Day 30 ... NaPoWriMo / Poem-a-Day 2025 // Stafford 104

Today is the last day of NaPoWriMo and PAD. I think it was a great month for both Alan and me, with regard to the poems we wrote. I, for one, am glad to have written so many poems in my favorite poetic form, the curtal sonnet. Maureen Thorson’s NaPoWriMo prompt: “[W]rite a poem that . . . describes different times in which you’ve heard the same band or piece of music across your lifetime.” Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-a-Day prompt: “[W]rite a remix poem. That is, take one of your poems (or several of your poems) from earlier this month and remix it. You could make a free verse poem read like a triolet or haiku. Or you could pick six words from a poem and make them the end words in a sestina. Heck, take an image from one of your poems, make it the title of your new poem, and then, write your poem. There are any number of ways to remix a poem.” My poem today mixes both prompts to finish the month with a flourish. I'm particularly happy with how I got the third rhyme — hyphenated! — in this curtal sonnet, my tenth this month! Chicago Remix In two poems this fine April, I mention Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4.” I really love Chicago Transit Auth- ority’s debut album — what a fun trip! Early Chicago was one hardcore rock band, for sure. Lead guitar Terry Kath, said Jimi Hendrix, played guitar better than him! In “25 or 6 to 4,” scorching lead solos — fuzz and wah — are proof! That man sure could play one mean, mean guitar.                                                   Rock on, Terry Kath! —Draft by Vince Gotera    [Do not copy or quote . . . thanks.] Video: “Terry Kath and Chicago ‘25 or 6 to 4’ ’70 Tanglewood” Alan's poem today is a remix of his poem on Willie Nelson yesterday. That makes this poem Alan's own "Angel Dream No. 2"! And, as usual, the poem is a mix of the day's two prompts. Angel Dream On a recent Tom Petty tribute album, Willie Nelson’s son augments his dad’s vocals to add texture and strength to Willie’s distinctive phrasing of Tom Petty’s lyrics. “Angel Dream No. 2” has its name because on the She’s the One soundtrack album, recorded during the Wildflowers sessions, the other version, “No. 4,” has a slap bass sound like on a Buddy Holly record. Petty loved the Byrds, backed up Dylan and Cash, duetted with Stevie, and Willie, like Emmylou, finds songs from everywhere and takes care of them like a friend who borrows your favorite book, never breaks the spine, never dogears a page, but reads your favorite passage to you so that when you subvocalize it later, you can still hear them reading along, too. —Draft by Thomas Alan Holmes    [Do not copy or quote . . . thanks.] Video: “Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson - Angel Dream (No. 2)” Well, congratulations to us, Alan and me. We made it, buddy! It's really fitting that, since you and I are both poet-musicians, our final poems this month both have to do with music. Do it again next year? And, dear readers, see you again next year too! Friends, won’t you comment, please? Love to know what you’re thinking. Thanks! Ingat, everyone.  ヅ

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