IntShoWriMo On My Mind

The month of April holds a special spot in my heart and it’s besides the fact it’s the month dedicated to my pet genre—National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) 2014 ended officially on 00:00 hrs on 30th April, 2014.

                One reason is I was born on a Good Friday in the month of April several hundred years ago. Then the internet became second home to me about five years ago when I joined an online writing community on April 7th. And then again, Maya Angelou, who happens to be my favorite mentor/poet, was born on 4^th of April.

And now you know why April gatto be the greatest month of the year.

The month of June is just around the corner. And just as April is known as the Poetry Month, June has become at least, for me, the Short Story Month otherwise called IntShoWriMo.

          IntShoWriMo is short for International Shorts Writing Month—formerly, NaShoWriMo; I was forced to change the name the previous year because a couple of sites around the internet have used it. Although, these sites are no longer operating, I think safe is well, safer than sorry.

The challenge is about writing 30 shorts in every form—short shorts, flash fiction, and the longer short stories—in 30 days to be written on/before midnight June 30th. I’ve written over 90,000 words since 2012—the year of inception. I’m not striving for more words than I did last year in 2014. Nope, that’s not in the plan. But I do hope to have my 30 stories down pat before 00:00 hrs on 30th of June.

                Just in case you were wondering, this is an official invitation to take part in this great and exciting adventure. I’ll be speaking more on this soon.

Keep your pens bleeding!

Akpan

Day 30: Yama!

Courtesy: Taiñ Aleÿea

Yama! (sounds like Yammer) is the Ibibio (one of Nigeria’s several dialects) word for Shine! or Sparkle!

Let all creation hold its peace

And admire the sparkle of a star.

And feel the warmth of your aura as you bling

Show ‘em you ain’t got no time for drama.

Yama!

Standing out with you is easy because you’re brilliant.

The blackness within gushes through your persona

Igniting your world, guiding the lost in the dark.

It's no wonder they call you peculiar, you're phenomenal.

Yama!

When you step out you reveal a whole new aspect,

You came a long way and you deserve that respect.

Stayed on your grind until you fine-tuned your style

They thought they figured you out; they was a mile wide.

Yama!

The verve you pour into your job set you apart.

Your passion; your stand; your actions fire up your swag.

Your pace in a maze is exemplary; you are the ace.

The grace on your face is the preface of a rare race.

Yama!

Because you are a star.

Yama!

Cause you have raveled the plan.

Yama!

Make this world a better place

You create smiles when you blaze...

Yama!

Akpan

Day 29: Intimations

Courtesy: Twitter (modified)

To what can I compare mutuality?

With what do I measure its beauty cause it's

Like when a boy loves a girl,

Like when a girl loves a boy.

Like when perfection is given power to exhale,

Like when a beautiful thing comes with a beautiful choice.

Like a life lived in the spotlight

Exonerated from guilt; innocent of strife.

Like a tomorrow sprouting in today's seed.

Like a very present help in the time of need.

Like welcome rain in its season;

Like the sun in the magnificence of rising.

Like details of a mystery that is comprehensive;

Like a captivating view from the right perspective.

Like a newborn baby's toothless smile,

Like a breakthrough after the 99th try,

Like the preview of a new beginning;

Like the climax of a memorable ending.

Like the first lines of romantic poetry;

Like the exquisiteness of Chinese pottery.

Like the denouement of a suspense-filled novel.

Like when concrete is fortified with gravel.

Like when we shed a lone tear of joy;

Like when a child receives a new toy.

Like when the music will never end;

Like when we find a true friend.

Akpan

Day 28: Rived

Courtesy: Marcus Moller (modified)

Half the chance

That's all I have in this circumstance

I am torn to splinters by the unfortunate drama

But all I do is nod to it like the agama

Cornered by trauma

Like a nail I get hammered

I heard of bitter-sweet experiences

I got a ton of the bitter

But the sweet is lost to my fantasies

I came from the gutter

I ought to be used to stuff like this I garner

I can't see nothing but trouble

I can't break free cause my struggle

Got me trapped in a glass bubble

I arise only to get stumped like a stubble

With every inch of progress I risk popping

Could somebody please tell me something

How do I strive

When I am consistently deprived?

Bruh, all this commotion got my faculty totally rived.

Akpan