2020 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 30
For the 2020 November PAD Chapbook Challenge, poets write a poem a day in the month of November before assembling a chapbook manuscript in the month of December. Today’s prompt is to write an exit poem.
Well, today is the final prompt for this year's challenge, but the challenge is not over after your poem today. But I'll share more details on next steps for this unique chapbook challenge tomorrow morning.
For today's prompt, write an exit poem. Some exit gracefully; some make a scene. However you wish to exit, do so poetically now. Thanks for poeming along this month, and I'll look forward to your chapbook submissions between now and early January (again, more details on that tomorrow).
Remember: These prompts are springboards to creativity. Use them to expand your possibilities, not limit them.
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Poem your days away with Robert Lee Brewer's Smash Poetry Journal. This fun poetic guide is loaded with 125 poetry prompts, space to place your poems, and plenty of fun poetic asides.
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Here’s my attempt at an Exit Poem:
“Measure”
When I leave, I will leave for good
without flowery words or too
much sentiment. It's understood
that I will still think about you,
but there will be no more to say
when I leave. I will leave for good:
No more time in the neighborhood;
no more pining away the days,
wondering where you really stood
when you'd say, "Maybe do or don't."
When I leave, I will leave for good.
When I do, you know that there won't
be moments of second chances
or long rekindled romances.
Whether I wish you won't or would,
when I leave, I will leave for good.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
