Sevena Flores' blog: 2017 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 5

Wow! I can’t believe we’re already five days deep into this month’s poeming!

For today’s prompt, write a self-destruct poem. I come up with these prompts before the month starts, and I admit I’m not sure what my original thought was with this. But now, all I can think about are those self-destruct messages from Inspector Gadget and Mission Impossible. Of course, many things and people can self-destruct, including athletes, politicians, and about everyone else on the planet–in large and small ways. I hope this prompt does not self-destruct in 5 seconds.

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Here’s my attempt at a Self-Destruct Poem:

“when i run a mile”

i’m pretty sure it’s good for me
& two miles as well but maybe

twenty miles is pushing it too far
& should only be done by my car

somewhere between there & here
is the line of health it appears

because running should build me up
& not lead my body to self-destruct

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Robert Lee Brewer

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of the poetry collection, Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). He edits Poet’s Market and Writer’s Market, in addition to writing a free weekly WritersMarket.com newsletter and a poetry column for Writer’s Digest magazine.

He ran a little over 20 miles yesterday as part of his training to run his first ever marathon in December. While it should help him get across the finish line later this year, he can’t fight this feeling that his feet (and body in general) would feel better running shorter distances.

Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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