The Other Side of Life

I have never stopped a Blogathon in between, but desperate times call for desperate measures. With all the uncertainty around in India, getting myself to think about something funny to write about everyday is becoming harder and harder. I recognise privilege.  I know I am lucky to be in a place where things are back to normal, where we can go about our daily lives, unaffected by anything, except the minor inconvenience of donning a mask. But that still does nothing to reduce the emotional strain and guilt of not being able to be around family and help them through these really hard times. It's hard to go through news and Twitter feeds on a daily basis and not be burdened by the helplessness of it all. It's difficult to have conversations with parents and keep telling them not to step out. It's hard to hear of yet another case or yet another death in circles around us.  And I am not even dwelling too much on the thought that I have no idea when I will get to come home, with ...

THE SANITY PROMPT How are you? Last year's situation brought us to the test. It wasn't only COVID-19 that gave us a lot of stress, though it might have been the main culprit. Mental health incidents could happen at work or even at home. Many have also experienced it. Write a poem about these experiences. Occupied In March, it was shock, In April, all emotions under lock. In May, I was baking. In June, happiness faking. In July, video calls. In August, juggling many balls. In September, work took over life In October, Konmaried many a strife. In November, Mandala'd my time In December, made lemonade from wasted lime. In January, waited with hope. In February, accepted it's hard to cope. It's March, one year since we went home. Was time stuck or flying?

THE UNCERTAINTY PROMPT This a migrant’s life. There’s always uncertainty, no matter how capable we are. Write about what you feel about a current situation at work or in your life. Uncertain Poem Should it be  haiku  or should i not bother to count the syllables? Or should it be a limerick? I can make it quick And make the AABBA rhyme Simple and sublime. But it won't sound exotic. Well, I could make an acrostic poem Hope everyone sees through the mayhem Only the smart will figure out Know what the poem is about No, it's not about uncertainty Or is it? I can't say with certainty Who knows that the first letters of each Sentence will cause the big breech.

  THE CHANGE PROMPT The only constant in this world is change. Have you been affected by any changes lately? It could be your job, hobbies, or the people that you hang out with. Changes happen everyday. Is this your perspective in life? What triggers you to change? Write a poem about your changes. Change is the only constant. I propose to change our Fairy Tales. Here's Cindrella with a twist. Cinderella on Insta In 2020 lockdown, a girl named Cinderella was stuck, Living with bad roommates and even worse luck. They kept the house dirty and her OCD kicked in, She kept cleaning all the time, spreading herself too thin. Between the non-stop zoom calls and the messy house, She didn't have time to even wear a decent blouse, Tiny, dirty, ragged, overworked and tired, Her friends joked she was the maid they never hired. Then one fine night, her friends got drunk and Before they knew, an Insta live party was planned. They finally had a chance to get ready, To enjoy with others and danc...

THE ME, MYSELF AND I PROMPT Believe in yourself. Know your self worth. This is what we often hear from our families and friends everytime we confide in them. Write a poem about you. Have you been compared to someone else? How do you motivate yourself? Letter from me in Apr 2021 to me in Apr 2019 Dear P, you are not going to believe this, But right now, you are just in pure bliss. Next year, you will be making banana bread, While the world around you will be falling dead. I know, I know, this sounds very very dumb. But you just have to see what I have become. I now happily wear my best pyjamas to work, And consider a visit to the supermarket a perk. We stopped going to office a while back, The whole day is a back to back zoom attack. You know, the zoom you used rarely? Well, soon you will be off that barely. You need to sit down for the next part. Me and you are now a world apart. You hate running and all things exercise, I now run everyday under the open skies. You are probably thinkin...

The Generator Prompt   In the year of ’21, it’s time to gamble. 1. Go to http://noemata.net/pa/titlegen/. 2. Click the button seven times to generate a title. This is the title of your poem. 3. Click the button seven times to generate another title. These words must appear within the body of your poem (not necessarily in the generated order). 4. Click the button seven times to generate a third title. These words must appear within the final line of your poem (not necessarily in the generated order). 5. Write the poem. (Remember to show us the hand you were dealt!) Title 1:  Greener Rendevouz of God Title 2: Shape & Shape Title 3: Study for Drunk Path I couldn't fit in title 3. Not working out! Greener Rendevouz of God Somewhere, down in tree heaven, Green angels gather at the usual den, "How many did your human kill today? Not more than mine, I pray." "Hah, you wish, you've no clue. Mine just managed to kill a cactus too!" And so they sit around and ofte...

Still catching up. :-/  THE ANIMAL COMMUNICATOR PROMPT In honour of National Pet Day, pick an animal character from Aesop’s Fables. Write a poem in its perspective. You may choose to alter or subvert the fable, or even place the same character in an alternate setting. The Fox's Dilemma Mr Fox opened his Facebook, And said, look at that annoying jackal crook, He just checked into Martha's Vineyard, With pics of him munching grapes with no regard. Hmm, maybe it's time for a holiday, Wifey's been bugging me for one, anyway. Martha's Vineyard should do, So I can check and say, Me too! He booked his tickets and drove all the way  And checked in on Facebook on the first day. Then waited for other's to like his check-in Especially to see that jackal's chagrin. The bartender got him his first glass of wine "You must taste this sir, it's really fine." Mr Fox was delighted and posed with the glass, Before taking a sip and crying, "Alas! Why does thi...

 So much catching up to do! :-/ THE DISSATISFYING CLIMAX PROMPT Ten years ago, the first episode of Game of Thrones premiered on HBO, bringing joy to millions of fans across the world. Winter was coming, but who could have foreseen its lackluster climax?  In the spirit of GoT, write a poem about something you waited a long time for, but ultimately disappointed you. The Never-ending An year gone by waiting For the pandemic to start abating 2021 could not come any faster To put an end to the 2020 disaster 5, 4,  3, 2,  1 It just  seems like a  2020  rerun.

I am going to ignore the prompt today because it requires me to look at my draft poems. Unfortunately I don't have drafts because a) I don't write enough poems to have drafts and b) I have the inbox and draft 0 OCD. I delete stuff. A lot. So anyway, instead, I wrote a Limerick for today. Was it a cat? There once was a cat named Future, Like her name, she had an uncertain purr. You could never tell if she was awake or sleeping, Or really dead or playing dead and just peeking. Her geeky owner went by the name Schrodinger.

THE PREDICTIVE PROMPT Type “[Your name], you are…” and let your phone's keyboard suggestions finish your sentence. Use this sentence to begin an epistolary poem to yourself. (Epistolary poems, from the Latin "epistula" for "letter," are, quite literally, poems that read as letters. — poets.org) Reverse Psychology Preeti, you are not allowed  Because this is the best for you. I know you better than anyone, Better than even you too. Don't exercise, it's not meant for us. Honestly, who cares how you look, Don't get bogged by all this fuss, Just focus on chilling in your nook. Oh and don't even try to meditate. It's just a whole load of bunkum. I don't think you can handle that state, Of being peaceful and keeping mum. While we are at it, please don't eat healthy. If it all works out great, I can't handle you being happy AND wealthy AND with a perfect body weight. While we are at it, take my word, I've learnt that books are useles...

The Intoxicating Prompt Write a poem about something that intoxicates you. Jus a li'l bit drunk

The Forever Teacher Prompt If you were a teacher, what would you teach? Where? What methods would you employ? What kinds of students might you have? Remember you don't have to be constrained by the typical notions of school nor the traditional classifications of subjects. Teaching Real Life Skills How to adult like real grown-ups, How to watch movies illegally without pop-ups, How to hunt for the best hotel deals, How to diet without skipping meals, How to get a credit card with the best rewards, How to save free condiments in hoards, How to kill all your succulent plants and greens, How to pretend you're interested in different cuisines, How to take a stand when you don't have one, How to be woke and be a part of the fun, How to claim for 30 days you'll write, When day 6 already feels like a fight. Cheers Preeks

The Queue Prompt Some say queuing is part of the Singaporean psyche, whether for McDonald's Hello Kitty toys, the latest iPhone, Michelin starred hawker cuisine, or even a HDB flat. When was the last time you queued for something? What was it for, and why? How long did you have to wait in line? More importantly, was it worth the wait? Would you do it again? Write a poem about the experience. Which queue to join? Queue 1 is moving at 2 persons per minute, queue 2 at one, After a long day, the cashier at queue 1 looks like she's done And then 3 people shift from queue 1 to queue 2, All this while you were deciding what to do, If you get heads 2 in 3 times you toss a coin, Taking all this into account, which queue should you join? Well, to be honest, the equation is a wee bit tough. The number of people who look like they've had enough, Multiplied by the cashier's inherent capacity, Divided by the customer's acquired tenacity To the power of your lucky number, Should g...

THE EOSTRE PROMPT Choose a poetic form that utilises a two-part structure, such as a sonnet with a sestet and volta, or a pantun, or an anima methodi, or a twin-cinema, etc. Any form will do. Write a poem that uses this two-part form to express the idea of transformation and regeneration. I chose to do a Twin Cinema poem, meaning, each column is a poem and both columns together are a poem as well. Cheers Preeks

Day 3:  THE TOWEL PROMPT In many ways, your bath towel knows you better than anyone else might. The same could be said of your toothbrush, your loofah, your toilet seat, etc, you get the general idea.  Write a poem from their perspective. What would they say about you? How would they describe you? Can they be trusted? The Soap Story By definition, I am just alkali and oil My job, to clean dirt and soil. Like a soldier, I work hard, To be your bodyguard. I gave myself to you, But what'd you do? Use me, rub me, Be dirt free. And plot to make me a tiny dot ... .. .

  Prompt 2: What is grief, if not love persevering? Write a poem with a title that takes the form: What is (noun1), if not (noun2) (continuous verb)? Your poem attempts to answer the question set out by this title. What is Choice, if not dilemma never-ending? Great thinkers philosophise. I, on the other, am not so wise. While the greats fight the good fight, My biggest dilemma is what to watch tonight? Every night, I embark on this journey, Of picking a worthy entertainment option from many After endless scrolling and watching many a trailer, My food becomes cold and I declare this attempt a failure. Romantic? Indian? Western? Action? Mysteries? Dramas? Favourites? World War Histories? Because you saw X, you might like Y, But if you like Z, W might make you cry. You would think an algorithm must know me well. My Recommended Options? A different story they tell. Somehow they think I would love to watch horror, Not true, unless my sunny disposition has a disorder. Oh and did I tell y...

We are back! So, last year, I took part in the Singapore Poetry Writing Month (also called SingPoWriMo). Its quite simple - they release a prompt everyday for the 30 days of April. You get your creative juices cracking and write a poem everyday, share it on Instagram or on Facebook and read what others wrote.  At the end of the month, you will either be a proud owner of 30 or less good poems, or you would have made a great start with 2 really good poems and then given up. Either way, it's better than zero poems, isn't it? The other big change this time for me personally is, I am now not on Instagram or Facebook where the participants generally share their poems.  And given that I hardly have any blog readers, it means, I am writing for the sake of writing and not for likes, shares or reads. I cannot remember the last time I did that. Yikes. 😱 Well, to be perfectly honest, I absolutely see myself getting back on Instagram for this, but let's see how that goes. If an...