?
Photo: Laura Purdie Salas
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)!
Welcome to my new blog! I’m still decorating and organizing, but I hope to start posting again next week!
Here’s what this picture makes me think of:
1) Joysticks
2) Razor stubble
3) Buttons
And here’s my poem first draft:
Electric Razor Iron stubble eruptsfrom stone skin
Lightning gives Mountain Man
a close-shaven chin –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.
78 Responses
LIFE
This climb is hard.
I have been scarred.
I reach and grope.
There’s always hope.
Nice new place! I’ve subscribed!
Thanks, Cindyb–still have some sprucing up to do:>) Love this–those blocky, one-syllable words all the way to the last line. And scarred–gorgeous choice. More serious than usual for you, but it still has your style!
I love the words scarred and grope.
I like your choice of “scarred”, too, and also your hopeful last line.
LIFE
This climb is hard.
I have been scarred.
I reach and grope.
There’s always hope.
Nice new place! I’ve subscribed!
Thanks, Cindyb–still have some sprucing up to do:>) Love this–those blocky, one-syllable words all the way to the last line. And scarred–gorgeous choice. More serious than usual for you, but it still has your style!
I love the words scarred and grope.
I like your choice of “scarred”, too, and also your hopeful last line.
I love the clean, bright look of your new blog! And your poem is fun, too!
This one’s even shorter than most of my haiku! Five words. Maybe later I’ll expand it.
Tootsies Beware!
Rubble
stubble
for feet
trouble.
Diane Mayr
I like your rubble/stubble/trouble rhyme.
Love the rhymes!
Thanks, Diane. And…ha! I don’t think this needs expansion at all. It’s perfectly compact:>)
I love the clean, bright look of your new blog! And your poem is fun, too!
This one’s even shorter than most of my haiku! Five words. Maybe later I’ll expand it.
Tootsies Beware!
Rubble
stubble
for feet
trouble.
Diane Mayr
I like your rubble/stubble/trouble rhyme.
Love the rhymes!
Thanks, Diane. And…ha! I don’t think this needs expansion at all. It’s perfectly compact:>)
Climb
Feet meet
metal and rock,
faith strong
like metal and rock.
I climb on.
?Kate Coombs
I like that your faith is just as strong as the mountain.
I like the comparison between the mountain and faith.
I’m hearing some kind of blues/gospel choir sing this in my head now, Kate. Love the repetition.
Climb
Feet meet
metal and rock,
faith strong
like metal and rock.
I climb on.
?Kate Coombs
I like that your faith is just as strong as the mountain.
I like the comparison between the mountain and faith.
I’m hearing some kind of blues/gospel choir sing this in my head now, Kate. Love the repetition.
P.S. Lovely new blog!
Thanks, Kate!
P.S. Lovely new blog!
Thanks, Kate!
I remember this photo from several months back! Here’s what I came up with this time. Kinda goofy, but that was the image in my head!
THEY’RE READY
God made Heaven, Earth, and Sun.
The timers ‘popped’ when they were done.
-Matt Forrest Esenwine
They do look like poultry timers!
Fun poem!
I remember the picture, too.
Ack–didn’t realize I had used this one before. Oi. I think it’s *awesome* that this gave you this off-the-wall image. What fun!
I remember this photo from several months back! Here’s what I came up with this time. Kinda goofy, but that was the image in my head!
THEY’RE READY
God made Heaven, Earth, and Sun.
The timers ‘popped’ when they were done.
-Matt Forrest Esenwine
They do look like poultry timers!
Fun poem!
I remember the picture, too.
Ack–didn’t realize I had used this one before. Oi. I think it’s *awesome* that this gave you this off-the-wall image. What fun!
I like your new website and “iron stubble.” Here’s what came to my mind:
One Step at a Time
Stretching and scrambling,
I reached each next stop,
and found myself standing
right at the top.
I especially like the first line. Great verbs!
Thanks, Liz–it’s just the blog that’s new–moved it over to be part of my pre-existing website. I do love the whiteness of it:>)
I like your verbs–nice hopeful message, too.
I like your new website and “iron stubble.” Here’s what came to my mind:
One Step at a Time
Stretching and scrambling,
I reached each next stop,
and found myself standing
right at the top.
I especially like the first line. Great verbs!
Thanks, Liz–it’s just the blog that’s new–moved it over to be part of my pre-existing website. I do love the whiteness of it:>)
I like your verbs–nice hopeful message, too.
MOUNTAIN GOD’S BIRTHDAY
Celebrate and shimmy and shake!
Then we’ll have some birthday cake.
Nice looking blog.
I like your rhymes.
Thanks, Patricia! I love your title…totally makes me HAVE to read the poem:>)
MOUNTAIN GOD’S BIRTHDAY
Celebrate and shimmy and shake!
Then we’ll have some birthday cake.
Nice looking blog.
I like your rhymes.
Thanks, Patricia! I love your title…totally makes me HAVE to read the poem:>)
Sometimes,
holding it all together
by yourself is too hard.
That’s why
we have
friends.
Wise words!
Lovely, Diane. I don’t know what these doohickeys are called, but I was surprised on our Hoover Dam tour to learn that’s what their job was. Great friend analogy!
Sometimes,
holding it all together
by yourself is too hard.
That’s why
we have
friends.
Wise words!
Lovely, Diane. I don’t know what these doohickeys are called, but I was surprised on our Hoover Dam tour to learn that’s what their job was. Great friend analogy!
I haven’t been here in forever, and didn’t do any writing all summer (ack!), but I’m hoping to change both of those trends now. I’m a little rusty, and couldn’t quite manage to keep it to 15 words, sorry!
The goal: the top.
Climb. Don?t stop.
One step, then one more.
The world awaits ? explore!
Laura, I love your poem and the personification of the mountain.
Oooh, nice. Welcome back, Janelle! I’ve been away except for 15WOL for a couple of months, too. Good to see everyone! I really like the way your words get more expansive as your poem goes on. Really echoes what I take away as the mood/content.
I haven’t been here in forever, and didn’t do any writing all summer (ack!), but I’m hoping to change both of those trends now. I’m a little rusty, and couldn’t quite manage to keep it to 15 words, sorry!
The goal: the top.
Climb. Don?t stop.
One step, then one more.
The world awaits ? explore!
Laura, I love your poem and the personification of the mountain.
Oooh, nice. Welcome back, Janelle! I’ve been away except for 15WOL for a couple of months, too. Good to see everyone! I really like the way your words get more expansive as your poem goes on. Really echoes what I take away as the mood/content.
Mountain Goats
instinctively know their paths
without guideposts.
However, hesitant humans
need directional signs
when climbing.
So true. I love “hesitant humans”.
Isn’t that the truth? Occasionally, instinct sounds better than free will. Not often, but every once in a while it would take the pressure off:>)
Mountain Goats
instinctively know their paths
without guideposts.
However, hesitant humans
need directional signs
when climbing.
So true. I love “hesitant humans”.
Isn’t that the truth? Occasionally, instinct sounds better than free will. Not often, but every once in a while it would take the pressure off:>)
Little seedlings
Poking up
Adapted; recreated
Rubber trees
Don’t know why this made me think of trees… 🙂 Love everybody’s creativity today!
I like your poem idea and “recreated Rubber trees”.
Like this, Amelia! We have grass seed on a bare patch, and you made me see tiny grass blades poking up in this!
Little seedlings
Poking up
Adapted; recreated
Rubber trees
Don’t know why this made me think of trees… 🙂 Love everybody’s creativity today!
I like your poem idea and “recreated Rubber trees”.
Like this, Amelia! We have grass seed on a bare patch, and you made me see tiny grass blades poking up in this!
That rock does look like a rough patch of stubbly skin!
Love the white space, Laura.
UP
Lagging behind
I climb
steel studs scattered
like metal breadcrumbs.
? Andria W. Rosenbaum
Thank you, Andria–yes, white space! I need more of it on my site and in my brain!
Love this idea of metal breadcrumbs. We all need a trail to follow!
That rock does look like a rough patch of stubbly skin!
Love the white space, Laura.
UP
Lagging behind
I climb
steel studs scattered
like metal breadcrumbs.
? Andria W. Rosenbaum
Thank you, Andria–yes, white space! I need more of it on my site and in my brain!
Love this idea of metal breadcrumbs. We all need a trail to follow!
MOUNTAIN GLORY
Skittering up
Pockmarked,
Fuchsia spackled
Rubble.
Buckling under
Heavenly skies
When reaching
My moment
Glory.
© Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
So many strong words in such a short poem–I esp love skittering, pockmarked, spackled, and buckling. They bring that hard, rough mountain to life!
MOUNTAIN GLORY
Skittering up
Pockmarked,
Fuchsia spackled
Rubble.
Buckling under
Heavenly skies
When reaching
My moment
Glory.
© Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
So many strong words in such a short poem–I esp love skittering, pockmarked, spackled, and buckling. They bring that hard, rough mountain to life!