A while back I learned about Katie Kay Chelen’a Bad Poet workshop. During it, she encourages us to let go of perfection and write the damn poem. Or write a damn poem each day for approximately a month. She provides prompts, which really help me get over my “I don’t know what to write” struggle.
So while I’m practicing and participating in this for my 3rd year (!!), I’ll be sharing my creations here. (Here’s the start of my 2025 creations, and here’s a start to my 2024 creations.)
The Poem:
The prompt: first, to define what a good poem is. Then to write the opposite.
Criteria for My Definition:
- hits the heart
- *not a.i.*
- avoids cliche or plays with cliche
- rhythm and flow
The Poem:
what’s a bad poem?
I could ask a.i.
it would show me
soulless
playless
heartless
more shallow than
rhizoids holding
moss to rock
more lifeless than
the frozen hearts
of billionaires
I might write something
less than good
but it will never be bad
by comparison