Wednesday, April 15, 2009

MySixWriMo Day 15

*****

Every day spent writing is a good day, so let’s not tarry.

Here’s today’s prompt from Robert Lee Brewer at Poetic Asides:

For today's prompt, I want you to take the title of a poem (story/six) you especially like (by another poet) and change it. Then, with this new altered title, I want you to write a poem (six). An example would be to take William Carlos Williams' "The Red Wheelbarrow" and change it to "The Red Volkswagon." Or take Frank O'Hara's "Why I Am Not a Painter" and change it to "Why I Am Not a Penguin." You get the idea, right? (Note: Your altered poem (six) does NOT have to follow the same style as the original poet (writer), though you can try if you wish.)

And our prompt from The Writer’s Book of Matches (Writer’s Digest Books):

“Can you recommend a good book?”

Hope to see you in the comments.

5 comments:

Stephen said...

I know you're probably expecting me to write something about the IRS or taxes or something. Sorry to disappoint.

Bunk“Can you recommend a good book?”

I looked up from my daily inventory schedules, thankful for the interruption that promised to give my eyes and mind a rest, and asked what kind of book the man wanted.

This guy, who I then noticed was dressed in a navy pinstripe suit, just smiled and said, “Well, my wife and I are looking for something to enhance our sex life—you know, give us something else to consider beyond…”

The man continued, but honestly I lost him after that.
I glanced over his shoulder, caught the uncomfortable expressions of other customers—one of which was a woman holding on to her child’s hand, a copy of Dr. Seuss in her other hand—and thought: Really, dude, do I look like the kind of guy who would be an expert on this type of stuff and could recommend a book like that to anyone?The business suit finally finished with his exhaustive commentary, and I pasted on my best, though probably awkward, smile and told him to check the personal living section in the far corner, and then prepared myself for the uneasy eyes that would come with the $8.99 purchase of Green Eggs and Ham.

Stephen said...

That's two days in a row now. Apparently, Blogger doesn't like bold titles.

Greta Igl said...

Weird. Let's see what happens if I don't add the HTML code...

Stalker

His routine was always the same.

He went in quietly and stood by the New Releases, just another casual shopper whiling away a Saturday morning. He’d thumb through a few hardbacks, this week’s Patterson, the latest Evanovich, and he’d wait until an employee came by.

Gender was an issue; he preferred young girls, the chunky, self-conscious ones who’d give themselves away or the waifish Goth pixies with spiky black hair and multiple piercings.

“Can you recommend a good book?” he’d ask, always positioning himself carefully, at a right angle to the table.

It never failed to excite him when they reached for his own book, the hardcover with the large glossy black and white of him looking serious and writerly on the back cover, then said, “I’ve heard this one’s good,” before setting his baby gently back in its loving father's hands.

Greta Igl said...

Guess it doesn't like our forays into HTML...

Greta Igl said...

Forgot to tell you I liked your piece, Stephen. I worked with the public for MANY years and found myself smirking as I read it.