R E E N A D O S S
The Poetry Marathons
The Poetry Marathon is an international event that is conducted annually by Caitlin and Jacob Jans with the aim to write 24 poems in 24 hours in one sitting, i.e. you needed to write one poem per hour which added up to a full day. I took part in three over three years—2019, 2020 & 2021.
The 2019 Poetry Marathon
24 Poems 24 Hours
I came across the 2019 Poetry Marathon in June of that year. I believe that my beloved Weaver had a hand in this when I stumbled upon it quite by chance (on reaching my motherland after several months of being away) and discovered that the deadline had expired. When I casually checked the site again the next day, I was over the moon to see that the date for registering for this challenge had extended from the 12th of June to the 15th, giving me the opportunity that I needed for the flooding within me that was taking place as well as work for my wide awake jetlagged eyes.
The Poetry Marathon is an international event conducted by Caitlin and Jacob Jans annually for poets, writers, and authors from all over the world. In fact, you didn’t have to be in any of these professions, all you needed was the will to write. The main goal of the marathon was to write 24 poems in 24 hours in one sitting, i.e. you had to write one poem per hour which accounted for a full day. There was an option to only do a 12 hours (or a half day Marathon but I was in the mood to be poetically, visually and mentally challenged. So I signed up for the full Marathon which began on the 22nd of June at 9 AM ET and ended on the 23rd of June 9 AM ET. Since I was in India, I had to check the time zone which meant that I began the marathon at 6:30 PM with coffee, snacks, and my itching-to-go fingers.
It was easy in the beginning, but you get tired just like in any marathon. I had moments of highs where I was writing more than several poems in an hour, so I could decide which ones to post. Then I had moments where I just wondered why I kept using the same words again and again, while glaring at commonplace words such as “the” and thinking that it was a typo.
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​By the end of the marathon, I can genuinely say that it gave me a huge sense of achievement to know that the other participants and I didn’t just make it, but were champions of either the Half or Full Poetry Marathon.
In the order they were published after the prompts:
Hour 1 – The Elements And I
Hour 2 – Whispers Of Magic
Hour 3 – Breath Of God
Hour 4 – Obstacles Unravelling
Hour 5 – Unawakened
Hour 6 – Held Down
Hour 7 – Stories Hidden
Hour 8 – Sevenling Horror (Part 1)
Hour 9 – True Love
Hour 10 – Mood Tides
Hour 11 – Age Now
Hour 12 – Questions
Hour 13 – A Quandary
Hour 14 – Entwined Roots
Hour 15 – The Beginning
Hour 16 – A Mother’s Love
Hour 17 – Billions Of Colors
Hour 18 – Endurance
Hour 19 – Sevenling Horror (Part 2)
Hour 20 – Love’s Promise
Hour 21 – Elfchen Lady
Hour 22 – Noisy
Hour 23 – Childhood Spurts
Hour 24 – We Are The Champions
The list of Finishers for the 2019 Poetry Marathon is available at www.poetrymarathon.com
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The 2020 Poetry Marathon
24 Poems 24 Hours
The Poetry Marathon is an international event that is conducted annually by Caitlin and Jacob Jans for poets, writers and authors from all over the world. In fact, you don’t have to have any of these labels; all you need is a will to write. The aim of the marathon was to write 24 poems in 24 hours in one sitting, i.e. you needed to write one poem per hour which added up to a full day.
The full Marathon began on the 27th of June at 9 AM ET and ended on the 28th of June 9 AM ET. For me though, it would start art 6:30 PM IST. Since this was the second time I had attended this event, I was feeling a little more prepared and made sure I slept really well the previous day, got myself a jug of coffee on the ready and snacks from the store close by.
I was also very excited that my best friend Shruti Sharma joined me for the Half Marathon option and was a champion herself in that category. She is an amazing poet, photographer and keen observer of life and I really enjoyed chatting with her during the intervals. It was wonderful to have her cheering me on, along with other participants who signed up for the 24 hour challenge.
When the marathon ended, I was so exhausted all I could think of was sleep but after I rested and woke up, the realization that I had written 24 poems plus a few more while I could was just wonderful to know. It gave me a lovely feeling of triumph and gave me a life sized high for the rest of the week. And I knew I was looking forward to signing up for the next Marathon.
In the order they were published after the prompts:
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Hour 1 – Linda Lokhee
Hour 2 – Recipe
Hour 3 – Decider
Hour 4 – Across The Miles
Hour 5 – Falling Star
Hour 6 – Midnight Loop
Hour 7 – Season Of The Flower
Hour 8 – Meet
Hour 9 – Firefly
Hour 10 – Dichotomy
Hour 11 – Egyptian Lure
Hour 12 – Follow Your Heart
Hour 13 – Excuses
Hour 14 – Forget-Me-kNot
Hour 15 – First Time Flyers
Hour 16 – One Day
Hour 17 – LDR
Hour 18 – Colombo
Hour 19 – Look Up
Hour 20 – Upon The Line
Hour 21 – Nana
Hour 22 – Wishes
Hour 23 – Outrage
Hour 24 – Lost Voices
The list of Finishers for the 2020 Poetry Marathon is available at www.poetrymarathon.com
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The 2021 Poetry Marathon
24 Poems 24 Hours
The Poetry Marathon is an international event that is conducted annually by Caitlin and Jacob Jans for poets, writers and authors from all over the world. In fact, you don’t have to have any of these labels; all you need is a will to write. The aim of the marathon was to write 24 poems in 24 hours in one sitting, i.e. you needed to write one poem per hour which added up to a full day. There is also a half marathon option for people living in other time zones that could not collide with the allotted day and time.
For this particular year, I remember just waiting for it to start. I carved the mental challenge. I had never wanted to do anything as badly as I wanted to this challenge while still knowing it would be my last time that I took part. The 2021 Poetry Marathon began on the 26th of June at 9AM ET and would end on the 27th of June at 9AM ET. I announced it a day before on Instagram because I didn’t feel like hiding this time and I was delighted when a few of them began to walk beside me, quietly supporting, cheering and supporting me from the side lines as I made it to the finishing hour which was at 6:30 PM IST. That’s why I want to thank my friends—Shruti Sharma, Mrinalini and Sushmita, but especially my darling friend who I never expected to come at the perfect time to offer me his strength as I let the dams in me begin to flow.
There isn’t much to describe during these 24 hours. Sometimes I felt like they each passed in a blur of deep rooted emotion that I just couldn’t hold back. All I knew was for this moment I was free to be as wild as I wanted. How I loved my ink and the gift I was suddenly realizing was helping me heal in the atrium of the solar eclipse of my soul. Thus ended my three year participation in The Poetry Marathon.
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​Hats off to the amazing couple who not only host it every year, but also conduct it with such professionalism, dedication and zeal. They make sure each one feels comfortable and never focus on winning but on finishing and I think, ultimately, that is what is most important as each one works at a different pace with a unique intensity and will to be themselves wherever they are in life.
In the order they were published after the prompts
Hour 1 – Catalyst
Hour 2 – Hope Of Spring
Hour 3 – The Shift
Hour 4 – Windows
Hour 5 – Future Message
Hour 6 – Lost Ocean
Hour 7 – Bangalore
Hour 8 – The Third One
Hour 9 – The Wall
Hour 10 – Crystalline Hope
Hour 11 – Blade
Hour 12 – Man Wanted
Hour 13 – Grasp
Hour 14 – Patterns
Hour 15 – Speak Up
Hour 16 – Unheard
Hour 17 – Bridge Of Destiny
Hour 18 – Here
Hour 19 – Unbound
Hour 20 – Promise
Hour 21 – Ode to Autumn
Hour 22 – Onion
Hour 23 – Caught
Hour 24 – Imagination
The list of Finishers for the 2021 Poetry Marathon is available at www.poetrymarathon.com
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