This week, please write a poem about letting go— It might be either a single dramatic act or it might be a series of small releases, a break finally made.
Consider what is being let go of. Is it a belief that you once held? A version of yourself that you have moved beyond? A habit you no longer have? An unpleasant memory that you have finally shaken? A friendship that no longer exists? A hope that you no longer carry? A fear that you have found a way to master? A love that you realize has ended?
Perhaps somewhere in your poem those of you who love nature could use an image from the natural world as a comparison to something in your own life: Trees letting go of their leaves in fall, ice thinning on a lake, daytime 'letting go' and easing into night, stars fading as morning comes, a snake shedding its skin. If one doesn't work itself naturally into your poem, forget it. I couldn't work one into mine, but it is an idea. Smiles.
Allow the poem to exist in the aftermath. Is anything lighter for you after you have let go? Is anything still unfinished? What remains unexpectedly present despite having let go? Resist explaining the loss or the choice. Let the story tell itself, and leave a bit of space for the reader to reflect on what it means to you.
I really did not find example poems that would work perfectly for this prompt. But here are a few that may stir your mind.
"In Blackwater Woods" by Mary Oliver
"The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell Berry
After you have written your poem, post it using Mr. Linky below, and remember to visit other poets who link their poems. Mr. Linky will remain active until Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
