2011 April PAD Challenge: Day 30

Here we are, everyone! The final day of poeming! For this challenge, anyway. After you write your poem today, you'll have a few days to figure out your favorite poems and submit them my way. Click here to read the official guidelines, which includes how and how many poems to submit.

If I were able to submit poems to myself, I'd probably choose some from the middle of the month. That's when I seemed to be hitting my stride. I'd definitely stay away from these last few days, since it's just been a test to write a poem period. And yes, poets are allowed to revise their poems before submitting--just make sure you send them in on time!

Speaking of on time, sorry for the late post. I really feel like I've just been trying to pull myself over the finish line with this darn strep throat. I'm glad and grateful everyone has stuck through it with me. Let's poem!

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For today's prompt, write an "after leaving here" poem. This poem could be about leaving an actual place, a relationship, or even this challenge. We leave many places and things every day without much ado, including rooms, vehicles, people (both those we know and complete strangers), etc. And to make this poem even more interesting is that there is presumably something that will be done after the leaving, whether that's something fun, sad, hopeful, or whatever.

Here's my attempt:

"Midnight"

The poet looks across the room at the open window
and hears the laugh of a couple barge in on his poem.
It was going to be a desolate poem about a desert
or at the very least a deserted island. He planned
on searching and finding no one. Perhaps, he would
even write a message, tuck it in a bottle, and chuck
it out to sea--confident no one would ever read it.
But then, a rowboat carrying two young lovers comes
toward the shore, and the young man holds the bottle
in one hand and the message in the other and yells
to the poet, "Hey, you! Is all this sad gibberish yours?
We've come to take you back to the real world."

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

And tweet your completion of the challenge on Twitter by using the #aprpad hashtag.

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For those who still want prompts, we do have another poem-a-day challenge in November. And through the rest of the year, we meet here on Wednesdays.

I also have a few interviews and guest posts to share with everyone as everything settles down in May.

Once again, thanks, everyone! It's been a great month!

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Is there a secret to finding your creative mind?
As someone who rarely has writing blocks, I'm not sure. However, Thinking Write: The Secret to Freeing Your Creative Mind, by professional counselor Kelly L. Stone, includes methods used by bestselling authors to stay creative and productive with their writing. This book also includes an instructive CD with guided meditations specifically for writers.

Click here to learn more.