Poetry, Prompts and Promises

Words Cloud 02/01-08/02 2009
Words Cloud 02/01-08/02 2009 (Photo credit: GRwitters)

Words! - They have the power to do amazing things.
 
Today is the first day of the month, which means it is the beginning of the Poem-a-Day challenge hosted by Robert Lee Brewer at Poetic Asides.  In addition, it is the first day of the fundraiser for the Center for New Americans - 30 Poems in November.  Therefore, today is the beginning of a month-long celebration of words!

What a wonderful combination - poetry to promote literacy - prompts from a great literary magazine - the promise of funding by people who believe in the importance of both literacy and art!

One thing that is different this time round, is that instead of Robert Lee Brewer giving the prompts, he has invited the poets who take the challenge to share prompts with each other.  He will post the prompt each day in November.  Today's prompt was from writer, Mariya Koleva.  What a wonderful way to begin this challenge - a great prompt and an introduction to another writer!

Here is my poem for the prompt, "matches," which could be taken any way the writer wished.  Many thanks to both Robert Lee Brewer and Mariya Koleva!
 
Utterances and Meaning
by Linda M. Rhinehart Neas 

From day one, you were determined to master this language 
that has the power to change your life 
from one of fear and darkness 
to one of hope and dreams 

You work diligently, matching sounds 
with marks on the page - so foreign to you - 
challenging your mouth to make shapes for uttering words 
that bring power to your life

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