Charles Martinez's Blog: 2015 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 6

Yesterday, I mentioned the narrative poetry anthology that Jane Shlensky and Nancy Posey are getting together. However, three of my poems were recently published in one of my favorite online poetry publications, Otoliths. Click here to read all three of the poems.

For today’s prompt, write a “we’re being watched” poem. Humankind has really created a bunch of, umm, interesting things over the past 150 years or so. Some of it has helped save lives; some of it has helped destroy them; and some of it has helped spy on them, whether through phone taps, infrared vision, drones, online hacking, or surveillance cameras. Write a poem that touches on such things.

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Re-create Your Poetry!

Revision doesn’t have to be a chore–something that should be done after the excitement of composing the first draft. Rather, it’s an extension of the creation process!

In the 48-minute tutorial video Re-creating Poetry: How to Revise Poems, poets will be inspired with several ways to re-create their poems with the help of seven revision filters that they can turn to again and again.

Click to continue.

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Here’s my attempt at a We’re Being Watched poem:

“Crazy”

“You’re crazy. Super amplified, bona fide, Grade A crazy,”
shrugged Walt. “I mean, I can’t believe you called me
over here just to tell me something as crazy as that. I mean,
what if there’s a prowler out there on the loose still.”

“So you think Jesse was snatched,” suggested Marcus.
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” said Walt, “but why not?”
“First, they don’t have his car. Second, they don’t have
any real leads. Third, he’s a really weird dude,” said Marcus.

“Shhh…” Walt placed his hand up in front of Marcus’ face
and said, “I think I heard something.” Both listened
intently. Sure enough, there was a soft rustling below.
Then, a creaking of wood on one of the steps. Then,

another and another before a light knock. Both boys
sprang back as the hatch lifted up to reveal Barbara.

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market and Writer’s Market, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and a poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

This is his eighth year of hosting and participating in the November PAD (Poem-A-Day) Chapbook Challenge. He can’t wait to see what everyone creates this month–not only on a day-by-day basis, but when the chapbooks start arriving in December and January. Fun, fun, fun.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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