Some Background
Hello again, poetry loves! Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the chance to do a few not-so-cool things, like grade papers. I’ve also had my hot water heater break down, lost my voice, and caught a strange cold or flu I’m still recovering from. Luckily, I’ve also gotten to do some pretty cool things, like finish the semester, write new poems, come up with a new writing prompt or two, hug my nephews and niece, and begin my first summer off in 17 years!
In the middle of trying not to grade — I mean, taking a break — I stumbled across this documentary on Duke Kahanamoku, one of the first native Hawaiians to win an Olympic gold medal. Known as the “Ambassador of Aloha,” he explained what that means by giving the real definition of “aloha:” “my soul faces you.”
What a radical thought for these times when so many of us feel separated, isolated, and pitted against each other. What if we actually let our souls, our inner selves, face each other? No walls, no defenses, no lies, just our innermost truths and being out in the world with each other?
The Prompt
“My soul faces you.” It’s a beautiful thought, but also a beautiful line for a poem. So I thought I’d try it out as a writing prompt, especially as the first one I share here on the blog. After all, we’re here to connect. Last week, I tried this prompt with some VERY brave high schoolers in Beeville, Texas, where I worked for 4 days with Writers in the Schools. As you can see, they really took this prompt and ran with it.
Like them, you can literally incorporate the line “My soul faces you,” or not. You can make it the first, last, or middle line. You can change the pronouns. The main thing is to sit with the core of yourself and see what it does and what it needs to confront.
Want to Give it a Try?
If you feel stuck or need a little more guidance with this writing prompt, here are a few tips that helped us last week:
- “Ha” means YOUR inner being and whatever words match it. If you prefer to call it your drive or your purpose, your vibe or music or personality, etc., go for it. Don’t let the spiritual language hold you up.
- Visualize. As in, close your eyes and see what you experience. Don’t overthink what your soul or inner being “should” look or act like. Don’t judge or force it. Let your Self reveal itself, and be patient.
- Dive deep into the (back)story. Who or what is your soul facing, and why? If it’s you, how did your core get loose from wherever you normally keep it? And why? How does your Self feel in this face-off, and how does the situation end…IF it does? Even if you don’t write these parts, they can inform the title and the details.
- Get weird with it. What does your soul taste like? Smell like? Look like? What is it doing, if it has a squid-like body and purple arms?
If you want to share your response to this prompt in the comments, feel free! I’ll be off all summer to read, reply, and write with you (thank goodness)!