FOLLOWING A LIFE

For today’s prompt, pick a direction, make that the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. There are so many directions: north, south, up, down, left, right, over, under, etc. But there are also more specific directions like “Across the Way,” “Through the Woods,” and “Beyond the Clearing.” Or give directions like “Clean Your Room,” “Tie Your Shoes,” or “Get Over Here.”

Saturday 27th April 2019

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

Which direction shall we choose?

FOLLOWING A LIFE

by John Yeo

The trail is very obscure,
Many twists and turns
Billions have come this way
The path is very well worn.

Across the seas, another shore,
There are many signs,
Many corners, many directions,
Many examples to follow.

One door unlocks another door,
The instinct quickly learns
The only way is forward,
Be kind, be gentle, be firm.

Your trail began at birth,
Already the myriad clues and signs
Were building a pattern to follow.
The learning never ends.

© Written by John Yeo, All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of pixabay.com

SUNSET

For today’s prompt, write an evening poem. A poem about or during the night. Or take evening a completely different direction and think of evening the score or making things more even (or fair or whatever).

Friday 26th April 2019

DAY TWENTY-SIX

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

‘SEE, ONE LOVES THE SUNSET WHEN ONE IS SO SAD‘ 

Quote from  ‘The Little Prince’
by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

SUNSET

by John Yeo

The sun rises in a blaze of glory,
Sunrise warms the Earth.
Children are born and breathe life.
The sun circles the globe bringing a warm glow.
People live, love, bathe in the rays.

Survival and intellectual growth develop
As life begins when the sun starts the day
Lighting the clouds and bringing joy.

Birth, Life, Joy,
Sunrise, Happiness,
Midday, Evening, Tears,
Sadness. Sunset.
‘You see, one loves the sunset when one is so sad.’

One loves the sunrise at dawn when one feels happy.
Happiness, when the balance is in harmony,
The day full of joy with love and warmth.
The sun brings the evening and sadness approaches,

Depression when the balance of the mind is upset,
The day seems black, nothing to feel,
Night brings sleep and stilled thought.
‘You see, one loves the sunset when one is so sad.’

©️ Written by John Yeo~ All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of pixabay.com

BREAK-UP

For today’s prompt, write an exile poem. Exile is a noun, a verb, and an American rock band from Richmond, Kentucky. A person, animal, or object can be exiled. But people and animals also exile others–or even exile themselves.

Thursday 25th April 2019

DAY TWENTY-FIVE

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

BREAK-UP

by John Yeo

The reason I have to suffer in exile
Escapes me, life can be so cruel,
My response is to live life without a smile.

You set your trap with craft and guile
I was putty in your hands when I left school
The reason I have to suffer in exile.

We started to live out our lives in style
My emotions swirled an awakening
whirlpool,
My response is to live life without a smile.

I refused to walk down the marital aisle
You twisted my words to catch a fool
The reason I have to suffer in exile.

I was found guilty without a fair trial
I feel as if I’m a subject for ridicule
My response is to live life without a smile.

You seduced me with your wealthy lifestyle
Using my innocence as a tool to refuel
The reason I have to suffer in exile.
My response is to live life without a smile.

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

COMPLETE EXHAUSTION

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “Complete (blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then write your poem. Possible titles include: “Complete Best Day I Ever Had,” “Complete Guide to Writing Poems,” “Completely Wrong Way,” and “Completed Set.”

Wednesday 24th April 2019

DAY TWENTY-FOUR

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

COMPLETE EXHAUSTION

by John Yeo

A dash of yellow and black
Signalled the Cheetahs approach.
Flashing across the plain.
Driven by hunger for blood.

The deer was on full alert.
Her ears pricked up in alarm,
Speeding away at full speed
Racing away from danger.

The chase was harsh and savage
As the deer was quickly run down.
She was caught and fell in pain
Overcome with sheer exhaustion.

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

• 

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MISINTERPRETATION

Time for our fourth (but not final) Two for Tuesday of the month! Pick one prompt or use both…your choice!

Write a free poem. Write a not free poem.

Remember: These are just matches meant to spark your creativity; you are free to poem wherever you wish.

Tuesday 23rd April 2019

DAY TWENTY-THREE

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

Image courtesy of pixabay.com

MISINTERPRETATION

by John Yeo

“Do you have to torture me, trapped in here?
I enjoy your treats when I cry out to you.
I think you like the sound of my voice
Complaining in tune.”
~
“I particularly hate that hook by the window,
Where you sometimes hang this cage.
I envy the freedom of birds in flight.
My soul breaks out in tune.”
~
“My heart is slowly wasting away
I am losing the urge to keep up the fight,
Yet whenever I try to reach you, to beg for release,
You reward my tune with a treat.”

Copyright © ~ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

FREE SPIRIT

Time for our fourth (but not final) Two for Tuesday of the month! Pick one prompt or use both…your choice!

Write a free poem. Write a not free poem.

Remember: These are just matches meant to spark your creativity; you are free to poem wherever you wish.

Tuesday 23rd April 2019

DAY TWENTY-THREE

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

FREE SPIRIT

by John Yeo

The wind is a spirit set free,
Gusty and wild, without restraint
The wind will always be free.

Cool breezes, wafting, fanning,
A calm wind is a passive friend
The wind is a spirit set free.

The wild wind is a raging beast,
Angry power unrestrained,
The wind will always be free.

Dancing air-waves across the sea,
Gusting whirlwinds in the desert
The wind is a spirit set free.

We use the force of the powerful wind,
We harness the power not the wind
The wind will always be free.

The winds power is a force for good,
Warm thermals softly gusting,
The wind is a spirit set free,
The wind will always be free.

©️ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of pixabay.com

TWINS

For today’s prompt, write a correspondence poem. Maybe write a poem that would fit on a postcard or in a letter. Or write a poem about correspondence school. Or jump into newer forms of correspondence like e-mail or text messaging. Of course, not all correspondence is connected to communicating; sometimes one thing corresponds to another by being similar.

Monday 22nd April 2019

DAY TWENTY-TWO

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

TWINS

by John Yeo

‘Keep in touch with me,
I said with a tear in my eye,
‘I’ll miss you so much as time goes by.

My heart will never be free
I can’t really say goodbye
Without heaving an enormous sigh.’

We kept up a ceaseless round of correspondence,
as time irrevocably passed by.

The years passed by slowly
Slipping, sliding, yet gracefully shy,
We hesitated to finally say goodbye.

Our separate lives continued to rely
On fading memories of times gone by.
Our minds were focused ever high.

We had kept up a ceaseless round of correspondence,
as time irrevocably passed by.

Our unique interaction was high,
An association by connection,
A deep affinity of dual relation.

Emblazoned with individual ennui
That melded into a single accordance
Of telepathic communication.

We had kept up a ceaseless round of correspondence,
as time irrevocably passed by.

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

Images courtesy of pixabay.com

BREAK A LEG

For today’s prompt, write a sketch poem. My initial thought is to write a poem that’s like a sketch of a moment or an object. But you can play around with sketchy people or situations. Or just sketch something else together.

Sunday 21st April 2019

DAY TWENTY-ONE

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

BREAK A LEG

by John Yeo

I sat down with the Director today,
The leading actor preened and ready
We needed to get our act underway.

The sketch was polished but: Hey!
The cast were feeling so unsteady,
I sat down with the Director today.

Everyone was prepared for the affray
The excitement was making us heady
We needed to get our act underway.

The opening scenes were slightly gay
As some of the cast were feeling unsteady
I sat down with the Director today.

A meeting to steel our nerve and pray
The final scenes were polished already
We needed to get our act underway.

Our sketch was worthy of Broadway
A triumph of parochial theatre already;
I sat down with the Director today,
We needed to get our act underway.

© Written by John Yeo all rights reserved

Images courtesy of pixabay.com

LOST IN THE DARK

Wow! Some how, some way, we’re two thirds of the way through this month already. For today’s prompt, write a dark poem. Cave poems, poems at night, and no electricity poems–these are all appropriate for today’s prompt. Of course, dark has several other connotations as well.

Saturday 20th April 2019

DAY TWENTY

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

LOST IN THE DARK

by John Yeo

Lost in the darkness, which path to take?
I lost the track some days ago
Time has blended into an elastic whole.
Ominous shadows encroach the path
Brushing my head, above and below
Lost in the darkness, which path to take?

A damp, dank smell of rot and decay
An owl screeches in the dawning dark,
Time has blended into an elastic whole.
A tiny cottage hides away in the woods
Candlelight sparkles through a window pane,
Lost in the darkness which path to take.

A heavy knocker adorns a wooden door
Rusting, dilapidated and so much more.
Time has blended into an elastic whole.
I lost my friends, some days ago.
Lost in the darkness, which path to take?
Time has blended into an elastic whole.

The door swings open revealing squalor
Wooden logs and a blackened hearth
An old man dressed in black sits within
Beckoning me to enter and join him
I hesitate as he cackles with an evil laugh
Time has blended into an elastic whole.
Lost in the darkness, which path to take?

© Written by John Yeo All rights reserved

Images courtesy of pixabay.com

WATCHING TELEVISION

For today’s prompt, write a license poem. There are many different licenses available to people. Fishing license, driver’s license, license to plate, license to kill, and marriage license. Poem doesn’t have to be about the license, but it could mention a license, happen at a licensing office, or well, use your poetic license.

Friday 19th April 2019

DAY NINETEEN

Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem-A-Day on Writers Digest

WATCHING TELEVISION

by John Yeo

‘Sorry Sir you can’t do that without a license!’
I found the statement rather irrelevant.
‘What have you got to say in your defence?’

I searched his face for inward malevolence.
He repeated his words with authoritative intent.
‘Sorry Sir you can’t do that without a license!’

It stretched the bounds of common sense
Although I suspect the question was well meant.
‘What have you got to say in your defence?’

I have to admit his title gave little offence;
His pompous attitude showed no relent.
‘Sorry Sir you can’t do that without a license!’

I put his question down to inexperience
His total asinine repetition clearly evident.
‘What have you got to say in your defence?’

I shuddered at his jumped-up perseverance
Which gave me cause for much merriment;
‘Sorry Sir you can’t do that without a license!’
‘What have you got to say in your defence?’

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

Images courtesy of pixabay.com