A Poem a Day for Mindful Poetry

To be honest

This poetry contest

Has given me a headache

Backache and sore fingers

Trying out verses

In specific tricky form

One needs to conform

Counting words or syllables

Lines, often fancy rhymes

Counting, recounting

Writing, rewriting

The situation now so dire

My immune system

Plummeted

The cold bug visited

Set the throat on fire

I’m coughing, sneezing

The runny nose a-squeezing

While I’m still alive

I’d better pull out

Of the poets’ marathon

A poem-a-day-a-thon

P.S., I poured my heart out in free form on April 8, when I had a bad cold. Well, I’m still here, actually enjoying the contest. Although I don’t respond to every challenge, I have great fun reading the posts by so many talented Gather poets. Thank you, Susan, for teaching us and for your comments of encouragement to everyone.

Comments: 26

Alice G. Apr 17, 2012, 9:52pm UTC

Irina I know what you mean. I had to quit trying to keep up. Trying to force my creative surges into forms just did not work.

Irina Dimitric Apr 17, 2012, 10:05pm UTC

Alice, your confession makes me happy to know I'm not the only one.

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JOHN BECK Apr 17, 2012, 9:57pm UTC

Thank you for your contributions, Irina. No need to apologize for not doing every single form.

Irina Dimitric Apr 17, 2012, 10:09pm UTC

Thank you, John, for understanding and absolution.

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Cynthia C. Apr 17, 2012, 10:00pm UTC

Thank you so much for sharing with Sadies Points

Irina Dimitric Apr 17, 2012, 10:09pm UTC

My pleasure.

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A. F. Stewart Apr 17, 2012, 10:32pm UTC

It is a challenge to do every one. I just hope we don't see any sonnets.

Susan Budig - Mindful Poet Apr 17, 2012, 11:26pm UTC

You are sonnet-challenged, too, Anita?

We did them last year btw. I try to use the forms we'd covered in the past 12 months, plus some popular ones that weren't used in the year prior. Except I do have one form I do every year because I'm gaga to see it on the page. It's positively my worst form, but I still assign it to one of the days. ;-)

Irina Dimitric Apr 18, 2012, 1:34am UTC

I like reading a sonnet, but whether I coud write one is another matter.

A. F. Stewart Apr 18, 2012, 8:48am UTC

I'm not fond of writing meter so I skipped the sonnet last year in April, but I tried it later for another prompt. Can't say I enjoyed it, but I managed.

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David W. Apr 17, 2012, 11:00pm UTC

Wonderfully fun, I really enjoyed this.

Irina Dimitric Apr 18, 2012, 1:36am UTC

Thanks, David. I'm glad you had fun reading my lament.

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Susan Budig - Mindful Poet Apr 17, 2012, 11:29pm UTC

This one started out as a P3-57. I bet if we asked Stephen Berwaldt to edit it, he'd be able to convert your free-form into today's form. He edited mine and did a beautiful job.

Hugs to you, Irina. I'm blessed and honored to have you in our group at Mindful Poetry.