National Poetry Month '24: Birding

 

Photo by Mykola Swarnyk, Wikimedia Commons

birding.

northern flicker,

sings an unfamiliar song,

hiding somewhere in the prairie.

unexpected surprise. 

© Cathy L. Mere, 2024

Today, I decided to try writing a pensee poem. This is the first time I've done so, and I thought the form was a bit trickier than I had anticipated. Thanks to Marcie Flinchum Atkins for introducing it to me in her Poetry Friday post last week. 

Pensee

 

5 lines (2, 4, 7, 8, 6 syllables)

Line 1—introduces subject

Line 2—description of subject

Line 3—action taken by subject or for subject; has a verb

Line 4—info about time and setting

Line 5—final thoughts

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 into the craft of poetry. Stop by my Substack page, Merely in Progress, to follow this month's writing journey, where you will also find reflections, links, and inspiration across the challenge. Of course, this month is all about writing poetry, so I will have a new poem posted here each day utilizing a craft tip from the book. Here we go.