Create Art Podcast

Poetry Prompt for April 24, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
I’d like to challenge you to write a poem in the form of a review. But not a review of a book or a movie of a restaurant. Instead, I challenge you to write a poetic review of something that isn’t normally reviewed. For example, your mother-in-law, the moon, or the year you were ten years old. 
2 Stars 
24 April 2023 
Not a big fan of 2020 
I rated that year at zero stars 
If I could have, I would have gone into the negative numbers  
but your system doesn’t allow for that 
Someone is upper management needs to know what happened 
I usually like to give years the benefit of the doubt 
And think about them from a different perspective 
But 2020 was worse than 2016 
And that is saying something 
So I decided that maybe I was being a bit harsh 
 And I gave 2020 1 star in 2021 
There were a lot of lessons learned in that year 
Things seemed to be getting better 
I could find toilet paper everywhere I went 
I am talking 2 ply 
And the ads for bidets didn’t interest me anymore 
Kids were back in school  
The talk of mass extinction was quashed 
And except for that one day in January 
Things were okay, not normal but okay 
In 2022 I kept my 1-star rating of 2020 
Because it seems we still haven’t learned the lessons 
We needed to learn to prevent another 2020 from happening 
And we were 2 years out 
I mean come on folks 
I know some of our family trees don’t fork 
But at least lets really look at what happened  
And not do the same shit all over again 
At some points it looked like we were going to go back 
And then I would have had to go back down to zero stars 
So here we are in 2023 
I have to say I am not recommending 2020 under any circumstances 
However, I am raising my rating to 2 stars 
We got through it, and we are here right now 
A bit smarter 
A bit larger 
And all in the comfort of our homes 
If we are lucky enough to be able to have a stay-at-home job 
We praised the essential workers 
Until the next headline came by 
We praised some of our elected officials 
Until they were found making backdoor deals as usual 
Some of us have even found our true calling 
And left the world of bosses behind 
I don’t plan on shopping here for future years 
Nor can I recommend shopping here for the future 
Look what we are leaving the young with 
The four horsemen on red bull and bottom shelf vodka  
I won’t be here for the hangover that’s coming 
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Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
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Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. . You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.

Poetry Prompt for April 19, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
Now, cast your mind back to your own childhood and write a poem about something that scared you – or was used to scare you – and which still haunts you (if only a little bit) today. 
Summer Nightmare 
19 April 2023 
The heat had settled in for the season 
We were sweltering although the sun had gone down hours ago 
When building the house 
It was decided not to have central air or a basement 
Our neighborhood was rumored to have been built on a gravesite 
For the indigenous population 
It was the type of rumor to keep kids in at night 
But some rumors need to be heeded 
It was another night of sweating 
With the hum of fans that put us to sleep 
I knew I was dreaming 
Only to wake up to the sound of a broken window 
I peered over to my window 
The drapes were opened when they should have been shut 
And a figure was standing outside 
Readying what appeared to be a bow and arrow 
I heard a swoosh and then a thud in the wall  
Right above my stomach 
And then I sprang up 
Breaking the shaft of the arrow 
And ran to my parents' room 
I forgot about the fan in my startled state 
And ran right through the fan 
Slicing up my knee and leg 
Waking my father who took me to the bathroom 
We cleaned off the blood in the tub 
And I frantically told him what happened 
I had awakened everyone in the house 
As we turned on the light in my bedroom 
We found the window intact 
The drapes pulled back 
But no broken shaft 
Just two arrowheads lodged into the wall 
Right above where I slept 
My father thought I had planted the arrowheads 
As one could find them easily in our neighborhood 
And decided to yell at me for breaking his sleep 
Telling me this was all in my wild imagination 
When we moved away years later 
The arrowheads I recovered from that night 
Were lost in the move 
But I still can feel the figure pursuing me 
And I always make sure the drapes are closed  
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Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. . You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.

Poetry Prompt for April 18, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
Cafeteria: Create a poem inspired by the people who might be eating lunch in a cafeteria at school or at a hospital. 
Chicken Enchilada  
17 April 2023 
I was back in Illinois 
Not my hometown or the city I adopted 
But a small-town dependent on the base 
I had just puddle-jumped from St. Louis 
When in processing was done 
And I had raised my hand when asked  
Who was a musician 
I was whisked away to a special squadron 
A small group of us who raised our hands 
Stood in the day room of the squadron 
We were given rooms  
And a tour of our new temporary home 
We were told to drop off our luggage 
And return later that afternoon 
So, we all silently went to our rooms 
I knew at that time to pack lightly 
To tread lightly on this Earth 
And as I opened the door to my new home 
My new roommate was not there 
Heading back down to the dining facility 
I wanted to have a few moments of solitude   
I’d just spent 6 weeks living with 50 other soon-to-be men 
And my sociability jar had been exhausted 
Working my way through the food line 
Looking over my shoulder 
Waiting for a training instructor to slip in behind me 
And scare the shit out of me 
My head was on a swivel  
I grabbed the bare essentials for lunch 
Not wanting to draw attention to myself 
I crawled into an empty booth 
Breathed deeply and went to work on the food 
I tasted my food 
It had been weeks of rushing to shove groceries down my throat 
But now I had nowhere to be, no one to answer to for a few minutes 
I savored each bite 
It was at that time I was overcome with a feeling of certitude 
I felt that the decision was right 
It had been one of the first times I felt this way 
And the food cemented my feeling 
I am not sure how long I sat alone in that booth 
Others came and went without much fanfare 
My comrades in basic training found me 
And we all sat quietly  
Deep in thought 
Living like the kings we told ourselves we were 
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Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
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Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. Yo

Poetry Prompt April 17, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
Signs of the Times: How has a place you are familiar with changed over the past 10 years? 
Pacifying Uptown 
14 April 2023 
I lived in this neighborhood for a year or so 
Top floor, facing south, seeing Wrigley Field from a distance 
Two blocks from the Green Mill 
And the Red Line El 
Someone in the neighborhood had rescue greyhounds 
They would walk them around 
Stop for coffee and water at the local Starbucks 
The one that had a drive by when I was with my girl at the time 
A great Mexican restaurant that was open late 
Due to all the bars in the area 
Grabbing my first real horchata  
And just steps from Montrose Beach 
But I moved away 
To be with my wife 
To start a new life 
But I can’t let go of the place 
So I signed up for the Uptown Facebook group 
And I get notifications daily 
The Uptown Theater that had been closed for decades 
Being revamped and reopened 
Meaning that the bookstore next door 
Had to clean up its act or move out 
That bookstore stank of cigarettes and cat piss 
 Is no longer there 
Not able to get enough Chantix to quit their habit 
Not able to keep up with the bigger bookstores  
That closed down before I left 
I miss this place 
Even though I wasn’t there that long 
Moving through the crowds 
And having my doc just a few blocks away 
Having my dentist who played the rat Packs greatest hits 
And picked up conversations started months in-between visits 
I didn’t have to drive anywhere 
Even to get groceries 
Jewel, pronounced with an S at the end 
Again, was mere steps away 
But now they have changed the feeling 
They have changed the stores 
The rents have gone through the roof 
Now there is no one there I know 
The shops don’t have the same feel 
Even the thugs that did the drive by have moved away to the burbs 
I’d never move my family back there 
It would be cost prohibitive 
It would be safer than when I lived there 
But it isn’t the same space 
It isn’t as special as it used to be 
Its tame and expensive 
And the reason why I lived there  
Was not for safety, was not for being tame 
I wanted to have excitement 
I wanted to have stories to tell 
I wanted different things than I do now 
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Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.

Poetry Prompt for April 16, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
First Car: Write an ode to your first car 
Old Baby Blue 
13 April 2023 
You did run like a scolded dawg 
That Marine was right 
To think I could have purchased my mid-life crisis car with busted rings 
For the same price as you 
I wouldn’t have been able to sleep in that car 
Nor could I fall asleep at the wheel 
And safely get through Bloomington Illinois 
Changing highways in the middle of the night 
The stereo system I bought for you  
Cost more than what you were worth 
And you reminded me when it rained 
And the DIY sunroof flooded and collected fish 
I drove you to escape from where I was 
I drove you to Texas to escape where I came from 
I drove you until something flashier caught my eye 
And then I sold you for a motorcycle 
Because I had only crashed 2 other motorcycles in my life 
So that seemed like a fair trade 
You never started up again 
When all the paperwork was done 
And your new owner took possession  
You refused to be traded away 
And as I crashed another motorcycle 
There you stood stoically in the parking lot 
Reminding me that I would still have transportation 
Hoping I would come to my senses and take you back 
But no, I was young back then 
And flashy new things, which was everything 
Took my attention away from you 
And I bought a shiny new red compact car 
It looked like a clown car when I stepped out of it 
And that car drove me away from Texas 
From you 
From the memories we made 
Sometimes I seek out your relatives 
I look at what others have done with your kind 
And I miss our days together 
You were protecting me 
Me fixing another alternator for you 
Changing your oil from inside the cab 
Hearing that 302 engine roar 
Wishing it was in a Mustang 
But was resigned to hauling around my possessions 
You were my first old baby blue 
And I’ll never forget your shag carpet interior,  
your tinted moon windows  
The swiveling captain chairs 
And the fish tank turned sunroof 
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Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.

Poetry Prompt for April 15, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
Fast Food: Write a poem about fast food restaurants and experiences. 
After The Casino 
11 April 2023 
Driving through the fog of West Virginia 
Taking the backroads because my car can’t do 75 
Before everyone and their brother had cell phone coverage  
We both struggled to keep our eyes open 
We should have probably grabbed some food on the way out of the casino 
We had both won a tidy sum that paid for the trip and the rent for the next two months 
We didn’t notice when we crossed back into Virginia 
Because at night, most states look the same 
With the last cigarette tossed out of the window 
And a few hours until we arrived at home 
We pulled over at a gas station and Waffle House 
Conjoined at the hip  
The sun was still a few hours away 
We entered the gas station and purchased our brand of addiction 
Relived ourselves in the grimy bathroom 
And found a seat in the empty restaurant 
The sounds of the bells and whistles 
From the plethora of machines drowned out the waitress 
And it took longer than it should have to take our order 
All three of us were tired 
But only 1 was being paid to be here 
And it wasn’t my passenger and I 
My passenger stated his order  
as I was downing the first cup of coffee 
Then it was my turn to interact 
Mindlessly I ordered breakfast and some soup 
The waitress appeared to me 
Muttered crackers? 
And thinking she was referring to us 
Two white boys in the middle of the night 
Driving a car in need of serious repair 
Smelling of smoke and speaking loudly 
We both broke out in laughter 
The waitress asked what was so funny 
I replied you called us crackers 
No, crackers for your soup is what I asked 
You boys look a little rough tonight how far have you got to go 
We let her know and talked to her till the sun rose 
We were well fed 
Energized from the copious amount of coffee 
Ready to take on the final leg of the journey 
And to this day, when either of us hears the word crackers 
We are transported to that night 
Somewhere between West Virginia and home 
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Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.

Poetry Prompt for April 14, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
Weirder Than Fiction: Think of the most unbelievable moment in your life and write a poem about the experience. 
Just Passing Through 
11 April 2023 
I had just got on the last bus headed for home 
It was dark, and cold, and since the windows were tinted  
I felt blind to the outside world 
My carryon was in my lap 
Turning on the overhead light 
I noticed that the passenger next to me was reading 
I pulled out my borrowed copy of a book 
The author isn’t important 
Someone I should have been enjoying 
But this was not a good book to start with 
When my seatmate heard my yawn for the fifth time in 10 minutes 
He asked me what I was reading 
When I showed him, he asked if was it my first time with this author 
Yes it was and I wasn’t enjoying it at all was my response 
I let him know it was a borrowed book from a friend who thought I’d dig it 
But it just wasn’t working for me 
The passenger opened his carryon bag  
Handed me another book by the same author 
Here read this, it moves faster than the one you have 
I tried to politely decline since my stop was in 5 hours 
If you don’t finish take it with you  
You can give it to me the next time you see me 
I thought this was preposterous but accepted is offer 
So, I read with amazement for 5 hours until my stop 
As I got up to leave, I tried to hand the book back to him 
He said nope, give it to me when we see each other again 
I offered to pay for the book 
Again, he declined and said to give it back when we see each other 
Taking the book to the place at that time I called home 
My mother told me she wanted no books 
From Satanists in her house 
She wanted to throw it out or burn it 
But I let her know it was on loan and it was expected to be returned 
She said I had met a devil on the bus 
I said I had met a human 
Causing the trip home to be contentious  
Two years later I found myself on another bus 
Again, the last one out of the station 
I made sure to bring the borrowed book 
And just like that, he was there 
I sat next to him and held out the book 
He smiled and said great you are ready for book two in the series 
He took the book I borrowed and replaced it with the new one 
I asked when he wanted it back 
He just closed his eyes and fell asleep 
I haven’t been on many cross-country busses since then 
But I always keep the copy he gave me in case 
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Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.

Poetry Prompt April 13, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
Sound of Silence: Take some inspiration from the classic Simon & Garfunkel song and describe what silence sounds like. 
No Thing
10 April 2023 
Laying down, ready for sleep 
The fan is set for high (even in the winter) 
And the music is set for introspection through jazz 
Drowning out the usual high-pitched squeal that has become my swan song 
I am prepared to enter the ethereal lands 
Being alone with my thoughts 
Is the quickest way to insanity 
The voices that plagued my mother 
Descend with vengeance 
Ready to eliminate any respite shown me 
Nightly I sonically excavate 
The landscapes of my awake and sleeping mind 
Reliving mistakes I have made 
And paying for them dearly 
In ways only my mind can torture me 
One moment would be nice 
To be able to turn off the thoughts and dreams 
To not think, fear, be anxious 
Just that total blankness of a new sheet of paper 
Or an empty canvas 
I do not afford myself such luxuries 
But to have that one moment 
Where nothing comes in or goes out 
Would only fuel the idea 
That my brain is flawed 
That the internal demons  
Who wanted to silence this voice  
Have won the war against me 
There will be no peace in our time 
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Or Subscribe Here
Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.

Poetry Prompt April 11, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
Weirder Than Fiction: Think of the most unbelievable moment in your life and write a poem about the experience. 
Todays Poem
Greyhound Pimpin 
5 April 2023 
The cheapest way to see the country 
With people, you probably will never meet again 
I was on the East Coast heading out west 
To the city of Sun Phoenix to visit a friend 
After pushing off the homeless guys 
Begging for smoke or spare change at the depot 
I got into the bus where all the seats are coach 
Towards the back, near the bathrooms 
The slight smell of antiseptic and piss soaked into the cloth seats 
We pulled out of there 
Just to stop again, and again, and again 
Gaining more and more people  
Dropping off others 
The miles crawled by 
We got to Atlanta that night 
Time to switch busses 
Time to find my bags 
And tote them over to our new driver 
The same bums begging for change followed us 
Like there was an ATM on board 
And naturally, we were all well off 
Seeing the country the cheapest way possible 
There was a couple already occupying the back seats 
And I sat in front of them 
The smell had changed from cleaner and piss 
To sweet sweet rotgut 
With a hint of patolli 
So, I gave them my spare pack of smokes 
And at each stop, we stood off from the others  
And huffed our way to bliss 
The driver came to the back more than once 
Complaining about the smell and noise 
I could play straight easily 
But they were true amateurs 
By the time we got to El Paso 
The cops were waiting for them 
As we left the bus for another round 
They were taken in 
And I puffed on a smoke a stones throw away 
They waved goodbye 
And I said till we meet again 
I got back on that bus 
And changed seats 
Trying to outsmart the driver 
When we were stopped at the border security station 
I thought they were coming for me 
They pulled off a few who looked darker 
Than those in the land of the free 
They didn’t wave at me 
And I didn’t say goodbye 
They were lost in that New Mexico sky 
We pulled into Phoenix 
The heat was still on high  
The city didn’t care if it was the middle of Fall or Summer 
It was hot all the time 
And there was my friend waiting in his Mercedes 
The bums from Richmond and Atlanta followed us 
And started to beg again 
When they tried to wash his windows 
He pulled out his gun 
They scurried off like mice 
And we headed to the nearest strip club 
Sign Up for the Create Art Podcast Newsletter
 
Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.

Poetry Prompt for April 10, 2023

History of National Poetry Writing Month
National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada.
This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project.
My History with National Poetry Writing Month
I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021.
What I am doing differently for Poetry Month
For 2023 I am not going to be just writing poems in April, I will be writing poems all year round. Also, since I will be writing all year round, I am using a different source for my prompts. There is a blog called Think Written and you can find it here. I will also be performing these works at Katora Coffee House here in Fredericksburg Virginia on their Friday Night Snaps Open Mic Poetry reading. Some of the podcast episodes you will hear will be a live recording of me reading the poem to a live audience, other times I will be reading it in the comfort of my home studio. I do plan on posting my work to the NaPoWriMo site and interacting with the poets there and see if they want to read their work on this podcast.
Todays Poetry Prompt
People You Have Known: Make each line about different people you have met but lost contact with over the years. These could be old friends, passed-on family, etc. 
Todays Poem
No Longer In Communication 
4 April 2023 
To Jeff, you were the subject of my first attempt at poetry, four-line stanzas four stanzas long, all these words on paper and electrons floating throughout the universe hold the code that is you 
To Katina, working with you at the movie theater was bliss, kissing you in the back of the shop with the lights off was magical, and hearing how you kept the baby of your rapist still angers me that you had to make that choice 
Mike D, your family invited this stranger in, and for years you were that little brother that became successful, except you, couldn’t put that bottle down, so I put you down, that’s the way I detach and preserve my sanity 
Kelly, the eyes are what I remember the most, the drunken nights and the way you brought other men to bed have been forgotten, but as you changed your ways and became a mother, your life was taken away, and now I can only guess where to send flowers 
Mr. Hoppe, that stoic man, demanding that these rednecks produce a sound that the gods recognized our importance, you left for Arizona, I wanted to go with you, and I made it out there never to find you 
Gordon Odegard Director, GOD for short, your breath stank of dog shit, but you inspired this kid to believe in something greater than religion, greater than science, you made me believe I could make a difference, and ensure that the audience could see the actors eyes 
Albert, you probably wouldn’t have been proud of my stereo setup, but you would be proud of the impact of my music collection on our nephew, you gave me the love of music, good music, and showed me how to sing while driving, I wanted to come to your funeral, but I was working 80 hour weeks and had no reliable transportation 
Tommy, my hippie grade school pal, sneaking off to your house to listen to KISS records and play with your toys was the first time I ran away from home, your spasms and outbursts have a name now, and my daughter has them, I hope you are alive, but I am too afraid to find out 
To she that cannot be named, I was in a bad spot, you took advantage of it without knowing what you were doing, I wasn’t honest with you and to this day I am still not honest with others who wonder why we don’t speak, you will probably never read this and that is fair I wasn’t ready for a one night stand nor was I ready to be the lead singer of your brother's death metal math prog band 
To the Lt Col who took a long stroll off a short pier, what you inspired in me keeps fueling my work, I won’t stop until I can achieve half of what you have 
To Moses, otherwise known as Mr. Heston, we don’t have latrines in the Air Force, we have full-service restrooms and please tip the towel boy on your way out, by the way, guns do kill people and your legacy is tied to the fools you would not suffer when you were alive 
Sign Up for the Create Art Podcast Newsletter
 
Reaching Out To The Podcast
To reach out to me, email timothy@createartpodcast.com I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation.
Email: timothy@createartpodcast.com
YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel
IG: @createartpodcast
Twitter: @createartpod
Special Message
If you have found value in this podcast please feel free to share it with a friend as that is the best way to find new podcasts. I want this to be a 5-star podcast in your eyes so let me know what you would like to see. Speaking about sharing with a friend, check out my other podcast Find A Podcast About where I help you outsmart the algorithm and find your next binge-worthy podcast. You can find that podcast at findapodcastabout.xyz.