In Season 2, Raymond Voelkel shares his stories of a life in athletics. Episode 1 explores his earliest Bronx memories.

Here's a story about Picture Day!

My husband, Ray, tells me a story about his memories of The Ducky Gang.

So today I’m sharing a spring writing prompt:

Birds! Birds! Birds!

Spring is here and the bird’s are back! For this writing prompt, you’ll need an outdoor space, a timer, access to books or websites related to birds, a pencil, and your artist’s notebook.

Let’s get creative! 

1. Sit outside on a blanket for 7 minutes and close your eyes. Just listen to the birds.
2. After 7 minutes, use a bird identification app, to identify the birds you hear.
3. Then, choose a bird. Any bird that interests you and do research. Find out what the bird looks like, sounds like, and any special habits or traits. Find video of your bird so you can see and hear it on its habitat
4. open your artist’s notebook, and over the next few days, write a story, poem and:or create artwork related to your bird
5. One poetic form you could consider is the haiku, generally considered to be a 3 line poem with a 5/7/5 syllable count for the three lines. Concentrate on using concrete details that release a feeling. For example,

With a warbler for 

a soul, it sleeps peacefully, 

this mountain willow

  Matsuo Basho

6. Share what you created with others! if you like, share your creation with me through the contact form on my website: monavoelkel.com

7. Happy Writing!