Hey y’all!

For Day 22 of National Poetry Writing Month, the prompt is to find an Emily Dickinson poem – preferably one you’ve never previously read – and take out all the dashes and line breaks. Make it just one big block of prose. Now, rebreak the lines. Add words where you want. Take out some words. Make your own poem out of it!

I chose her poem, “Fame is a bee.” Here’s my rendition:

FAME IS A B****

By Farah Lawal Harris, © 2023

Fame is a B-I-T-C-H;

has a song

that’s played out

when it’s still new.

It stings

when it’s all through.

But ah—

the possibilities, too!

It has the ability to

give a mere human

wings!

Or at the very least,

trending.