larger than life

you were larger than life, a legend reborn

wild as the ocean, calm as a storm

strong sturdy limbs like the trunk of a tree

hands that could reach up and touch galaxies

called all the attention when you walked in a room

with a smile you could rival the light of the moon

you made women sigh and grown men cry

with once glance of your sunlit sky borne eyes

your most loyal companion was a great elephant

you stole out of lion jaws when it was an infant

you’ve been gone for a while, leaving nothing but stories

heroic deeds, tales of fame and glory

sometimes I think we’ll never see you again

sometimes I almost hear your voice floating in the wind

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NaPoWriMo 2024 – Day 12: Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that plays with the idea of a “tall tale.” American tall tales feature larger-than-life characters like Paul Bunyan (who is literally larger than life), Bulltop Stormalong (also gigantic), and Pecos Bill (apparently normal-sized, but he doesn’t let it slow him down). If you’d like to see a modern poetic take on the tall tale, try Jennifer L. Knox’s hilarious poem, “Burt Reynolds FAQ.” Your poem can revolve around a mythical character, one you make up entirely, or add fantastical elements into a real person’s biography.