Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Tag: #2019poetrychallenge

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
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Eight

Week 8 words from @drakeclaire: magic, wonder, love, breath and imagine.

she was magic
in a rainbow tutu
doc martens
and a cloud of fairy dust

filled with wonder and love
she would dance
under the stars
her breath frosting
the night air
with puffs of dragons

I imagine she is still
dancing there
on the outskirts of memory
with joy and delight

~~~~

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

After the challenge of last week's words it was a relief to get this week's words and have a poem fall easily on to the page.

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 1, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Eight

Week 8 words from @drakeclaire: magic, wonder, love, breath and imagine.

she was magic
in a rainbow tutu
doc martens
and a cloud of fairy dust

filled with wonder and love
she would dance
under the stars
her breath frosting
the night air
with puffs of dragons

I imagine she is still
dancing there
on the outskirts of memory
with joy and delight

~~~~

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

After the challenge of last week's words it was a relief to get this week's words and have a poem fall easily on to the page.

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 1, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Seven

Week 7 words from @claire.kirkup: pegs, save, prodigal, shaving and motel.

she pegs shadows
on broken heartstrings
in the spaces between the trees

save the best for last
her mother always told her
so she folds it deep
beneath her prodigal heart

shaving regret from the tomb
of broken memories
like peeling back
the layers of an onion

she checks into the motel
of wayward ideas
and independent oddfellows
home at last

~~~~

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

This week's words were tough. When I first read them, they seemed like a story in themselves, however, I struggled to turn them into a poem. This is my fourth attempt. I'm getting there. I'm not entirely happy with it yet but I thought I'd better post something for week seven before week eight was over!

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!

February 22, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Seven

Week 7 words from @claire.kirkup: pegs, save, prodigal, shaving and motel.

she pegs shadows
on broken heartstrings
in the spaces between the trees

save the best for last
her mother always told her
so she folds it deep
beneath her prodigal heart

shaving regret from the tomb
of broken memories
like peeling back
the layers of an onion

she checks into the motel
of wayward ideas
and independent oddfellows
home at last

~~~~

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

This week's words were tough. When I first read them, they seemed like a story in themselves, however, I struggled to turn them into a poem. This is my fourth attempt. I'm getting there. I'm not entirely happy with it yet but I thought I'd better post something for week seven before week eight was over!

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!

February 22, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Six

Week 6 words from @love_chizelle: vibrant, nostalgia, crisp, falling, perfection.

vibrant plumage of the crested parrot
sparkles in the shimmering light
nostalgia wears a feathered headdress

crisp sheets flap on the line
as I stand barefoot on the grass
feet wet from evening's dew
my face raised to the warmth of the sun
falling into perfection

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the sixth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. This week's poem is a little rushed as I am off to Canberra for my mum's 70th and got distracted by all the road trip preparations. Please enjoy it in all its unedited glory!

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!

February 15, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Six

Week 6 words from @love_chizelle: vibrant, nostalgia, crisp, falling, perfection.

vibrant plumage of the crested parrot
sparkles in the shimmering light
nostalgia wears a feathered headdress

crisp sheets flap on the line
as I stand barefoot on the grass
feet wet from evening's dew
my face raised to the warmth of the sun
falling into perfection

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the sixth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. This week's poem is a little rushed as I am off to Canberra for my mum's 70th and got distracted by all the road trip preparations. Please enjoy it in all its unedited glory!

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!

February 15, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Five

Week 5 words from @clairemosleyart: ports, river, kingfisher, chips, drive.

the gate to the sally port clangs shut behind her
ahead the river glitters in the afternoon sun
throwing diamonds of light like confetti

miniature waves ripple as a leaf sails downstream
navigating the rapids and riding the current
taking with it her prayers

a flash of blue from an azure kingfisher
catches her eye as it dives into the water
chasing a dream

she walks along the path by the river's edge
and past the carpenter's hut
chips of wood fly from the carver's chisel
a face looms from the wood
metal drives it home

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the fifth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. I really struggled with this week's poem. I'm not sure why. I found it difficult to get the words to behave and play nicely. My first attempt was okay but lacked oomph. So I turned to one of my favourite poetry writing tools – Rhyme Zone. It's brilliant and has synonyms, antonyms, consonants, adjectives and more. However, it didn't give me what I needed.

So I turned to my second poet's tool – the dictionary (I use Oxford Dictionaries online). Words often have more than one meaning. For the first word of this week's challenge – ports – I was thinking about fishing ports and the alcoholic drink from Portugal. The dictionary gave me the third definition which was the key to the poem. If you're curious the definition of a sally port is: "A small exit point in a fortification for the passage of troops when making a sally."

This is my second shot – heavily influenced by the book I am re-reading at the moment (Septimus Heap by Angie Sage, a children's medieval fantasy). I've been thinking a lot about stories and story telling lately. I've been wanting to explore stories and narrative through my poetry.

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!

February 13, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Five

Week 5 words from @clairemosleyart: ports, river, kingfisher, chips, drive.

the gate to the sally port clangs shut behind her
ahead the river glitters in the afternoon sun
throwing diamonds of light like confetti

miniature waves ripple as a leaf sails downstream
navigating the rapids and riding the current
taking with it her prayers

a flash of blue from an azure kingfisher
catches her eye as it dives into the water
chasing a dream

she walks along the path by the river's edge
and past the carpenter's hut
chips of wood fly from the carver's chisel
a face looms from the wood
metal drives it home

~~~~

Here are the words and my poem for the fifth week of the 2019 Poetry Challenge. I really struggled with this week's poem. I'm not sure why. I found it difficult to get the words to behave and play nicely. My first attempt was okay but lacked oomph. So I turned to one of my favourite poetry writing tools – Rhyme Zone. It's brilliant and has synonyms, antonyms, consonants, adjectives and more. However, it didn't give me what I needed.

So I turned to my second poet's tool – the dictionary (I use Oxford Dictionaries online). Words often have more than one meaning. For the first word of this week's challenge – ports – I was thinking about fishing ports and the alcoholic drink from Portugal. The dictionary gave me the third definition which was the key to the poem. If you're curious the definition of a sally port is: "A small exit point in a fortification for the passage of troops when making a sally."

This is my second shot – heavily influenced by the book I am re-reading at the moment (Septimus Heap by Angie Sage, a children's medieval fantasy). I've been thinking a lot about stories and story telling lately. I've been wanting to explore stories and narrative through my poetry.

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!

February 13, 2019
2019 Poetry Challenge – Week Four

Week 4 words from @teasense: sky, heart, wind, follow, crave.

my sky heart opens
the wind follows
and I crave
peace

~~~~

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

I've taken a little bit of a liberty with this week's words and used follows instead of follow. The words turned into a vey short poem. It's more of a verse really. Or a haiku if there were enough syllables but it's even too short to be a haiku. It wrote itself and when I wanted to make it longer, it resisted gently but firmly. 'No,' it said, 'I want to be short.'

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!

February 1, 2019