January Poetry Challenge

by Rebecca Cuningham

Happy New Year! ¡Feliz año nuevo! For our first Poetry Challenge of 2021, we will write an acrostic in English or Spanish using the words “New Year.” An acrostic is a poem formed using each letter of a word in sequence as the first letter of a line.

¡Feliz año nuevo! Para el primer Reto poético de 2021, escribiremos un poema acróstico en español o en inglés usando las palabras “Año nuevo”. En un poema acróstico se usa cada letra en orden de una palabra para comenzar las líneas. No te desesperes, ¡hay 360 palabras que empiezan con ñ aparte de ñoquis y ñandú!*

AÑO NUEVO

Arde por aquí
Ñaque del año antiguo
Obstrucción o abono

Nardo fragrante
Universo entero
Es mi esperanza
Ver crecer tallos verdes
Orquídias radiantes del porvenir.

–Rebecca Cuningham, 4 enero 2021

NEW YEAR Translation

Nearby all is burning
Each bit of last year’s junk
Wreckage or compost

Yet a fragrant lily
Entire new universe
Adds hope to see green shoots
Radiant orchids of the future.

–Rebecca Cuningham, 4 January 2021

You have until Sunday 10 January to place your acrostic poem in the comments below. May the Muses favor you in 2021! ¡Olé! –Rebecca

Tienes hasta el 10 enero para poner tu poema acróstica en los comentarios abajo. ¡Qué las Musas te favorezcan en el 2021! ¡Olé! –Rebecca

Pink Lily Photo: Rebecca Cuningham

*Translation: Don’t worry, there are 360 words that begin with ñ beyond ñoquis (gnoccis) and nandu (ñandú!)

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Rebecca Cuningham

34 thoughts on “January Poetry Challenge”

      2. Thanks for your comment, Susan. I’ll share a secret: there are whole websites dedicated to “words that begin with A.” I definitely used those in Spanish and English. There’s even the list of adjectives, nouns, or verbs that start with a certain letter. I let the words I find guide me within in a theme, rather than deciding it all ahead of time. Happy online muses, Rebecca

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  4. Yours is lovely. I said to myself that I wouldn’t show you mine till I came up with something more positive to go with it. Somehow, so far it’s not happening. So Ms. Negative is entering this, even though in real life she doesn’t feel (quite) as downbeat as this.

    New Year 2021

    New Normal
    Everywhere –
    Week in, week out.

    Yesterday, today and
    Every day
    Are all the same
    Repetitive routine

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. margaret21, I like it. It’s honest. We are losing track of time, we are losing momentum. Yes, positivity is important, but so is honest assessment of what something actually is. Otherwise, how do we move past it?

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Thanks Susan. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been pretty positive till recently, but I’ve just hit a bit of a wall. and you’re right. Getting it down in black and white helps. Don’t tumble down with me!

        Liked by 2 people

  5. Okay, Rebecca, I feel that 2021 will be the rollout of the awakening of humanity. Hence, here is my poem:

    Now is the time,
    Evaluation of life,
    Who’s who of truth?

    Your inner wisdom,
    Evolving freedom,
    Awakening humanity,
    Revolution of spirit.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Dear Susan, no worries. WordPress block doesn’t seem to hold onto formatting. I understand wanting it to be the way you arranged it on your screen. That’s important to we poets! I’ll edit out the second post. : )

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      Reply

  8. This is my first time writing this type of poem and I’m not sure if the lines have to be short but here it goes

    No one is completely alone
    Even if we live in chaos
    With death at our front door

    Yearning for joy and laughter
    Exist to love
    And know that solidarity goes a long way
    Really sit with yourself and think about how you can make today a better day

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. Pingback: *Press This* January Poetry Challenge #167 | Its good to be crazy Sometimes

  10. Normalcy! How we craved putting 2020 behind us,
    Expected magic from the flip of a calendar page,
    Wanted “normal” to resume at stroke of midnight.

    Yet we know magic unfolds at its own pace.
    Each day brings a few more minutes of sunlight.
    Anticipation neither speeds nor slows it.
    Robins will return in March, as normal.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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