The Poetry Stash: 16July2024

This Living Hand by John Keats

Today’s poem, “This Living Hand” by John Keats is in the public domain.

This Living Hand by John Keats

    This living hand, now warm and capable
    Of earnest grasping, would, if it were cold
    And in the icy silence of the tomb,
    So haunt thy days and chill thy dreaming nights
    That thou wouldst wish thine own heart dry of blood
    So in my veins red life might stream again,
    And thou be conscience-calmed, see here it is
    I hold it towards you.

Prompts:

1.	Begin with “now warm and capable…”
2.	Begin with “haunt…”
3.	Draft a poem which includes a gesture.
4.	Draft a poem in which a dying speaker asks the reader to exchange places with them.

5. Photo by Matheus Viana via pexels.com. Use the image as a writing prompt.

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