Immediately sending your poem to my husband. Gorgeous. Thank you so much for this community, too - I’m gutted I haven’t been around much since summer really - turns out doing a masters takes quite a lot of time 😂 but I’m still sticking around for when I can swing by and I’m super grateful for all the inspiration and connections 🥰
Eeeek a masters. I want to know about that. What is it in? You know you are a loved part of this community and can dip in and out however and whenever you like. Hopefully you know that. And you sending the poem on has properly made my day x
Sorry I totally missed this 🙈 it’s in Library and Information Services 🤓 I am really enjoying it and can already feel it being very helpful in my profession but it’s so much work haha!
Thank you Angela! I think it’s going well, though we won’t get the marks back from our first assignment until middle of Jan so I don’t know for sure yet haha!
Nelly, I just love Poetry Pals and the community here and I hope to be able to join more of the poetry circles in the coming year. I love your poem and I look forward to reading more of your poetry over the coming weeks.
I keep doing it! Did a whole Edinburgh show about leaving that side of me behind and here I am crashing into Christmas just about on the right side of burnout 🫠🫠🫠
I’m so behind 🤦🏼♀️ . Love your 100th poem Nelly, congratulations on making it there 🎉🎉🎉🎉Let’s see how this week pans out for me and whether I write what I’m supposed to write. 😜
I need your organising system! I have poems and scraps of writing across multiple notebooks and apps on my phone and in Dropbox. I also came across a lovely poem on Instagram by Raquel Franco so was thinking about using the title as a prompt “All I want for Christmas is”
Mmm nice. I like that prompt. I am definitely now not getting completely distracted by trying to find that poem, haha. Yeah it’s not too bad a system, although the Notes app on my phone is crazily full of all sorts of rubbish. And I too have far too many notebooks. What are we to do though? Notebooks are just so good.
70-odd times, in 2024 so far, I opened my notes app and made poetry. Many were jottings or false starts, saved for a rainy day. More than a few, exist in printed drafts and are labeled ‘in-progress’. Others, not many but a few, grew into shared pieces, on Substack or somewhere. Some, are in-between, mostly complete but not yet ready to leave home, still nestled in the ‘drawer’.
2023 was somewhat muted, with many more wordless days, but I feel like I have recovered my process, and grown more intentional. I have spent so much pleasurable time ‘in the poem(s)’! This is in part due to your influence, Nelly, your poetry, your prompts, and your encouragement. Thank You!
Elizabeth, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Wonderfulness. “Nestled in the drawer” - I love this description. Here’s to spending more time in the poems. The best of places to be. And congratulations on 70 odd times, and counting. 👏 xxx
Hooooraaay!! I love this and I love seeing all your poems listed together. A proper little poetry posse. Can imagine them all celebrating when new ones are added to the pack 😆 “a new member, woo, there’s room for us all here guys, there can never be enough of us, we’re all lovely and unique and we all rub off on/inspire each other, come on in!” Have I taken that a bit too far?!…
Yours is such a wonderful part of the internet Nelly. THANK YOU for being here and for all the love and inspiration you’ve poured in and cultivated this year 💛 Can’t wait to read these guys in the pic!!
Oooh, I’m so glad I’ve found you. I’m in my infancy here on Substack but a long time poetry writer and reader, and also have plans for a collection to publish (sounds so posh, right?).
Oh amazing! Well done! I went on a similar journey a few years ago and the best thing other than writing one poem a day and not stopping (not by design, it just happened!) was the community of people I've now brought with me and share my words and this incredible journey with <3 love your work!
Yes still going strong! Since around March 2022. Ten minutes on a prompt every day, I write live in a Facebook group I set up based on my book Plant Your Poetry: 365 Poems and Prompts to Grow Your Writing Habit - I never intended to keep going, I just focused on ten minutes for one day. And it seemed weird to stop. So many beautiful things have come into my life since then! I'm doing the same for 2025 here on Substack! It's amazing to meet someone on a similar journey. We'll done ❤️
My poem in response to your prompt:
When I
______
Most days, when I tell you "I'm just tired,"
what I mean is that the world has grown
heavy as wet laundry on the line,
that my thoughts have tangled themselves
into knots I cannot name.
.
When I say "I'll be there in five minutes,"
what I mean is that I'm still watching
the cardinal at the feeder,
counting his precise movements,
memorizing the exact shade of his feathers,
and yes, I know time is passing
but some moments refuse to be rushed.
.
When I tell you "It's nothing,"
what I mean is that it's everything—
it's the coffee cup you left unwashed,
it's the way autumn sneaks up every year,
it's how my mother's voice catches
when she talks about her garden,
it's the thousand tiny things
we never say out loud.
.
And when I say "I understand,"
what I mean is that I'm trying,
like a child learning to swim,
arms flailing in deep water,
reaching for something solid
in this vast ocean of meaning
between what we say
and what we mean to say.
You literally whip up poetry that would take me months Gloria. Too many lines to pull one out one I liked most but the third stanza ❤️
This is wonderful. It says so much that we don’t say.
This is extraordinary. Wow, thank you for sharing.
Immediately sending your poem to my husband. Gorgeous. Thank you so much for this community, too - I’m gutted I haven’t been around much since summer really - turns out doing a masters takes quite a lot of time 😂 but I’m still sticking around for when I can swing by and I’m super grateful for all the inspiration and connections 🥰
Eeeek a masters. I want to know about that. What is it in? You know you are a loved part of this community and can dip in and out however and whenever you like. Hopefully you know that. And you sending the poem on has properly made my day x
Sorry I totally missed this 🙈 it’s in Library and Information Services 🤓 I am really enjoying it and can already feel it being very helpful in my profession but it’s so much work haha!
Oh wow Ellen, that does sound exciting. Hope it’s going well xxx
Thank you Angela! I think it’s going well, though we won’t get the marks back from our first assignment until middle of Jan so I don’t know for sure yet haha!
Nelly, I just love Poetry Pals and the community here and I hope to be able to join more of the poetry circles in the coming year. I love your poem and I look forward to reading more of your poetry over the coming weeks.
LeeAnn, I love that you are a part of it and I really hope we get to hang out together again lots next year too xxxx
Most Days is a winner, I love it!
Congratulations, Nelly! Here's my reply to your prompting.
-
When I tell you congratulations for another 100 poems,
What I mean is "WOO YAY HOOPLA!" with a sprinkle of party emojis.
And while this is hardly poetic,
It kinda makes the poem.
I'd add confetti too, but feelings tell me this may be
a step too far.
Like the prompts you've graced us with,
Rules and restrictions free us too.
In turn, I'll woo and yay—
breaking rules we never wrote,
Yet we somehow always need.
Why do we tangle ourselves like this?
I guess that, without the weave and winding
We'd wend our way
with nothing taut to pull us back.
I'll always take confetti Martin, how can anyone not like confetti! Ha. Nothing taut to pull us back, what a glorious image. And reminder. THANK YOU x
Here is my response.. on holiday now but dedicated to my inner and very active workaholic
When I tell you I’ve been ‘busy’
,what I mean is …
I have been building barricades email by email and left no room for failure except absolutely everything outside of work
And, deep down, ‘busy’ hurts.
Oh, hello the most relatable poem EVER.
I keep doing it! Did a whole Edinburgh show about leaving that side of me behind and here I am crashing into Christmas just about on the right side of burnout 🫠🫠🫠
I’m so behind 🤦🏼♀️ . Love your 100th poem Nelly, congratulations on making it there 🎉🎉🎉🎉Let’s see how this week pans out for me and whether I write what I’m supposed to write. 😜
Thank youuuuuu
I need your organising system! I have poems and scraps of writing across multiple notebooks and apps on my phone and in Dropbox. I also came across a lovely poem on Instagram by Raquel Franco so was thinking about using the title as a prompt “All I want for Christmas is”
Mmm nice. I like that prompt. I am definitely now not getting completely distracted by trying to find that poem, haha. Yeah it’s not too bad a system, although the Notes app on my phone is crazily full of all sorts of rubbish. And I too have far too many notebooks. What are we to do though? Notebooks are just so good.
Oh your 100th poem is beautiful x thanks for making this a genuinely gorgeous place on the internet , I’ve really appreciated it x
It’s nice here isn’t it. Thank you. I’ve really appreciate you being here x
Kudos to your writing 100 poems. Your notebook is a work of art!
Such a lovely little love poem 💛
Thank you x
70-odd times, in 2024 so far, I opened my notes app and made poetry. Many were jottings or false starts, saved for a rainy day. More than a few, exist in printed drafts and are labeled ‘in-progress’. Others, not many but a few, grew into shared pieces, on Substack or somewhere. Some, are in-between, mostly complete but not yet ready to leave home, still nestled in the ‘drawer’.
2023 was somewhat muted, with many more wordless days, but I feel like I have recovered my process, and grown more intentional. I have spent so much pleasurable time ‘in the poem(s)’! This is in part due to your influence, Nelly, your poetry, your prompts, and your encouragement. Thank You!
Elizabeth, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Wonderfulness. “Nestled in the drawer” - I love this description. Here’s to spending more time in the poems. The best of places to be. And congratulations on 70 odd times, and counting. 👏 xxx
Oh, I love both poems!
Hooooraaay!! I love this and I love seeing all your poems listed together. A proper little poetry posse. Can imagine them all celebrating when new ones are added to the pack 😆 “a new member, woo, there’s room for us all here guys, there can never be enough of us, we’re all lovely and unique and we all rub off on/inspire each other, come on in!” Have I taken that a bit too far?!…
Yours is such a wonderful part of the internet Nelly. THANK YOU for being here and for all the love and inspiration you’ve poured in and cultivated this year 💛 Can’t wait to read these guys in the pic!!
Oooh, I’m so glad I’ve found you. I’m in my infancy here on Substack but a long time poetry writer and reader, and also have plans for a collection to publish (sounds so posh, right?).
Looking forward to reading more of your work!
Hurray, hurrah, welcome. Glad to have found you too xx
Oh amazing! Well done! I went on a similar journey a few years ago and the best thing other than writing one poem a day and not stopping (not by design, it just happened!) was the community of people I've now brought with me and share my words and this incredible journey with <3 love your work!
One poem a day is incredible!!! You still doing that? X
Yes still going strong! Since around March 2022. Ten minutes on a prompt every day, I write live in a Facebook group I set up based on my book Plant Your Poetry: 365 Poems and Prompts to Grow Your Writing Habit - I never intended to keep going, I just focused on ten minutes for one day. And it seemed weird to stop. So many beautiful things have come into my life since then! I'm doing the same for 2025 here on Substack! It's amazing to meet someone on a similar journey. We'll done ❤️
Congrats!!
Thank you