November Erotic Poetry Challenge: “Grateful, Thankful, Blessed”

November’s optional theme is
“Gratitude” or “Thankfulness”

This month, write poems of gratitude or thankfulness…but remember…this is an EROTIC poetry challenge…so make ’em sexy or sensual (at least)!

I’m a big fan of “copy change” poems, especially to get the creative juices flowing. This is when you take a poem from someone else and use the format to create your own. Here is a great one to use this month. It is from my one of my favorite poets – Mary Oliver.

Gratitude

What did you notice?

The dew-snail;
the low-flying sparrow;
the bat, on the wind, in the dark;
big-chested geese, in the V of sleekest performance;
the soft toad, patient in the hot sand;
the sweet-hungry ants;
the uproar of mice in the empty house;
the tin music of the cricket’s body;
the blouse of the goldenrod.

What did you hear?

The thrush greeting the morning;
the little bluebirds in their hot box;
the salty talk of the wren,
then the deep cup of the hour of silence.

When did you admire?

The oaks, letting down their dark and hairy fruit;
the carrot, rising in its elongated waist;
the onion, sheet after sheet, curved inward to the pale green wand;
at the end of summer the brassy dust, the almost liquid beauty of the flowers;
then the ferns, scrawned black by the frost.

What astonished you?

The swallows making their dip and turn over the water.

What would you like to see again?

My dog: her energy and exuberance, her willingness,
her language beyond all nimbleness of tongue,
her recklessness, her loyalty, her sweetness,
her strong legs, her curled black lip, her snap.

What was most tender?

Queen Anne’s lace, with its parsnip root;
the everlasting in its bonnets of wool;
the kinks and turns of the tupelo’s body;
the tall, blank banks of sand;
the clam, clamped down.

What was most wonderful?

The sea, and its wide shoulders;
the sea and its triangles;
the sea lying back on its long athlete’s spine.

What did you think was happening?

The green beast of the hummingbird;
the eye of the pond;
the wet face of the lily;
the bright, puckered knee of the broken oak;
the red tulip of the fox’s mouth;
the up-swing, the down-pour, the frayed sleeve of the first snow—

so the gods shake us from our sleep.

Here are the basics:

The Erotic Poetry Challenge is a MONTHLY CHALLENGE, and sometimes there will be optional weekly prompts on Wednesdays on twitter (just to give you ideas). But keep in mind:

–you can link-up when you want (one time or many)
–you can ignore the theme and prompts altogether and write whatever the hell you desire (I really just hope more people will try their hand at poetry and share it!)
–you do not have to be a serious or practiced poet – please do not feel intimidated by this prompt (every writer is welcome!)
–you can write any form of poetry you want…or make up your own forms
–poetry does NOT have to rhyme (just in case you needed to hear that)

You can link up ALL the poems you write. 

You might even write so many poems on a theme (a gratitude poem per week or a “30 Things I Love About You” sort of thing where you write a poem a day). In that case, create a tag or category, and link that up instead of all 30 poems.

It would be nice if you could use the badge below and link back to this link-up page; it makes you easier to find for new readers. And people who read your work might click on over and read other people’s poems, too (since that’s sort of the point of a meme, eh?). Commenting on other people’s work is also awfully nice.

#EroticPoetryChallenge
#eroticpoetrychallenge

If you have an idea for a theme or prompt, please let me know! I could always used ideas! Especially poetry activities that push me in new directions and that I can reuse when I need a little inspiration!

You can link up your poems all month (one or several). Link party will be open from the first day of the month to the last!