Poetry Prescriptions

 

Photo by Ksenia Makagonova on Unsplash

Lethargy has crept in today. I was slow getting up on this dark, miserable morning and it's pouring with rain. The dictionary defines 'lethargy' as 'having a lack or energy or enthusiasm'. It's a state others  have experienced, I'm sure, during these past weeks and months. Is there a cure? Well, perhaps Mary Oliver's poem "Why I Wake Early" might give me the proverbial kick up the backside I need. It reminds me of the sunshine I experienced only yesterday, that spreads "into the windows of, even, the miserable and crochety" so that I can "start the day in happiness, in kindness."

Whatever state you're in, there's a poem that can be prescribed to sort you out. I often turn to Willam Seighart's Poetry Pharmacy for a 'prescription.' His books help to demystify poetry and make it relevant. Click here to take his quiz and find your own 'poetry prescription'. This 'Poetry Prescription' website will also find a poem that exactly suits your mood.

Writing Prompts:

• What do you need a 'poetry prescription' for right now? Write about your current mood for seven minutes.
• What do you think about using poetry as medicine (especially when it's currently difficult to get a GP appointment)? Write about your reaction to poetry. Are you frightened of it? Do you have memories of reading poetry at school? Do you write poetry as therapy?
• Reading poems is just one type of 'medicine'. What else would you prescribe to ease a difficult state of mind, or mood? Perhaps a walk in the countryside, or a piece of smooth, dark chocolate? Write about your favoured medicine for six minutes.

Pleas share you thoughts and comments below.