Melissa here from Mom With a Blog, bringing you today’s Poetics prompt, snacks, and drinks at dVerse Poets Pub. And of course we have the camaraderie of our fellow poets!

I was thinking recently about what the world would “look like” for me in the absence of sight, or smell, taste, touch, or sound. I had a poem percolating in my head about the thoughts and feelings I might have if I could not see, for example. What things would be different? What might I find that was better? Worse?

Of course, this is all subjective, and that is a wonderful part about being human, that we all experience the world through different “lenses;” no two people “hear” the same song in the exact same way. Some people experience color blindness, and have a different experience of seeing color than another person. People have different visual capacities (i.e. I have 20/20 vision), sensitivity to sound, touch, and smell. One person might experience the taste of a thing differently than another. Some people might like things that are salty, savory, or sweet.

sight: the process, power, or function of seeing

taste: the special sense that perceives and distinguishes the sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or umami quality of a dissolved substance and is mediated by taste buds on the tongue

smell: the sense concerned with the perception of odor

touch: the special sense by which pressure or traction exerted on the skin or mucous membrane is perceived

hearing: the process, function, or power of perceiving sound
specifically : the special sense by which noises and tones are received as stimuli

For today’s Poetics prompt, I’d like us to focus on one of the five senses (sight, taste, smell, touch, or hearing) and write a poem exploring what your life experience might be without that sense. You may “touch” on how other senses might be affected by the absence of the specific one you choose. Some things to consider:

• How might specific objects provide different interactions without the sense? (What would an apple taste like if you couldn’t see it? Couldn’t smell it?)
• What feelings might be evoked by your knowing others have an experience that you are unable to have? (How does it feel hearing others describe colors you can not see? Give words to that. What is it like to not smell anything? What lives in that space?)
• How are your other senses impacted by the absence of a particular one? (Perhaps experience a thing without touching it, and incorporate that experience into your poem. Close your eyes or put in ear plugs, and then experience specific aspects of your surroundings in the absence of this sense. What is it like?)
• Is life better? Worse? The same? Different? Why? Persuade us why life is beautiful without being able to experience this sense. Conversely, tell us why you loathe it. Make us feel that.

These are ideas to get you started. Don’t limit yourself to my list. “Feel” free to go wherever the prompt takes you! For those in our community who may live without one of these senses already, please feel free to write about your personal experience. Or you may choose to write about an imagined life in the absence of a different sense. Please remember:

If you’re new, here is how to join us:

• Write a poem in response to the prompt.
• Enter your name and a link directly to the post containing your poem into Mr. Linky. Remember to check the box to accept use/privacy policy.
• Read other poets’ work as they enter their links into Mr. Linky. Check back as more will be added.
• Please link back to dVerse from your post.
• Have a wonderful time!

Mr. Linky will remain open until 3pm EST on Thursday, February 12, 2026.