Writing Prompt: I Told You So

/ Katrina Kaye

Let’s talk about gut feelings. Those times when you knew something or understood something without being told. I don’t mean paranoia and insecurities, but those moments when your instinct or intuition took over and it was correct.

Describe the situation, the feeling. Did you tell anyone? Did they believe you? How did it feel to be “right”? Did you listen to your gut? Change your behavior because of what your intuition whispered to you? You might also choose to explore the idea of trusting your gut verses following expectation.

You might be able to create a poem or short story from this prompt, or it might feel good just to vent on the page. As always, choose your own adventure! Feel free to share your creation in the comments section.

Everyone Has a Summer

/ Katrina Kaye

Katrina Kaye

Mine involved boys and alcohol,
late nights, loud music and bonfires,
a little red dress I bought on sale.

I balanced on platform shoes,
etched black eyeliner around lashes,
eager to be a little more than what I was.

I used to smoke cigarettes.
It was an excuse to make
eye contact, slip away with someone,

discuss poetry — or was it
philosophy? — share a strawberry flavored
kiss, and whisper a secret or two.

Everyone has a summer,
but there is no reason to be dismayed
when the fall comes.

Even in autumn months,
a night or two may recapture me
to a place of little consequence.

There are still late nights
when I have a drink too many,
kiss the boys on the patio,

kiss the girls on the neck.
Smoke a cigarette from
the brand I quit years ago.

I’ve grown past the green of my prime,
and, although I wilt, there is a young woman
with a too loud laugh wearing a red dress

who still exists somewhere in the pit of me,
because giving in to the animal
until the sun rises can be so breathtaking.

“Everyone has a Summer” was previously published in Saturday’s Sirens (2022) and the chapbook “no longer water” (2024).

Poetry Prompt: Letters to Ghosts

/ Katrina Kaye

Write a letter to someone you don’t know very well, but you feel like you had a lot in common with. You might begin by brainstorming a list of people who you have always felt connected to but never met (personal, famous, historical).

Think of people you know who you are no longer able to speak with (maybe people have always told you that you are a lot like your grandma), or it could be a famous person whom you have never met (perhaps you would like to know if you and Anthony Bourdain really would have been great friends). This could be somber, but it also could be funny and playful. Challenge yourself by picking someone who is not your first thought.

Start your poem traditionally, with a “Dear (Specific Name).”

You are welcome to share your creation in the comment section below or on the Spill the Ink Facebook Group.