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.
One of the visitors to the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival recently was this great horned owl.
This image makes me think of several things:
- Harry Potter
- owl on a rainbow (see the metal perch?)
- the sorrow of a flightless bird
And here’s my first draft.
Actually, I take that back. This is a second draft. I started with “These wings won’t work/ but my mind still flies—/ over fields,/ byways/ and rainbows.” But I immediately felt bored by the lack of action and changed the final three lines:>)
It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count.)
33 Responses
Oh, Laura. That is a stunning photo — the filter is really pretty. I’m so glad that owl rescue exists. These creatures are so important to save and keep healthy. Swooping is such a great word.
Wise and Kind
If a great-horned owl
is our answer.
What’s our question?
Whooooo’s wise?
Whoooooo’s kind?
Wonderful lines Linda! Love the whooooo’s — possibly a Jeopardy question? 😉
Thanks, Linda. Your poem really speaks to me today, because it makes me think this would make a great poetic form. If a _________ is the Answer, What Is the Question? I love your who puns!
I love the word play in your poem
Linda great word play!
Reign of feathers
Monarch of birds
Overwatching the
Aviary kingdom
What a noble poem for a bird so royal. Love it!
The Patriarch of the aviary! So clever Amelia.
So commanding! Love the first two lines especially!
I love your first two lines
Yes this great owl is indeed a monarch…very nice.
Lovely photo! I immediately thought of your book, “If You Were the Moon,” then to one of my loves, jigsaw puzzles. The pic would make a fantastic puzzle.
I’ve Got Your Back
Picture shatters
feathers scatter;
fear not my friend,
you’ll soon be whole again.
Ha! This made me think of jigsaw puzzles in a whole new way!
I like how you included the way the pic was taken and added the voice of the person taking it
Martha I love your take on this photo as a jigsaw puzzle, so colorful and creative.
Thank you Jean.
I love your pic today and everyone poem
I know that I am way over 15 but this is what I came up with today
poem by Jessica Bigi
Great Horned Owl
Who glowing eyes
look back of mirrored sky
ties the fairest sad I
run mousses
rabbets frogs and
fly birds in flight
I here all and see all
I’m fairest sad I
who’s eyes glow back
through mirrored sky
Love the fairy tale feel of Whose glowing eyes and ‘Tis the fairest. (Gotta keep it under 15, though! That challenge is what keeps the poems on even footing.)
I love the imagery in
“swooping
in feathered silence”
Thanks Laura!
Knowing owl
what insights
can you share
as we leave the year
and start anew …
I love the mystery in this
Thanks, Michelle–and I love the instinct here to ask an owl for wisdom. We could learn a lot. I also really like “leave the year.”
Love the image of your owl’s mind flight, and the new meaning of feathered silence.
(Since I clipped the wings of last week’s poem, I brought this one back to flight!)
On stealthy wings
With ears attune, you
Launch, missile of the night.
I like your last two lines
I love missile to describe an owl. Deadly and sleek–perfect!
ooooh, missle of the night
Love “missile of the night”
Had one of these hooting early one morning. Found its silhouette up in the top of a dead tree.
GREAT HORNED CHALLENGE
Give a stare,
issue a dare.
Come any closer-
best beware!
Who?
You!
Haha love who and you.
This is a wonderful verse Cindy. I have a “resident” owl who “hoots” my way down the sidewalk,out the driveway and across the street to the paper box. It is still dark and he begins when I turn on my outside lights!
I love that your rhyming words are the strongest words in this poem. Stare. Dare. Beware. Awesome!
Great picture! I have yet to see an owl in the wild so have to content myself with bird rescues and pictures like yours!
So much pressure to expound
I’m really not that wise–
I just want a mouse.