Poetic Blueprint

Blog by Dana Latisha Young

A.K.A Day Love

This blog is about all things poetry. I will post my own poetry and write articles about ways for people to write, edit and publish their own poetry. There will be interviews also with poets. There will be poetry tips and words of encouragement also.

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  • Life or Death

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    Poem by Dana Young

    In my two hands I carry two words:

    Life and Death

    Life in my right hand and Death in my left

    It seems for so long I’ve been holding onto

    death for dear life

    Giving up on my hopes and dreams

    And living as if I was already dead

    Not wanting to embrace any part of life

    For fear that I would enjoy it

    And then lose it

    In some way.

    Going through the motions but not truly feeling alive.

    A zombie, feeding off of my dreams

    and destroying my mindset.

    Life has been neglected, overlooked

    Hidden in my right fist,

    Begging for a chance to be noticed.

    For too long life has been my back up plan

    A sidekick in my life journey where

    Death was the hero, the main character

    In my fantasy.

    While life waited on the bench,

    hoping for a chance to play in the game.

    Wait-listed, archived, hidden away

    Today, I am revealing my right hand

    And giving myself a chance to experience

    What I buried away long ago.

    Life

    QUOTES

    You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

    “Life is very interesting…in the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.” – Drew Barrymore

  • Poetry Challenge

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    Challenges can be fun and a great way to interact with people. This challenge in particular I will call the “Poem Topic Challenge.” The rules of the challenge are for someone to write or say one word. Just one. That one word is what the poem will be about. The challenge is for the writer of the poem to write a poem based on that one word. And for the reader to think of a word to write or say.

    For example: Word: Love

    Love

    That feeling that overwhelms me whenever I think of you

    Warm, comforting, and everlasting

    You hold me in your strong arms

    as our hearts beat as one

    Poems can’t describe the serenity of your love

    The blush on my cheeks from your teasing

    The permanent smile that graces my face

    The oxygen that leaves my lungs, temporarily

    As I reciprocate your kiss, again

    For the thousandth time

    While silently hoping for thousands more.

    I’m drowning in your love

    Coming up for air just to deep dive once more.

    I’m an expert swimmer

    An Olympic Gold medalist in loving you.

    Freestyle poem by Dana Young, based on the word “Love”

    Ready to start this challenge?

  •  Thank You for The Bad News

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    Poem by Dana Young

    I appreciate your honesty

    Even when it flows from reluctant lips.

    Lips that love to speak praises and encouragement.

    Never wanting to fracture my previously wounded heart with unwarranted 

    Constructive criticism.

    So you hide behind your smile.

    Unaware that the truth is in your eyes

    Eyes like shimmering pools of water,

    Reflecting my inner turmoil. 

    As my fear of failure and my doubts

    Are revealed in every part of my body. 

    Reflected in the way my hands make fists, and my bottom lip is tucked between my teeth

    Bitten like my nails the night before

    This conversation.

    The fear of the outcome weighing heavily on my mind. 

    My thoughts clashing, begging for a truce.

    An end to the madness.

    Begging for a moment of peace. 

    In this moment of silence, 

    A strange kind of solace appears

    Almost peaceful

    Briefly, until one sentence from you shatters the calm surrounding us

    Putting a halt to my runaway thoughts.

    “Sorry, I know how hard you worked on this but-”

    The sentence hangs in the air,

    Unfinished, but the ending is obvious 

    In the way the downward tilt of your mouth

    And the sadness in your eyes reflects pity.

    It’s hard to say the words that you know will crush me

    And fuel my doubts.

    After my artwork was rejected again.

    But I still appreciate your honesty 

    Especially when it comes from reluctant lips

    Lips that hesitate before speaking the truth

    In your attempt to protect me

    From bad news and from myself.

    An old drawing of a sitting area in a Mall

  • Spaghetti and Meatballs

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    Daily writing prompt
    Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?
    View all responses

  • April showers bring May flowers

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    Poem by Dana Young

    But June brings hints of green and sunny smiles

    And July brings me closer to the warmth of August

    The bluest skies with silent clouds

    That break and rain down with memories of 

    A summer day

    Where troubles and sunshine fade away. 

    Where the scent of leftover rain stirs in the silent air

    And a new and brighter day appears

    The heated pavements echo with the sounds of eager footsteps

    Headed to their destination

    Each step forward brings separation 

    From the past directions.

    September is brown leaves and windswept dreams

    And many new beginnings it seems

    Impossible to achieve it all

    Then winter frosts the ground like a giant cake

    And New Year follows and the drop of a ball

    Symbolizes a newer year

    Different than the ones before, hopefully.

    A year where you release your truest self and become free.

  • Freedom

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    Poem by Dana Young




    They tell her she won’t make it, that she won’t succeed.
    That she should give up everything she believes.
    Everything she hopes to achieve.
    She’ll never make it because she lives on the streets.
    People say as they look at her and then away.
    Pretending they don’t see her. She’s see through, like glass.
    To them, but she wears a mask.
    Hiding behind a wall of despair.
    She walks on as if she’s not there.
    A ghost, roaming the earth,
    unfinished business she had since birth.
    All alone, reaching out for a helping hand.
    Asking people for spare change,
    Holding out her hand, just to get it smacked down.
    She climbs up the poverty ladder just to get pushed back down.
    People shake their heads as they walk past.
    Embarrassment for her disguised as they laugh.
    She has needed a bath for years.
    The dirt on her face reveals the path of her tears.
    She has long since silenced her ears,
    blocking out the cruel music of profanity and laughter.
    Pretending that it doesn’t matter.
    That she can’t climb that poverty ladder.
    That she is starving and no one seems to care.
    To them she’s not there.
    She thinks it’s not fair,
    Her life is going nowhere. Nowhere.
    She cries for herself and all that she lost,
    the  pattern of going from Boss to Boss
    until she lost
    her career
    So she cries, silently,
    but knows that one day she’ll be free.
    Not of this world,
    but free of these streets.

    Amidst the chaos of many buildings, the homeless seek shelter on sidewalks and against buildings. No direct pics of homeless people taken for privacy.

  • Brainstorming Poetry Topics

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       Sometimes it is very hard to figure out what to write about. It’s like the words are at the tip of your tongue or at the forefront of your brain but there is a blockage. 

    My best writers block trick is to use what you experience. Whatever you are going through in the moment, any emotions that you are currently feeling. They are raw, passionate and real. Use them.

       Sometimes I write in a backwards way. I don’t create a name for the poem or even think of the topic. I just start to write about whatever emotion I’m feeling or whatever is weighing heavily on my mind. After I write the poem then I backtrack, read the poem and come up with the name.

       It’s a great idea to be in a comfortable space. It can be in a quiet room, or even in a public setting with noise cancelling headphones. It’s good to have a moment alone with your thoughts because that drives your writing.

       Sometimes it helps just to start. Write something. Anything. Even if you don’t like the direction that it’s going in. Drafts can be rewritten or fine tuned before publishing.

       One thing to remember is that you don’t have to stick to a particular writing style or structure. It’s okay to write in a rhyming style or even free hand with no rhymes. The point is to just get your thoughts onto paper. The flow and structure will start to develop as you write.

       These are some of the tips and tricks that work for me when I am experiencing writer’s block. I hope that these tricks can work for any writers that are struggling to write.

  • Poetry is My Oxygen

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    I live and breathe poetry. I’ve been writing poetry since I was 11 years old. Over the years my poetry has changed. Back then I wrote poems about boys, school, and my life as a kid. Now I write about whatever inspires me.

    So many topics to choose from. I write from within. My deepest thoughts form words and fight to be first on the page. Sometimes my thoughts flow faster than my pen writes.

    I have always loved poetry from the moment I first read my 16 year old older sister’s poems when I was 11 years old I’ve been hooked. It fascinated me to discover that there is a style of writing with such a beautiful sound, almost like a cadence or a heart beat. I had to try it out for myself. I used a new journal and every day I wrote a poem into that book.

    That was the start of my poetry journey. I’ve tried all styles. I’ve published poetry and done a poetry slam, talent show as well as participated in Open Mic Nights. I’ve eagerly watched the beauty in Spoken Word performance videos and watched fellow poets performing at Open Mic Nights.

    In summation, I love poetry very much. It means so much to me. It’s been my comfort through hardships, my prescription and my joy to celebrate successes.

    Welcome to my Journey where my thoughts flow like waves and words are the air I breathe.