National Poetry Month – Day 3

Theme: Unwritten Rules

Not every rule is spoken, but many are understood. We learn them through observation, correction, and consequence. How to behave. What to accept. What not to question. Some of these rules shape us, while others limit us. Today we explore the expectations we inherited, followed, and eventually challenged.

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Prompt 1 – The Unwritten Rules

Write a poem about expectations you learned without being directly taught. The things you picked up through tone, behavior, or experience.

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Prompt 2 – Playing By Rules I Didn’t Agree To

Write a poem about pressure to conform to standards you didn’t choose. The moments you followed rules that didn’t align with who you are.

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Prompt 3 – Breaking the Rules, What Broke Me

Write a poem about rejecting expectations that no longer serve you. What did it take to unlearn them, and what did it cost?

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