?
?
?Photo: Laura Salas
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)!
Happy Thanksgiving! Well, I was trying to figure out what picture to post on Thanksgiving. I wanted it to be something I’m thankful for, but didn’t think you guys would be super inspired by a picture of my family or a picture of a book. Soooooo, the next best thing? A cupcake, of course. This is a White Hot Chocolate?one I ate in Boston, while I was there for NCTE. Sadly, it looked better than it tasted. But I made the sacrifice. You know, for you and for 15 Words or Less. Ha! Here are 3 things this photo makes me think of:
1) a pretty white wool cloche hat
2) a sledding hill
3) hot chocolate
And here’s my first draft!
Sledding
Launching off the mountain,
I taste sweet snow and sunshine
and gulp down winter
–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:>)?
96 Responses
Happy Thanksgiving one and all. Baby’s christening cap comes to mind.
Christening day
finds baby dear
swaddled in white
her family near.
Martha, what a lovely moment to spotlight on this thanks-filled day! Beautiful.
Thanks Laura, but it was your mention of a cap that served as a prompt.
Ooooo This is so sweet! And an excellent rhyme.
Thanks Ellie. And how delightful that 15 words or less falls on Thanksgiving day.
Love this sweet image, as yummy as white chocolate chips!
Now that you’ve ‘shown’ us, the picture does look like all those lovely white frills of a christening. Nice image!
Happy Thanksgiving one and all. Baby’s christening cap comes to mind.
Christening day
finds baby dear
swaddled in white
her family near.
Martha, what a lovely moment to spotlight on this thanks-filled day! Beautiful.
Thanks Laura, but it was your mention of a cap that served as a prompt.
Ooooo This is so sweet! And an excellent rhyme.
Thanks Ellie. And how delightful that 15 words or less falls on Thanksgiving day.
Love this sweet image, as yummy as white chocolate chips!
Now that you’ve ‘shown’ us, the picture does look like all those lovely white frills of a christening. Nice image!
Laura, that needed to be dark chocolate to tempt me. 🙂
!!!!!!!!!!!
Excited!! Delighted!
It’s Thanksgiving Day!
Hi, Grandma! Hi, Grandpa!
Come to my room and play!!!!
Hope you have a great day with family.
Oh I love the excitement of this and that last line. Brings back memories.
Exactly how it goes-love it! I sit on the floor & am surrounded by toys they want to show me, and to play with, with me!
I love the excitement too.
I had a really nice Thanksgiving, Cindyb–thanks! Hope you did, too. I love the preschool-age excitement you capture here, especially with all those exclamation points!
Laura, that needed to be dark chocolate to tempt me. 🙂
!!!!!!!!!!!
Excited!! Delighted!
It’s Thanksgiving Day!
Hi, Grandma! Hi, Grandpa!
Come to my room and play!!!!
Hope you have a great day with family.
Oh I love the excitement of this and that last line. Brings back memories.
Exactly how it goes-love it! I sit on the floor & am surrounded by toys they want to show me, and to play with, with me!
I love the excitement too.
I had a really nice Thanksgiving, Cindyb–thanks! Hope you did, too. I love the preschool-age excitement you capture here, especially with all those exclamation points!
Drool on My Pillow
Skiing down frosting,
skating with marshmallows
on a cupcake mountain
by a hot chocolate pond.
I love “launching” and your second line best. Also, I am so grateful for 15 WOL, Laura. You’ve made Thursdays fun these past many years. I have learned much from reading other’s poems and all the comments. And, quite unexpectedly, rewrites of poems you’ve inspired have led to several publications. So thank you in the biggest way possible and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
I love “hot chocolate pond!”
The title is so funny. I didn’t look at it until after I read the poem and I was doing just that, drooling on my pillow.
Love the idea of very small people playing on this cupcake-delightful image!
Great image!
Thanks, ellie! Back to reread my poem to see what my second line was. I learn a lot from the comments, too. I’m always happy to see your work here, and it’s been so wonderful to see you rewriting and publishing your poems! Happy Thanksgiving–I hope yours was wonderful.
Drool on My Pillow
Skiing down frosting,
skating with marshmallows
on a cupcake mountain
by a hot chocolate pond.
I love “launching” and your second line best. Also, I am so grateful for 15 WOL, Laura. You’ve made Thursdays fun these past many years. I have learned much from reading other’s poems and all the comments. And, quite unexpectedly, rewrites of poems you’ve inspired have led to several publications. So thank you in the biggest way possible and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
I love “hot chocolate pond!”
The title is so funny. I didn’t look at it until after I read the poem and I was doing just that, drooling on my pillow.
Love the idea of very small people playing on this cupcake-delightful image!
Great image!
Thanks, ellie! Back to reread my poem to see what my second line was. I learn a lot from the comments, too. I’m always happy to see your work here, and it’s been so wonderful to see you rewriting and publishing your poems! Happy Thanksgiving–I hope yours was wonderful.
Sorry about the word count, but I thought you might appreciate this. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Lament
Marshmallow
met yams and
whipped cream
met pie. They all
met my stomach?
I think I will die!
?Kate Coombs
Cute! I’m glad I saw this before the “word counting police” took it down! (Maybe they’ll be for-giving on Thanks-giving.)
And I always want to eat more-surprised that it isn’t going to happen! A true, ‘after’ poem!
Fun!
Hehehe. Sadly, my Thanksgiving did NOT include sweet potato casserole, which I do love. I made up for it with plenty of other sweet things. I like the contradiction of your serious title and silly poem:>) Hope you had a terrific Thanksgiving…
Sorry about the word count, but I thought you might appreciate this. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Lament
Marshmallow
met yams and
whipped cream
met pie. They all
met my stomach?
I think I will die!
?Kate Coombs
Cute! I’m glad I saw this before the “word counting police” took it down! (Maybe they’ll be for-giving on Thanks-giving.)
And I always want to eat more-surprised that it isn’t going to happen! A true, ‘after’ poem!
Fun!
Hehehe. Sadly, my Thanksgiving did NOT include sweet potato casserole, which I do love. I made up for it with plenty of other sweet things. I like the contradiction of your serious title and silly poem:>) Hope you had a terrific Thanksgiving…
White Castles
In a marshmallow kingdom,
the princess wears
a white chocolate gown
dancing with Prince Fondant.
–Margaret Simon-> Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Love the fairy tale creating of this cupcake kingdom, Margaret! Perhaps from The Snow Goose?
Ha! Love this–very fairy tale. And Prince Fondant made me laugh out loud. Especially since fondant is all looks but no substance/taste. :>)
White Castles
In a marshmallow kingdom,
the princess wears
a white chocolate gown
dancing with Prince Fondant.
–Margaret Simon-> Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Love the fairy tale creating of this cupcake kingdom, Margaret! Perhaps from The Snow Goose?
Ha! Love this–very fairy tale. And Prince Fondant made me laugh out loud. Especially since fondant is all looks but no substance/taste. :>)
Like that you carried out the ‘tasty’ part, Laura.
Dreamin’
Snowballs — packed.
Piled — high.
Pelting — everyone
walking by.
Satisfied!
Thanks, Linda. So great to see you in Boston! Oh, this is funny. I love that you got the pile of snowballs out of this pic. And I like that last word. It takes what could possibly be construed as mean or aggressive and clearly puts it in that kids’ horseplaying fun frame of mind. I wish *I* had grown up somewhere with snowball fights. Sigh…
Like that you carried out the ‘tasty’ part, Laura.
Dreamin’
Snowballs — packed.
Piled — high.
Pelting — everyone
walking by.
Satisfied!
Thanks, Linda. So great to see you in Boston! Oh, this is funny. I love that you got the pile of snowballs out of this pic. And I like that last word. It takes what could possibly be construed as mean or aggressive and clearly puts it in that kids’ horseplaying fun frame of mind. I wish *I* had grown up somewhere with snowball fights. Sigh…
The cupcake indeed looks like a pile of snowballs waiting to be pelted. Fun poem!
The cupcake indeed looks like a pile of snowballs waiting to be pelted. Fun poem!
Thanksgiving Walk
Leafless trees
guard the
ragged
stone wall;
its boulders
recall
oxen, plow,
harvests,
neglect,
rebirth.
For some reason those white chocolate chips reminded me of the boulders of abandoned stone walls that you see in woods in New England and upstate New York. (That would be a teeth cracking cupcake!)
Happy Thanksgiving to all! I’m thankful for your weekly inspiration 🙂
I tried to format with spaces at the start of some lines to look like a stone wall…but I guess word press likes to impose order. 🙁
I really like the opening–the leafless trees guarding the ragged wall.
Wow, lovely moody poem, Buffy. I especially like the choice of ragged to describe a stone wall. So unexpected. And I love the way you go from extremely concrete images to larger abstract ideas. It works! Hope you had a terrific Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for your 15 Words or Less participation and support:>)
Thanksgiving Walk
Leafless trees
guard the
ragged
stone wall;
its boulders
recall
oxen, plow,
harvests,
neglect,
rebirth.
For some reason those white chocolate chips reminded me of the boulders of abandoned stone walls that you see in woods in New England and upstate New York. (That would be a teeth cracking cupcake!)
Happy Thanksgiving to all! I’m thankful for your weekly inspiration 🙂
I tried to format with spaces at the start of some lines to look like a stone wall…but I guess word press likes to impose order. 🙁
I really like the opening–the leafless trees guarding the ragged wall.
Wow, lovely moody poem, Buffy. I especially like the choice of ragged to describe a stone wall. So unexpected. And I love the way you go from extremely concrete images to larger abstract ideas. It works! Hope you had a terrific Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for your 15 Words or Less participation and support:>)
Tantalizing temptation
Sweet sugar sensation
Tap dances on tongue
?Til the tasting is done.
~~Barbara Turner
I like the idea of a treat tap dancing on my tongue! Fun way to express that:>)
Tantalizing temptation
Sweet sugar sensation
Tap dances on tongue
?Til the tasting is done.
~~Barbara Turner
I like the idea of a treat tap dancing on my tongue! Fun way to express that:>)
Great poem, Laura
Stick, stuck, stunned here
Gooey holiday cheer
marshmallow
Thanks, Catherine–I love gooey holiday cheer. Perfect description of a marshmallow and tons of other tasty treats:>)
Great poem, Laura
Stick, stuck, stunned here
Gooey holiday cheer
marshmallow
Thanks, Catherine–I love gooey holiday cheer. Perfect description of a marshmallow and tons of other tasty treats:>)
Eating an Oreo
Under the table
I knead the creamy filling
into a form
of sweet sibling
torture.
Eating an Oreo
Under the table
I knead the creamy filling
into a form
of sweet sibling
torture.
Laura,
I love gulping down winter.
Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for giving us this treat!
Laura,
I love gulping down winter.
Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for giving us this treat!
Puffs of white
On bed of brown
Now it’s time
To scoff it down
Yum!
- Anne McKenna
Yes! I love hot cocoa:>) Love the marshmallows as puffs of white. Great concrete description!
Puffs of white
On bed of brown
Now it’s time
To scoff it down
Yum!
- Anne McKenna
Yes! I love hot cocoa:>) Love the marshmallows as puffs of white. Great concrete description!
It’s rather late to be posting today, but we had Thanksgiving dinner early.
Here goes.
Sheep were sheared,
shaved, forlorn.
Their wool became
this shawl I’ve worn.
Awww, those poor little sheep. Glad they don’t shear them in winter:>)
It’s rather late to be posting today, but we had Thanksgiving dinner early.
Here goes.
Sheep were sheared,
shaved, forlorn.
Their wool became
this shawl I’ve worn.
Awww, those poor little sheep. Glad they don’t shear them in winter:>)
We’re finishing up, so I have a few minutes to contribute. I hope everyone had a great day!
Nighttime Ritual
Milk heated
gently
steam rises
blend in cocoa
marshmallows
plop plop
stir sweet
dreams
welcome.
Diane Mayr
I especially love the word “gently” in there, which sets the tone. So wonderful to see you in Boston!
We’re finishing up, so I have a few minutes to contribute. I hope everyone had a great day!
Nighttime Ritual
Milk heated
gently
steam rises
blend in cocoa
marshmallows
plop plop
stir sweet
dreams
welcome.
Diane Mayr
I especially love the word “gently” in there, which sets the tone. So wonderful to see you in Boston!
MARSHMALLOW DREAMS
As clouds drift
Over tangerine sky
Nature replicates
Toasting marshmallows.
© Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
MARSHMALLOW DREAMS
As clouds drift
Over tangerine sky
Nature replicates
Toasting marshmallows.
© Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
Yikes, that cupcake looks like a little much!!! So here’s my 15-W-O‑L (with hyphenated words which count as one each, I hope…or am I cheating?) poetic tribute to our collective sugar highs:
A Little Much: A Love Poem
You tidbit‑o’-cupcake,
You marshmallow treat,
I love you, little yum-yum,
You’re so..so…
soooooooooo
sweet.
Ha! A tidbit-o-cheating never hurt anyone:>) Actually, I do count hyphenated words as one word, so you’re fine, anyway. I love the way this sounds like a chant I would say to a baby!
Yikes, that cupcake looks like a little much!!! So here’s my 15-W-O‑L (with hyphenated words which count as one each, I hope…or am I cheating?) poetic tribute to our collective sugar highs:
A Little Much: A Love Poem
You tidbit‑o’-cupcake,
You marshmallow treat,
I love you, little yum-yum,
You’re so..so…
soooooooooo
sweet.
Ha! A tidbit-o-cheating never hurt anyone:>) Actually, I do count hyphenated words as one word, so you’re fine, anyway. I love the way this sounds like a chant I would say to a baby!