W3 Prompt #203: Wea’ve Written Weekly: I am a beacon

W3 Prompt #203: Wea’ve Written Weekly

I am a beacon

I stand atop a monstrous hill
guarding the people below
keeping the world calm and still
No place left for my life to go

I’ve shone all the light I can shine
I’ve cleared all the paths I can clear
This emptiness is solely mine
the darkness, the shadows, the fear

But leave here, I really cannot
For where else do I have to be
Now standing in my only spot
For the others, life is now free

For this week’s prompt, you are the lighthouse.

Write a poem in which the speaker is a lighthouse guiding something away from danger, toward safety, or both.

You can approach this in several ways:

Literal lighthouse: A real coastal structure doing its job. Keep the poem grounded in the physical reality of the lighthouse itself—its structure, machinery, light, weather, and surroundings.
Metaphorical lighthouse: The lighthouse stands for a guiding force in life: a person, principle, warning voice, memory, or moral compass. The poem explores what it means to hold that position and what it costs to remain visible.
Illusory lighthouse: The speaker believes they are guiding others, but the situation may be uncertain. Perhaps no one is watching; perhaps the signal reaches no one.
Delusional lighthouse: The speaker is convinced they are performing a vital guiding role, though others may see something very different.
False lighthouse: A darker possibility: a beacon that misleads. Historically, false lights were sometimes used to lure ships onto rocks. Your lighthouse might deceive, misdirect, or shine in the wrong direction.

Whichever path you choose, stay close to your lighthouse idea. The poem should clearly show how the speaker functions as a beacon.

20–25 lines maximum
Choose a form that suits the subject
Build the lighthouse through concrete images, actions, and sensory detail rather than abstract statements

As you write, ask yourself: What does your light reveal, warn against, or guide toward?

Click HERE for my example, slightly longer than the prompt, which imagines a lighthouse that may not be entirely necessary.