April is usually one of my favorite months of the year, excluding the late Midwest snow we’ve been having. One of those reasons is a month devoted to my favorite type of writing: poetry!
I was scrolling aimlessly through Instagram—as one does during a global pandemic stuck indoors—and I stumbled across an intriguing post.
A content creator named lohanthony had made a text post called the “30-Day Writing Plan.” He’s known for writing inspirational messages and promoting positive outlooks, so I believe this was his way of self-expression. He also didn’t specify it had to be poetry, but I took my seeing this post at the beginning of April, National Poetry Month, as a sign of how I should complete the challenge.
Each day in April, there was a new prompt. Here they are, listed below!
1. Fool: write about the first time trying something
2. Youth: write about nostalgia and worry-free innocence
3. Heart: write about life in the POV of an animal
4. Sun: write about that orb in the sky keeping us alive
5. Yum: write about a meal you could never get enough of
6. Perfection: write about what the concept means to you
7. Together: write about when people you love are around
8. Balance: write about the feeling of equilibrium
9. Lover: write about a dream romance
10. Water: write about your favorite body of water
11. Wisdom: write about an unforgettable piece of advice
12. Rebirth: write about what you believe happens after this
13. Goal: write about a goal you have yet to achieve
14. Admire: write about lovable traits in people
15. Travel: write about a dream vacation destination
16. Idol: write about meeting an artist you admire
17. Mood: write about your current emotion
18. Purpose: write about the reason you think you were born
19. Cry: write about the act of shedding tears
20. Breathe: write about the inhales and exhales
21. Recharge: write about an activity that replenishes you
22. Earth: write about what makes our planet special
23. Begin: write about a new era and your intentions
24. Party: write about hosting the party of a lifetime
25. Family: write about the group you were born into
26. Perspective: write about a past moment you look at differently now
27. Pause: write about a day if society stood still
28. Past: write a letter addressed to your childhood self
29. Future: write a letter addressed to your future self
30. Stars: write about life from the POV of a constellation
Before I analyze the month as a whole, I’d like to share my favorite poem for each week!
Week 1, Day 1: “Fool”
I was six years old.
I probably wore
A heinous swimsuit
And big, bug-eye goggles.
I sunk like a rock until I felt it:
BUOYANCY BRAVERY BALANCE
The pool became a chlorinated sanctuary.
Each week, I raced to the water’s edge,
Eager to begin bobs and simple strokes—
Soldier monkey airplane style
The rest was history.
I swore to my parents
I wish I had gills so
My time in the water never should end.
In life, we’re often given the choice:
SINK OR SWIM
That day, and every day forward,
My choice was as clear as the water
I swam in”
Week 2, Day 14: “Admire”
The crinkle of people’s noses…
Whether it be in disgust or delight—
I admire the ability to face life with an expressive one.
The scurry, shuffle and stroll of people—
I admire the different ways we walk through collective living.
The tremor in someone’s voice as they share their story—
I admire the vulnerability that comes with being human.
The imperfectly perfect pearly whites—
I admire the individuality of you and me, in incisors and molars.
The calloused, weathered and storied hands—
I admire tales from interconnected lines in our palms.
The tendons in arm muscles—
I admire the burdens they carry and the people they hold close,
Who tries to lighten the load.
The bouncing knee and shaky breath—
I admire that we’re all fluent in body language.
The things that feel infinitesimal—
I admire how we’re all greater than the sum of our parts
But there’s just some parts we should spend more time, admiring
Week 3, Day 18: “Purpose”
I write to…
Give a megaphone to the voiceless,
Plug an amp in for those with a message
Unearth hidden communities and bring them
T O G E T H E R
Entertain and inform
Compile all jumbled words in my head
Into cohesive thoughts
Harness my emotions
As a weapon of mass
C R E A T I O N
Find my own voice
Share my story through
The exploration of others
My purpose is to discovery why
The pen is mightier than the sword
And go on crusades with
Swiftly-slashed essays and stanzas
Week 4, Day 24: “Party”
Lately, celebrations have been solitary:
Party for one, maybe a pity party
The more, the merrier?
Wrong.
The more, the scarier.
But the prompt was to write about the party of a lifetime
There would be streamers,
Tears streaming from eyes that couldn’t hold
The unbridled joy of joining together.
We would indulge in:
Good food, good dessert and good company.
Let them eat cake
And be surrounded by those who make life sweet without sugar.
Spirits would be high; spirits would be flowing.
We’d have the biggest jump-around…
In the kitchen, as all the best ones are.
We’d belt out karaoke classics.
But, the party of a lifetime is about the guest list.
Come one, come all.
Party’s not on yet.
But someday, we will get back to throwing ragers
Instead of raging at the state of the world.
Analysis of April:
*at the time of writing this, I will have done 27 of 30 days*
Maybe it was beginning the month with my thought-piece about COVID-19, but I got way more into this writing plan or challenge than I originally thought. Each day, I had a new prompt to make me think poetically, which is something I don’t always have time to do in my everyday life.
I also enjoyed being able to channel my sleeplessness through the proceedings of the pandemic into an outlet through poetry. I’ve been honestly wracked with guilt and worry these past weeks. But knowing I got to create a little art and put it into the world made the weight on my chest a little lighter.
I know in my doing this, I am in no way as transformative as the essential and healthcare workers. But I do think there are people out there on my Instagram who grew to add “read a little poem” to their pandemic routine, and that could’ve been two minutes of less boredom or distress.
I don’t think I have the creative stamina to do this day-in, day-out, but it was a refreshing little challenge for the month of April.