Today’s prompt (day 22) is to find an Emily Dickinson poem – preferably one you’ve never previously read – and take out all the dashes and line breaks. Make it just one big block of prose. Now, rebreak the lines. Add words where you want. Take out some words. Make your own poem out of it! The poem I chose is “There’s a certain Slant of light” and the original is at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45723/theres-a-certain-slant-of-light-320

There’s a certain slant 

to the politics of the nation

as the election heat 

comes on. 

like the weight of temple bells 

clanging into the morning,

like the Muezzin’s call to prayer

at dawn. 

It wounds us leaving no scar 

Only differences arise where 

there was friendship, tolerance 

is gone. 

None may teach any to endure

Not any more, for the winds 

speak of despair, an abhorrence 

to spawn.  

When it comes, 

the landscape listens

shadows hold their breath 

when it goes, 

it’s like the desperate laughter 

on the face of death.