Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here.
While I was at the Anderson Center at Tower View for the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival a couple weeks ago, I found myself gazing at this unusual sculpture/assemblage. (This is just a close-up of a tiny bit of it, and I wish I’d written down the artist’s name.) I am not knowledgeable about art, nor in any way talented at visual art (see my #poemsketch project), but I’ve been having fun playing with art lately, which is entirely new for me.
This image makes me think of several things:
- a horrible new hunting weapon
- voodoo
- the strangest hair salon ever
And here’s my first draft.
I love that this forum is one in which we can all try and share art. It doesn’t have to be good or unusual or rhyming or serious or…anything. It just has to be. That’s the first step for the artist in all of us, right?
It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count.)
51 Responses
The position of the scissors in this extremely odd image inspired my poem: one open, one closed, like they were in motion.
lined up
like birds
on a wire,
the sentient scissors
jostle for space
I like how you saw the prompt.…I“m off to day dream a bit. This one kinda stumps me.
I like this idea! The last two lines are very nice.
Lauren, I like the “feel” of your poem. My thoughts are running rampant with today’s post. When I read birds on a wire, Hitchcock’s movie “The Birds” came into view.
Yikes! Scissors coming to life is almost scarier than robots or something! Love sentient scissors…
Aviary Assembly Line
Stainless steel backbone
Hinge opens wings
A flurry of feathers
and a new bird appears
love Aviary Assembly Line.…perfect title and idea.
What an unusual idea. Somehow I like your second line best.
Amelia I just love your title and your poem.
Amelia, stainless steel backbone and hinge are awesome words for an assembly line!
And just like that–creation! Love the stainless steel and the hinge. Something about combining metal and nature in poems always appeals to me!
Good morning! Great question, Can I try? Thank goodness for the question.….because this prompt is a tough‑y. I had to borrow a spell from Harry Potter to make this one work.
Spell Against Pick Pockets
Hawk feather
and a scissor
wire together
gloomy weather
Alarte Ascendare!
protection from
greedy fingers.
Ingredients for a spell — how clever!
Very original, love the new Harry Potter spell!
Wonderful Linda! If only … !
I LOVE that you created a Harry Potter spell. I feel like we should have a week where we all make up a HP spell based on the image!
Laura, I would dispute your “not talented at visual art” claim as I so enjoy your poem sketches! I really struggled with the 15 word limit today. I wanted to call this Barber’s Revenge, but needed the title to serve as my first line to keep within those limits. I, too, saw a strange “hair” salon. I’m pressed for time and not totally thrilled with the rhythm of this one yet, but loved the idea of a swaggering blue jay getting his comeuppance.
Cocky bluejay needs a trim
At the barber’s pushes in
Swaggers, preens
with raucous squawk
departs abashed
with spiky mohawk
How fun. Love your swaggering, pushy bluejay, plus squawk/mohawk. Made me smile.
I can just see this pushy, squawking blue jay; love how he leaves with a spiky mohawk, very funny.
Jays are so funny but so loveable. We had a neighbor who’s cat was so lazy he never attempted to harm a bird but a particular blue jay was so scared of him that every time he moved the jay would fly away squawking, then come right back. Love the Mohawk hair.
Ha! Cocky, swaggers, preens, raucous–we get such a great image of his personality. Thanks, Molly, I enjoy my poemsketches, too, and I think they have value for me. But they are not skilled, by a long shot. Still, learning something new and being vulnerable about it and sharing it publicly is always a growth experience, right?
Thanks for the hair salon laugh. Glad to have the smile this morning.
its wings clipped
hawk hops and flaps
dreaming of sky
Oh. This is so sad — that last line especially.
I’m sad for this hawk.
Poor hawk. We have a 21 yr. old cocktail and could never bring ourselves to clip his wings. When we let him out of his cage he would fly all around the house and I could always get him back to his cage by shaking a box of Cheerios. He is too old for that now, yet still provides much joy.
Aw. Whenever I see rescued raptors, as I have several times in the past month, I’m so glad someone is caring for them. But I also feel melancholy at the idea of a bird without the power of flight. This captures that perfectly.
Good morning. I saw the face of a little girl to the left of the feather and immediately thought of the game “rock, scissors, paper” (not sure of the sequence). Thus my ditty!
A New Game
Scissors
feather
bark on tree,
wanna come
and play with me?
Please!
A fun rhyme. Blunt tip scissors, of course.
For some reason, I started thinking jumprope chant as I read this. That plaintive ending…hope someone says yes!
It was the hair salon that got me!
My “feathered” cut
Gives me a lift
As I exit the salon
and soar upwards
This is wonderful — happiness from a haircut. How fun.
Beth you really captured the feeling of a great cut! Nicely done.
Heehee–I’m having an 80s flashback! Love the surprise ending.
A fascinating piece of artwork. It led me down two paths kind of so I kept writing.…
Wash Day
I strung my scissors
out to dry
To breeze’s song they
clipped the sky
Feather Flurry
Feathers will fly
If mom’s manic,
Hens panic,
Or scissors go awry
In the sky.
By Donna JT Smith
Oh, and I love your images. You may not know Art but it knows you.
Fun, Donna! I especially love the scissors clipping the sky!
That is fun! I love the varied ideas today
Laura I enjoy your combination of art and poetry, and look forward to your #poemsketch. Your poem gives inspiration to the artist within, and your picture inspired a salon approach to my poem.
My blades shine in anticipation.
Cool steel on downy feather
ready to coiffure.
snip snip…
coiffure, of course and the reassurance of snip snip!
I love your word choices–blades, shine, steel, downy. Awesome!
This is a very unusual pic
poem By Jessica Bigi
His Eyes The Color
Of The Moon
He sits
on the fence pole
on Halloween night
his scissor claws
his scissor beak
Howww!
Oh, this owls is perfect for Halloween. Nicely done!
This is a very unusual pic
poem By Jessica Bigi
His Eyes The Color
Of The Moon
He sits
on the fence pole
on Halloween night
his scissor claws
his scissor beak
Whoooo?
What a delicious owl poem!
Thank you for today’s image. The contrasting images of hope (thank you, Emily D) and danger fit my mood this week. This one’s for my daughter.
For Anna
While scissors shred
the threads
once woven tight,
Feathers promise
hope will again
take flight.
Lovely, Kay. Feathers and hope are now synonymous, aren’t they. Sending good thoughts.
Thanks! May I use your photo to create a poetry postcard for my daughter–if she likes the poem?
Absolutely! Thanks for asking:)
Oh, my. Pretty and smart and Dickinson! Your poem is awesome.
N0 ALONE ALLOWED
Don’t cut away-
Encircle today!
Keep your friends.
They’re dividends.
Ain’t it the truth! I love the sort of commercially voice to this!