“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!

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If you get another chance,
don’t try harder and longer
don’t shoot for perfection
forego known stresses and strains

Throw caution out with the trash
make mistakes and skip Mass
giggle at everything or nothing
be a champion risk-taker

If you get another chance
eat lots of birthday cake
laugh out loud and
cry when you need to·

Kiss the earth and hug the sky
travel as light as you can
coddle your feet in sensible shoes
never ever live without a cat

If you get another chance
savor the beach and its sands
get high on the scent of bread baking
swim at sunrise and dance at dusk

Be sure with another chance
to take more lovers
make more babies
and never marry or tarry too long

if you get another chance, be the youest You!

© 2011, Jamie Dedes

Originally published in Brooklyn Memories

WEDNESDAY WRITING PROMPT

An easy prompt this week: What would you do – differently or the not – if you got another shot at this life. Tell us in your poem/s.

• 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

PLEASE NOTE:

Poems submitted through email or Facebook will not be published.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, December 16 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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Jamie Dedes. I’m a freelance writer, poet, content editor, and blogger. I also manage The BeZine and its associated activities and The Poet by Day jamiededes.com, an info hub for writers meant to encourage good but lesser-known poets, women and minority poets, outsider artists, and artists just finding their voices in maturity. The Poet by Day is dedicated to supporting freedom of artistic expression and human rights and encourages activist poetry.  Email thepoetbyday@gmail.com for permissions, commissions, or assignments.

About / Testimonials / Disclosure / Facebook / Medium

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Recent and Upcoming in Digital Publications: Five by Jamie Dedes on The World Literature Blog,  Jamie Dedes, Versifier of Truth, Womawords Literary Press, November 19, How 100,000 Poets Are Fostering Peace, Justice, and Sustainability, YOPP! * The Damask Garden, In a Woman’s Voice, August 11, 2019 / This short story is dedicated to all refugees. That would be one in every 113 people. * Five poems, Spirit of Nature, Opa Anthology of Poetry, 2019 * From the Small Beginning, Entropy Magazine (Enclave, #Final Poems), July 2019 * Over His Morning Coffee, Front Porch Review, July 2019 * Three poems, Our Poetry Archive, September 2019

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“Every pair of eyes facing you has probably experienced something you could not endure.”  Lucille Clifton