Poetry Challenge #299-Dream On Nikki!
As soon as I began reading about our June 7th birthday poet dream songs swirled: Dreamer, Daydream Believer, Beautiful Dreamer. . . the Everly Brother’s crooning Dream-Dream-Dream…
Nikki Giovanni is all about dreams. Nikki was sickly child which made her, in her words, “Lucky!”
Lucky because she was always sniffling.” Why?
Because she writes in her website bio, she could stay home and read the books she wanted to read. And her family’s library was extensive and inclusive—no subjects were deemed too big, complex or taboo.
Nikki Giovanni has written many books of poetry, biographies and numerous children’s books including my favorite:
I Am Loved!
Poems with the late Ashley Bryan’s glorious art!
When Nikki became a mother, she moved into writing for children.
Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7, 1943, and grew up spending the school year in Cincinnati and summers back in Knoxville. She’s on the faculty at Virginia Tech, where she is a University Distinguished Professor.
Her first poetry collections were published in 1968, and the list of awards Nikki Giovanni has received since reads like a novel. Perhaps because she is a committed explorer:
“My dream was not to publish or to even be a writer: my dream was to discover something no one else had thought of. I guess that’s why I’m a poet.”
Poetry Challenge #299
Dream ON!
Many of Nikki Giovanni’s poems deal with family and life. Read “Her Dreams” “Bay Leaves” and/or “The Longest Way Round” (above & below).
Think of a moment in your life and write a poem about it.
Play with the words until you get exactly the right ones.
Try having only one word on a line once or twice in your poem.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, Write It!
Here are the links to the poems referenced here via Poetry Foundation, so you can read them in their entirety and/or read more of this beautiful dreamers work! (you’ll need to cut and paste them into your browser.)
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/159788/her-dreams
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/159787/bay-leaves
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/159790/the-longestway-
round
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2400+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
