“Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep” – Nancy Thompson, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Promise
Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep
You’ll never remember the promise to keep
The one that you made while you crossed your heart
The one that you said was to make a fresh start
You must stay awake to honor your words
You must remain free like the bees and the birds
For only you can try to see this thing through
Because keeping a promise is just something you do.
©2025 CBialczak
For today’s prompt, I’d like us to throw some light on these lines and take them a different direction. I have compiled a list of some fright flick quotes below and attempted to avoid anything overly gory. Your mission is to choose one as the FIRST line of your poem.
Stine Writing 
Promises can slip slide – we can only do our best. Hard not to fall asleep.
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too many people make promises and don’t intend to keep them! Sad fact! Gorgeous poem great rhythm to it!
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Thank you
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Love this especially; “You must remain free like the bees and the birds.” 💙
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Thank you
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What a delightful poem, love the message, love the rhyme. LOVE. Thanks so much for leaving me a comment.
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So glad you stopped by!
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Very nicely done, Christine!
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Thanks so much
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you are welcome
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oh beautiful. So well done. That “because” goes a long way. I like it. Thanks.
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I feel the rhythm of this one carries its message so naturally, Christine — that closing line lands with quiet conviction.
~David
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So true!
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Keeping a promise is something so fundamental… it amazes me how some oath-breakers can get by.
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how do people like that live with themselves?
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Isn’t that the truth!
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That last line is so true. I wish everyone felt that way!
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I don’t know how people live with dishonesty as if their lies are truths…
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No, I don’t either.
Somehow they rationalize it, I guess.
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it is mindblowing
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It is easy to make promises but keeping them requires hard work and staying awake. I love the direction you took with that line.
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hard work for sure!
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Very lovely
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You got that right, Christine!
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Yes, Christine! It’s called integrity.
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