Day 11 ... NaPoWriMo / Poem-a-Day 2021

Maureen Thorson’s NaPoWriMo prompt: “This is a twist on a prompt offered by Kay Gabriel during a meeting she facilitated at the Poetry Project last year. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a two-part poem, in the form of an exchange of letters. The first stanza (or part) should be in the form of a letter that you write either to yourself or to a famous fictional or historical person. The second part should be the letter you receive in response. These can be as short or long as you like, in the form of prose poems, or with line breaks – and of course, the subject matter of the letters is totally up to you.” Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-a-Day prompt: “For today's prompt, write a prime number poem. That is, I want you to somehow incorporate a prime number into your poem. You could include a prime number in the title of your poem or use one in the poem itself. Or write a poem that has a prime number of lines per stanza or for the entire poem. And if you need help with remembering which numbers are prime numbers, I've got you covered (here's a list of prime numbers up to 100: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97).” I'm working with both prompts, except that I have two fictional characters writing the letters, not myself as respondent. I've created a prime-number-focused form here — the Prime-Sentence Poem — where the number of words in each line, a single sentence, add up to a prime number. The lines build up — 2 3 5 7 11 13 — and then back down — 13 11 7 5 3 2. Love Letters Dearest Bliss, I love you. Can’t say it any clearer. I could say, “Bliss is the sun.” But that wouldn’t be good enough to convey my true feelings. Would it be cliché to say you are the universe, no, the multiverse? That the fallen leaves fly back to their branches when you pass by? I am at a loss to tell you how I feel. “Bliss is the sun” might be it. What do you think, sweet? Love me, yes? Yours, John Dear John, I don’t know. Well, actually, I do know. I was trying to soften the blow. Look, fallen leaves remain on the ground and snow covers them. They freeze into a hard carpet and spring finds them a soggy mess. The universe couldn’t care and your multiverses — well, they could care even less. If Bliss is your sun, get ready for a total eclipse. When did you think me your “sweet”? How’d “love” enter the picture? Picture frame . . . empty. Never, Bliss —Draft by Vince Gotera    [Do not copy or quote . . . thanks.] Alan worked with both prompts also. His poem shows two smartphone texts in correspondence, and the prime numbers are applied to syllables per line. Alan said, “I worked up to prime nineteen and turned around.” Prime Rate Listen, you were right. I should not have signed your name to that agreement without checking with you first, and I promise I will get your money back to you by next payday, but I need some help to cover an invoice from my new supplier, and he needs cash up front. Can you front me another loan? Let me know today. When I see your number pop up on my telephone, I don’t want to answer, and before I respond to your text, I read through the old ones, to see how long it has been since you’ve offered the same excuse. Sometimes you asked for exactly the same loan, like some secret payment owed your wife can’t find out. I’m through now. Goodbye. —Draft by Thomas Alan Holmes    [Do not copy or quote . . . thanks.] Friends, won’t you comment, please? Love to know what you’re thinking. Thanks! Ingat, everyone.  ヅ

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