This NPM, I am writing acrostic poems using words from the Banned Words List at the Pen America Website. You can find my poems each day on Poetrepository, IG stories, and BlueSky.
April 1 — Diversity
April 2 — Climate Crisis
April 3 — Transgender
Today, April 4, is an Inklings challenge day. Margaret invited us to try a Shadorma, a Spanish 6-line syllabic poem of 3/5/3/3/7/5 syllable lines respectively. So today’s poem, “Biases,” is a Shadorm-acrostic!
Here’s what the rest of the Inklings came up with, if life gave them the elbow room this month to write:
Heidi @my juicy little universe
Molly @Nix the Comfort Zone
Margaret @Reflections on the Teche
Linda @A Word Edgewise
Catherine @Reading to the Core
Matt has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme.
A(nother) Year of Reading 
Covid brain got me! I totally forgot it was Inklings challenge day. And I had a shadorma all ready. Thanks for keeping me on my toes. I love the message of your poem today and how it connects with Amy’s. Some of us are on the same page. I’m just drifting a bit.
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Two forms in one – what a challenge! Nicely done, though – an important poem.
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I love your acrostic, Mary Lee. You did a great job with a powerful message!
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What a wonderful, meaningful project–and you made it extra challenging today with the double form. I read today’s poem and the first three as well. It was cathartic for me. Thank you.
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Hee hee I do love a hybrid–shadormacrostic YES! You nailed it every which way, including that the mark of an excellent acrostic is that you don’t notice it is one.
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Wow, yours is the first shadorma-acrostic I’ve ever read!! You always meet the challenges and take it a step further. Powerful message.
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I think you’ve invented a new form! I’m impressed that you managed to combine the forms so neatly and creatively. As always, the best acrostics are the ones that surprise you because the form is secondary to the well-constructed meaning. I especially like your ending line “See MY truth, not yours.” YES!
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Sharp, sweet and true. Well done. It is what we all need to do and what is being taken from us right now.
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Wonderful project for April, Mary Lee! I’m enjoying revisiting some of your cheritas as inspiration for my own. Thank you.
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Mary Lee– I love everything thing about this. I love your poem, I love your project, I love your resistance. Thank you!
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I love this poetry project of yours!!
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Shadorm-acrostic! Love that. Well done, Mary Lee! What a valuable project too.
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You go, Mary Lee! Acrostics and shadormas for the win! We are not going to keep quiet about that list of banned words. Poetry and art will be catalysts for a win. I hope you read Janice Scully’s cherita for last Poetry Friday. It gives me hope.
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