Hello, friends! My poem today is #100 in this year's Stafford Challenge (and #465, including last year's Stafford Challenge poem count). So that's 100 poems since January 17, William Stafford's birthday.
Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-a-Day suggestion: “For today's prompt, take the phrase 'Last (blank),' replace the blank with a new word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem.”
Maureen Thorson’s NaPoWriMo prompt: “Today, we challenge you to write your own ars poetica, giving the reader some insight into what keeps you writing poetry, or what you think poetry should do.” The term "ars poetica" is Latin for "the art of poetry."
Combining prompts as usual. A little background: my term as Iowa Poet Laureate is ending on April 30. It has been a great run.
The Last Ars Poetica
—curtal sonnet
At least my last as Poet Laureate
of Iowa. My main message has been
to champion light poetry. Often
poets can look down upon, denigrate
light poetry as weak, something to shun.
As if somehow, it’s not good to have fun
with poems. Poets are too serious
sometimes. Light poems can be genuine
and profound. For example, satire and
parody: play plus outrage, furious.
Weight with sparkle . . . write on.
—Draft by Vince Gotera [Do not copy or quote . . . thanks.]
Turns out Alan and I both wrote a "last ars poetica." So he is also combining the prompts.
Last Ars Poetica of the
2025-2026 Academic Year
Because last fall semester saw
two colleagues urged to walk away
from their lives' work because each made
in public comments of offense,
because selective boundaries
between a private life and job,
regardless of its level, blue-
or white-, professional or day-,
an academic or a pope,
some words get targeted, yet words
intended never to deceive
remain reliable when thoughts,
emotions, gestures do not
always serve in public, far
too vulnerable, we are all
too vulnerable, so let me
delay exposure for a while
and take some private time
to offer explanations to
myself, as best as I can say
how I might understand the truth
that might be factual or truth
as I distill it from experience
outside the hard, invasive, cold,
unceasing blast of monetized,
manipulated messages
intended to entrap my time,
my hard-earned life, my hard-worn love,
this intimate, spontaneous,
authentic urge to share at last
a testament of loving truth.
—Draft by Thomas Alan Holmes [Do not copy or quote . . . thanks.]
Alan, great close . . . "a testament of loving truth." What more can we do?
Thanks for coming by the blog, everyone. See you again tomorrow?
Friends, won’t you comment, please? Love to know what you’re thinking. Thanks!
Ingat, everyone. ヅ |
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1 comment:
Vince: "Write on" indeed! Thanks for sticking up for light poetry. I'm glad you enjoyed your Laureate run - I enjoyed bragging that you're my friend, LOL! Alan: Well-said, and even more impressive that it is a single sentence, which somehow amplifies its power.
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