"Brain Teaser" / "Death Cult" / “Far, Far Away“
Paint Chip Poetry #25-27: April 25, 26, & 27, 2025
“Brain Teaser”
I want to live in the comfort of your sentences, breathe in the next kindness, the next perfect phrase as it slides out of your mouth and into my gun-shy ears. Whatever love potion you've given me, whatever whale song we both seem to sing, whatever smoke signal I've since sent you, I somehow hear you there in the music, speaking softly in-between the notes, "Here's a brain teaser for you, what would I look like if your lipstick was glued to my cheek?” I have no choice but to give in, to play along within the perfect situation. I have no choice but to let go of my fears. To find true love in the place I was once taught to loathe. What a strange, elusive dance it all is, to inchworm ourselves across the digital threshold, and discover something sweeter than honey. Given enough kindling, given the green light, I wonder what we could get up to.
“Death Cult”
Orange you glad I didn't drink the Koolaid? All the champagne and coffee in the world couldn't take my eyes away from you. The key to happiness isn't found in a big book or some daily ritual. it's in the way you look down to hide a blush when I compliment you, or the way you stand shoulder with shoulder with the jacaranda tree. and if not for my critical thinking ways, I'd join your death cult any day.
”Far, Far Away”
Far, far away, beyond the forest of brambles, where taxis cannot take you, there lies a primrose path leading to a lotus garden. the adjacent waterfall beckons. Above the sky, there lies a mountain peak, much too tall to spy with the naked eye. In this place, enlightenment is found not in the grandeur, but in the nutrient-rich dirt beneath your feet.
What is Paint Chip Poetry?
While browsing an art supply store recently, I came across a small game box filled with small paint chips and prompts—simple building blocks with which to create infinite poems and colorful sequences.
I’ve always adored poetry but never felt particularly adept at writing it. This year, I’d like to try and get better. With it being National Poetry Month, I thought it would be a fun writing challenge to use this game box as inspiration to write a brand new poem every day for the entire month of April.
The Rules
I must choose a prompt and four-to-eight paint chips at random. I get a single opportunity to re-draw a sample if I’m not feeling it, but that’s it. Just one. However, I can redraw if I get a repeat.
I must write a poem using the prompt and all of the paint chip words/phrases within the text of the poem. They must be bolded and italicized.
I must post the poem each day to Substack & include a photo of the paint chips in every post.
Love Brain Teaser! And the first line of “Death Cult” of course.
The opening of brain teaser is really strong!