• Home
  • Fine Living
    • Start Here—Welcome to Tweetspeak!
    • Read
      • A Poem a Day with Every Day Poems
      • book club
      • Poetry Newsletter!
      • poetry reviews
      • T. S. Poetry Press
      • Quote a Day
    • Write
      • A Book of Beginnings
      • Become a Better Writer
      • Fiction Posts & Prompts
      • Memoir Notebook
      • Poets and Writers Toolkit
      • Writer’s Conferences
      • Writing Prompts
    • Live
      • Art and Disabilities
      • Artist Date
      • Eating and Drinking Poems
      • Journey into Poetry
      • Literary Tour
      • Poem on Your Pillow Day
      • Poetry at Work Day
      • Random Acts of Poetry Day
      • Take Your Poet to Work Day
    • Play
      • Coloring Page Poems
      • Mischief Café
      • Music Playlists
      • poetry humor
      • Quote a Day
      • Shop
      • Twitter Poetry Parties
      • Videos
    • Learn
      • Infographics
      • Poetry Classroom
      • Poetry Units for Teachers
      • Writer’s Conferences
      • Writing Workshops
    • Grow
  • Poets & Poems
  • Writers’ Resources
  • Get a Daily Poem
  • Teaching Tools
  • The Press
  • Workshops

Photo Play: Golf & Greens

By Heather Eure 15 Comments

Golf and Greens Poetry Prompt

“To me, the most confusing part about golf is that I don’t know whether I’d rather actually be playing golf, or sitting on the green composing haikus about the landscaping.” —Jarod Kintz

Every course is unique and offers a different challenge. Each a picturesque landscape of rolling fairways, water features, and neatly manicured greens. It is sport enveloped by nature.

A visual feast for photographers.

Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here is a poem from Prasanta we enjoyed:

White bell-shaped blooms bend slightly
Paying homage to depths beneath

Crisp grass forged upward
Through a deep darkness
By a cataclysmic split
Of a tiny seed

The ground brims
With tiny creatures wiggling
rummaging about the vastness
of open space, displaced momentarily
by bursting stalks

The ground beneath burgeoning,
Hopeful seeds trembling,
splitting sides,
seeping upward,
awaiting their glorious day–
and did you catch it, before it died?
Before it was chipped away,
Before it faded?

And life is like this,
This wait, this wait of spring
This waiting for bloom
This glancing at the cusp
Of something glorious
This waiting of–

All around me, the ground is plucked
And picked and upturned and raked
Struggling to shake off
the shreds of winter

And I have been waiting that long
For the land of dripping green.

—by Prasanta Verma

PHOTO PLAY: Take a golfer’s eye view of grass, the same manner in which they “read” a green. Shoot your photograph low, maybe placing a golf ball or tee in the foreground to add interest. If you want to take photos on a local golf course, be sure to seek permission first. A public driving range is a good place to photograph a line of golfers practicing their swing. You can even visit a miniature golf course and snap a few lighthearted shots of the dreaded windmill hole.

***

NOTE TO POETS: Looking for your Monday poetry prompt? On Photo Play weeks, it’s right here. Find inspiration from the photo in the post and respond with a poem. Leave your poem in the comment box. We’ll be reading. :)

Photo by Nany B. Agyei. Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Heather Eure.

________________________

Sometimes we feature your poems in Every Day Poems, with your permission of course. Thanks for writing with us!

Browse more Photography Prompts
Browse Golf & Greens
Browse more Poetry Teaching Resources

You Might Also Like

  • Poetry Prompt: DewsweepersPoetry Prompt: Dewsweepers
  • Golf & Greens: Playlist and Poetry PromptGolf & Greens: Playlist and Poetry Prompt
  • Puppy Dog EyesPhotography Prompts: Puppy Dog Eyes Photo Play
  • Photo Play 2: Golf & GreensPhoto Play 2: Golf & Greens

Filed Under: Blog, Golf & Greens, Golf Poems, Photo Play, Photography prompts, poetry, poetry prompt, writing prompts

P. S., With Love

We hope we made your day
with something you loved or needed.

Make our day? 🙂

Keep thoughtfulness, beauty, & whimsy
in your world (and the world)
with just $1 a month

Comments

  1. Sandra Heska King says

    April 13, 2015 at 12:30 pm

    I’ve never been on a golf course. I’d probably be like Jarod until I got bonked in the head with a stray ball.

    Prasanta, I love this: “Life is like this… This waiting of.” Well, I really love the whole thing.

    Fore!

    Flopped on the fairway,

    with wonder teed and hope holed,

    I saw stars. Not fair.

    Reply
    • Bethany R. says

      April 16, 2015 at 1:35 am

      “with wonder teed and hope holed” -So fun, Sandra 🙂

      Reply
  2. Prasanta says

    April 13, 2015 at 3:25 pm

    Thank you for the wonderful surprise of featuring my poem here today! And thank you for the very kind words, Sandra! Since I’m not a golfer, either, I decided to focus more on the beautiful “greens” than the golf. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Dave Malone says

    April 14, 2015 at 6:38 am

    Course

    Nature is not the most difficult
    though hairy dog legs
    yield phantom rough
    and then looms April rain.
    But worse is the knock of silence
    on an interminable par five,
    haunting six hundred yards
    in barnyard dark. The dusky fairway
    rises and smells like fear
    you’ve always known.
    And then the time is only now.
    Pushing hands through hips,
    a declaration
    and hope that if not far,
    the shot is clean.

    Reply
    • L. L. Barkat says

      April 14, 2015 at 12:22 pm

      oooo, love 🙂

      Reply
      • Dave Malone says

        April 14, 2015 at 12:32 pm

        Thanks! Easily inspired by Prasanta’s poem and the great photo. 🙂

        Reply
        • Prasanta says

          April 15, 2015 at 6:09 pm

          Love your poem, Dave Malone. And your comment made my day brighter- thank you!

          Reply
          • Dave Malone says

            April 15, 2015 at 6:17 pm

            Thank you. And you are welcome, indeed. For “life is like this, /
            This wait, this wait of spring.”
            🙂

  4. Bethany Rohde says

    April 15, 2015 at 5:40 pm

    Is it your body that’s blocking the light?

    Across this lawn, a blacktop of shadow
    is cast between us. It asks to be travelled
    You cannot do it, you’re rooted–
    I will.

    My footfalls plod, plod this acre,
    –This darkness you did not intend,
    until we share each other’s air
    again

    How can you, Oak Tree of seventy,
    be both a shadow-source and a beacon?

    I continue on and you don’t stop me
    But through leaf-fingers, I hear whispers
    (now growing fainter)
    Sh- sh- shh

    Reply
    • Richard Maxson says

      April 16, 2015 at 6:04 am

      This is so very touching, Bethany! It is beautiful when a poem escapes its words.

      Reply
      • Bethany R. says

        April 16, 2015 at 11:05 am

        You found it touching, Richard? That means a lot to me. Thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
  5. Richard Maxson says

    April 16, 2015 at 5:49 am

    I know nothing about golf. This was inspired by L.L. Barkat’s line last week, “I never learned the words”

    That golf had it’s own language, I was also unaware before now. So this is a sort of jealous poem stack. Or as I chose to name it:

    Golferwocky
    (a, sort of, jealous poem stack)

    Chunk a fat shot?
    Better to waggle so
    you don’t whiff
    at the tee box.

    It’s not Road Hole!
    Prolonged pre-shot routines
    and plumb-bobs, as if
    it were Andrew’s linksland.

    Mind your tiers! Say it!
    No ideas but in swings.
    ‘Tis twichies and the yips
    will shank your sole.

    Untimely sky will trap
    a fried egg every time.
    Go for the bump and run.
    Keep your grooves clean.

    Fluffy lies, fluffy lies,
    only fluffy lies.
    You had me at Road Hole,
    you had me at Road Hole!

    Let us go then, you and I…
    Are you listening now,
    are you listening?
    I’ve got one word for you—balata!
     
    ***
    Glossary:
    Balata: A rubber-like substance used as a cover material for golf balls to increase spin.
    (also see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSxihhBzCjk )
    Bump and Run: A pitch shot around the green in which the player hits the ball into a slope to deaden its speed before settling on the green and rolling towards the hole.
    Chunk: A poor shot caused by hitting the turf well behind the ball.
    Fat Shot: A description of a shot when the clubhead strikes the turf behind the ball.
    Fluffy Lie: A lie in which the ball rests atop the longish grass.
    Fried Egg: The slang term for a buried lie in the sand.
    Groove (equipment): The horizontal scoring lines on the face of the club that help impart spin on the ball.
    Groove: A description of a swing that consistently follows the same path, time after time.
    Links: The term for a course built on linksland, which is land reclaimed from the ocean.
    Plumb-bob: A method many players use to help them determine the amount a putt will break.
    Pre-Shot Routine: The actions a player takes from the time he selects a club until he begins the swing.
    Road Hole: The 17th hole at the Old Course at St. Andrews, one of the most difficult holes in the world.
    (also see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyrP-pwDayE )
    Shank: When the ball is struck on the hosel of the club, usually sending it shooting off to the right.
    Sky: A high, short shot caused by the clubhead striking the underside of the ball. Also called a “pop-up.”
    Sole: The bottom of a club.
    Tee Box: The area where players tee to start a hole.
    Tier: A rise or level in a green or tee.
    Waggle: A motion or several motions designed to keep a player relaxed.
    Whiff: A complete miss. Also known as an “air ball.”
    Yips: A condition, generally believed to be psychological, which causes a player to lose control of his hands and club. In Great Britain, the condition is referred to as the “Twitchies.”

    Reply
  6. Bethany R. says

    April 18, 2015 at 2:29 am

    So many great lines here:

    “It’s not Rode Hole!”

    “Untimely sky will trap
    a fried egg every time.”

    “No ideas but in swings.”

    I don’t know a thing about golf, but I was intrigued throughout your poem.

    Thank you for sharing this with us, Richard. 🙂

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Photo Play: Golf & Greens - | Poets & W... says:
    April 13, 2015 at 11:18 am

    […] Golf & Greens Photo Play is an invitation to capture the picturesque landscape of rolling fairways, water features, and neatly manicured greens. Join us!  […]

    Reply
  2. Photo Play 2: Golf & Greens - says:
    April 22, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    […] to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here is a tournament-ready poem from Dave we […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Take How to Read a Poem

Get the Introduction, the Billy Collins poem, and Chapter 1

Free with tweet

Search Tweetspeak

Follow Tweetspeak Poetry

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Getting added to our newsletter is your first perk, when you join us on Patreon!

Welcome to Tweetspeak

New to Tweetspeak Poetry? Start here, in The Mischief Café.

You’re a regular? Check out our April Menu.

Recent Comments

  • Bethany R. on The Color of Your Creativity
  • Sandra Heska King on The Color of Your Creativity
  • Sandra Heska King on The Color of Your Creativity
  • Bethany Rohde on “H is for Haiku,” An Invitation to Small Joys

Featured In

We're happy to have been featured in...

The New York Observer

The Huffington Post

The Paris Review

Tumblr Book News

Categories

Poetry for Life? Here's our manifesto on the matter...

Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches

Help make it happen. Post The 5 Vital Approaches on your site!

Learn to Write Form Poems

Whether or not you end up enjoying the form poem, we've seen the value of building your skills through writing in form.

One reader who explored the villanelle was even featured in Every Day Poems!

How to Write an Acrostic

How to Write a Ballad

How to Write a Catalog Poem

How to Write a Ghazal

How to Write a Haiku

How to Write an Ode

How to Write a Pantoum

How to Write a Rondeau

How to Write a Sestina

How to Write a Sonnet

How to Write a Villanelle

Featured Literary Analysis

Poem Analysis: Anne Sexton's Her Kind

Poem Analysis: Adrienne Rich's Diving into the Wreck

Poem Analysis: Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Order and Disorder in Macbeth

Tone in For Whom the Bell Tolls and Catch-22

Tragedy and Comedy: Why People Love Them

Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Shakespeare Resources

Poetry Classroom: Sonnet 18

Common Core Picture Poems: Sonnet 73

Sonnet 104 Annotated

Sonnet 116 Annotated

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Character Analysis: Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Why Does Hamlet Wait to Kill the King?

10 Fun Shakespeare Resources

About Shakespeare: Poet and Playwright

Top 10 Shakespeare Sonnets

Book Promotion, Platform, Publicity

Author Platform: Where to Start

Ten Surprising Secrets to Make Your Book Go Viral

How to Host a Successful Book Launch

Simple Tips on Finding and Working with a Book Publicist

How to Get Your Poems Published!

Pride and Prejudice Resources

5 Amusing Pride and Prejudice Quotes

Infographic: Simpleton's Guide to Pride and Prejudice

10 Great Pride and Prejudice Resources

Happy Birthday Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Playlist

Featured Top 10 Poems

Top 10 Chicken Poems

Top 10 Chocolate Poems (Okay, Minus 3)

Top 10 Fairy Tale Poems

Top 10 Funny Poems

Top 10 Laundry Poems

10 of the Best Love Poems

Top 10 Poems with Make or Break Titles

Top 10 Mirror Poems

Top 10 Question Poems

Top 10 Red Poems

Top 10 Rose Poems

Top 10 Summer Poems

10 Great Poems About Work

Children’s Poems, Children’s Books

Llamas in Pajamas and Ten Great Children's Poetry Books

A Children's Poem on the Playground

Come Again: Teaching Poetry to Children

Poetry With Children: What's in Your Journal

Teaching Poetry to Children: There Are So Many Blues

Take Your Poet to Work Day: Poet Treasure Hunt in the Library (Callie's Story)

6 Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Children

Top 10 Children's Books and YA Books

Little Red Riding Hood: Graphic Novel

14 Reasons Peter Rabbit Should Be Banned (Satire)

Featured Infographics

Infographic: How to Write an Acrostic Poem

Infographic: How to Write a Ballad

Infographic: How to Write an Epic Poem

Infographic: Ghazal for a Gazelle

Infographic: Boost Your Haiku High Q

Infographic: Pantoum of the Opera

Infographic: How to Write an Ode

Infographic: Poem a Day

Infographic: How to Write a Rondeau

Infographic: Simpleton's Guide to Pride and Prejudice

Sonnet Infographic: Quatrain Wreck

Featured Playlists

Playlist: Cat's Meow

Playlist: Doors and Passageways

Playlist: Fairy Tale and Fantasy

Playlist: Purple Rain and Indigo Blues

Playlist: Surrealism

Playlist: Best Tattoo Songs

Playlist: Trains and Tracks

All the Playlists

They Bring Poetry for Life

Meet our wonderful partners, who bring "poetry for life" to students, teachers, librarians, businesses, employees—to all sorts of people, across the world.

How to Read at an Open Mic free download

How to Read at an Open Mic!

Free Sample!

The Teacher Diaires Front Cover with Lauren Winner

“Hilarious, heart-rending, entertaining.”

—KA, Amazon reviewer

GET FREE SAMPLE NOW

About Us

  • Our Story
  • Meet Our Team
  • Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches
  • Contact Us

Writing With Us

  • Poetry Prompts
  • Submissions
  • Writing Workshops

Reading With Us

  • Book Club
  • Dip Into Poetry
  • Every Day Poems
  • Literacy Extras
  • Quote a Day

Public Days for Poetry

  • Poem on Your Pillow Day
  • Poet in a Cupcake Day
  • Poetry at Work Day
  • Random Acts of Poetry Day
  • Take Your Poet to School Week—National Poetry Month!
  • Take Your Poet to Work Day

Gift Ideas

  • Give the Gift of Every Day Poems
  • Our Shop
  • Everybody Loves a Book!

Connect

  • Blog Buttons
  • Become a Partner
  • Shop for Tweetspeak Fun Stuff

Copyright © 2018 Tweetspeak Poetry · Site by The Willingham Enterprise · FAQ & Disclosure