“Why should we tolerate a diet of weak poisons, a home in insipid surroundings, a circle of acquaintances who are not quite our enemies, the noise of motors with just enough relief to prevent insanity? Who would want to live in a world which is just not quite fatal?” Rachel Carson, Silent Spring

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The world feeds on maggots, the
Grubby leftovers of once promising
Civilizations, their streets noisy and
Congested, sickening but not quite
Fatal, at least not quickly so, and the
Company of angry neighbors and those
Mercenaries, stealing the lands of other
Peoples, hate and recrimination are the
Justifications, and no one can surrender
Shadows, projections, offenses of the “other”
Pain, resentment, for whom is it the worst?
All part of our identity tag, our “who
Would I be if it weren’t for …. ?”

© 2019, Jamie Dedes

WEDNESDAY WRITING PROMPT

Climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity are threats that combine to become even more insidious with the current zeitgeist of fear, racism, war, conflict, and genocide, all supported by hate and tradition, the Hatfields and McCoys writ large. What would happen, I wonder,  if we agreed to a world-wide emotional detoxification event, an international soul healing day? What would happen if we were to unite in letting go of the hatreds, resentments, and pains that define so many of us and that we’ve inherited? What would happen if we agree to a shared stewardship of the Earth? How might things change? Would things get better? Would we just find new offenses to impose, new things to chew on? I know that’s a lot to ponder, but these concerns are on all our minds anyway. What are your thoughts? There’s a lot of latitude here as always, but nothing that promotes hate or violence please. Tell us in your poem/s and

• please submit your poem/s by pasting them into the comments section and not by sharing a link
• please submit poems only, no photos, illustrations, essays, stories, or other prose

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Poems submitted through email or Facebook will not be published.

IF this is your first time joining us for The Poet by Day, Wednesday Writing Prompt, please send a brief bio and photo to me at thepoetbyday@gmail.com to introduce yourself to the community … and to me :-). These are partnered with your poem/s on first publication.

PLEASE send the bio ONLY if you are with us on this for the first time AND only if you have posted a poem (or a link to one of yours) on theme in the comments section below.  

Deadline:  Monday, August 19 by 8 pm Pacific Time. If you are unsure when that would be in your time zone, check The Time Zone Converter.

Anyone may take part Wednesday Writing Prompt, no matter the status of your career: novice, emerging or pro.  It’s about exercising the poetic muscle, showcasing your work, and getting to know other poets who might be new to you.

You are welcome – encouraged – to share your poems in a language other than English but please accompany it with a translation into English.

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