The Poetry Stash: 17February2025

Protest by Countee Cullen

Today’s poem, “Protest” by Countee Cullen, is in the public domain

Protest by Countee Cullen

I long not now, a little while at least,
For that serene interminable hour
When I shall leave this barmecidal feast,
With poppy for my everlasting flower.
I long not now for that dim cubicle
Of earth to which my lease will not expire,
Where he who comes a tenant there may dwell
Without a thought of famine, flood, or fire.

Surely that house has quiet to bestow:
Still tongue, spent pulse, heart pumped of its last throb,
The fingers tense and tranquil in a row,
The throat unwelled with any sigh or sob.
But time to live, to love, bear pain and smile,
Oh, we are given such a little while!

Prompts:

1.	Begin with “I long not now…”
2.	Begin with “Protest”
3.	Draft a poem that explores the brevity of life.
4.	Draft a poem using the first-person perspective and has a formal structure such as a sonnet. To read more about sonnets, click here.

5. Photo by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto via pexels.com. Use the image as a writing prompt.

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