 54821. Or…you could just drop it off.
You may enter as many times as you wish. Prizes, which will be gift cards or certificates from local merchants and eateries, will be awarded in juvenile/young adult and adult categories. At least!
Mostly…it’s a great opportunity to write some poetry during…what we sincerely hope will soon be…Mud Season!
Here’s an example of how to! The close at hand book I grabbed was: RESORTS OF WISCONSIN: Exploring the Heritage and History of Wisconsin’s Family Resorts by Adam Swenson and Neil E. Johnson. The third full sentence on Page 45 is: Wherever it went the earth as we know it was formed. Huh! That’s a pretty great opening line, eh?
Looking forward to reading your Poetry Challenge entries…and, be sure to let us know if it’s ok to publish them on our webpage…because we’d love to do that!
Double your Poetry whammy by participating in our Poetry Challenge and then coming to The Rivers Eatery on Saturday, 4/29, to compete in their Poetry Jam. SOOOO many ways to win…and have fun…and celebrate poetry!
Entries:
Peter Donndelinger
National Poetry Month – April 2023
For the Forest Lodge Library, Cable, WI
Night Train to Lisbon, Pascal Mercier, Grove Press, 2008
Prompt – P. 45 – First Full Sentence: “He sat up and pressed
his forehead on the window.”
He’d Write a Haiku
He sat up and pressed
his forehead on the window.
He’d write a Haiku.
Haikus were easy
five beats then seven and five,
seemed simple enough.
Or maybe it was seven
syllables followed
by five followed by seven.
He looked it up with
his google machine. Former
won over latter.
All seemed well, until
he stumbled upon
the modern haiku,
which does not follow
usual traditional
syllabic structure.
The former could be
correct in that sense.
Like the traditional
form, a modern haiku
speaks of moments in time,
concluding with a sense
of illumination.
After all this, his senses
sparked confusion and defeat.
Tossing the concept aside,
he drew in a long
breath, followed by an
even longer sigh.
Again his brow pressed
against the pane. He’d given
himself a headache.
Peter Donndelinger
National Poetry Month – April 2023
For the Forest Lodge Library, Cable, WI
Dead Tease, Victoria Houston, Tyrus Books, 2012
- 45 – He was leaning forward, elbows on his knees, a cell phone held tight to one ear.
The Rabbit Hole
He was leaning forward,
elbows on his knees,
a cell phone held tight to one ear.
How long must he wait,
how deep must he dive,
for the voice he longed to hear?
The music played on.
He’d pressed one, for service,
and two, for account,
then tapped in his four digit PIN.
When tossed back to main menu
he voiced, “Representative,”
and heard the ring that signaled a win.
The music played on and on.
Finally a voice,
a promise to help,
like a life raft in waters so cold.
“My name is Jen,” she said,
“I’ll pull up your file,
give me a minute while I put you on hold.”
“No!” he yelled.
And the music played
on and on and on and …
