Postcard Poetry

Welcome to Day 5 of the January Open Write. A very heartfelt thank you to Barb Edler and Glenda Funk for supporting our new year poetic experiences together! If you have written with us before, welcome back. If you are joining us for the first time, you are in the kind, capable hands of today’s host, so just read the prompt below and then, when you are ready, write in the comment section below. We do ask that if you write, in the spirit of reciprocity, you respond to three or more writers. To learn more about the Open Write, click here. We will see you all back here February 18-22 with Stacey Joy and Britt Decker.

Our Hosts

Inspiration

Poet Emily Dickinson left behind hundreds of poetic fragments scrawled on the backs of envelopes when she died. These poems have been called gorgeous nothings and described as “the fossil tracks of birds.” We’re inspired by this idea of short poems in small spaces and the idea of connecting through old-school handwriting with those in our community. We also know how rare personalized correspondence is in this digital age. Read more about and see examples of Dickinson’s scrap poems here. 

One activity I always enjoyed when teaching creative writing was to have my students construct a poetry postcard. To do this I would have them create an image on one side of a blank index card. Then I would have them draw a line down the middle of the other side. The left side would contain their poem and the right side would contain the address. Students need a lot of help with this as they are often unfamiliar with posting letters, postcards, etc.

Process

Today write a postcard poem to share with someone special in your life.  Choose an image you would like to write about or use as a frame for your message. It can be something you have captured from nature, a family gathering, a social event, etc. Barb’s photo is one she took of the moon and Glenda’s is of a postcard from a trip she took last year at Glacier National Park. Since postcards invite short communications, consider writing a short poem such as a haiku, cinquain or lantern poem. Consider how you might address your card, too.

Haiku: is a three lined poem that focuses on a moment in nature. The Americanized version uses three, five, and three syllables in each successive line.

Cinquain: five lines with two, four, six, eight, and two syllables in each successive line. 

Lantern: Generally focuses on one word or idea that begins the poem and builds the concept while creating a lantern shape. Five lines with one, two, three, four, and one syllable.

Barb’s Postcard

Glenda’s Postcard and Poems

Connected Cartographies we map our friendship: trace word line cartography Barb, me, poetry

Address:  Barb Edler Mississippi River Keokuk, IA

Your Turn

Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe.