Screams

#NaPoWriMo #GloPoWriMo Day 19

Book cover for Edward J. Goodman. Too Curious.
Book cover for Edward J. Goodman. Too Curious.

In the labyrinths of silence
I explore inner darkness
In awe, I see the lines rusted
Of rotting pain
Etched on my heart
By recollections deep
Digging in like ridged shards
Most painful are moments
I try to, but I can’t recall
They lie in the gloomy corners
Smothered by macabre screams
The ones I had muffled
For I knew no one cared

Poetry inspired by the book cover for Edward J. Goodman. Too Curious. London; Guildford: Bentley & Son, 1888 — Source.

Jasmine

#NaPoWriMo #GloPoWriMo Day 15

Book cover for E. A. Bowles. My Garden in Spring.

A window of thoughts
Hidden behind creepers
Ruffled by the rustle
Of leaves and critters
And a faraway breeze
Carrying your perfume
Placing it naughtily in the
Sweet center of a Jasmine

It’s summer time and the Jasmine vine shrubs are in full bloom. Their gentle aroma fills the air almost always carrying memories from afar. This poem is also inspired by the book cover for E. A. Bowles. My Garden in Spring. London: T. C. & E. C. Jack, 1914 — Source. Cover design by Katherine Cameron

Disguise

#NaPoWriMo #GloPoWriMo Day 12

Book cover for Arthur Stringer. The Loom of Destiny.

There was nothing before
The rundown mirror
Just a tired reflection
Of bored, dying eyes
That I chose to ignore
Instead, I imagined the grays
Were flecks of silver rain
The sagging skin, all the hills
I climbed with gleeful steps
Weariness is just a facade
To hide joy from prying eyes
And so I believed all the lies
That my image was a disguise

Poetry inspired by the book cover for Arthur Stringer. The Loom of Destiny. Boston: Small, Maynard & Company, 1899 — Source.

NaPoWriMo – April 2023

Today is Day 1 of the National (also Global) Poem Writing Month of 2023. This implies challenging oneself to write poems and verses daily for 30 days. So, as I kick off day 1 on my blog, here is the official NaPoWriMo site link and also the prompt inspiration they provide. I am hoping to cover all of these book cover designs during this challenge.

And here’s our own prompt (optional, as always) for the first day of Na/GloPoWriMo. They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but they never said you can’t try to write a poem based on a book cover — and that’s your challenge for today! Take a look through Public Domain Review’s article on “The Art of Book Covers.”

Promises

The memory is still ablaze
Of delicate papyrus etched
With indelible poetry;
Pages glowing in a luminous
Chemistry of the first gaze
A medley of words whisper,
Buzzing neon promises
That flutter like fireflies
In a momentary daze
Until they are all gone!