Tangled [15 Words or Less Poems]

Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)?

Most of my pics seem to come from airports or planes lately! This one is in O’Hare.

string lights 15wol
Photo: Laura P Salas

This image makes me think of:

  1. Charlotte’s web and her egg sac
  2. Garden parties and fairy lights
  3. How darkness hides so many sins

And, here’s my first draft. 

string-lights-ohare-15wol

 

It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count)

31 Responses

  1. WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON

    Ideas flit
    inside my head
    ’til they connect
    when I’m in bed.

    1. Oh yes Cindy. Then the ideas disconnect when it’s time to arise. Funny but not.

  2. Another good photo Laura. Art in airports seems to be the rule rather than the exception.

    Harmony

    The sun,
    centered,
    tethered to its
    celestial bodies
    promises
    continuity amid chaos.

    1. Oh, I adore the tether, Martha. Reminds me of Newton’s pondering about a rock on a string swing around being like the planets being held by gravity around the sun. Lovely!

  3. Can’t wait for National Poetry Month, coming right up! The kidlit poetry bloggers always do such fun stuff—and sponsor extra poetry writing workshops.

    Fireflies investigate
    the night,
    drawing lines
    in darkness,
    leaving their names
    behind.

    —Kate Coombs

    1. Kate, I like the image of investigating fireflies. I’ll watch them from a different perspective.

    2. Everything leaves its mark on the world–whether something is beautifying or terrorizing. Love this image, Kate–it makes me think of writing our names in the dark with sparklers on New Year’s Eve:>)

  4. Kite

    accordions of stars
    unfolding wings
    into march skies
    we fly on invisible
    strings of imagination

    Poem By Jessica Bigi

  5. Kite

    Accordions of stars
    Unfolding wings
    Into March skies
    We fly on invisible
    Strings of imagination

    Poem by Jessica Bigi

  6. I love all the takes on this picture — how everyone saw beauty.
    Unfortunately, I saw an ugly room. Bare rafters, torn insulation and tangled wires.
    Thus, I came up with this:

    Interrogation Room

    In atmosphere of gloom,
    the suspect waits
    for impending doom,
    contemplating guilt
    as questions loom.

    1. It just works that way Pat. That’s the beauty of the human mind. I can see it through your eyes!

    2. Love all the OO sounds. Hey, variety is the spice of poetry! It’s not unfortunate at all:>) I also like all the long words, drawing out the anxiety. Nicely done, Pat.

  7. There are some beautiful poems here today, but for some reason, this is what came to my mind.

    Sticking close
    to the rafters,
    Mama light
    takes her babies
    for a walk.

    1. Love that, Ellie–I totally saw Charlotte and her babies–one brief moment together, even though I know it didn’t happen that way:>(

  8. String of lights
    or chapters in life
    Entwined as one
    No beginning, no end

    Eternal

    Anne McKenna

    1. Funny how we think of time as linear, but it really is all entwined. Very nice, Anne!

  9. Are we not all fascinated with the lights at night?
    I know I am.

    Faraway Lights

    Drawn to stars
    Where we might never go,
    But we can bring them closer.

  10. Today I went o a conference about how to help get people out of poverty.My poem is related to it and my faith. It is both sad and hopeful.
    33AD Seder servant,
    betrayed, stripped.
    Sacrificed.
    2016 Conference serves
    neglected, poor
    Determines aid
    Worthwhile,
    hopeful.

    1. Jane, that is just lovely. The first segment is so visceral. I got a physical reaction–goosebumps down my legs! That hardly ever happens. Here’s to working for a better world:>)

  11. I have two for you! Do you have a favorite?

    LOOK UP (NIGHTTIME VIEWING)
    strings of stars pulsate
    against mulberry skies
    tattooing themselves
    into my heart.

    © Charles Waters 2016 all rights reserved.

    NIGHTTIME VIEWING
    bushels of stars
    scatter our cosmos
    with pulsating winks.

    © Charles Waters 2016 all rights reserved.

    1. Ooh, tough choice. I like the homespuniness of mulberry skies and also bushels of stars. But I love tattooing themselves. I have a thing for poems using tattoo in the nontraditional meaning. On balance, I have to go with Look Up!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,552 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheeta home like thisALAA Leaf Can Be...Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be...art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be... bookscan be... poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnccbcCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter booksCharles Waterschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid ElliottDavid L. Harrisondeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersFlurry Float and Flyforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura's board booksLaura's booksLaura's poemsLaura's readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLine Leads the WayLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymagnipoemsmargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMatt Forrest EsenwineMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoneymoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)National Poetry Month 2024 (magnipoems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar's VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreview copiesreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be...Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be...wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat's Insidewhen a butterfly goes to schoolWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZapZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Discover more from Laura Purdie Salas

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."