Prompt by John Alwyine-Mosely
Have you thought much about doors? No, this isn’t a plea to get down to a builders’ merchant, although what you buy and why could lead to interesting poetry. For example, hunt out Hellhound Memos (1993) and read Barry MacSweeney’s vitriolic attack on Thatcherism using DIY and B&Q as a metaphor for the loss of social and community ties brought about by privatisation.
No, this is about thinking of doors you meet when you leave home, when you get in and out of your car, go into a meeting, go out for lunch, visit a friend, and return home. These doors suggest turning points to new opportunities or a place to pause before making a decision.
This is well illustrated by this Carl Sandburg poem – https://goo.gl/fpN3wwOr they may also be best kept locked and not crossed, as suggested by this Anne Sexton poem – https://goo.gl/2mgPez
So, what Squiffy wants to experience in your poem (or story) is why you or the narrator needed that door to be shut or open. Or what the consequences were of crossing a threshold, or should have been.
John’s bio-notes:
John is currently working in Poland as a TEFL teacher after 20 years of working in UK Early Years policy and service development. He has had poetry published in many paper and on-line journals. These poems can be found at publishedpoems.wordpress.com
Image c/o John Alwyine-Mosely.
Squiffy Gnu 