A friend of mine and I meet weekly at my house for breakfast, conversation and writing. We have been writing alpha poems for the past few weeks using the word “light.” An alpha poem, or acrostic, uses each letter of a word as the first letter in a line of poetry:

Lingering in a spot of sun coming through my window,
I ignore work that needs to be done. Instead I
Give myself a moment of peaceful contemplation,
Holding on to time stopped,
Throwing to the wind my good intentions.

It’s a fun exercise and makes us think of words and put them together in coherent ways. Some of our poems have been silly, lighthearted, or even profound.

There are many definitions of light: something in the universe that allows us to see (the sun lights the day), an expression of mood or emotion (lighthearted), illuminate (turn on a light), ignite (light a fire), not heavy (light load), and others that I’m sure you can think of.

In this time of coronavirus, thoughts often feel heavy and weigh us down. We’re uncertain of what’s going to happen or when: will we contract it? when can we get the vaccine? will the vaccine work? Maybe we can take some time out and think lighter thoughts, thoughts that may make us feel lighter for a while. What might they be for you? Maybe a memory of something you’ve done with a good friend. Maybe your favorite food (then fix it and eat it!). Maybe just a beautiful day when the sun is out and the temperature is warm for this time of year. We need the break! Or you can pick one of the prompts below and write lightly!

Use “light” or think of another positive word and write an alpha poem.

Write about light in some form or another, how it speaks to you, how it resonates.

Think of another word that might make you stop and wonder what all the meanings might be. Then look up the definition, and write a brief piece on the word.

And as an afterthought: in this month of Valentine’s Day, I wrote an alpha poem using the word “love.” Maybe you can create one, too.

Living day to day, frequently
Oblivious to emotions that arise in me, but
Venturing forward today into a morass of feelings
Ever present but not often acknowledged.