In my mid-30’s, I was very much into running. I engaged in a training program that prepared me for a marathon. While I never ran one – I did compete in three half marathons one summer – I found great motivation in the planning and training.
So, when I saw the 2024 Poetry Marathon posted on Facebook, I was very excited. Fifteen years older has slowed me down physically. But, writing? I could do that again.
It’s been seven years since I participated in my first Poetry Marathon.
The Poetry Marathon, a yearly online event, has one goal: To write one poem every hour for 24 hours straight. In 2017, I did just that. Stayed awake for a full 24 hours, writing, thinking, revising.
This year, I opted for the 12-hour version.
To steal some motivations from the Facebook group to rationalize this decision:
When the going gets tough, the tough keep writing.
Sometimes the right poem finds you.
Write like you mean it …
And a practical, applicable saying for any day in my life:
Write a Poem, Drink Some Coffee
I did more than write, though.
Water in the Rattlesnake (Missoula)
I was inspired to learn more about the craft, so I purchased two used books of poetry, Ask Me: 100 Essential Poems by William Stafford (2014), a 2014 Oregon Reads choice, and Don’t Call Us Dead by Danez Smith (2017).
I’ve been wanting to find a cemetery for a photography session. I Googled it and found a “poor farm.” Yes, it’s a dark story in Missoula history. According to Jim Harmon, who published an article in the Missoula Current (May 20, 2018), the increasing numbers of transients, indigents, and sick in the 1880s were placed together in one spot – a poor farm. This led me down a rabbit hole of research, reading, and writing about topics not related to the Poetry Marathon.
I penned “Old Pond Road,” a first attempt to capture a fictional woman and her baby born at the “farm,” using it as a backdrop to the ironic contemporary setting of an elementary school, baseball field, ice skating rink, children’s play area, walking trail, and tennis courts – all of which were being used on a rainy June day.
I was also inspired to write a short story.
Although no traditional headstones are at the site (that’s part of the dark history), I did take some beautiful pictures.
Irises in Missoula, June 2024.
The day also reminded me that I can immerse myself in poetry all day.
Frankly, it wasn’t difficult to complete the 12 hours. The prompts were not heavy, in fact, they invite a novice writer to join at low risk. Every prompt gave choices: use the prompt, write to the picture (for our visual friends), or simply post something you are working on.
The community is the most powerful part. This is a form of publication, allowing vulnerability and asking for courage. Writers respond. Authors have a chance to connect and deepen discussions on a more personal level with other writers, if they wish.
There is something for everybody in this marathon. And, you may not even have to get off the couch.
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