Welcome to OpenLinkNight everyone! As you know, OpenLinkNight is your opportunity to share 1 poem of your choice. If you missed the Mr Linky deadline in our previous prompts, this is the time to share your poem. During 2023 sessions, it was also a chance to read, listen, share and meet virtually with our fellow poets during our OpenLinkNight LIVE on Thursdays and Saturdays. What a community of engaging and talented poets we have here. Remember that we always grow in our craft when we listen, and read the poems of other poets and writers.
Here are 2 changes that we are implementing for 2024 OpenLinkNight:
1.LIVE meeting will now be once a month, Saturdays from 10am to 11am EST. During this time, there will be reading and sharing of poems virtually as we have done in previous year.
Here are the dVerse LIVE events you can book from our calendar here:
*January 20, 2024
*February 17, 2024
*March 16, 2024
2. We will offer an Optional poetry prompt. This is for those poets who are looking for poetry prompts, and participation is optional.
Here is the optional prompt: Use the verse as a title or as part of your poem: Let There Always Be Light
LET THERE ALWAYS BE LIGHT (SEARCHING FOR DARK MATTER)
by Rebecca Elson
For this we go out dark nights, searching
For the dimmest stars,
For signs of unseen things:
To weigh us down.
To stop the universe
From rushing on and on
Into its own beyond
Till it exhausts itself and lies down cold,
Its last star going out.
Whatever they turn out to be,
Let there be swarms of them,
Enough for immortality,
Always a star where we can warm ourselves.
Let there be enough to bring it back
From its own edges,
To bring us all so close we ignite
The bright spark of resurrection.
Source: The Marginalian
Out of courtesy, please link back to dVerse Poets Pub if you are sharing your poem.
Hello– l look forward to see how many writes to the prompt and how many who link up any poem
Hi Bjorn! I will keep a tab and see how this goes. Also, looking forward to our monthly LIVE events.
Yes… let us see… for some it will be a bit early in the morning…
Welcome everyone to OLN! We have some pastries and tea or coffee for you. Let us know if you have any issues or comments with the changes. Looking forward to reading your poem.
Good evening dVerse Poets, and thanks to Grace for hosting. I went with the prompt, and really liked the poem. I might not hand around for long, but will be back in the morning, bright and early.
Hi Kim. I always appreciate the reading by the poet of their poems. Have a good night and see you in the poetry trail.
Hi Grace, I like this idea of a prompt option — Now to the writing! ✍🏾
Would love a cup of coffee and a danish if you have one on hand! Thanks. 😊
Hi Dora! Thanks for the input. It is just an option but the most important part is writing and writing. A cup of coffee and danish for you!
❤️🙏
hi all
still need to catch up with some of Tuesdays poems. sorry to all who I have not got to yet.
my poem shared tonight has been written for a meet up of one of three face to face poetry groups i am a part of.
will cath up when i can.
rog
Hi Rog! Thanks for joining in!
👍
Hope everyone had a happy holiday. I truly regret that I’ll not be able to join anymore for the live sessions. 7 AM is right in the middle of my sleep cycle. I really enjoyed seeing and speaking with everyone in those sessions. I’ll still post work as I am able. ✌🏼
Hi Rob! Happy New Year. Hope you continue to write and share your poems with us. Cheers!
Thanks Grace. Been writing poetry/lyrics for 60 years, over two decades posting on line. Writing keeps me sane. Until critical degradation of my white-matter steals the clarity of my words, I will continue — posting as I am able.
Thanks for hosting Grace. I love the idea of an optional prompt. One can swing with whatever inspires for the moment.
Hello Grace and All. I enjoyed the poem you included, Grace, and writing to the title brought me some genuine peace. Thank you. I like the idea of OLN having a prompt option along with it. If you have any raspberry Danish, I’d love a slice with a cup of hot rooibos tea with oat barista blend in it.
I love the poem too Lisa. Thanks for the feedback on the optional prompt. Raspberry Danish for you coming up with a cup of hot tea with oats. Cheers!
Thanks, Grace. Cheers!
Hello, hope everyone had peaceful and joyous holidays! I love the addition of the optional prompt; wont be doing that one immediately, but would love to give it a try.
Happy New Year!!!! Thanks for the feedback on the optional prompts. Looking forward to reading your poem.
Thank you for hosting! I wasn’t going to participate tonight–but I ended up writing a last minute poem based on Elson’s poem. It’s one I’ve used before, and I first saw it and her work on Marginalia.
I think giving an optional prompt is a good idea.
I love that site Merril and the poet’s reading is excellent. Thanks for the feedback on the optional prompt.
You’re welcome, Grace. I love that site, too.
This one’s for you guys.
Happy New Year. Thanks for joining in!
Hi Bjorn. Thanks for hosting. Saturday works for me. I enjoy the live meetings.
OOps. Sorry Grace. I don’t know why I thought Bjorn was hosting!
That is okay. Happy to see you joining in our Saturday Live event.
Hi all, thank you for hosting Grace, I love the Marginalian it is such a good resource, and a great choice tonight too. I like the OLN offerings for 24, I guess we’ll review how we feel later in the year to see how it’s going? I will see how the mood takes me as to using the prompt. 🙂
Hi Paul! I agree, The Marginalian is a good resource. The OLN prompt are optional and we will see how it goes. Thanks for joining in. Happy New Year!!!!
What an inspiring poem. Thank you for sharing it, Grace. The world is full of complexities and poetry is one way to help make sense of it.
Hi Ali. Poems about the universe always inspire me. And you are right, poetry is one way to help us make sense of our world and beyond. Happy New Year!
Thank you, Grace, for the awesome prompt. I really like OLN and once again, I already had a poem to contribute, from a few years ago. Your prompt was a clarion call to share “MY BROTHER’S SUICIDE: OUT OF THE DARKNESS AND INTO THE LIGHT”, the second poem about that tragic event I’ve contributed here (among other poems, many quite silly). I’m still working this afternoon, so I’ll just take a coffee to end this quick break, and will be perusing and reading all of the other poems tomorrow.
I really, really appreciate this pub and its people.
Thanks Kim for your support and appreciation. I look forward to reading your poem (from the title, sounds like a personal share). Happy New Year!!!