Phone Home

I don’t know as many phone numbers as I used to now that I only have to click on someone’s name. But I do know my own number. For this challenge, write your phone number (including the area code) down the page, one number on each line. That number tells how many words you need to have on each line. Zeroes are wild; you can have any number of words on a zero line. Get rid of the numbers for your final poem and add punctuation if you need it. Add or delete words to make the poem better too. The numbers were just to get you started. Here’s an example I wrote:

I don’t know as many phone numbers as I used to now that I only have to click on someone’s name. But I do know my own number. For this challenge, write your phone number (including the area code) down the page, one number on each line. That number tells how many words you need to have on each line. Zeroes are wild; you can have any number of words on a zero line. Get rid of the numbers for your final poem and add punctuation if you need it. Add or delete words to make the poem better too. The numbers were just to get you started.

Here’s an example I wrote:

Visiting St. Gaudens on a warm, summer day, I write about nature and man-made art. I look up and into the woods, and hear birds call. Crows, doves, chickadees, and a pileated woodpecker. I mark the early fall of leaves and know that soon snow will cover the grounds, burying everything in a shroud of winter.

Visiting St. Gaudens on a warm, summer day,

I write about nature and man-made art.

I look up

and into the woods, and hear

birds call. Crows, doves,

chickadees, and a pileated woodpecker. I mark the early

fall of leaves

and know that soon snow will cover

the grounds, burying everything in a shroud of

winter.

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

• Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 800 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!

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Kelly Bennett

and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 800 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!