Please Don't Holler!

Please don't holler,

should I grab you by the collar. 

Dear God no! 

I'm not after your dollar! 

I just wanted to say-

Watch out for that tiger 

in your way!

I myself, 

just licked forty of them-

TODAY! 

Consider yourself 

now well informed!

Come what may...

I say,

As I release my hold.

And whisper...

Don't be afraid to be bold. 

#vss365 

© January 30, 2025 | baccusbee 

(Words mine. Image created with starryai a collaborative process with AI called synthography. I don't usually use first iterations of my prompts but had no choice for this one. For some reason my prompt kept activating restriced filters. January 5, 2026. Thank you for reading.)

I wish I could remember the prompt word for this day. 

While a lot of my poetry is prompted and written for the word of the day, a significant portion of my verse has already been penned and steeping like tea in my notebooks. I always check my notes for vss365 and other prompts for content using those words. If I have written one, a lot of times that's when I publish my poem. 

The poetry, prompt and writing communities on X are golden. 

We prompt poets stick together, celebrating and appreciating each others verse after we hit 'post'. 

Maybe the community feels like a safe place to start setting our verse free? It did for me. Once I started, there was no looking back. All my awkward verse gets set free to see the light of day, most of it anyway.

Over the years, I've picked up on a certain air towards "prompt poets" like we are supposed to observe some undefined line between us and the academics. This is so silly. There's no shame in prompt poetry. Prompt poetry is about community. Prompt poets value community. Prompt poets are not only prompt poets. Some are indies. Others slam, perform and hybrid publish. And all of us rightfully fall under the label of internet poets since we are publishing our work online.

Many seasoned poets in the community have published volumes of their work- chap books and novels of all genres. 

Many poets among our ranks are much more seasoned and skilled at the craft than myself. 

I feel unworthy when I consider the exquisiteness of their verse, yet grateful to be found in the outskirts of their world. 

Iron sharpens iron.

Who knows, maybe a few indies and academics have paid our community visits, throwing some verses out among us?

I don't think we are overly concerned with labels either. We just love poetry.

It's clear reading my poetic offerings I'm not an expert. I'm self taught and engage the waves of creativity every moment I can. 

One day, verses just started rolling out of me. 

Often, it's easier for me to voice in verse those things I can't fully convey from within. 

Only sharing my perspective, art in any form will not be gate kept. 

This goes for synthography as well. I can't help but wonder what kind of slights painters of masterpieces hurled at the new photographers back in the day when film photography was new.

Gate keepers can try, unsuccessfully. Gate keepers will always try. 

There will always be those of us setting it free, throwing the gate wide open. There is room for everyone!

I thoroughly enjoyed writing this nonsense verse! I don't know why I don't write this kind more often? 

I suppose the mood has to strike me like it did for my beat poem, 'Did you know, Moe?'

If you're looking for a community of creatives of all kinds, join us on X.

Thanks for reading this far,

baccus bee