2010 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 1

Today begins our 30-day journey! If you’re unsure of the rules for this challenge, click here. I’m pretty flexible on things, but just contact me if you’re really worried about…

Today begins our 30-day journey! If you're unsure of the rules for this challenge, click here. I'm pretty flexible on things, but just contact me if you're really worried about something either in the rules or not in the rules.

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Usually, I kick off these challenges with some kind of get started prompt, but not this time.

For today's prompt, I want poets to take one step back and write a "closing the door" or "turning the page" poem. Feel encouraged to get creative with today's prompt (and the other 29 prompts--for that matter), but here's how I interpret this prompt: a poem that looks at where a person (or animal or thing) was and finds resolution with the fact that things won't be that way again.

If you see another opportunity that has nothing to do with my interpretation, then write that poem. Okay, enough talking; let's poem!

Here's my attempt:

"On the morning after"

Abandon this placard and grab the next;
there's always a new sign to carry us
to our secret destination. Forget
the map and hold this compass to your heart.
I understand your fear but don't agree.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

(Also, if you want to share your November PAD Chapbook Challenge pursuits on Twitter, just use the #novpad hashtag!)

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Get poetic and learn something too!
Check out Sage Cohen's Writing the Life Poetic, which is filled with inspiration and useful poeming tips and advice from one of my favorite poets.

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.