PROMPT by Robin Messing
This prompt is inspired by Eduardo C. Corral’s poem, “Postmortem.”
People and things leave us, and still, they stay. Deaths. Break ups. Former homes, neighborhoods, lost treasures. Sometimes we mourn. Sometimes we’re relieved they’re gone. Sometimes, we hold multiple feelings at once. Poetry is a container for multitudes and contradictions. Poetry is a container for mystery, possibilities, and inquiry—without resolution.
For this prompt, consider someone or something that has left you, yet lingers. Bring that person, place, or thing to your mind and let the resonance fill your body. Consider dipping into poetry books you love to search for words that summon the visuals and feelings that arise upon this contemplation.
Next, imagine a compassionate other who will ask you questions about your relationship with this person, place, or thing. List several of the questions you would most want to be asked.
Then, write a poem in couplets in which the first line is a question, and the companion line is an answer to the question. Aim for the non-literal. Aim toward arresting images. The answers can be questions, too. The answers channel the feelings that arise from your contemplation of the person, place, or thing. Consider combining within the answers some of the words you have previously gathered. Consider digging for more words, if needed, to help move the poem forward.
Robin Messing’s poetry manuscript, The Icy Couch, was a finalist for the 2024 Levis Poetry Prize. Her poem, “Back Seat,” won the 2022 Zoetic Poetry Prize. A selection of her poems won the 2023 Claire Keyes Poetry Prize. Her poem, “Flame,” was a finalist for the 2024 Watchword Poetry Prize. Her essay, “Writing a Redeemable Man,” was a finalist for the 2021 Gulf Coast Nonfiction Prize, the 2022 Blue Mesa Review Nonfiction Prize, and Honorable Mention for the 2024 New Millennium Writing Award. Her short story, “Drive-by” was a nominee for a Pushcart Prize. Her novel, Serpent in the Garden of Dreams, was published in 2008. She is the recipient of fellowships from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and Yaddo.
i found this so moving!!