I’m Not Tempted to Sing

20 January 2021 Wednesday Prose Poem Prompt: what you don’t do well

My voice will go on dropping bars, like cigarette ends on the sidewalk, rasping notes fully out of their place in the universe. I am not going to try to embrace the surreal haze, I won’t burst out of it either, plucking instruments from their graveyard, making tombstones out of useless guitar bodies.

I’m not noting anything out on the paper, not slinging out lines for later devouring in the basement, escaping later edits by not doing the thing in the first instance.

I’m not tempted to resurrect dead voices, though I go on with the plays of feeling, with antagonistic gods fighting over the greater chunk of how to do it. I go outside to shovel, but without any music, and this way I won’t be tempted to sing.

J.D. Harms 2021

Prompt:

As talented as we all are when it comes to the pen (I’m beginning to wonder at what point we will replace pen with screen), undoubtedly there are things we don’t do as well. In my case, perhaps because of the deafness, perhaps a general resistance to learn what is difficult for me, I don’t/can’t sing. I love growling along with Leonard Cohen and Mark Knopfler for this reason…in the car, alone. For today’s prompt, write about something that is difficult for you, or something you avoid doing in company. Tag me in it (J.D. Harms). Rock on, write on!

Lennie Varvarides BRiYA Gabriela Marie Milton Renee Podunovich Evan Wildstein Viraji Ogodapola janny’s heart Nathaniel Laydon Matthew Leo Ben Murphy Wilfreda Edward Enne Baker Connie Song Karen L. Jones Kristie Darling Mary Jones Maziar Ghaderi Upen Singh Aspen Blue Mahnoor Chaudhry Barry Dawson IV Lola Sense Lori Lamothe MDSHall Bradon Matthews Ian Cunnold Patrick M. Ohana Amy Jasek Zay Pareltheon Eli Snow Jessica Lee McMillan Ema Dumitru Kristen v.H. Middleton Iva Hotko Hannah Dziura Janaka Stagnaro Joseph Coco Joseph Lieungh Samantha Lazar Paroma Sen Mimi Bordeaux Jasmine Abbi. Sydney Duke Richey Sydney J. Shipp Camille Fairbanks Kevin E. Pittack Jr. Georgia Lewitt Louis Dennis Lowell Woluchem Imad Vera Hadzic Dennett Jay Sizemore Carolyn Riker Charlotte Allan Victoria Ponte Samuel Clarke Gurpreet Dhariwal Dermott Hayes Ray Lobo Dr. Jackie Greenwood Rosy Rane Qalam Dana Sanford Suntonu Bhadra 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. Kira Dawn Gaston King Alex Guenther Rebecca Ruth Gould Laura Misener Akhtar Mehmood Andrea Juillerat-Olvera