Down step again, turning down again.
I find his fastball up in my eyes,
, rosin
step again forwardown to the basement
socks, pants, shirts, towels thrown wet
together into high heat

thrown up at my neck again
backing out, thrill, flame, falling away
what will be done must
be done by me,
on my ass
up again brushing the scuff dirt away.
If he’s going to hit me he’s going to hit me.

He’s going to hit me,
the coins pushed
fall into square tin sound collected
and begin the turning tumble dry climb back
to where I live. I must live here, dig in
watch the sky, the red blur seam
the corridor walls toward and past me into the bright
white gathering sun, struck, hello I’ve been
hit. Massage pained and hold the
bat, I hold the bat, smile.
The pitcher down gathering nonchalant, dust
dry, I return down around time between me and
time I’ve returned the hot stung static
clothes shocked continue to massage my arm,
nod, hand off my bat, shrug,
take my base. Now I’ve a new endeavor.
First to second. Second to third. Third to home.
I turn the key in my door, enter, fold
, arm over chest, arm over chest
chest fold, fold again up, signal on
next up, batter up.

Today’s Red Wheelbarrow:

If it’s good enough for American Life in Poetry, it’s certainly good enough for us, neh?: laundry.

The daily Red Wheelbarrow stimulus is a prompt for making something real out of a poke, a needle, a red wheelbarrow in the rain, something that gets you to start typing, using your writing muscles in ways unusual or usual or simply simple. Get you going.

You may use the Red Wheelbarrow stimulus as you wish. I do not hold you accountable for it, nor do I take any credit for you writing or not writing that you should or would or may or can derive from it.

I would ask that if you write a poem (or novel or grocery list or help manual) using said stimulus, and if you post your work to the inter-webs, that you do your best to link back here, not because we want to flatter ourselves, but because it would be cool, and because maybe if we manage to stimulate you, we could also stimulate your cousin Bess, and that would also be cool.

Now for some housekeeping… if you want to make sure you never miss a prompt or other Bain Books Daily Poem goodness, do this: Subscribe to the feed in a newsreader or by email.

If you are feeling the love and you want to set it free, you can support the continued observation of daily red wheelbarrow stimulatedness and other daily poetry-itus by peeking at (and maybe buying) one of my books [You Are a Dog or We Are the Cat]. You could also visit me me here for fun and no profit whatsoever: bainbooks.com. You can email me here: bainbooks@gmail.com.

Blessings, and thanks for visiting. The Daily Red Wheelbarrow Stimulus is sponsored by You Are a Dog, We Are the Cat, the Daily Poem Swicki, and Rain-glazed White Chickens^®, available at finer grocery and poetry supermarkets everywhere.

tags / poem / poetry / poetry prompt / prompt / red wheelbarrow / stimulus / tags

I’ve talked often in this column about how poetry can hold a mirror up to life, and I’m especially fond of poems that hold those mirrors up to our most ordinary activities, showing them at their best and brightest. Here Ruth Moose hangs out some laundry and, in an instant, an everyday chore that might have seemed to us to be quite plain is fresh and lovely. —TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE, 2004-2006

Laundry

All our life
so much laundry;
each day’s doing or not
comes clean,
flows off and away
to blend with other sins
of this world. Each day
begins in new skin,
blessed by the elements
charged to take us
out again to do or undo
what’s been assigned.
From socks to shirts
the selves we shed
lift off the line
as if they own
a life apart
from the one we offer.
There is joy in clean laundry.
All is forgiven in water, sun
and air. We offer our day’s deeds
to the blue-eyed sky, with soap and prayer,
our arms up, then lowered in supplication.

Reprinted from “Making the Bed,” Main Street Rag Press, 2004, by permission of the author. Copyright (c) 1995 by Ruth Moose, whose latest book of poetry, “The Sleepwalker,” Main Street Rag, due out in 2007. This weekly column is supported by The Poetry Foundation, The Library of Congress, and the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This column does not accept unsolicited poetry.

Today’s Red Wheelbarrow:

Because it has just passed, and because I cannot resist the temptation to do the easy thing, I choose: midnight.

The daily Red Wheelbarrow stimulus is a prompt for making something real out of a poke, a needle, a red wheelbarrow in the rain, something that gets you to start typing, using your writing muscles in ways unusual or usual or simply simple. Get you going.

You may use the Red Wheelbarrow stimulus as you wish. I do not hold you accountable for it, nor do I take any credit for you writing or not writing that you should or would or may or can derive from it.

I would ask that if you write a poem (or novel or grocery list or help manual) using said stimulus, and if you post your work to the inter-webs, that you do your best to link back here, not because we want to flatter ourselves, but because it would be cool, and because maybe if we manage to stimulate you, we could also stimulate your cousin Bess, and that would also be cool.

Now for some housekeeping… if you want to make sure you never miss a prompt or other Bain Books Daily Poem goodness, do this: Subscribe to the feed in a newsreader or by email.

If you are feeling the love and you want to set it free, you can support the continued observation of daily red wheelbarrow stimulatedness and other daily poetry-itus by peeking at (and maybe buying) one of my books [You Are a Dog or We Are the Cat]. You could also visit me me here for fun and no profit whatsoever: bainbooks.com. You can email me here: bainbooks@gmail.com.

Blessings, and thanks for visiting. The Daily Red Wheelbarrow Stimulus is sponsored by You Are a Dog, We Are the Cat, the Daily Poem Swicki, and Rain-glazed White Chickens^®, available at finer grocery and poetry supermarkets everywhere.

tags / poem / poetry / poetry prompt / prompt / red wheelbarrow / stimulus / tags

Today’s Red Wheelbarrow:

I have no idea why, but trust me, this is a good one: The Letter X.

The daily Red Wheelbarrow stimulus is a prompt for making something real out of a poke, a needle, a red wheelbarrow in the rain, something that gets you to start typing, using your writing muscles in ways unusual or usual or simply simple. Get you going.

You may use the Red Wheelbarrow stimulus as you wish. I do not hold you accountable for it, nor do I take any credit for you writing or not writing that you should or would or may or can derive from it.

I would ask that if you write a poem (or novel or grocery list or help manual) using said stimulus, and if you post your work to the inter-webs, that you do your best to link back here, not because we want to flatter ourselves, but because it would be cool, and because maybe if we manage to stimulate you, we could also stimulate your cousin Bess, and that would also be cool.

Now for some housekeeping… if you want to make sure you never miss a prompt or other Bain Books Daily Poem goodness, do this: Subscribe to the feed in a newsreader or by email.

If you are feeling the love and you want to set it free, you can support the continued observation of daily red wheelbarrow stimulatedness and other daily poetry-itus by peeking at (and maybe buying) one of my books [You Are a Dog or We Are the Cat]. You could also visit me me here for fun and no profit whatsoever: bainbooks.com. You can email me here: bainbooks@gmail.com.

Blessings, and thanks for visiting. The Daily Red Wheelbarrow Stimulus is sponsored by You Are a Dog, We Are the Cat, the Daily Poem Swicki, and Rain-glazed White Chickens^®, available at finer grocery and poetry supermarkets everywhere.

tags / poem / poetry / poetry prompt / prompt / red wheelbarrow / stimulus / tags

The Red Wheelbarrow

William Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

The daily poetry prompt here on the Bain Books Daily Poem blog is known as the Red Wheelbarrow because so much depends upon it (we think). I post a red wheelbarrow primarily to motivate and activate myself, but there may be some benefit in it for the world (or even for you), so I share here. Let’s get started.

Today’s Red Wheelbarrow goes thuswise:

How to start your Monday: chocolate

You may use the daily poem prompt as you wish. I do not hold you accountable for it, nor do I take any credit for you writing or not writing a poem (or other literary enterprise) that you should or would or can derive from it.

I would ask that if you write a poem (or novel or grocery list or help manual) using said prompt, and if you post your work to the inter-web, that you link back here, indicating that you found the prompt here, because that would be cool and because maybe that would mean more people than just me and my dog get some traction out of the whole thingie (I used to call it an “endeavor,” but honestly it’s more of a thingie).

Now for some housekeeping… if you want to make sure you never miss a prompt or other Bain Books Daily Poem goodness, do this: Subscribe to the feed in a newsreader or by email [clicking the link will take you to a form where you can enter your email address that will never be shared with anybody ever ever ever, even if they twist my arm and offer free espresso drinks and generic Viagra].

If you’re feeling the love and you want to set it free, you can support the continued observation of daily red wheelbarrow promptishness and other daily poetry-itus by peeking at (and maybe buying) one of my books [You Are a Dog or We Are the Cat] or visiting or donating by PayPal:

Blessings, and thanks for visiting. The Daily Red Wheelbarrow is sponsored by dogs, cats, and Rain-glazed White Chickens^®, available at finer grocery and poetry supermarkets everywhere.

The daily poetry prompt here on the Bain Books Daily Poem blog is known as the Red Wheelbarrow because so much depends upon it (we think). I post a red wheelbarrow primarily to motivate and activate myself, but there may be some benefit in it for the world (or even for you), so I share here. Let’s get started.

Today’s Red Wheelbarrow goes thuswise:

Have you noticed the new word in the headline of our red wheelbarrow? You haven’t? Are you not looking at the headlines? What gives? In any case, here’s your RHS for today: stimulus

.
You may use the daily poem prompt as you wish. I do not hold you accountable for it, nor do I take any credit for you writing or not writing a poem (or other literary enterprise) that you should or would or can derive from it.

I would ask that if you write a poem (or novel or grocery list or help manual) using said prompt, and if you post your work to the inter-web, that you link back here, indicating that you found the prompt here, because that would be cool and because maybe that would mean more people than just me and my dog get some traction out of the whole thingie (I used to call it an “endeavor,” but honestly it’s more of a thingie).

Now for some housekeeping… if you want to make sure you never miss a prompt or other Bain Books Daily Poem goodness, do this: Subscribe to the feed in a newsreader or by email [clicking the link will take you to a form where you can enter your email address that will never be shared with anybody ever ever ever, even if they twist my arm and offer free espresso drinks and generic Viagra].

If you’re feeling the love and you want to set it free, you can support the continued observation of daily red wheelbarrow promptishness and other daily poetry-itus by peeking at (and maybe buying) one of my books [You Are a Dog or We Are the Cat] or visiting or donating by PayPal:

Blessings, and thanks for visiting. The Daily Red Wheelbarrow is sponsored by dogs, cats, and Rain-glazed White Chickens^®, available at finer grocery and poetry supermarkets everywhere.

tags / poem / poetry prompt / prompt / red wheelbarrow / stimulus / tags

The daily poetry prompt here on the Bain Books Daily Poem blog is known as the Red Wheelbarrow because so much depends upon it (we think). I post a red wheelbarrow primarily to motivate and activate myself, but there may be some benefit in it for the world (or even for you), so I share here. Let’s get started.

Today’s Red Wheelbarrow goes thuswise:

I was the guest speaker at Spokane’s Rotary 21 today, so the red wheelbarrow for the rest of the day is: rotary

You may use the daily poem prompt as you wish. I do not hold you accountable for it, nor do I take any credit for you writing or not writing a poem (or other literary enterprise) that you should or would or can derive from it.

I would ask that if you write a poem (or novel or grocery list or help manual) using said prompt, and if you post your work to the inter-web, that you link back here, indicating that you found the prompt here, because that would be cool and because maybe that would mean more people than just me and my dog get some traction out of the whole thingie (I used to call it an “endeavor,” but honestly it’s more of a thingie).

Now for some housekeeping… if you want to make sure you never miss a prompt or other Bain Books Daily Poem goodness, do this: Subscribe to the feed in a newsreader or by email [clicking the link will take you to a form where you can enter your email address that will never be shared with anybody ever ever ever, even if they twist my arm and offer free espresso drinks and generic Viagra].

If you’re feeling the love and you want to set it free, you can support the continued observation of daily red wheelbarrow promptishness and other daily poetry-itus by peeking at (and maybe buying) one of my books [You Are a Dog or We Are the Cat] or visiting or donating by PayPal:

Blessings, and thanks for visiting. The Daily Red Wheelbarrow is sponsored by dogs, cats, and Rain-glazed White Chickens^®, available at finer grocery and poetry supermarkets everywhere.

The daily poetry prompt here on the Bain Books Daily Poem blog is known as the Red Wheelbarrow because so much depends upon it (we think). I post a red wheelbarrow primarily to motivate and activate myself, but there may be some benefit in it for the world (or even for you), so I share here. Let’s get started.

Today’s Red Wheelbarrow goes thuswise:

I nearly forgot to post here today, so here’s the Red Wheelbarrow: forgotten

You may use the daily poem prompt as you wish. I do not hold you accountable for it, nor do I take any credit for you writing or not writing a poem (or other literary enterprise) that you should or would or can derive from it.

I would ask that if you write a poem (or novel or grocery list or help manual) using said prompt, and if you post your work to the inter-web, that you link back here, indicating that you found the prompt here, because that would be cool and because maybe that would mean more people than just me and my dog get some traction out of the whole thingie (I used to call it an “endeavor,” but honestly it’s more of a thingie).

Now for some housekeeping… if you want to make sure you never miss a prompt or other Bain Books Daily Poem goodness, do this: Subscribe to the feed in a newsreader or by email [clicking the link will take you to a form where you can enter your email address that will never be shared with anybody ever ever ever, even if they twist my arm and offer free espresso drinks and generic Viagra].

If you’re feeling the love and you want to set it free, you can support the continued observation of daily red wheelbarrow promptishness and other daily poetry-itus by peeking at (and maybe buying) one of my books [You Are a Dog or We Are the Cat] or visiting or donating by PayPal:

Blessings, and thanks for visiting. The Daily Red Wheelbarrow is sponsored by dogs, cats, and Rain-glazed White Chickens^®, available at finer grocery and poetry supermarkets everywhere.

The daily poetry prompt here on the Bain Books Daily Poem blog is known as the Red Wheelbarrow because so much depends upon it (we think). I post a red wheelbarrow primarily to motivate and activate myself, but there may be some benefit in it for the world (or even for you), so I share here. Let’s get started.

Today’s Red Wheelbarrow goes thuswise:

Today I have a story up at Common Ties titled “The Cheat.” I’ll therefore propose the following self-referential red wheelbarrow: cheat

You may use the daily poem prompt as you wish. I do not hold you accountable for it, nor do I take any credit for you writing or not writing a poem (or other literary enterprise) that you should or would or can derive from it.

I would ask that if you write a poem (or novel or grocery list or help manual) using said prompt, and if you post your work to the inter-web, that you link back here, indicating that you found the prompt here, because that would be cool and because maybe that would mean more people than just me and my dog get some traction out of the whole thingie (I used to call it an “endeavor,” but honestly it’s more of a thingie).

Now for some housekeeping… if you want to make sure you never miss a prompt or other Bain Books Daily Poem goodness, do this: Subscribe to the feed in a newsreader or by email [clicking the link will take you to a form where you can enter your email address that will never be shared with anybody ever ever ever, even if they twist my arm and offer free espresso drinks and generic Viagra].

If you’re feeling the love and you want to set it free, you can support the continued observation of daily red wheelbarrow promptishness and other daily poetry-itus by peeking at (and maybe buying) one of my books [You Are a Dog or We Are the Cat] or visiting or donating by PayPal:

Blessings, and thanks for visiting. The Daily Red Wheelbarrow is sponsored by dogs, cats, and Rain-glazed White Chickens^®, available at finer grocery and poetry supermarkets everywhere.