Best For:
Poetry lovers, writers seeking inspiration, grief processing, creative journaling enthusiasts, and followers of concise poetic forms.
In the fast-paced digital age, sometimes the most profound emotions are captured in the fewest words.
Sometimes the most profound emotions are captured in the fewest words.
Recently, I encountered a creative challenge on Instagram that pushed me to distill a moment of intense feeling into twenty words or less. The prompt asked for three specific words: “breathe,” “quiet,” and “warmth.” What emerged was a brief, haunting exploration of loss and the lingering memory of intimacy.
Prompt, breathe quiet warmth
“Your Warmth”
I wish you had
thought to
breathe your quiet
warmth inside of me,
one last time.
Before you said
goodbye.
Poet’s Note & Challenge
I wrote this poem after an account on Instagram posted the challenge. We were instructed to use “breath,” “quiet,” and “warmth” in a poem. This poem should be 20 words or less. Now I’m challenging you to do the same.
This exercise serves as a powerful reminder that our creative voices do not always need expansive canvases. Sometimes, a tiny spark is enough to ignite a deeper conversation about healing, grief, and the ways we hold onto the people we have lost.
I found the words for this at the center of the grief of the loss of my mother. I write a lot from the emotions and loneliness I find there. I’m hoping other people who have lost their parents or loved one too can find solace here.
The constraint of brevity forced me to strip away the unnecessary, leaving only the raw ache of a final departure.”
Before you go
I am now passing this challenge on to you. Can you capture a complex emotion using only “breathe,” “quiet,” and “warmth” within a twenty-word limit?
Writing in constrained forms is a brilliant way to sharpen your focus and unlock new creative paths. I look forward to seeing how you interpret these elements in your own work.
Please share your responses in the comments, tag me on social media, or email them to poeaxtry@gmail.com. Let’s see what we can create together.
Ultimately, this space is built on the belief that our stories gain strength when they are shared. Whether your poem is a whisper of grief or a shout of joy, it belongs here.
Thank you for taking this moment to breathe, reflect, and create with me. I cannot wait to see how this space grows.
A poem– of thanks to the mothers who stepped up
A Journal– for hikers who need to reflect
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