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Poetry Prompt: A Start Poem

By Callie Feyen 20 Comments

trees framing lake

Begin with a Start Poem

Start

You’ll wonder if it’s time
over a lunch of
tomato soup
and grilled cheese.
You’ll wrap your cardigan
tighter.
You’ll think of cinnamon and apples.

It’ll happen when the cicadas change
their summer tune
to a low lullaby—
a constant hum—
a song that fades
and lasts
at the same time.

You’ll know late at night
when your flip-flop
breaks—
because you were squeezing your toes tighter
from the shift in the weather
and the tension in the conversation.
What is ending? What is on its way?

The leaves, heavy with change,
trembling with anticipation
to bloom into color before death,
will converse with the wind
and you will hear them:
“It’s time,” they’ll hush,
“Start.”

Try It: A Start Poem

When do you know it’s time to start? Write a poem about it.

Photo by Giuliano Belli Creative Commons, via Flickr. Post by Callie Feyen.

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The Teacher Diaires Front Cover with Lauren WinnerI have been a fan of Callie Feyen’s writing for quite some time but I finished this book in almost one sitting. If you have ever been in 8th grade, fallen in love, had a best friend, or loved reading, you will love this book. As the mother of an 8th grader, my other genuine hope is that my son will one day have a teacher as gifted as Callie.

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  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Callie Feyen
Callie Feyen
Callie Feyen likes Converse tennis shoes and colorful high heels, reading the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins, and the Twilight series. Her favorite outfit has always been a well-worn pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, but she wants hoop skirts with loads of tulle to come back into style. Her favorite line from literature comes from Sharon Creech’s Absolutely Normal Chaos: “I don’t know who I am yet. I’m still waiting to find out.” Feyen has served as the At-Risk Literacy Specialist in the Ypsilanti Public Schools and is the author of Twirl: my life with stories, writing & clothes and The Teacher Diaries: Romeo and Juliet.
Callie Feyen
Latest posts by Callie Feyen (see all)
  • Poetry Prompt: Courage to Follow - July 24, 2023
  • Poetry Prompt: Being a Pilgrim and a Martha Stewart Homemaker - July 10, 2023
  • Poetry Prompt: Monarch Butterfly’s Wildflower - June 19, 2023

Filed Under: Blog, Poems, poetry, poetry prompt, poetry teaching resources, writer's group resources

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About Callie Feyen

Callie Feyen likes Converse tennis shoes and colorful high heels, reading the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins, and the Twilight series. Her favorite outfit has always been a well-worn pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, but she wants hoop skirts with loads of tulle to come back into style. Her favorite line from literature comes from Sharon Creech’s Absolutely Normal Chaos: “I don’t know who I am yet. I’m still waiting to find out.” Feyen has served as the At-Risk Literacy Specialist in the Ypsilanti Public Schools and is the author of Twirl: my life with stories, writing & clothes and The Teacher Diaries: Romeo and Juliet.

Comments

  1. L.L. Barkat says

    August 29, 2022 at 10:42 am

    !

    I love this simple post, Callie.

    Great prompt. Can’t wait to share. 🙂

    Reply
    • Callie Feyen says

      August 30, 2022 at 9:32 am

      Thank you. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Andrew P Guzaldo says

    August 29, 2022 at 11:01 am

    “Archipelago Refuge”
    My Heart Inflections

    “Abate agonizing when the grieving troposphere reaping,
    As it navigates a shift as the pulverizing leaflets,
    As this tender moment of nature steals upon me my deep, emotions as we drift from the Archipelago,

    As the steep tall rocks swerve towards the edge of the, precipices we navigate towards our archipelago refuge,
    As my heart inflection my heart beats vivaciously through my entire body,

    Conscious only of you I belong to you there is really,
    A way of expressing that is not impregnable enough,
    All that my soul pines to express at this instant,
    Is included in the one word avidity,

    A total contradiction of life if I were with those,
    I loved I would only wish to be in obscure distance,
    Now as I am far away all I do is wish for one more day surrounded by those I love that home could be,

    Odyssey bound for the homeland on the briny deep afar that father and husband’s longing, as it seems that,
    Gaviiform seabird bellows with tumultuous placidity,
    Sleep the blossoms of a future flower,

    You have, by your tenderness and worth twisted yourself more artfully round my heart,
    Then I supposed possible on this my refuge,
    Archipelago Refuge”
    By Andrew Guzaldo July 17, 2022 © #211

    Reply
  3. Susie Teramura says

    August 29, 2022 at 11:14 am

    I love this poem!! So many lovely thoughts and images. Thank you!!

    Reply
  4. Andrew P Guzaldo says

    August 29, 2022 at 11:21 am

    “NEVER PRETEND”
    Poetry teaches one to read delusion,
    A delusion that is put into words,
    And becomes a reality of beneficence,
    Although many of these things do not,
    Come to pass,

    However it is a poet’s best way to life,
    In the art of Expression maybe not,
    For himself but for the beneficence,
    Of others in the best way possible,

    To live life through academician,
    Brightness of the days gives one side,
    When there is darkness another spectrum,
    Of a unusual poignancy,

    A poet/writers life is always looking,
    For that appropriate or peculiarly meaning,
    Day dreaming of a delusion,
    Or a nightmare with a pertinent validity,

    And when everything is so onerous,
    You want to reach a point of imperious value,
    Of mind body and soul of a loss,
    To dream and think so lofty with no end,

    An uninterrupted moment of solitude and words,
    Of course moments of cessation rest,
    In all this words teach me to care for loved ones,
    Or that of a dear friend,
    Until we as lovers may meet once again,
    Consistently truthful and NEVER PRETEND”
    By Andrew Guzaldo 2/2018 Posted H.P P.S

    Reply
  5. Pauline E Beck says

    August 29, 2022 at 1:01 pm

    Starting at the End

    When the rumbling sky
    Turns from sprinkling
    To spewing torrents
    And turns you away
    From late August work
    Of repairing the lane
    And readying the lawn
    For Autumn’s advance
    Winter’s sure precursor

    You turn inside and inward
    Finding time now to notice
    Signs of life’s slipping
    From green growth of youth
    Into the gentle fading of age
    Trees turning to rust
    Gardens giving up their last
    Gifts on the altar of time

    Inside you find that seed
    That starts to grow a poem
    A grain of winter wheat
    Waiting to germinate and
    Bear fruit a hundred-fold
    You hold it close and close
    Out all the world’s calling
    You to get busy and do
    Late August’s inside work

    You stop and start to write
    Your poem–your last gift
    On the altar of time

    Reply
    • van prince says

      August 29, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      *Love In Season*

      I touched my fingertips
      to warm lips
      blowing a kiss
      into rainy weather
      tenderly loving you forever-

      I talked to you
      through life’s distances of lightening striking
      saying, ” I love you right or wrong
      echoing through the thunderstorm”-

      I thought about you
      through the snow
      where the beauty of love always show-

      I thought about you
      through the sleet
      remembering our love-making between silk sheets-

      I thought about you
      through the hail
      where love never did fail-

      I thought about you
      through all of Winter’s cold season
      for every passionate reason
      to love one another
      forever bringing us closer together-

      _-Van Prince

      Reply
      • Pauline E Beck says

        August 30, 2022 at 2:18 pm

        As winter waits with frosty breath
        on the other side of the advance of autumn,
        your poem has reminded me of love’s power
        to drive out the cold outside and within.

        Thanks for sharing this.

        Reply
        • van prince says

          August 30, 2022 at 2:59 pm

          “To Love and understand Love, Love must be uppermost on your Mind,
          innermost in your Heart, and deepermost in your Soul.”
          _-Van Prince

          Reply
    • Katie Spivey Brewster says

      October 2, 2022 at 12:39 pm

      Pauline,
      This is so beautiful:)
      “Gifts on the altar of time” and “You hold it close and close” are the two lines I’ll take with me. Yes, I’m stilling breathing, friend and no, I haven’t forgotten you. Have just been averse to my screen and keyboard for a while. Think you’ll relate to that you pencil-pusher, you;) Ha, ha!
      Katie

      Reply
      • Katie Spivey Brewster says

        October 2, 2022 at 12:42 pm

        Pauline,
        Not sure why this didn’t land under your “Starting at the End” poem, since I clicked on the reply in the box – ?
        Katie

        Reply
  6. Van Prince says

    August 29, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    “Poertry
    Has Its Own Country.”

    _-Van Prince

    Reply
  7. Van Prince says

    August 29, 2022 at 6:04 pm

    *A Look At Love*

    When a man kisses a woman
    her eyes close
    looking intio his heart searcking into his soul
    to know whether that love is there for her
    that-which she feels for him

    _-Van Prince

    Reply
  8. van prince says

    August 30, 2022 at 9:57 am

    “Poetivity is the creativity of innovative new ideas
    making poetry idea
    in all genres of writing from 1-to-10 comprising ABCD-to WXYZ in productive ordeals
    from 100%-to-360-degrees on local, national *&* international stanzas
    supporting poems of every variety!” _-Van Prince

    Reply
  9. van prince says

    August 30, 2022 at 10:16 am

    I’m not a self-sent poet
    I’m a God sent poet
    the way I feel as a poet
    I heve faith I’m a God sent poet-

    I do my Quotes *&* Poems impromptu
    I write my manuscripts for books
    by writing, rewriting, proof-reading *&* editing
    *&* thanking God for such talent *&* skills to do so-

    I look up to no human
    nor do I look down on any individual
    I respect all people
    I do not brag or booast
    I congrats *&* honor all writers
    of every genre-

    I am not perfect
    I strive for perfection
    in producing literary poetic content
    in away to present
    my writings I represent-

    I wish every writer the best
    in achieving writing success
    by bringing positive content to the world
    *&* getting paid $top$ finance$
    progressing into an author
    of character, intellect, *&* integrity-

    By: Van Prince

    Reply
  10. By Andrew Guzaldo 2/2018 © says

    August 30, 2022 at 12:14 pm

    “Antidote to Optimism”
    “Our task is to show that however,
    Wonderful things may appear,
    In today’s World and lifestyle,
    They may not be all that great,

    Even the darkest night will end,
    And the sun will rise regardless,
    Our optimism changes to pessimism,
    Roses that may grow on a stone,

    Not in the earth as optimism has shown,
    Love can exist or it can turn parasitism,
    It’s wrong to believe that all will be optimistic,
    That parasitism will continue to exist,

    Oceans feel the love the upsurge bares,
    The stones of the rock will bear a flower,
    Rain will fall and so kisses the flower,
    Will endure there growth of optimism,

    Solitude will bring a cumbersome heart,
    Depression will remain in a semblance,
    New destiny will precede the pessimism,
    As loves fate arrives pessimism succumbs,
    To an optimistic aspect until ones last breath”

    By Andrew Guzaldo 2/2018 ©

    Reply
  11. van prince says

    August 30, 2022 at 1:14 pm

    *What Is Poetry*?

    Poetry is about prose weaved into poems
    poems not ruled by color nor by race
    poetry minus prejudice or discrimination
    belonging to no Nation
    nor included in any equation
    of inequality
    Poetry will always show
    poems of any form, shape, *&* fashion are pure as the driven snow

    By: _-Van Prince

    Reply
  12. Andrew P Guzaldo says

    August 30, 2022 at 1:37 pm

    “Poetry and its Undertones”
    “Many poems are of unfeigned sadness,
    Poems of heartbreak or a lost love,
    A joyful poem may need an assemblage of words,
    With various copious avenues in composing poetry,

    It is emotions channeled onto a piece of paper,
    It is an expression of the heart the mind and the soul,
    The art of writing or reading poetry begins when,
    As one Masters connotatively in particular poems,

    Poems are of different moments subjects heartfelt,
    Example when I write a poem as you will find in mine,
    In my poems I look for an adherent word to express,
    In writings I look deep within my inner feelings,

    The title of an adhered poem should grasp attention,
    As to identify sense of what the poem is about,
    As little as quite a few poems will give insight
    As your words and feelings grapple traces,
    Of my poetic undertones”

    By Andrew Guzaldo May 07, 2021 © #203

    Reply
  13. Andrew P Guzaldo says

    August 30, 2022 at 1:42 pm

    “Whispers of the Zephyr”
    “Recognition that you are here,
    Final adjustment mending next to me,
    A breath of your warmth upon my skin,
    Exchanges of the single ember within still burns,

    As I hear whispers in the wind,
    Rustling through the formulations,
    I’ve sketched in encroaching the littoral,
    To the special one to claim these pages came,

    Interpretation existing of years passed,
    The circumspect to go diligent stride,
    To a worn and tattered old ideal,
    Hero from the ancient bindings of a book,

    Haunting whispers in the Zephyr,
    Rustling through the formulations,
    Breaching the palisades of time,
    This the whispers in my mind”
    By Andrew Guzaldo © 04/30/2022

    Reply
  14. van prince says

    August 30, 2022 at 3:17 pm

    “Poems are verb superb rare
    and I set within my poetic soul
    watching to witness the darkest hour just before dawn
    I cry out to see from through my vivid imagination
    the spectrum of the Rainbow after the storm
    reflecting the blazing colors of Autumn
    highting the ultimate beauty of the Solar System
    definding the music and magic of the Universe”

    By: Van Prince

    Reply

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