Poetically Charged April Poetry Month Newsletter, List Of Prompts For Every Day In April
Poetically Charged April Poetry Month Newsletter, List Of Prompts For Every Day In April
Hello there to all the catalysts and newsletter people who read this! Let me admit something to you: I was really worried this year I’d even make 30 for 30. I hadn’t written in March or it seems like February, I wasn’t feeling the need to write, I missed workshops and that’s where I seemed to be only writing within was in community spaces. I had gotten disconnected with my mental highway (aka, my inspiration and how I write just from myself) and felt like I’ve been hibernating for some time. I didn’t know if April would come and it would still be this silence as a wall I’d be touching. My body didn’t seem to want to speak to me and I wasn’t going to force it. So, I thought I’d probably limp into things and maybe make a few if I was lucky.
I joined a community workshop series which is every day in April which I think helped me achieve my goal. Also, the poets in the community are so astounding and stunning writers that being in the space is inspiring enough to here what they create.
I haven’t had my “performance voice” in what feels like maybe a year? Maybe more. The voice that comes out and other writers ask me how they can perform like that. Which, I don’t know how to answer. I go back to the place where the poem was created and kind of allow everything in that moment I didn’t say, or feel, to come up when I read or perform it. Generally, there’s been a lot of anger in the beginning. Now, I figure it’s just anger stepping in as the dormant emotion for probably being hurt and it protecting that hurt.
I’ve been meaning to show up at more open mics to have them be a part of my dedication to National poetry writing month but it seems like I haven’t made it to one of my favorites in a long time. I heard a friend say recently Wednesdays are the toughest day of the week and I think they might be right. For some reason my energy plummets that day, every week, and I just don’t have enough in me or end up feeling not the best. I know I’ll make it and to be kind to myself and listen to my body or else then it’ll force me to listen to it. I’ve definitely got better at asking myself “will this serve me or will this deplete me?” and listening and following the answer it gives me back.
I’m always someone who starts the month off strong and tapers off toward the end. Why? Because it’s my birthday the last week of April and I give myself the time off to read, go where I want to go that year, and always take time off work. I may work other holidays and not really mind it too much but my birthday is the biggest holiday for me. So, I allow my mind to quiet down and if it’s quiet then it usually doesn’t write as much. It’s why I’ve never liked combining meditation and writing. The “blanking” of my mind means I don’t have anything inside of it to write. I don’t want my brain to be an anxiety tunnel but I also like to harness it processing a lot of things and how each thing is an invitation to possibly write from it.
What's going on with me that you can get into
The prompts for April! I finally made a prompt list and a lot of people saw it so that’s exciting. Lots of SBM metaphors to get yourself into.
I will have stickers coming that I drew the art behind them where the words are in my handwriting: "Weird Is Wonderful" with a Nautilus. I also have "Poetry is my love language/We are more than what we fear" in supermini, thumbnail-sized stickers. I didn't know they were such tiny babies, but I'm hoping to send them with cards for Patreon supporters (to be a supporter, here's this link: https://www.patreon.com/sarahmentalpoet).
A new sticker is coming out! "Write that damn delightful poem!" inspired by my friend Kimberly Shaw the Closer telling me that all the time when I said something poetic. I also have an SBM artwork I made that will be coming in as well in the mail.
I found cards I had been hiding (sorta!) so I’m excited to be able to rotate the cuteness of cards every month. I might just post the card that’s featured for each month on here. If I do end up repeating (I don’t see that for the rest of the year but we will see. I was supposed to get a whole shipment of cuteness cards in but never got delivered) you’ll always get just my thanks and gratitude for being a supporter.
The list of my first ever Poetry Month prompts for each day! April Poetry Month 2023 Sarah Bellum Mental Prompts!
1- to be alive is a celebration
2- death as dessert
3- to imply is to resurrect
4- to choose is to provide
5- we are all just hopeful things
6- bird song of breathing
7- trials as tributaries
8- death and desire
9- tried and true
10- tremble and terror
11- truth
12- I’ve been terrible
13- nature as god
14- what is good when we’re born bad
15- the sparrow in your throat says
16- buried bones and their home
17- I’ve been trying to tell you
18- sing until hoarse
19- can you repeat that?
20- bury me sweet
21- another song to replay
22- soundtracks as a life’s song
23- remind me when
24- remember when we were
25- family as familiar
26- fearful until we’re found
27- tremble teeth
28- terror trick
29- my body count
30- we can’t keep counting what isn’t real
Tag #sbmprompts for me to find it if you use this. Today is day 10 to the prompt would be “tremble and terror.”
Listening to: Ribbons, Ryan Beatty
Reading: The Carrying, Ada Limon
I am getting ready for: a full week of things I got for myself in March to celebrate my birthday month. I may write less because of them but I’m looking forward to treating myself to experiences.