- Look for a well-endowed oak; leafless oaks feign death.
- Collect as many beautiful leaves as you can find. They will be your pages.
- Look out for a great spotted woodpecker, cocking his red-capped head and hammering the bark. That is your meter.
- Hug your tree. Like humans, trees find safety in numbers, and they flourish better in woods than they do alone.
- Listen to your tree; it will whisper words in your ear.
- Trace your poem on the bark of the tree with your finger. It will be there forever.
Kim M. Russell, 4th April 2022
Today’s NaPoWriMo challenge is to write a poem in the form of a poetry prompt. We have been given examples by poet Mathias Svalina, who has been writing surrealist prompt-poems and posting them on Instagram.
writing in north norfolk 
One of my favorite prompts, KR.
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Smiles. How are you, Ron?
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What a precious how-to post. I think I can follow this regimen from now on so thanks for the enlightenment. I loved it Kim. Thanks so much. Xoxo
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Your lovely comment has made my day, Selma. Thank you!
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Glad to know, Kim. So happy. Be well. XoXo
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Oh yes, trace a tree’s bark with your finger. I’ve actually done that, and oddly, I’ve never forgotten that I did. This is a lovely poem, Kim.
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Thank you, Marilyn. There’s a huge silver birch at the end of our garden that I like to hug when I come back from a walk. It has a few poems traced in its bark, but birch bark is rather flaky. The lovely oak in the photograph is further up the road and too public for a hug!
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How lovely! Thanks for posting.
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Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Elizabeth.
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I love this, especially tracing your poem on the bark of a tree, so it will be there forever. That made me happy.
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Thank you, Sherry! I’m so pleased you like it.
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