It’s the last day of April, and also the last day of National Poetry Month! I have to admit, I didn’t read a poem this week. The weather was nice, the sun beckoned, and much yard work (and a little inside cleaning) ensued. But poetry isn’t something that needs to be relegated to one month of the year, of course. And with that, I give you one of the poems my alter-ego, Alex Westhaven wrote last year (raw and unedited, so excuse any mistakes):
Lovely Weather
by Alex Westhaven
Isn’t the weather lovely?
Said the grasshopper to the bee.
It is indeed, replied the bee,
and buzzed off toward his hive.
Isn’t the weather lovely?
Said the grasshopper to the ant.
Can’t stop to chat, replied the ant,
carrying a leaf on his back.
Isn’t the weather lovely?
Said the grasshopper to the fly.
Putrid scents are the best, replied the fly,
and the garbage is perfectly ripe.
Isn’t the weather lovely?
Said the grasshopper to the frog.
Hop along or I’ll eat you, replied the frog.
You’re just the right size for a bite.
Isn’t the weather lovely?
Said the grasshopper to the bird.
In one bold, heartless crunch,
the bird got himself lunch.
Lovely weather, indeed, said the bird.
******************
Thanks for celebrating National Poetry Month with us!
In other news, I’m curious about a few things regarding blog readership. I have statistics, obviously, but I’d love to hear from readers personally as well. If you have the time, I’m interested in your answers to the questions below. Feel free to comment here with your answers, or via direct message/PM on social media, or you can email replies to brazensnake@brazensnakebooks.com as well.
1. How often do you read the Snake Bites blog?
2. What would you like to see covered on the blog?
3. Is one blog post once a week perfect, too often, or not often enough for your personal tastes?
That’s it – just those three little questions. I’ll look forward to your responses!
If you’re a newsletter subscriber, it may be a day or two late this week. But it will hit your inbox no later than Friday!
That’s all for this week – until next time, happy reading/writing!
Monthly Writing Prompts:
- Prose Prompt: A man running to catch a train/bus/cab drops a red rose. A woman picks it up, and finds a note wrapped around the stem.
- Poetry Prompt: Using different color rose petals, write a poem in which the narrator picks a petal each stanza (sort of a “loves me, loves me not” rhythm/theme).
Stories and poems for each month should be submitted by the last day of that month to brazensnake@brazensnakebooks.com. The following month, one poem and one story from the previous month will be chosen for publication here on the blog, and also in our monthly newsletter. Authors will receive a flat fee of $10 per poem or story we choose to publish. Items submitted must be original, unpublished works, however we only ask for non-exclusive rights to post the work here on our blog for one year, and in one monthly newsletter.
