Flash Poems

Book Description: Flash Poems offers an anthology of poems and the prompts that inspired them. These 100-plus thought-provoking prompts will help you manage writer’s block and have fun in creative exploration.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a subject-matter expert, a blogger or a songwriter, a freelancer or a novelist, you’re bound to find inspiriation in these pages.

This collection of unedited poems inspired by prompts and written in ten to fifteen minutes represents many pleasant Sunday afternoons at the Second Sunday Goes Fourth writing group. Iris Craver, the founder of the group, was leading a poetry writing group for inmates at the Douglas County Jail. She thought it would be fun to also have a community writing group. We meet on the second and fourth Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m., thus the name Second Sunday Goes Fourth. There are usually 6 to 10 writers around the table.

Our rules are simple. No self-deprecation is allowed. We don’t critique others’ writings. Appreciation and enthusiasm are encouraged. We keep a bowl full of writing prompts that we all contribute. When the pens are laid down we read around the table. Reading is always optional. One of our great pleasures is listening to what each of us has written and to see how our approaches are similar or different. There are always poems that are breathtaking in each round. 

We hope you enjoy these poems and try your hand at writing from the prompts. You can use the prompts or even pull a line from any of the poems to get you started in a flash! If any reader is interested in starting a community writing group, let us know by contacting the publisher! Have fun!

Second Sunday Goes Fourth