Cover the windows! Dim the lights! But not too much, because you need to get writing today and into the night (late, late, late at night). After all, today is an extra day that you only get once every four years. If you don’t write today, you won’t be able to write on February 29 again until 2012.
2012!
Seriously, can you really live without writing for 4 years?
Of course you can’t!
This is an extra day–24 hours that shouldn’t even exist. Make sure you take advantage of this little gift, this little extra bit of February.
*****
Here’s a challenge. Why not try writing a leap year poem? Either write your poem into the comments below, or send to my email (robert.brewer@fwpubs.com). If I get one or two that knock my socks off, I’ll feature them (and the poets who wrote them) in a future post. Plus, I’ll get working on one myself.
The News Commentator Speaks
I speak therefore I am
I know as you do not
Believe for I say it
Read not yourself
Think not yourself
Speak not yourself
Just let me talk
The truth as I know it
The facts as I interpret
I speak for you
I interrupt others
I state whatever
Doubt me not
Question me not
I am on a TV show
And you, are not
Okay – I’m late. Behind on my reading, but this came to me as I read your challenge. Hope you like it.
Timing…
March First was the promise –
The day he would come home.
Patiently waiting, marking the days,
Planning our future.
The letter came today.
“We regret to inform…
…killed in the line of duty
On February 29, 2008.”
Once every four years
An extra day of killing.
If this had been 2007
He would be home.
Robert, our next chance to write on 2.29.2012 will be exactly ONE month before the 400th anniversary of the birth of Anne Dudley Bradstreet, America’s FIRST published poet. Anne, Simon and family moved to our town, the original Andover, MA (now NORTH Andover)in the early 1640s and lived here until her death in 1672.
I am working on many celebrations for this grand lady who is still lost within the long, dark shadows of history. She has been hidden much too long! Her lovely words comfort, invigorate, inspire . . . they need to be read and enjoyed by more people the world over! My mission, "Celebrate Anne!"
Strange Day
Leap year an extra day
Strange odd lucky
Like identical twins or a
Shooting star.
I felt I should plan something
An event exciting
An only once every four years
Affair.
Several ideas occurred to me
Delightful happy plans
But not extraordinary enough
To suit two twenty nine.
The day brought its own event
Unexpected unusual unforeseen
I checked my 15 year old daughter
Into rehab.
Leading by example, let me share the following "Leap Year" poem with you–scribbled during my lunch break today.
"Shiny red snow shovel"
A year for leaping
from city to city
& an extra day
on the calendar
for making plans
& writing love
letters. Soon, the sun
will set an hour
later in the evening
& the snow will melt;
spring will spring;
frogs will leap
sound into ponds
& we will, too!