Empty Pages

02 January 2021 Saturday Poetry Prompt: feeling the blank

I don’t hate the empty pages but I feel sorrow when they’re gone signs, sentiments, pasture that can’t be reclaimed Like the smell of books when you’re a teenager reading against the scent of spring in a dry-damp back porch somewhere the haze of new green leaves over the edge of the book, end of some vision I can swallow the empty pages if they’re not careful then they form up into an alchemical situation, transmuting the difference of a madness to a readable slew of terror and feeling and exhaustion I can lie beside the empty pages but not for too long For too long and they will wander and portray maps for places you think you saw, and maybe did but the pure force of insistence makes you put your hands to the field in front of you, beg for time Yes, the empty pages are beggars for some time, some history that works itself out and will disappear only if you let it

J.D. Harms 2021

Prompt:

Welcome to the first prompt of 2021 (may it kick 2020’s ass!). For today’s prompt, feeling the blank, I want you to access the blank page, the blank screen, tabula rasa, and think about what it makes you feel, what it, alone, inspires or makes you think, or situations it reminds you of. We’re all in love with the possibilities. At least I have to assume that much. But the page, whether real or on a screen, can evoke a whole host of sentiments. What are they? How does it make you eager to create?

In further Scrittura news, I’m excited to announce that we will have a new prompt format beginning on Wednesday. I am ecstatic about the quality of your responses already! Rock on, write on!

Connie Song Karen L. Jones Upen Singh Nikhil Mbembeolga Lola Sense Lori Lamothe Bradon Matthews Maziar Ghaderi Aspen Blue Mahnoor Chaudhry MDSHall Amy Jasek Mary Jones Barry Dawson IV Ian Cunnold Patrick M. Ohana Zay Pareltheon Eli Snow Viraji Ogodapola Jessica Lee McMillan Ema Dumitru Kristen v.H. Middleton Hannah Dziura Iva Hotko Janaka Stagnaro Joseph Lieungh Joseph Coco Samantha Lazar Paroma Sen Mimi Bordeaux Jasmine Abbi. Camille Fairbanks Kevin E. Pittack Jr. Sydney Duke Richey Sydney J. Shipp Georgia Lewitt Louis Dennis Lowell Woluchem Imad Vera Hadzic Dennett Jay Sizemore Charlotte Allan Victoria Ponte Carolyn Riker Samuel Clarke Gurpreet Dhariwal Dermott Hayes Dr. Jackie Greenwood Ray Lobo Rosy Rane Qalam Dana Sanford Suntonu Bhadra Wendell McQuary Suzanne V. Tanner Johanna Geary Joanna Vang Tre L. Loadholt Jenine Bsharah Baines Josie Elbiry AK (Aaska Aejaz) Johannes Mudi Ana-Maria Schweitzer Ann Marie Steele Kim Cullen Sarah E Sturgis Simran Kankas C.J. Obikile Ronald Mathew Gerardo Rene Paz Rhonda Marrone Aaron Quist Mohan Boone Angelina Der Arakelian Amanda Dalmas Daniel A. Teo Kira Dawn Janani Kehelwala Gaston King Alex Guenther Rebecca Ruth Gould Laura Misener