National Poetry Month (2024): You Know the Way (2 of 30)

Thanks for stopping by Merely Day by Day. It's National Poetry Month. 

For April I will be taking a deep dive into The Practicing Poet: Writing Beyond the Basics, edited by Diane Lockward. This book is full of 30 craft tips so it is the perfect way to shape this month's challenge and dig a little deeper into the craft of poetry. Stop by my Substack page, Merely in Progress, each day to follow this month's writing journey. There you will also find reflections, links, and inspiration across the challenge. 

Of course, this month is really about writing poetry so I will have a new poem posted here each day utilizing a craft tip from the book. I'm sure the ride will be bumpy, but there will be a lot learned along the way. 

Craft Tip #2: Know More 

Today's craft tip suggests we consider the use of research to bring new ideas to our poetry. I've been playing around with a poem about cairns. Today I decided to follow the tip and spend a bit of time researching cairns. I find it interesting that while cairns help hikers navigate difficult trails, they're often not a welcome sight. Many parks prohibit building cairns or request that you leave those that exist untouched. As I researched, I also learned about other markers including blazes, ducks, and etchings. My hikes are usually no more than three miles so I have a lot to learn about trail markers, how to read them, and how they help hikers navigate. 

Today I used the inspiration from this "research" to write an Etheree about navigating your path. 

You Know the Way

Blaze

your trail;

stack rocks tall

to find your way.

Keep moving forward

as the trail winds around,

as you walk paths once untouched,

moving toward the mountain top.

You were meant to build strong tomorrows.

You were always meant to dance in the rain. 

© Cathy L. Mere, 2024