Two proto-poems

So I joined a writing group on Substack, run by the lovely Marjorie Lotfi. I'd attended a writing retreat she offered, last autumn. It's a half hour zoom call, with poetry readings and quick prompts for inspiration. I found the similar (longer) workshops that we'd done on the retreat helpful so I thought I'd make the effort to keep my poetry writing going.

I think of these like sketches. It's helpful to have a body of work that I can dip into and play with, rather than starting from scratch. These obviously need work, but I like some of the ideas.

First prompt: a place that mattered (to you)

Climbing Tricksy by the inner garden gate, 

balancing along the wall,

over ivy.

Shuffle up by the chimney pot

and find a spot 

to sit and read.

Spitting apple pips into the void.

Something takes root.

They never saw me there

or if they did 

would stop and stare 

and say what if you fell?

What if I flew?

Second prompt: talking because someone is listening 

The words didn't matter, 

it wasn't what I was saying

but that I was speaking at all.

Thoughts spilling out of me

all tumbled together

like when we broke the dam

that we had built at the beach

and the stream water flowed freely

all the way to the sea.