Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Tag: #2019poetrychallenge

2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Fourteen

Week 14 words from @dave2718: swell, canyons, barrow, city, light.

the swell and crest of grief

rides through canyons of remorse and regret

made barren by pride and self righteous anger

I push the barrow laden with guilt and shame

towards the glittering glass city

reflected light searing my sorrow

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the fourteenth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

When I look at my finished poems it often looks like I had the whole thing planned. I can see their beauty and how it all fits neatly together. It feels like it was already mapped out in my mind and all I had to do was put pen to paper. There's no sign of my wrestling with recalcitrant words or pinning ideas like butterflies on to the page. Sometimes poems come and flow from my brain and leap on to the page. Mostly though I have a couple of attempts at writing from the week's words. Delete phrases, ideas and whole poems then start over until I get something I'm happy to share.

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge, head on over to my Instagram account (@indraniperera) where I post the words for the week on Mondays (mostly) in my story. Write a poem and post it. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

April 16, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Thirteen

Week 13 words from @g.rochlin: parallel, clairvoyant, hump-backed, shouting, study.

parallel sorrows pinned

beyond the event horizon

by clairvoyant pain

hump-backed by destiny

bereft of touch

naked of hope

shouting through anguish

sound siphoned from tongue

I study love

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the thirteenth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

This week was fun. I'm not analysing why in case the enjoyment goes away and hang out with someone else. Instead, I'm just soaking up the feeling.

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge, head on over to my Instagram account (@indraniperera) where I post the words for the week on Mondays (mostly) in my story. Write a poem and post it. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

April 5, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Thirteen

Week 13 words from @g.rochlin: parallel, clairvoyant, hump-backed, shouting, study.

parallel sorrows pinned

beyond the event horizon

by clairvoyant pain

hump-backed by destiny

bereft of touch

naked of hope

shouting through anguish

sound siphoned from tongue

I study love

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the thirteenth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

This week was fun. I'm not analysing why in case the enjoyment goes away and hang out with someone else. Instead, I'm just soaking up the feeling.

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge, head on over to my Instagram account (@indraniperera) where I post the words for the week on Mondays (mostly) in my story. Write a poem and post it. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

April 5, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Twelve

Week 12 words from @handelsit: friend, bank, hand, man, end.

I've spent my joy

in careless Autumn afternoons

now she is no friend of mine

and I must bank

on happiness instead

~

I hand over my heart

wrapped carefully

in lines of cramped

and almost illegible prose

the stony edifice of the man

behind the counter

rasps against my skin

and my pages curl inwards

to hide the end

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the twelfth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

This one was really tricky. Both the words and finding the motivation to write it. I've cheated a little as it's in two parts. I just couldn't seem to get the first two words to fit neatly in the poem so I made a separate little introduction piece.

On the weekend, however, I did an amazing poetry workshop run by Melbourne Spoken Word, The artist was Joel McKerrow and he shared his creative process and performance technique. He said the only way to write good poetry is to write lots of bad poetry and then stitch the hidden pearls together into a beautiful necklace, Well maybe not the last bit but he writes a poem a day and apparently a lot of them are crap but sometimes, there's something good. It was an amazing experience learning from Joel and I'm feeling much more motivated to write poetry!

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge, head on over to my Instagram account (@indraniperera) where I post the words for the week on Mondays (mostly) in my story. Write a poem and post it. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

March 27, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Twelve

Week 12 words from @handelsit: friend, bank, hand, man, end.

I've spent my joy

in careless Autumn afternoons

now she is no friend of mine

and I must bank

on happiness instead

~

I hand over my heart

wrapped carefully

in lines of cramped

and almost illegible prose

the stony edifice of the man

behind the counter

rasps against my skin

and my pages curl inwards

to hide the end

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the twelfth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

This one was really tricky. Both the words and finding the motivation to write it. I've cheated a little as it's in two parts. I just couldn't seem to get the first two words to fit neatly in the poem so I made a separate little introduction piece.

On the weekend, however, I did an amazing poetry workshop run by Melbourne Spoken Word, The artist was Joel McKerrow and he shared his creative process and performance technique. He said the only way to write good poetry is to write lots of bad poetry and then stitch the hidden pearls together into a beautiful necklace, Well maybe not the last bit but he writes a poem a day and apparently a lot of them are crap but sometimes, there's something good. It was an amazing experience learning from Joel and I'm feeling much more motivated to write poetry!

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge, head on over to my Instagram account (@indraniperera) where I post the words for the week on Mondays (mostly) in my story. Write a poem and post it. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

March 27, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Eleven

Week 11 words from @petedblackmore: swim, stretch, walk, hot, cold.

salmon swim upstream

leaping over boulders

and climbing waterfalls

I stretch the truth

walk around the facts

hot with shame

cold with grief

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the eleventh week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

I'm still grappling with the Poetry Challenge and my feelings of inadequacy. Self doubt crept in last week in a big way and looks fit to stay for a while longer. At the start of the year I was fired with enthusiasm and full of ideas. Now? I convince myself to put off writing for as long as possible then I drag myself to the words. Torture. Self inflicted of course.

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge Torture, head on over to my Instagram account where I post the words for the week on Mondays (mostly) in my story. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

March 23, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Eleven

Week 11 words from @petedblackmore: swim, stretch, walk, hot, cold.

salmon swim upstream

leaping over boulders

and climbing waterfalls

I stretch the truth

walk around the facts

hot with shame

cold with grief

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the eleventh week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

I'm still grappling with the Poetry Challenge and my feelings of inadequacy. Self doubt crept in last week in a big way and looks fit to stay for a while longer. At the start of the year I was fired with enthusiasm and full of ideas. Now? I convince myself to put off writing for as long as possible then I drag myself to the words. Torture. Self inflicted of course.

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge Torture, head on over to my Instagram account where I post the words for the week on Mondays (mostly) in my story. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

March 23, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Ten

Week 10 words from @louisa.bear: rose, glasses, story, leaf, violet.

a quirky flash of personality
rose from the depths
and rippled the calm surface
of her mother countenance
was that a twinkle in her eye
or the gleam of last night's
glasses, dishes and cutlery
piled in the sink
waiting

while she tidied the house
and read a story
her youngest daughter
came into the room
clutching a leaf
and when she opened
her grubby hand
a violet
crushed

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the tenth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

I've spent the last week doing not much of anything, including writing poetry. I'm beginning to wonder if I've bitten off more than I can chew with this crazy idea of posting a poem a week. It seemed like such a good idea at the beginning of the year but now? I just wanna hang out in my garden, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying my family.

However, I said I was gonna write a poem a week so here it is. The tenth poem. Make of it what you will.

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge, head on over to my Instagram account where I post the words for the week on Mondays (mostly) in my story. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

March 15, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Ten

Week 10 words from @louisa.bear: rose, glasses, story, leaf, violet.

a quirky flash of personality
rose from the depths
and rippled the calm surface
of her mother countenance
was that a twinkle in her eye
or the gleam of last night's
glasses, dishes and cutlery
piled in the sink
waiting

while she tidied the house
and read a story
her youngest daughter
came into the room
clutching a leaf
and when she opened
her grubby hand
a violet
crushed

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the tenth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

I've spent the last week doing not much of anything, including writing poetry. I'm beginning to wonder if I've bitten off more than I can chew with this crazy idea of posting a poem a week. It seemed like such a good idea at the beginning of the year but now? I just wanna hang out in my garden, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying my family.

However, I said I was gonna write a poem a week so here it is. The tenth poem. Make of it what you will.

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge, head on over to my Instagram account where I post the words for the week on Mondays (mostly) in my story. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

March 15, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Nine

Week 9 words from @shelleykrycer: multitude, plethora, vacuous, vacant, midst.

a multitude of sins gather
swept in the corner
to moulder and mutter

a plethora of vacuous voices
chime and rumble
then tumble into my ears

vacant minds gather
with glazed eyes
and in their midst
I sit

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the ninth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge.

This week's poem is a bit darker than the ones from previous weeks. I'm not entirely sure where it came from. It's the beauty of writing poetry, you never quite know where it's going to take you. Sometimes I travel to beautiful places and at other times into the heart of darkness. Words are my friends, companion and sword both.

If you want to join the 2019 Poetry Challenge, head on over to my Instagram account where I post the words for the week on Mondays in my story. Be sure to tag me and use the hashtags #2019poetrychallenge and #livepoetsclub.

If you don't want to write a poem, you can still be part of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. Send me five random words and I'll use them in a poem. Either DM me on Instagram with the words or send me an email (indrani at indraniperera dot com).

Happy writing!

March 8, 2019