I’ve been dabbling in #Poemtober this month. It’s a challenge to use the daily word prompts from “Inktober” to inspire poems. Much to my dismay, many, if not most, of my efforts have been invaded by the political climate and my disgust for our current president. I feel like I need a brain rinse. Sigh…
Day 3: Bulky
Growing weight of worries
a bulky woolen sweater
itching at my skin
©Molly Hogan
Day 6: Rodent
King Rodent
hosts scores of feasting fleas.
Nourished by his dark blood,
they scuttle off
to spread his plague
throughout the land.
©Molly Hogan
Day 7: Fancy
With his fancy resorts
and fancy casinos,
he fancies he can have
whatever he wants,
do whatever he wants,
say whatever he wants.
He’s grounded in greed
mucked deep in the mire
of his own malignancy
with his fancy sycophants
dancing attendance.
I do not fancy him.
©Molly Hogan
Day 9: Throw (inspired by Linda Mitchell’s “Untitled Duplex” and the line, “Poets throw lines to clear the wreck”)
Throw me a line
a perfect image
or refrain
a lifeline of verse
to pull me
from the treacherous waters
of this new reality
©Molly Hogan
(inspired by Linda Mitchell’s “Untitled Duplex” and the line, “Poets throw lines to clear the wreck”)
This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Janice Scully at her blog, Salt City Verse. She’s sharing a wonderful quote from Thomas Carlyle, autumnal celebrations, and a heartfelt poem about stopping time and holding on to a lovely moment.
Here’s a recent lovely moment of my own–its own form of brain rinse:
Nix the comfort zone 
Molly, it is hard to focus right now but with the help of these prompts you’ve been able to use your feelings about our leader effectively. Thanks for posting the list of words. I think I will used them as prompts. Won’t it be a joy when we will no longer have to be annoyed or worse constantly and let creative thoughts be used elsewhere?
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I really do resent the amount of space that political crud takes up in my brain. Sigh. Have fun using the Inktober prompts. 🙂 Thanks again for hosting!
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A brain rinse has cleansed your sight to be as creative as you need to be. I enjoyed your political rants via poetry and ohh that autumn reflection is a glorious sight to balance the malaise of the times. Molly, I hope you have a moment to offer an image poem for my Abundant Autumn Gallery.
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I’d love to contribute something, Carol. What’s the deadline?
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Still working on the 2020 gallery but I have a wonderful #imagepoem you created in 2019 that I am sharing at #SOL20 this week.
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I’ll keep an eye out! Thanks! I’m having a hard time writing lately. I haven’t forgotten that I’d like to send you something for this fall’s gallery, but inspiration is shy right now. I’ll keep working on it!
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Hi Molly. ever-enduring this horrific year.
I’m. With. You.
And cheers for tuning the doodle prompts into poems.
A lake scene reflecting the forest season’s new clothes is what we need.
Thank you!
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Enduring is right. Some days are harder than others.
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Your poems are wonderful. It is so hard to focus on much else right now. Here’s to hoping that things change in a few weeks!
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I really would rather write about something else, but this seems to be what’s happening right now. Ah well….
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I’m glad you captured that lake picture, gorgeous. I never tire of seeing fall pics. I understand about your “turning” to our times. It is every on my mind. I like ‘Fancy’ – well characterized. But “King Rodent” is both excruciating and wonderful! Carry on!
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Thanks, Linda! This fall has been beautiful and I have so appreciated it.
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Molly, your poems are a wonderful way to respond to something which you (we all!) feel so disturbed by. Your image is superb – brain rinse indeed! What a term.
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Thanks, Sally. Unfortunately the phrase you like is too apt. My brain feels stained by all the ugliness. It’s so unpleasant.
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Molly, it’s so hard to turn off the news and look away, but I find myself doing that more and more for the sake of my sanity. “Fancy” sums up my state of ming perfectly!
And that photo! Your photos are always gorgeous, but this one is stunning! Thank you for including it as a “brain rinse” from this week’s dose of insanity.
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Thanks, Catherine. I’m so glad you had a week of celebration to focus on.
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I especially like Bulky and King Rodent. Not sure what we are going to do about the fleas or the worries! But nature helps. xo
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Nature definitely helps!
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I feel it, too, Molly. It’s hard to escape the current “political climate” and the “disgust for our current president”, but you have channeled those feeling into wonderfully clever (and darkly humorous: King rodent) creations. Your words resonate with me. 🙂
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Hopefully many feel the same way and will turn out and vote!
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I do not fancy him either! But, oh does a brain rinse sound like the perfect antidote to the ugliness “he” has pumped into our world. I didn’t join Poemtember this year. I should have. I love that you took a line from the duplex. Yay!
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As far as I know, there’s no official “joining”. I just dabble along in my notebook. Jump on in…the water’s fine! lol
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You have thrown us lots of poetic lines!
Brain rinse. I’ll have one, too, please! (I LOVE LOVE LOVE that photo!)
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Brain rinses for all! Hang in there, Mary Lee!
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All I can say, Molly, is that I’m glad poetry is there to help you process all that disgust! I’m also glad your camera helps you find beauty despite the political muck, but just the same, what do you say we take a brain rinse spa day?
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Count me in!
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Your brain rinse is sooo inviting… And your poems provide ample lines to unload many of our frustrations, especially King Rodent, thanks Molly.
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Thanks, Michelle. Doesn’t a brain rinse (as opposed to a brain wash!) sound refreshing?
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You are nailing every one, even if it’s not that fun! Look at your wordplay:
of his own malignancy
with his fancy sycophants
dancing attendance.
Also, it’s a pretty good feat to turn every single prompt word in a single, laser-focused beam of outrage. Re brain rinse, I offer this: https://myjuicylittleuniverse.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-dishwasher-of-my-mind.html
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Thanks, Heidi! That information about the brain is fascinating. I only skimmed it now, cause I’m deep in conference week, but I’ll come back to it again and look forward to reading it more slowly. Thanks for sharing!
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Love “Bulky!” Hopefully, in 13 days our long national nightmare will begin to end, though bullies may go kicking and screaming into the night and the weeks ahead. John Roberts to the rescue.
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