[15 words or less poems] Where Would You Like This Camel Delivered?

It’s March Madness Poetry time! Voting is now live on Round 1 Poems. My matchup is here–my pufferfish goes up against Walt Disney. I hope you’ll go check both poems out and vote for your favorite…and then browse through all the other match-ups, too!

 

Photo: Screen capture from An Idiot Abroad, a Ricky Gervais series gem we watched recently

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

Now there’s something you don’t see every day! It makes me think of:

1)?The Bible quote about a camel fitting through the eye of a needle
2)?When kids build toy cities or farms, and the objects aren’t all in proportion to each other
3) Why would a ship of the desert need a ride in the back of a truck?

And here’s my poem first draft, for my husband, Randy, who’s recovering nicely but slowly from his neck surgery:

If I Could Hold…
oceans in teacups
or stars in pencilboxes

maybe I could fit
you in my heart
–by Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

What do you think of when you look at this image? Take any idea and jot down a 15 Words or Less poem. No polish. No pressure. Just fun!

Please note: I’m at a Young Authors Conference today writing poetry with kids. I will read and respond to your poems, but it will likely be tomorrow before I have a chance to do that!

84 Responses

  1. Camel in a truck
    Looking funny but quite stuck
    How did he get there?

    Short haiku this morning. Not very creative… 🙂

    1. This is a little more direct than yours usually are, Amelia, but I’m so glad you shared it. It’s not that I don’t think it’s creative–it’s that you shared it even though YOU don’t think it’s creative. I love when we trust our community enough to participate and share our efforts even when we’re “eh” on them. That’s really the value of this exercise. Your directness and brevity are funny here, because they make me picture a British highway, where this camel-loaded truck goes by, and someone in a passing car is musing your poem out loud:>)

  2. Camel in a truck
    Looking funny but quite stuck
    How did he get there?

    Short haiku this morning. Not very creative… 🙂

    1. This is a little more direct than yours usually are, Amelia, but I’m so glad you shared it. It’s not that I don’t think it’s creative–it’s that you shared it even though YOU don’t think it’s creative. I love when we trust our community enough to participate and share our efforts even when we’re “eh” on them. That’s really the value of this exercise. Your directness and brevity are funny here, because they make me picture a British highway, where this camel-loaded truck goes by, and someone in a passing car is musing your poem out loud:>)

  3. I’m glad Randy is doing well! I’m also glad you wrote “If I Could Hold…” Very nice.

    yellow crocuses…
    little girl warning a cat
    to be good

    © Diane Mayr

    1. Thanks, Diane–ooh, I am so curious about what in the picture sparked this idea. I love when you guys use the picture to spark totally new topics. So fun! This paints a very specific scene in my head. Those yellow crocuses ground the poem in more ways than one.

      1. The camel in the truck reminded me of kids carrying cats and dogs around in toy carriages. That led me to spring thoughts. And cats. And what cats can do in a garden…

  4. I’m glad Randy is doing well! I’m also glad you wrote “If I Could Hold…” Very nice.

    yellow crocuses…
    little girl warning a cat
    to be good

    © Diane Mayr

    1. Thanks, Diane–ooh, I am so curious about what in the picture sparked this idea. I love when you guys use the picture to spark totally new topics. So fun! This paints a very specific scene in my head. Those yellow crocuses ground the poem in more ways than one.

      1. The camel in the truck reminded me of kids carrying cats and dogs around in toy carriages. That led me to spring thoughts. And cats. And what cats can do in a garden…

  5. Had to have 16! My excuse is parallelism.

    Travelers

    Camel in a pickup,
    goat in a balloon,
    riding to a party,
    floating to the moon.

    ?Kate Coombs

  6. Had to have 16! My excuse is parallelism.

    Travelers

    Camel in a pickup,
    goat in a balloon,
    riding to a party,
    floating to the moon.

    ?Kate Coombs

    1. Jeanne, I enjoyed your truck acrobat poem! If you list a link in the future, you might want to list a link that goes directly to the post with the poem. If people end up at your blog in general, they might not dig around for the poem, especially if it’s several days later. Don’t want them to miss it!

    1. Jeanne, I enjoyed your truck acrobat poem! If you list a link in the future, you might want to list a link that goes directly to the post with the poem. If people end up at your blog in general, they might not dig around for the poem, especially if it’s several days later. Don’t want them to miss it!

  7. Love the ‘oceans in a teacup’ & glad your husband is doing well, Laura. What a picture this is. I went round & round with it!

    Problems We Don’t Encounter

    birthday wish‑a camel,
    delivery by truck
    tried to disembark him–
    sadly had no luck

  8. Love the ‘oceans in a teacup’ & glad your husband is doing well, Laura. What a picture this is. I went round & round with it!

    Problems We Don’t Encounter

    birthday wish‑a camel,
    delivery by truck
    tried to disembark him–
    sadly had no luck

  9. Laura, yours is simply beautiful. Here’s mine:

    For crying out loud!
    Assumed in the desert
    “Camel for Sale”
    Would draw a crowd!

    1. Love that, ellie! It’s like the luck I used to have with garage sales. Tried it once or twice and vowed Never Again. Love the spin this puts on the picture.

  10. Laura, yours is simply beautiful. Here’s mine:

    For crying out loud!
    Assumed in the desert
    “Camel for Sale”
    Would draw a crowd!

    1. Love that, ellie! It’s like the luck I used to have with garage sales. Tried it once or twice and vowed Never Again. Love the spin this puts on the picture.

  11. Laura, hope Randy recovers completely. Lovely poem for him!

    Can’t get down,
    the camel’s stuck.
    But after all,
    it’s a pick-up truck.

  12. Laura, hope Randy recovers completely. Lovely poem for him!

    Can’t get down,
    the camel’s stuck.
    But after all,
    it’s a pick-up truck.

  13. Here’s my quick first draft. When Laura mentioned the ship of the desert, I couldn’t help but think of all the cruise ships that have been pulled into port because of issues. So, here was my idea:

    Sometimes,
    the ship of the desert
    needs a tow
    to port.

    Michaela

  14. Here’s my quick first draft. When Laura mentioned the ship of the desert, I couldn’t help but think of all the cruise ships that have been pulled into port because of issues. So, here was my idea:

    Sometimes,
    the ship of the desert
    needs a tow
    to port.

    Michaela

  15. Somehow my post seems to have disappeared. I?ll try again, but apologize if this is posted twice.

    Love your poem, Laura (and best wishes to Randy for a speedy recovery) and also enjoyed your fickle pufferfish!

    Tents and caravans
    give way to
    trucks and minivans:
    modernity impinges,
    camel enjoys the ride.

    1. This made me think of the old Disney World ride Carousel of Progress. I’m now picturing the camel in a little amusement park cart, being chauffeured through the centuries/decaded and viewing all the changes with his superior glance.

  16. Somehow my post seems to have disappeared. I?ll try again, but apologize if this is posted twice.

    Love your poem, Laura (and best wishes to Randy for a speedy recovery) and also enjoyed your fickle pufferfish!

    Tents and caravans
    give way to
    trucks and minivans:
    modernity impinges,
    camel enjoys the ride.

    1. This made me think of the old Disney World ride Carousel of Progress. I’m now picturing the camel in a little amusement park cart, being chauffeured through the centuries/decaded and viewing all the changes with his superior glance.

  17. Laura,
    I loved your poem. You are a master of words!
    I have to admit, your teacup got me thinking…and I couldn’t resist this very clich? poem!

    Tea Party
    by Penny Klostermann

    They say they?ll be
    Just camel and me
    for afternoon tea?
    one hump or two?

  18. Laura,
    I loved your poem. You are a master of words!
    I have to admit, your teacup got me thinking…and I couldn’t resist this very clich? poem!

    Tea Party
    by Penny Klostermann

    They say they?ll be
    Just camel and me
    for afternoon tea?
    one hump or two?

    1. Good morning! That zombie zone is the best time to write poetry:>) Love the setup in the first two lines, and that third line is a stellar payoff! Beautiful.

    1. Good morning! That zombie zone is the best time to write poetry:>) Love the setup in the first two lines, and that third line is a stellar payoff! Beautiful.

  19. A novel Idea
    The camel said
    To let me ride up
    here instead

    Anne McKenna

      1. Of course, I seem to do that be able to imagine myself as anything else, I think they call it escaping reality. 🙂 . Good poem in the competition by the way. I also thought Susan’s poem was fun as well. Consequently a vote for each good luck 🙂

  20. A novel Idea
    The camel said
    To let me ride up
    here instead

    Anne McKenna

      1. Of course, I seem to do that be able to imagine myself as anything else, I think they call it escaping reality. 🙂 . Good poem in the competition by the way. I also thought Susan’s poem was fun as well. Consequently a vote for each good luck 🙂

  21. MY CAMEL’S TWO HUMPS
    Are deposited bumps
    When I rode in between them
    I sure took my lumps.

    © Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.

  22. MY CAMEL’S TWO HUMPS
    Are deposited bumps
    When I rode in between them
    I sure took my lumps.

    © Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.

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