While I rarely use prompts, this poem came from the suggestion to write an ode to a part of the body not usually praised.  My index finger came immediately to mind and the lines unfolded as I moved my finger about, recalling experiences and a myriad of associations. In revision, I cut back and rearranged the lines to emphasize rhythm and sound and to develop surprise and delight. Acting out the poem became my guide.

Julie Murphy’s poems appear in Chicago Quarterly Review, Atlanta Review, Massachusetts Review, and CALYX, among other journals. Julie, a licensed psychotherapist and creator of Embodied Writing™, taught poetry at Salinas Valley State Prison, hosts a poetry podcast with the Hive Poetry Collective, and is a Community of Writers member.

W: juliemurphy.org/about
F: julie.murphy.9066