"Should I Depart Early" Unofficial Poetry Challenge

Hi, all! For those who haven't seen my poems from last week - yes, I'm back on Vocal after a long-ish hiatus. And yes, this has happened before. What can I say, I ebb and flow like the tide. It's become a regular enough thing that I think at some point soon I'll stop mentioning it entirely! But for now, I can think of no better way to get reconnected with this lovely community than to send out another unofficial challenge, and see what inevitable brilliance you lot conjure up. So without further ado, I'd like to announce the start of my "Should I Depart Early" Unofficial Poetry Challenge!

Inspiration: I really enjoyed the concept of the "Instructions For a Feeling" challenge put on by Vocal a while back. Even though I never completed a submission of my own, it really got me thinking about how a specified instructional prompt could lead to some more stellar poetry.

THE PREMISE:

You are writing a poem detailing to readers how and where they might 'find you,' in the event of your early departure from their lives. Suppose you are going on a very long journey, with no opportunities to contact anyone - perhaps even one from which you know you may not return. Write the poem which tells readers what things specifically will allow them a window into your heart. What things are precious to you? What moments, scenes, songs, or experiences touch the very core of you - make you feel most like yourself? Will they find you in a special spot by your favorite river? Will they find you in the chorus of your favorite Queen song? In the form of (poetic) step-by-step instructions, use these things as a roadmap for the reader to 'find' you.

THE RULES:

In the past, I have been left my challenges fairly open to all poetic forms. This time, however, I do have a bit more specific of a vision for your projects.

1) Your poem must begin with the phrase, "Should I Depart Early..." You may finish the phrase however you like, but the poem ought to start that way. I find that phrase instantly profound - it just cuts to the heart of what I hope this challenge will be about.

2) The poem must consist of at least four, clearly delineated 'steps.' Again, this idea was inspired by the "Instructions for a Feeling" Challenge! Each step should be at most a two or three lines long - so no huge blocks of text! These steps can be delineated with numbers, bullet points, or "Step 1, Step 2," etc., but absolutely do not have to be. You can have as many steps as you would like - so long as there are at least four, and each individual one is not too long!

3) Please include the link back to this challenge somewhere at the end of your poem. I would love for it to be as clear and easy as possible for folks who are interested to find this challenge! If you would like to include something about "For the Early Departure Challenge," or "For Gabriel's Challenge," in the subtitle of your piece, that would be great - but it is not required!

4) Please share the link to your entries in the comments section of this post! You may enter as many poems as you would like, but only one poem per person may end up on the podium. I'll embed the links to each entry at the conclusion of this post, so participants and interested onlookers can find the brilliance that you all will inevitably produce. :)

I present now a brief example of what an entry to this challenge might look like:

Should I depart early,

there is yet a place where you might find me.

(Step 1)

Make your way to some wide open water,

which is stirred by the wind's rufflesome breath.

(Step 2)

Find there a distant bird, or three

borne along that great exhale.

(Step 3)

Then hear, there, in your head, a slow, swelling melody -

let one lovely song be carried to the front of your mind.

(Step 4)

On the drive or walk back, or perhaps only once you reach home,

find and play the song that first found you, and listen close to it -

listen deep.

(Step 5)

Then take comfort, friend, for

should I depart early,

that is a place that I will yet always be.

So to be clear, the (Step 1), (Step 2), etc. did not HAVE to be there, according to my rules; they are just one option for making clear the separate steps, if you would like to include some form of delineation. (Wow, I'm using the word 'delineation' a whole lot in this.)

THE TIMING:

I'd like to give you all the whole month of August for this piece - so I'll say that all pieces are due by the end of the day on August 31st. As long as it's still before September 1st somewhere in the world when you're submitting, you're fine. :)

Winners will be announced on the following Saturday, September 5th (in theory).

THE PRIZES:

As with my last unofficial challenge, I will plan on sending out original pieces of my own artwork as prizes to the winners! I will plan on there being first, second, and third place winners - unless there is minimal participation, in which case I may only select a first and second place. :(

Shipping may be a little complicated depending on where in the world the winners are, but I will nevertheless do my best to get everything sent out. I retain the right to either create something new specifically for the winners, or to provide them with a small catalogue of my works and allow them to choose a favorite - which I will then frame and send out to them. To figure out details, I will find a way to connect with winners - either via email, social media, or some other venue that they are comfortable with.

I am NOT creating a specific timeline for the sending out of these prizes - because I am slow, easily distracted, and prone to getting bogged down by major life events. It took me almost half a year to actually complete and send all of the prize art pieces out for my last challenge. While I will attempt to be a LOT faster this time, I will make no specific promises about the deadline for these being sent out, because I will inevitably miss whatever date I set. Rest assured, I will EVENTUALLY get the pieces to all of the winners - it just may be a little while!

As evidence of my faithfulness, below are the three pieces of art which were framed and sent out as prizes for my last challenge:

(Yes, a lot of the art I create is birds. If you win and you specifically hate feathery friends, rest assured I do draw and paint other things, too.)

(...Sometimes.)

Welp, that's about all I can think to share about this challenge. I hope you all find it inspiring - it would be a joy to see people take to this one, as I think it may be my favorite I've come up with yet. And I would love to send more of you lovely people some of my art! Thanks for reading this far, friends - hope you are keeping well in these strange, trying days. Much love.

SUBMISSIONS:

"Should I Depart Early" by Matthew J. Fromm.

"For Eternity, and Now." by Cristal S.

"I Live On" by Julie Lacksonen

"Find Me Where I Used to Live" by Sasha Desideri

"Find Me Where I Live" by Harper Lewis

"Follow the I-5" by Stephanie Hoogstad

"The Cartography of a Soul" by Paul Stewart

"Jack Daniels and a Coastline" by Diane Foster

"me or you" by kp

"Departed" by K.B. Silver

"Lost in Music" by Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred

"Do not follow" by Rachel Deeming

"An Invitation" by Julie Lacksonen

"Departure" by Harper Lewis