[15 words or less] Bacteria?

?15WOLs?

Photo: Laura Purdie Salas

Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)!

Three things this makes me think of:

1) Bacteria in a petri dish
2) Fishing nets full of jellyfish
3) Pods. Pods with monsters in them

And here’s my first draft!

Fishing Net

Strainer of the sea
holds cold quivering bowls,
bells of gel,
tangles of tentacles

–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

Now it’s your turn! Have fun? and stick to? 15 WORDS OR LESS!??(Title doesn’t count toward word count:>) PLEASE NOTE: I’m on a school visit all day today, so I won’t be responding to poems, though I’ll read through them. I so love how this community is giving feedback and support. Keep up the lovely work!

138 Responses

  1. Not my favorite picture, Laura. Your poem caught some interesting images and the alliteration of tangled tentacles set the stage for my play with the p sound.

    Pink

    Pepto-Bismal
    Pinky red
    Petri dish
    Of popcorn
    Popping
    Cotton candy wonderland of science revealed

    1. I love petri dish Of popcorn Popping and wonderland of science revealed. Especially “wonderland” — the essence of research.

  2. Not my favorite picture, Laura. Your poem caught some interesting images and the alliteration of tangled tentacles set the stage for my play with the p sound.

    Pink

    Pepto-Bismal
    Pinky red
    Petri dish
    Of popcorn
    Popping
    Cotton candy wonderland of science revealed

    1. I love petri dish Of popcorn Popping and wonderland of science revealed. Especially “wonderland” — the essence of research.

  3. In a perfect world
    We would be equal
    All we have
    Is what we are !

    - Anne McKenna

    1. “Bells of gel”–fun to say!

      Side Effect

      Colors
      Stripes
      Ruffles
      Ribs
      Making
      caps for
      chemo
      patients
      she knits
      a reason
      to live.

      Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

      1. Fabulous from the title to the last line. “She knits a reason to live” — made my heart ache.

      2. Diane
        I said aw! Love that knitting a reason. Do you knit? I’m not very good at it. Maybe when I retire.„

  4. In a perfect world
    We would be equal
    All we have
    Is what we are !

    - Anne McKenna

    1. “Bells of gel”–fun to say!

      Side Effect

      Colors
      Stripes
      Ruffles
      Ribs
      Making
      caps for
      chemo
      patients
      she knits
      a reason
      to live.

      Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

      1. Fabulous from the title to the last line. “She knits a reason to live” — made my heart ache.

      2. Diane
        I said aw! Love that knitting a reason. Do you knit? I’m not very good at it. Maybe when I retire.„

    1. You made me laugh, especially with the tempting Halloween candy around this time of year.

    1. You made me laugh, especially with the tempting Halloween candy around this time of year.

  5. Laura, quite a challenge. My first thought was of a waffle, topped with something, but it’s too early in the morning to deal with that image — so here goes!

    Winter’s chill
    beginner’s will
    knitting stitch okay.
    The art of pretty
    pompoms?
    Perhaps another day!

    1. I like how you have the whole beginners struggle summed up in a lovely rhyme. And your first line sets the stage. Knitting during summer’s heat — not so appealing.

  6. Laura, quite a challenge. My first thought was of a waffle, topped with something, but it’s too early in the morning to deal with that image — so here goes!

    Winter’s chill
    beginner’s will
    knitting stitch okay.
    The art of pretty
    pompoms?
    Perhaps another day!

    1. I like how you have the whole beginners struggle summed up in a lovely rhyme. And your first line sets the stage. Knitting during summer’s heat — not so appealing.

  7. Laura, every line, every description in your poem, simply stunning. One of my favorites of yours. Here’s mine:

    Through the microscope -
    micro-worlds
    with micro-monsters
    more terrifying
    than imagination’s
    creations.

    Type “larval sea creatures” into Google images for a good example.

  8. Laura, every line, every description in your poem, simply stunning. One of my favorites of yours. Here’s mine:

    Through the microscope -
    micro-worlds
    with micro-monsters
    more terrifying
    than imagination’s
    creations.

    Type “larval sea creatures” into Google images for a good example.

  9. STICKY POCKETS

    Snuck a wafer
    Pink and crispy
    Forgot it until later
    Melted, sticky

    Cool picture!

  10. STICKY POCKETS

    Snuck a wafer
    Pink and crispy
    Forgot it until later
    Melted, sticky

    Cool picture!

  11. Laura, love your tangled tentacles phrase. In a rush this morning, but here goes:

    Parade

    Fill the wire with
    fluffy pink flowers.
    Finish the float
    in only four hours.

  12. Laura, love your tangled tentacles phrase. In a rush this morning, but here goes:

    Parade

    Fill the wire with
    fluffy pink flowers.
    Finish the float
    in only four hours.

  13. SALMON

    Tussling with tides,
    crossing currents,
    salmon soars
    leaping–
    past hungry, black bears,
    delivering
    the future.

    Andria W. Rosenbaum/ all rights reserved

      1. Thanks, Michelle. It wasn’t inspired by that show specifically, but I’ve watched a fair amount of shows like it.

  14. SALMON

    Tussling with tides,
    crossing currents,
    salmon soars
    leaping–
    past hungry, black bears,
    delivering
    the future.

    Andria W. Rosenbaum/ all rights reserved

      1. Thanks, Michelle. It wasn’t inspired by that show specifically, but I’ve watched a fair amount of shows like it.

  15. Laura,
    love the assonance in your poem epecially, the last 3 lines and the idea of a net acting as a strainer 🙂

  16. Laura,
    love the assonance in your poem epecially, the last 3 lines and the idea of a net acting as a strainer 🙂

  17. Your poem makes me wonder how they do get those ‘tangles of tentacles’ out of the net, Laura. I guess they do hold on! You’ve made me imagine a menagerie of sea creatures in the net, which is a problem I know! I saw something different, but it’s an amazing photo!

    Grandma teaches me,
    Knit one, Purl Two
    It?s her hand-me-down,
    saying ?I love you?.
    Linda Baie?All Rights Reserved

  18. Your poem makes me wonder how they do get those ‘tangles of tentacles’ out of the net, Laura. I guess they do hold on! You’ve made me imagine a menagerie of sea creatures in the net, which is a problem I know! I saw something different, but it’s an amazing photo!

    Grandma teaches me,
    Knit one, Purl Two
    It?s her hand-me-down,
    saying ?I love you?.
    Linda Baie?All Rights Reserved

  19. I love tangles of tentacles!

    Tightly woven
    bobbles unbroken
    warm to the touch
    grandma

    Ooh 15 exactly phew

  20. I love tangles of tentacles!

    Tightly woven
    bobbles unbroken
    warm to the touch
    grandma

    Ooh 15 exactly phew

  21. “Strainer of the sea,” “quivering bowls,” “tangles of tentacles” — wow! wow! wow! Love your imagery, Laura!

    GRANDMA’S BEDSPREAD

    Knobbly and warm
    is the hug I slip into
    each night at Nana’s house.

    © Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, all rights reserved.

    1. thanks for the comment-glad it touched you, Michelle. I didn’t have much time to even read or then comment today, but we must have had nice grandmas to both write this way. I like that ‘hug I slip into’-felt just that way, didn’t it?

  22. “Strainer of the sea,” “quivering bowls,” “tangles of tentacles” — wow! wow! wow! Love your imagery, Laura!

    GRANDMA’S BEDSPREAD

    Knobbly and warm
    is the hug I slip into
    each night at Nana’s house.

    © Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, all rights reserved.

    1. thanks for the comment-glad it touched you, Michelle. I didn’t have much time to even read or then comment today, but we must have had nice grandmas to both write this way. I like that ‘hug I slip into’-felt just that way, didn’t it?

  23. COOL!

    My evening sweater
    Is an open weave,
    so I can feel
    a gentle breeze.

    Great picture, Laura. Love the color and what you did with it.

    Joy

  24. COOL!

    My evening sweater
    Is an open weave,
    so I can feel
    a gentle breeze.

    Great picture, Laura. Love the color and what you did with it.

    Joy

  25. Oh, Laura — I love all the sounds in your poem! My favorite is “tangles of tentacles”, but, really, I love each of your lines.

    The picture reminded me of a child’s sweater with little pompoms on it, so I came up with this:

    SWEATER WEATHER

    Wrapped in cozy layers?
    turtleneck, sweater, blanket?
    sipping cider
    and
    reading Gaiman:

    perfectly October.

  26. Oh, Laura — I love all the sounds in your poem! My favorite is “tangles of tentacles”, but, really, I love each of your lines.

    The picture reminded me of a child’s sweater with little pompoms on it, so I came up with this:

    SWEATER WEATHER

    Wrapped in cozy layers?
    turtleneck, sweater, blanket?
    sipping cider
    and
    reading Gaiman:

    perfectly October.

      1. I like the “lacy dreams unravel”, & your ‘unstitching’, Buffy. Also that you thought of ‘snarl’ instead of purl-of course it does!

      1. I like the “lacy dreams unravel”, & your ‘unstitching’, Buffy. Also that you thought of ‘snarl’ instead of purl-of course it does!

  27. The Chain Link Fence

    In Fall, all the leaves
    from the Truffula tree,
    repurpose to make
    a more fashionable me.

      1. truffula trees are round. I was seeing the image as round leaves, blown up against a chain link fence. a bit odd, but imagination is like that. The fence is now fashionable, with it’s new leaf dress.

  28. The Chain Link Fence

    In Fall, all the leaves
    from the Truffula tree,
    repurpose to make
    a more fashionable me.

      1. truffula trees are round. I was seeing the image as round leaves, blown up against a chain link fence. a bit odd, but imagination is like that. The fence is now fashionable, with it’s new leaf dress.

  29. WHEN TURNING ON THE A/C

    Blankets of granule spheres
    Caked inside air vents
    Arrive for your sneezing pleasure.

    © Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.

  30. WHEN TURNING ON THE A/C

    Blankets of granule spheres
    Caked inside air vents
    Arrive for your sneezing pleasure.

    © Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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

Join 2,499 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 sheetALAA 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 FlynnCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter bookschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign 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 SweeneyLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoonmy 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)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 poemsrefugeesresearchreviewsrevisionrhyming 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 InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

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