[15 words or less poems] Hay there!


Photo: Laura Purdie Salas

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

I was driving home from a school visit in outstate Minnesota when this hay-filled truck passed by. Took a few pix without looking, and this one came out ok.?Here’s what?this picture?makes me think of:

1)?A little critter who was nibbling on hay and suddenly finds himself zooming down the highway
2) If the truck turned over and all the hay spilled, we could end up with a meadow instead of a highway. Well, not really. But you know, kind of.
3) If this truck parks at a truck stop and the driver goes in for lunch, a whole herd of cows could descend on the truck from surrounding farms and eat his whole cargo.

And here’s my poem first draft:

How I Nibble
Nibble hay.
Nibble my way.
Munching, crunching
in my shy way.
Nibble, nibble
down the highway.
–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

Shoot. I’m one word over–oh, well.?What do you think of when you look at this picture? Quickly jot down a 15 Words or Less poem. No polish, no pressure. Just a bit of wordplay:>)

56 Responses

  1. Huh? dear me!
    How can this be??
    Eating snack,
    Suddenly, SMACK!
    On this truck…
    WHEEEEEE!!!!!

    Cute picture, Ms. Salas!!! LOVE your poem- the quirky little nibble is great! Loved all your ideas!
    Off to school.…..

  2. Huh? dear me!
    How can this be??
    Eating snack,
    Suddenly, SMACK!
    On this truck…
    WHEEEEEE!!!!!

    Cute picture, Ms. Salas!!! LOVE your poem- the quirky little nibble is great! Loved all your ideas!
    Off to school.…..

  3. If I had seen that on the highway I would have been scared to death that the straps would let go and I’d be buried in hay! Not a good way to go, especially for someone with allergies!

    My poem appears to be 16 words, but I’m counting Van Gogh as one word.

    21st Century Farmer’s Question

    Would Van Gogh
    and Monet have
    made art of haystacks
    so perfectly round
    and without light?

    © Diane Mayr

    1. That ending grabs me, Diane. Something about the “without light.” It makes me feel the density and weight of hay, and of course brings the art into the line, too. Nice!

  4. If I had seen that on the highway I would have been scared to death that the straps would let go and I’d be buried in hay! Not a good way to go, especially for someone with allergies!

    My poem appears to be 16 words, but I’m counting Van Gogh as one word.

    21st Century Farmer’s Question

    Would Van Gogh
    and Monet have
    made art of haystacks
    so perfectly round
    and without light?

    © Diane Mayr

    1. That ending grabs me, Diane. Something about the “without light.” It makes me feel the density and weight of hay, and of course brings the art into the line, too. Nice!

  5. Waves of summer wheat
    rolled into bales.
    Now they?re cresting
    on a concrete sea.
    ~Elisabeth M. Priest

    1. Oh, this is just gorgeous, Beth! I always love the waving grain as ocean waves metaphor, and you’ve put a whole new spin on it. Thanks for stopping by and playing!

  6. Waves of summer wheat
    rolled into bales.
    Now they?re cresting
    on a concrete sea.
    ~Elisabeth M. Priest

    1. Oh, this is just gorgeous, Beth! I always love the waving grain as ocean waves metaphor, and you’ve put a whole new spin on it. Thanks for stopping by and playing!

  7. Wandering walls
    Make it easier
    To segregate–
    No matter where
    We go.

  8. Wandering walls
    Make it easier
    To segregate–
    No matter where
    We go.

  9. TP SALE!

    Mr. Giant’s special order
    emptied out the store.
    Twenty-four double rolls
    delivered to his door.

      1. I love toilet paper poems. I love toilet paper. Lots and lots of toilet paper. I am Mr. Giant’s target customer. ;>

    1. Oh dear–too funny! May I recommend triple rolls for Mr. Giant? TP is getting so big that I imagine pretty soon we’ll just be rolling one huge role down the highway home!

  10. TP SALE!

    Mr. Giant’s special order
    emptied out the store.
    Twenty-four double rolls
    delivered to his door.

      1. I love toilet paper poems. I love toilet paper. Lots and lots of toilet paper. I am Mr. Giant’s target customer. ;>

    1. Oh dear–too funny! May I recommend triple rolls for Mr. Giant? TP is getting so big that I imagine pretty soon we’ll just be rolling one huge role down the highway home!

    1. They do look a bit royal, no loose sticking out bits. Love this!

    1. They do look a bit royal, no loose sticking out bits. Love this!

  11. My first thought of your photo was to worry about you driving and photographing at the same time. Sorry Laura…I’m being an old crank/worrywort. You really don’t need my

    Advice for Laura

    Hands grip the wheel,
    cellphone’s away,
    steer down the highway–
    avoid bales of hay.

    1. Love this, Buffy. I should have kept all the horrible photos to reassure you. I don’t look at my phone as I take the pics–I just pick it up and click the button in the general direction of an interesting sight I pass. So 90% of the pics are all whopper-jawed and don’t even get most of what I was hoping I was aiming at!

  12. My first thought of your photo was to worry about you driving and photographing at the same time. Sorry Laura…I’m being an old crank/worrywort. You really don’t need my

    Advice for Laura

    Hands grip the wheel,
    cellphone’s away,
    steer down the highway–
    avoid bales of hay.

    1. Love this, Buffy. I should have kept all the horrible photos to reassure you. I don’t look at my phone as I take the pics–I just pick it up and click the button in the general direction of an interesting sight I pass. So 90% of the pics are all whopper-jawed and don’t even get most of what I was hoping I was aiming at!

  13. Oh that is so cute, Laura and I love your points too.

    Precious cargo
    not far to go
    stop! Hey wait!
    says the cow at the gate.

  14. Oh that is so cute, Laura and I love your points too.

    Precious cargo
    not far to go
    stop! Hey wait!
    says the cow at the gate.

  15. The Mean Kid on the Side of the Road Makes a Wish

    Who stacked
    and packed
    these piles
    of hay?
    If those
    bales fell
    Oh happy day!

    -Pamela Ross, totally being dopey, a doofus dummy about all things non-urban 😉

    1. p.s. normally post from Twitter account but having technical issues getting it work here this morning; even Twitter knows I have no right ruminating and rhyming about hay. xox

    2. I know your title tells us this is a mean kid, but you know what? I was totally hearing Witchie Poo from HR Pufnstuf and the Wicked Witch of the West. There was just something gloriously cackly about this poem!

  16. The Mean Kid on the Side of the Road Makes a Wish

    Who stacked
    and packed
    these piles
    of hay?
    If those
    bales fell
    Oh happy day!

    -Pamela Ross, totally being dopey, a doofus dummy about all things non-urban 😉

    1. p.s. normally post from Twitter account but having technical issues getting it work here this morning; even Twitter knows I have no right ruminating and rhyming about hay. xox

    2. I know your title tells us this is a mean kid, but you know what? I was totally hearing Witchie Poo from HR Pufnstuf and the Wicked Witch of the West. There was just something gloriously cackly about this poem!

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