Before & After
Existing in a dual harmony that is equal parts heartwarming and terrifying, they remind us of the passage of time and how sensitive we are to its changes. To be in the before, there must be an awaited after; to be in the after, there must be an abandoned before– two opposites that cannot exist without the other, or the space in between that transforms them. In your poetry this month, explore the tensions that surround a moment rather than the moment itself: the before and the after.
You may write any poem relating to ‘before’ or ‘after,’ but we strongly encourage you to follow one of our prompts below.
BEFORE
BEFORE 1: write/submit a poem written (about) the moment immediately before a moment of significant change or disaster in your life.
BEFORE 2: write a poem about a time you had to stand before something or someone.
BEFORE 3: write a poem about a time right before you left a place or a person.
AFTER
AFTER 1: write a poem about whomever/whatever/wherever you were named after.
AFTER 2: write a poem about how you think your life will play out after reaching a certain milestone.
AFTER 3: write a poem about a song after which hearing for the first time, you were never the same.