Photo: Laura Purdie Salas
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!
Happy 4th of July! I don’t know if anyone will stop by today, but I’m posting just in case:>)
Isn’t this pretty??Here’s what?this picture?makes me think of:
1)?A blue-jay feather
2) A snow wake from someone skiing
3) A splashy pool through goggles
And here’s my poem first draft:
Blue Jay Feather
Blustery day
Wind pulls trigger
Bold blue bullet floats to Earth
–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved
What do you think of when you look at this picture? Take any quick idea and jot down a 15 Words or Less poem. It doesn’t have to rhyme or describe this picture. It’s just about whatever you think of when you look at it.
142 Responses
Up early, couldn’t sleep. Thought of red, white, and– on this July 4th, but nope. Wrote this instead.
Blue
Blue is
the color of sadness
but also of the best
summer sky.
?Kate Coombs
Poignant and hopeful at the same time. Lovely!
You leave us with the sweet taste of hope
. 🙂
So true. I find the blue sky hopeful too.
Love the word “best” in there, Kate.
Up early, couldn’t sleep. Thought of red, white, and– on this July 4th, but nope. Wrote this instead.
Blue
Blue is
the color of sadness
but also of the best
summer sky.
?Kate Coombs
Poignant and hopeful at the same time. Lovely!
You leave us with the sweet taste of hope
. 🙂
So true. I find the blue sky hopeful too.
Love the word “best” in there, Kate.
NEW ‘DO
Scissor kick
from water lair,
running fingers through–
Ooh…
blue shampoo
leaves sea foam
in my hair
Do you think we can convince CVS to carry this? Wonderful!
I love the sea foam.
My sister was visiting recently and used my daughter’s shampoo–but then declined when it was blue. BTW, Janet Wong was saying wonderful things about you to a Wordsong editor at ALA. Were your ears burning? :>)
What what what?? Do tell!!! That is very exciting to know. Thank you. 🙂
Janet Wong, at a mostly poet dinner, was telling editor Rebecca Davis about some of the wonderful poets she had worked with through PFA, inc ones new to her. She mentioned two poets in particular, and you were one of them. Janet raved about your work, and Rebecca already knew who you were and was super complimentary about you, too. :>)
Aw, thank you so much for letting me know. Made my day!! 🙂
NEW ‘DO
Scissor kick
from water lair,
running fingers through–
Ooh…
blue shampoo
leaves sea foam
in my hair
Do you think we can convince CVS to carry this? Wonderful!
I love the sea foam.
My sister was visiting recently and used my daughter’s shampoo–but then declined when it was blue. BTW, Janet Wong was saying wonderful things about you to a Wordsong editor at ALA. Were your ears burning? :>)
What what what?? Do tell!!! That is very exciting to know. Thank you. 🙂
Janet Wong, at a mostly poet dinner, was telling editor Rebecca Davis about some of the wonderful poets she had worked with through PFA, inc ones new to her. She mentioned two poets in particular, and you were one of them. Janet raved about your work, and Rebecca already knew who you were and was super complimentary about you, too. :>)
Aw, thank you so much for letting me know. Made my day!! 🙂
cool blue planet
hurtles toward impact–
a raging tsunami
in your ocean eyes.
© Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, all rights reserved.
love “ocean eyes”!
I want to know what happens next. And what happened before.
Wonderful contrast of a peaceful image and a violent one.
Oh! Those last two line–fantastic!
cool blue planet
hurtles toward impact–
a raging tsunami
in your ocean eyes.
© Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, all rights reserved.
love “ocean eyes”!
I want to know what happens next. And what happened before.
Wonderful contrast of a peaceful image and a violent one.
Oh! Those last two line–fantastic!
mid-summer
sky
colorful sprays burn
blue’s had it’s turn
RED!
WHITE!
July 4th night
Hey, welcome, Paul! This is great! Love the sense of the lines exploding a bit erratically, like fireworks.
mid-summer
sky
colorful sprays burn
blue’s had it’s turn
RED!
WHITE!
July 4th night
Hey, welcome, Paul! This is great! Love the sense of the lines exploding a bit erratically, like fireworks.
BLUE
You
remind me of blue?s
infinite hues
like sky and sea
longing to be
discovered.
Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum, all rights reserved
Hi, Andria. What a lovely love poem.
Sorry, Andria, my poem seems to contradict yours! I think I like your attitude better!
Love the romantic imagery.
I like that longing in there…
BLUE
You
remind me of blue?s
infinite hues
like sky and sea
longing to be
discovered.
Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum, all rights reserved
Hi, Andria. What a lovely love poem.
Sorry, Andria, my poem seems to contradict yours! I think I like your attitude better!
Love the romantic imagery.
I like that longing in there…
Poster sized paper
Watercolor whale
Ran out of paint
Not to scale.
“Not to scale” made me giggle.
Sounds like my artistic attempts! Clever interpretation, Cathy!
Love the lightness and lilt. How I’d love to meet this watercolor whale!
Watercolor whale–love the mix of something ethereal and something heavy there…
Poster sized paper
Watercolor whale
Ran out of paint
Not to scale.
“Not to scale” made me giggle.
Sounds like my artistic attempts! Clever interpretation, Cathy!
Love the lightness and lilt. How I’d love to meet this watercolor whale!
Watercolor whale–love the mix of something ethereal and something heavy there…
Cannonball!
Splattered sunbathers
explode from poolside towels,
shrieking.
Fun.
I especially like the splattered sunbathers, explode, and shrieking.
Such a vivid, sensory-laden image. Well done, JoAnn!
Your positive, fun spin is a delight!
Ha! Great scene-painting!
Cannonball!
Splattered sunbathers
explode from poolside towels,
shrieking.
Fun.
I especially like the splattered sunbathers, explode, and shrieking.
Such a vivid, sensory-laden image. Well done, JoAnn!
Your positive, fun spin is a delight!
Ha! Great scene-painting!
blue blood flows
through sweeping skies
delivering life
to weary eyes
Hi Liz! This is how I feel when spring finally arrives.
Delivering life to weary eyes… I just love that!
Love those sweeping skies, Liz.
blue blood flows
through sweeping skies
delivering life
to weary eyes
Hi Liz! This is how I feel when spring finally arrives.
Delivering life to weary eyes… I just love that!
Love those sweeping skies, Liz.
The Dream
Surfacing, silent,
past kelp and sea foam floating,
I wake up, gasping.
****
Beneath
Sunlight dances
atop the ocean’s surface
tickling the turtle
peeking up from the depths.
Both lovely, though I like The Dream the best. Love the mood in the first line, the concrete description in the second, and the action/twist in the third. Nicely done!
The Dream
Surfacing, silent,
past kelp and sea foam floating,
I wake up, gasping.
****
Beneath
Sunlight dances
atop the ocean’s surface
tickling the turtle
peeking up from the depths.
Both lovely, though I like The Dream the best. Love the mood in the first line, the concrete description in the second, and the action/twist in the third. Nicely done!
Cup, flower,
secret heart
of rain shower.
Ocean floor,
bit of wing.
The blues sing.
~Elisabeth M. Priest
Oh, very nice!
I adore this tiny, delicate list poem. Feels like a little jewel to hide in my palm.
Cup, flower,
secret heart
of rain shower.
Ocean floor,
bit of wing.
The blues sing.
~Elisabeth M. Priest
Oh, very nice!
I adore this tiny, delicate list poem. Feels like a little jewel to hide in my palm.
Grainy glaze
drips
spots,
like
milk
on
butterfly wings.
Oh yes… organic beauty! Just gorgeous.
Great comparison–the picture popped into my head immediately as I read your words.
Grainy glaze
drips
spots,
like
milk
on
butterfly wings.
Oh yes… organic beauty! Just gorgeous.
Great comparison–the picture popped into my head immediately as I read your words.
Ice
descends
to core;
cools
fire’s
dragon breath.
Jeanne Poland
LOVE!
I love that fire has dragon breath instead of vice versa. Perfect!
Ice
descends
to core;
cools
fire’s
dragon breath.
Jeanne Poland
LOVE!
I love that fire has dragon breath instead of vice versa. Perfect!
I nearly forgot that it’s Thursday. My brain thinks it’s Saturday since I worked yesterday and today I’m off! Happy 4th everyone!
The Blues
They’re only true if
unadulterated and
infinitely deep.
No shades, no hues
in the blues.
© Diane Mayr
Ohhh, exclusive blue only. I love the word unadulterated here…
I nearly forgot that it’s Thursday. My brain thinks it’s Saturday since I worked yesterday and today I’m off! Happy 4th everyone!
The Blues
They’re only true if
unadulterated and
infinitely deep.
No shades, no hues
in the blues.
© Diane Mayr
Ohhh, exclusive blue only. I love the word unadulterated here…
Damp
petals
streaked with
morning tears; sun
shimmers through:
stained-glass
garden.
You always have the must luscious images, Buffy!
Love those morning tears of dew!
I love the morning tears and the stained-glass garden.
Damp
petals
streaked with
morning tears; sun
shimmers through:
stained-glass
garden.
You always have the must luscious images, Buffy!
Love those morning tears of dew!
I love the morning tears and the stained-glass garden.
This picture offers so many angles — and some very cool poems here!
HOME
Big blue
speck of space
dust;
Whos, hoping to be heard.
- ? 2013, Matt Forrest Esenwine
Awww…now I’m picturing them singing and shouting, “We are here! We are here!” Thanks, Horton–uh, I mean Matt!
This picture offers so many angles — and some very cool poems here!
HOME
Big blue
speck of space
dust;
Whos, hoping to be heard.
- ? 2013, Matt Forrest Esenwine
Awww…now I’m picturing them singing and shouting, “We are here! We are here!” Thanks, Horton–uh, I mean Matt!
blue skies
blueberries
blue moon
blue Monday
blue funk
blue screen of death
=
emoti-color
The good, the bad, and the ugly:>)
blue skies
blueberries
blue moon
blue Monday
blue funk
blue screen of death
=
emoti-color
The good, the bad, and the ugly:>)
NERVOUS FLYER
Ascending toward cream puffed,
cobalt celing, I experience
Earth’s atmos — FEAR.
© Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
cream puffed/cobalt ceiling… wow. just wow.
Beautiful! And I feel this way whenever there’s turbulence!
NERVOUS FLYER
Ascending toward cream puffed,
cobalt celing, I experience
Earth’s atmos — FEAR.
© Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
cream puffed/cobalt ceiling… wow. just wow.
Beautiful! And I feel this way whenever there’s turbulence!
Singing the blues
in aqua hues
and punctuated beats
like Georgia O’Keefe’s.
Ooh, I’m intrigued by Georgia O’Keefe. Did she sing, too? Or is the beats and blues in her paintings, and the singing is metaphorical? Must go explore.
as far as I know, she wasn’t a singer. But when I look at her work, I feel as though I could hear the song in the painting as well as see it.Esp. when she has dots in it like this picture does. It really makes a beat within the music of the blue.
So cool, esp as I found this quotation attributed to her: “Singing has always seemed to me the most perfect means of expression. It is so spontaneous. And after singing, I think the violin. Since I cannot sing, I paint.”
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/georgia_okeeffe.html#FQHKEB2KEZsarTHi.99
Singing the blues
in aqua hues
and punctuated beats
like Georgia O’Keefe’s.
Ooh, I’m intrigued by Georgia O’Keefe. Did she sing, too? Or is the beats and blues in her paintings, and the singing is metaphorical? Must go explore.
as far as I know, she wasn’t a singer. But when I look at her work, I feel as though I could hear the song in the painting as well as see it.Esp. when she has dots in it like this picture does. It really makes a beat within the music of the blue.
So cool, esp as I found this quotation attributed to her: “Singing has always seemed to me the most perfect means of expression. It is so spontaneous. And after singing, I think the violin. Since I cannot sing, I paint.”
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/georgia_okeeffe.html#FQHKEB2KEZsarTHi.99
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS
Red- anticipation.
White is exclamation.
Blue because they’re through.
Laura, I really liked your blue jay poem. Loved the wind pulling the trigger and the feather being the bullet.
Thanks, Cindyb! Love your pithy red, white, and blue ditty. Color and emotion in 9 words!
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS
Red- anticipation.
White is exclamation.
Blue because they’re through.
Laura, I really liked your blue jay poem. Loved the wind pulling the trigger and the feather being the bullet.
Thanks, Cindyb! Love your pithy red, white, and blue ditty. Color and emotion in 9 words!
SAY AH
You’ve been eating
The blueberries,
Again.
I see
Your stained
Tongue.
Yes! And I particularly like how Again has its own line:>) I hear the pause and voice there so much!
SAY AH
You’ve been eating
The blueberries,
Again.
I see
Your stained
Tongue.
Yes! And I particularly like how Again has its own line:>) I hear the pause and voice there so much!
The Oldies Station
You sing of blue skies,
moons, and birds,
the radio a
sacred bridge
to yesterday
-Pamela Ross
The Oldies Station
You sing of blue skies,
moons, and birds,
the radio a
sacred bridge
to yesterday
-Pamela Ross