A daunting task one would think
Is how to create magic
To build a bit of hope in another
To build a rainbow that reaches
Across the miles.
I looked in manuals and old text books
And there were gizmos and gadgets
Prisms and more
But not precisely what I was searching for.
So I sat right down and thought real hard,
What is it about rainbows that are special after all?
A recipe I made, and when I was done,
A piece of it I made for everyone.
To make a rainbow just add this:
A heaping bushel of friends,
A cup or ten of wishes
A pinch of soul
And ten shakes of beauty to make it hold,
A world of humans and animals too
And don’t forget some love that acts like glue.
Mix it all together and smear it on the sky
Then watch our feathered friends appear
To spread it far and wide.
Let it sit through warming sunshine
And some rain or teardrops too,
Then close your eyes and blow real hard
For it to shine clear through,
And hold each soul in your deepest thoughts
Wishing it to find that friend,
And they will feel the magic
From here to every land.
So if you look high above or somewhere deep within
Believing in the magic with a heart that can’t help but to care,
If you see the colors peeking out
You know that I’ve been there.
And now for our prompt (optional, as always)! Many years ago, “didactic” poetry was very common – in other words, poetry that explicitly sought to instruct the reader in some kind of skill or knowledge, whether moral, philosophical, or practical. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write the latter kind of “how to” poem – a didactic poem that focuses on a practical skill. Hopefully, you’ll be able to weave the concrete details of the action into a compelling verse. Also, your “practical” skill could be somewhat mythological, imaginary, or funny, like “How to Capture a Mermaid” or “How to Get Your Teenager to Take Out the Garbage When He Is Supposed To.”
