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Lava tube cave in Iceland

Lava Cave [15 Words or Less]

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.  For most of spring, I’m guessing, my pics will come from the wonderful trip Randy and I took to Paris and Iceland. I’ll be sharing more about the

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Artwork at Knapp Elementary

Literacy Night at Knapp

Last night, I visited Knapp Elementary School in Knapp, Wisconsin, for a literacy celebration. It was easy to see Principal Kristin Humphrey is a reading specialist by training–books are celebrated everywhere in the school! I especially loved these displays of artwork related to my book A ROCK CAN BE… The kids and I read a

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Bumble Ball

The Bumble Ball [15 Words or Less]

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.  Back a couple of weeks ago, game night had a toy theme, and I came across this pic of our daughter, Annabelle, with one of her favorite childhood

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One Leaf

Last Leaf [15 Words or Less]

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.  Our maple tree has been bare for ages, except for one or two last, lonely leaves. This image makes me think of several things:

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Orca art by Patty McKenna

Whale Postcard [15 Words or Less]

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.  My sister Patty has always been the artist in our family. She is crafty and artistic, though she hasn’t had much time for any creative outlets other than

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Moon and Contrail

Barely the Moon [15 Words or Less]

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.  Last night, as Randy and I were driving home from downtown, there was this cool contrail like a long thin cloud shearing the night sky. It was right

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funky party boar 15wol

Party Boar [15 Words or Less]

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.  A couple of weeks ago, Randy and I went to an exhibit called Martin Luther and the Reformation at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It was great, but

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Ice on Pavement

Ice Carving [15 Words or Less]

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.  I often use filters, but this pic of the thin layer of ice on our street (which I was sliding around on while walking Jack), didn’t want one:>)

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Jack's pawprint 15wol

Pawprint [15 Words or Less]

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.  This is Captain Jack’s pawprint on our front sidewalk. Something about our weather cycle of snow, melt, freeze, etc., and that fact that he goes in and out

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Atlanta Olympic Park

Tower [15 Words or Less]

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.  Here’s a pic of Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, which I walked through several times a day at NCTE. This image makes me think of several things:

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slice-of-life_individual

My One Little Word [Slice of Life]

All week I’ve been thinking about my One Little Word, and everyone’s posts lasts week were inspiring–and a bit intimidating. A couple of mornings ago, I woke up knowing my word. CLEAR My life and to-do lists and home are overly full. They are full of wonderful stuff, but too much stuff for me to

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Lady and the Dolphin

Dolphin Lady [15 Words or Less]

Hello, and welcome to the first 15 Words or Less Poems of 2017! 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.  At NCTE in Atlanta, walking back and forth from my hotel to the convention center, I passed this

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