Poem-a-Day (PAD)

[photo by athena.]

Inspired by a friend who has a streak of more than 800 consecutive days recorded as part of his own personal poem-a-day (PAD) challenge—and driven by a need to improve my practice and practices—I am starting a PAD challenge of my own.

Update (7/14/09): This should really be called “Words-a-Day” as I’ve expanded to include prose poems, flash/sudden fiction and tiny essays. Basically, if it’s self-contained and—at least in terms of a first draft—“complete.”

Eventually I’ll post all of the poems here, but they aren’t really intended for (and won’t interest) most readers who stumble across this site. It’s just a way to keep myself honest.

My PAD rules:

1. First effort, best effort. Better an imperfect whole than a shiny bit of the obviously incomplete.
2. It’s a poem if I say it is.
3. No stockpiling, no backfilling. More than one poem emerging from a day’s work is great, but not a replacement for consistency.
4. Stealing from myself is OK. Stealing from the world around me is better.
5. Remember that quitters never win, etc. I can quit anytime I want after poem 10,000.
6. I shall number my poems X.Y where X is the current unbroken sequence and Y is consecutive number (this is simpler than it sounds).
7. I shall keep in mind I’m writing daily poems, not etching my epitaph in marble.
8. If I fall, I get up.
9. Listen, listen, listen.