More Promptly Poetry PPC 5 and PPC 6

Charlie

I held out hope for a minute, but only a minute
that's enough to change your life,
or for someone to take it and change everyone else’s.
Half-condolences coming from the made-up faces
and typed into social spaces discussed hot buttons.
It’s the rhetoric, they said, there were dangerous words.

Hate is often the fear of hearing things you don’t want to hear,

But when they’re running on rooftops,
when they’ve got an eye on the scope,
it’s not a moment of crisis or anger
overwhelmed by passion. It's not an
instant of blind rage, a momentary loss of control.
It’s all about control, in fact, eyes wide open.
Words are not violence, but a bolt action rifle
in the hands of hatred is not to be debated.

Hate is often the fear of hearing things you don't want to hear,

It’s rough to take it on faith, to believe even for a minute
That you can change the future, but there’s hope anyway.
Someone might see the danger to our freedom and cry out
so another son, another daughter won’t grow up fatherless.
So another mother, another father won’t know the pain
of losing love to those who have no heart to hold it.

Hate is often the fear of hearing things you don’t want to hear.






Written for "Promptly Poetry Challenge (2025-2026)" 

Prompt/Week # 4


Poetry Form:
Bop

The bop is a new form of poetry introduced by poet Afaa Michael Weaver. It is an argumentative form, like the sonnet, with three stanzas, each with a purpose in the argument.

The first six-line stanza introduces the problem, the second eight-line stanza expands upon it, and the final six-line stanza explains the solution or failed attempts. There is a repeated refrain line after each stanza.