The Versesmith

www.napowrimo.net/day-three-11  “optional prompt...write a poem that obliquely explains why you are a poet and not some other kind of artist...”   I opted for not going with the prompt today, although still writing about a poet with a tanka. the poet fails, sobs words have left him, blank paper laying on his desk mock the once great man of verse his muse no longer whispers ©2025 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved 

www.napowrimo.net/day-two-12/  "Today’s daily resource is the online collection of the Georgia O’Keeffe museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. ...write a poem that directly addresses someone, and that includes a made-up word, an odd/unusual simile, a statement of “fact,” and something that seems out of place in time..."    Letter to a Dear Friend  Georgia, my dearest friend Georgia, Does it disappoint to know the public sees you  as “ that woman ” who paints those macabre skulls? Or their obsession with seeing genitalia in your flowers, despite your adamant denials? How maddening.  Shall we play along with their sensual views, call them “ senscapes ,” or perhaps “ sinscapes ” fits better? Though I fear your masterpieces will end up memes of bawdy nature, spreading like misinformation spewed by the President.  “ Her Grey Lines with Black,  Blue and Yellow , delicately open as genitalia in full bloom,”  to quote one odious critic. Can you sue?  L...

www.napowrimo.net/april-1-it-begins "... here’s our optional prompt! As with pretty much any discipline, music and art have their own vocabulary. Today, we challenge you to take inspiration from this glossary of musical terms, or this glossary of art terminology, and write a poem that uses a new-to-you word ." Sigh... Day 1 and I already messed up, prompt-wise... I chose the word that is not new-to-me. Note to self, " Read the prompt carefully from start to finish, then read it again ."  A Life in Abstraction She said she lived her life in abstraction, drew pleasure in exaggeration, in the distorted way she viewed us, squinting her eyes in appraisal. She thought herself another Miro, speaking Spanish to her friends. Once at a party she tossed me out, I'd told her Joan was a man. That was so long ago. A faded photo is all that's left to remind me of her. So warped it's hard to make her out.  ©2025 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Rese...

This Early Bird Prompt for Na/GloPoWriMo  starts off April's Poetry Writing Month.  This will be my first year attempting to write a poem a day.  So far so good.  in author's collection All that remains of this nameless Woman of God is preserved on a Carte-de-Visite. ©2025 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved 

  NaPoWriMo or globally, GloPoWriMo, is next month, April.  I've never attempted to follow along each day and write a poem a day for the month.  I have used some of the prompts, and ones from previous years, for the April A to Z Blogging Challenge.  I am not participating in that one here, on this blog, but am on my other.  If you like stamps, or dogs, you may want to check it out come April 1st.  My theme there is A to Z: Dog Breeds on Stamps .  I haven't posted here for nearly two months.  I had been getting strange comments (all my comments are moderated, so nothing got posted), meant to scare, and put this blog on private hoping the person would lose interest and go away.  They were anonymous, so no way to block them unless I don't allow anonymous comments altogether.  That wouldn't work well, as Blogger and Wordpress don't always get along and comments end up being posted by Anonymous when they really aren't!  Also, I am alway...

  Ronovan Writes   Ovi Poetry Challenge #86: ENERGY is your inspiration  With energy to burn, no more, this growing old is quite a chore. When waking up my back is sore. Still, it's better than not waking!  How quickly years went slipping by, those limber years when I was spry.   To reverse the clock… would I try? I really do not think so.    I wouldn't want to live the pain, along with pleasure, ere again. The sunshine seasons, dismal rain, recollections best forgotten.  ©2025 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved  #poetryprompt #syllabicpoetry #ovi #ovipoetry #ovipoem #ronovanwrites