Category: PAD 2026
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Day 5 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry A Tree’s Redress I.My last leaves turntoward lowly light while inside me,I hear autumnredressing me. II.you, who sitwhere my reach holds earth, what have younot said? III.I watch a housea fence a rose a crow a hoseand a ring of smokefrom your fire. Written for Writer’s Digest NovPAD…
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Day 4 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry I. Short and Shorter(a list poem, and a wee small story) Zeptoverse*; a quark;a neutrino;an atom; dust;salt;spice;a grain of rice;a grain of pollen; a crumb;a stitch;a spark;a splinter; a seed;a comma;a raindrop;a button; a moment;a teardrop;a murmur;a shadow’s footprint; a penny;a pebble;a feather;a whisper; a bee;a wren;a mouse…
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Day 2 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry Prompt: (blank) More (black) Some More, Please fairies in the street,pirates on the grass. one knocking. knocking.coal-dust cheek, grey coatfrayed into fog, flat cap,burlap mouth. his shoes leakinto November. trick ortreat— please, lady,I want some more. Written for Writer’s Digest NovPAD Chapbook Challenge. ©Misky 2006-2026. Scomtoma is a…
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Day 3 Poem-a-Day Challenge (revised)
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry I. Her 50th Birthday Celebration there was no lunch.hunger waited. first, the singing.songs she’d picked years ago,lyrics on scrollsbound with red ribbon, didn’t know the words —tight-lipped, I mouthed them. then gifts. slowly.surgically.she stood, each giftturned before us. at ten o’clockmy father-in-law left the tableand fell asleep on…
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Day 2 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry II. 02.11.26 (draft) No More Pine sickly freshpine forests in a bottleand weather in the room. I hold a coldkidney-shaped bowlbelow my chin. her quiet shoeswhiten the corridor,stiff cotton whispers. her hat sailsthe top of her head. “does it floatlike my boatin the bathtub?” I ask. Written for…
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Day 1 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry II. 1.11.26 (draft) not a breath, norcrisp breeze, yet flurriesof leaves escape the gripof branches. Add grass clippings to them, I tell him,the roses will thank you in the spring. Written for Writer’s Digest NovPAD Chapbook Challenge. Day 1: fresh. ©Misky 2006-2026. Scomtoma is a partially diminished or…
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AprPAD — Day 30
How to Bend a Spoon somehowher younger self still knows —step back into her shadow. “the apples will be abundant this year,” she says,changing the subject.“ripe before autumn.” she watches the sun drink from a puddle,summer not quite here. “you’re not special,” he says.“such foolishness.doula-foola.nonsense —humming to a fallen bird,as if it hears you.” a…
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AprPAD — Day 29
A Pocketful of Reasons the birds began first,then wind in the high leaves and suddenlythe whole forestwas louder than thinking. some bloodlines,my grandmother said,keep watchwhere the seen worldthins. perhaps that is whybirds sing harderin the trees, and small creaturesfind uswhen they are leaving. they seem to know. in my pocketa silence I can’t namefeathers, still…
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AprPAD — Day 28
Breakfast, and Other Small Violences the spoon snappinglike a jack russellat the bowl, metaltapping his teeth — a bright, unbearable code. Stop scraping. The chew,the crunch … do I sound like thisto the world? like a broomworrying the floorwith every breath? His phone leansagainst the salt shaker, thumb scrollingthrough other lives. Againthat scrape. I step…
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AprPAD — Day 27
Afterward There Was the Afternoon a napin the afternoon sun, where poems wait birds arguingin hedges sunlighton warming soil breezesoscillating roots that resisted yesterdaybut not today the quiet satisfactionof looseningwhat does not belong weeding is good editorial practice, after all. keep what thrives.lift what crowds. make space for what wants light. and while I work,no…
