Today’s prompt (which I learned I can choose not to use) was to write a poem that had the first line from an existing poem. I chose the first line of “It is not Love, it is Madness” by Mirza Ghalib.

With that, here’s my first poem of NaPoWriMo 2013!

Madness
By Nathan Marchand

(You say) It is not love, it is madness,
An insatiable fire.
Give it voice, and it will consume
With every word that affirms its uncertain promises.
Keep it silent, and it will devour
Soul, mind, and body from within,
Until it bursts with a volcano’s fury.
It comes unexpected, uninvited, perhaps unwanted,
Only to leave the heart emptier
With each new failure,
Killing it softly.

Did you find this information helpful? If you did, consider donating.