For the NaPoWriMo prompt—if. Free verse, only punctuation the ?
rain pours
as it did yesterday
and no gleam in the sky
today is yesterday
repeated
same gestures
same damp in the air
in our eyes
no gleam
green there is
and birdsong echoing in hollows
if they flew
would we care much?
their song is all that matters
and if we don’t hear behind the double glazing?
if would should could
then why not is and will?
because they are slippery words
full of broken promises
I hold your hands tight
as if they are wings
and you might fly
with the birds and their hollow singing
would you?
if what?
you open your voice
to sing?
the glass swallows the words
you smile
I think
unless it is a reflection
long gone
Jane Dougherty Writes 
Lots of ifs here–I hope the sun comes out. 🙂
I liked the way this flowed, and these lines:
“I hold your hands tight
as if they are wings
and you might fly”
I had a look at the suggested poems ie the poems that are held up as models, and they were both the kind of poems I think of as bells and whistles poems. It isn’t a style I like, and this is as close as I shall ever get to it 🙂
I didn’t read them yet–I didn’t want to be influenced–and I suspected the Oracle would give me and if. 😉
They are the kind of poems that use stylistic quirks like running words together and using lower case i instead of I. Not to my taste at all, but it seems to be what is held up as the example.
OK. I just read them. I see what you mean. I couldn’t read the first one–too annoying, though I think there were probably nice phrases, but the s just randomly by itself? I don’t get that. 🙂
Is that the one where all the ifs are joined to the next word? If you need to pull stunts like that to make people say, wow, what a clever poem, count me a non-poet.
I don’t think I even got to the ifs. 🙂
Have you noticed that every single one of the NaPo poems begins with ‘If’?
Today’s did–you’re right, or did you mean for all six days?
No, just today’s. It’s the power of suggestion. I like prompts, but it’s true, they can lead to nudging everyone in the same direction. I had to stop myself automatically beginning with the word ‘if’.
I’m glad I didn’t read them first then. 🙂
The Oracle would have stopped the interference, I’m sure 🙂
🙂
A pool, a mirror, swirling glints of light–both sides at the same time. (K)
I suppose we always have the choice between the two sides. We just don’t always see where the light lies.
because they are slippery words
full of broken promises
I hold your hands tight
as if they are wings
and you might fly
Oh, gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! I love the imagery of those few lines. (So true, re: the slippery words as well.)
I didn’t start my poem with ‘if’! I didn’t even get to much of it either until the end. I’m still catching up and finally am at Day 6, and it took forever, and I’m still not happy with it!
https://shukuen.blogspot.com/2019/04/glopowrimo-day-6-wish-for-kitty-mao.html
Most people did start with ‘if’. Not very original unless what follows is going to be so different. I’m glad you like it 🙂 I’ll be over to read yours tomorrow. It’s past my bed time already 🙂
G’night and rest well!
Thanks! I wish I’d seen this last night—I might have slept 🙂