Tracks [15 words or less]

Photo: Laura Salas

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

15WOLs

I took this pic while walking Captain Jack Sparrow by the lake. I love these tracks leading off into the distance.?Here are?3 things this photo makes me think of:

1)?tightrope walker
2)?the Yellow Brick Road
3) those little dress-up shoes that come in preschoolers’ wedding dress-up kits (Maddie lived in hers for weeks at a time!)

And here’s my first draft.

Things I Follow

Breadcrumbs
Footprints
Directions
Leaders
Advice (sometimes)
My heart

–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:>)?

220 Responses

  1. Arguments

    I watched him walk away,
    remembering New Hampshire’s great one
    saying, “You come too”.

    1. This one gives me a really unsettled feeling, Diane. I feel immediately caught up in a moment when an argument dissolves into someone walking off and I’m not sure whether to follow. The Frost allusion adds depth and a little mystery for me.

  2. Arguments

    I watched him walk away,
    remembering New Hampshire’s great one
    saying, “You come too”.

    1. This one gives me a really unsettled feeling, Diane. I feel immediately caught up in a moment when an argument dissolves into someone walking off and I’m not sure whether to follow. The Frost allusion adds depth and a little mystery for me.

  3. The Walk

    Trekking ‘cross lonely land
    With my buddy, hand-in-hand
    Through snow or sand
    Never-ending, never planned

    Hope hyphens make for less words!!!!! This was a very cool picture, one I see all the time out in the wilderness of New York!

    1. Ha! Love your hyphen comment. I like that the land is lonely, but not the speaker. And I love the sense of adventure here, of spontaneity.

  4. The Walk

    Trekking ‘cross lonely land
    With my buddy, hand-in-hand
    Through snow or sand
    Never-ending, never planned

    Hope hyphens make for less words!!!!! This was a very cool picture, one I see all the time out in the wilderness of New York!

    1. Ha! Love your hyphen comment. I like that the land is lonely, but not the speaker. And I love the sense of adventure here, of spontaneity.

  5. Do we get better at this with practice? This one came in exactly 15 words.

    The Note

    Tiny dotted lines
    on a clean white page
    your sweet words
    pulsate in my heart.

    –Margaret Simon

    1. Maybe, Margaret! Perhaps our brains absorb the form over time:>) You use the word clean in your poem, and your entire poem has that feel to it: fresh, clean, and precise. It’s lovely!

  6. Do we get better at this with practice? This one came in exactly 15 words.

    The Note

    Tiny dotted lines
    on a clean white page
    your sweet words
    pulsate in my heart.

    –Margaret Simon

    1. Maybe, Margaret! Perhaps our brains absorb the form over time:>) You use the word clean in your poem, and your entire poem has that feel to it: fresh, clean, and precise. It’s lovely!

  7. If Only for an Hour

    Not lonely tracks,
    but the peace that comes
    from keeping
    your own company.

    1. Yes! Yes. Yes. This scene fills me with peace, and while I wouldn’t want to live a completely solitary life, a bit of solitary company-keeping is always a lovely thing. Beautiful.

  8. If Only for an Hour

    Not lonely tracks,
    but the peace that comes
    from keeping
    your own company.

    1. Yes! Yes. Yes. This scene fills me with peace, and while I wouldn’t want to live a completely solitary life, a bit of solitary company-keeping is always a lovely thing. Beautiful.

  9. I liked the way you said so much, Laura, in so few words.
    Here’s my try:

    Frozen Lake Shortcut

    Walk across,
    not around;
    crunching feet,
    cracking sound,
    breaking ice;
    must reach ground.

    1. Lovely rhyme and rhythm, but just the thoughts of a cracking sound
      fills me with goose-bumps in our morning’s two degrees.

    2. Ooh, this one made me shudder, Pat! We’ve been in Minnesota 24 years, and I am still not comfortable walking across a lake. Love those sounds you used.

  10. I liked the way you said so much, Laura, in so few words.
    Here’s my try:

    Frozen Lake Shortcut

    Walk across,
    not around;
    crunching feet,
    cracking sound,
    breaking ice;
    must reach ground.

    1. Lovely rhyme and rhythm, but just the thoughts of a cracking sound
      fills me with goose-bumps in our morning’s two degrees.

    2. Ooh, this one made me shudder, Pat! We’ve been in Minnesota 24 years, and I am still not comfortable walking across a lake. Love those sounds you used.

  11. Everyone has produced great poems this morning. Good job, Ladies!

    fresh falling snow…
    how easy it is to forget
    where we’ve been

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. So true. And to warm things up a bit, it reminds me of walking along the ocean in beach weather, only to turn around and realize how far you’ve walked.

    2. Yes, love this. That beautiful snowy forgetfulness can be a sad thing or a blessing, depending on what is being forgotten–or on a more mundane level, what gardening tragedies are being covered! I really like the zen feel of this…

  12. Everyone has produced great poems this morning. Good job, Ladies!

    fresh falling snow…
    how easy it is to forget
    where we’ve been

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. So true. And to warm things up a bit, it reminds me of walking along the ocean in beach weather, only to turn around and realize how far you’ve walked.

    2. Yes, love this. That beautiful snowy forgetfulness can be a sad thing or a blessing, depending on what is being forgotten–or on a more mundane level, what gardening tragedies are being covered! I really like the zen feel of this…

  13. FEATHER BRAIN

    He started off
    then hurried back.
    I asked him why.
    He just said Quack!

    Loved your poem, Laura.

    1. Cute Cindy. For some reason the game “Duck, Duck, Goose” came to mind even though I took another route.

  14. FEATHER BRAIN

    He started off
    then hurried back.
    I asked him why.
    He just said Quack!

    Loved your poem, Laura.

    1. Cute Cindy. For some reason the game “Duck, Duck, Goose” came to mind even though I took another route.

  15. Good morning Laura and all. At first glance I saw a tiny little cabin with chimney nestled between the shore grasses.

    Portrait in Miniature

    Sitting lakeside,
    a tiny chimney
    on tiny house
    puffs wildly wending
    smoke plumes.

    1. Oh, my! Thank you for showing me a new picture within my picture! Those last two lines are stunning and an extravagant contrast to the simpler first three. Nice!

  16. Good morning Laura and all. At first glance I saw a tiny little cabin with chimney nestled between the shore grasses.

    Portrait in Miniature

    Sitting lakeside,
    a tiny chimney
    on tiny house
    puffs wildly wending
    smoke plumes.

    1. Oh, my! Thank you for showing me a new picture within my picture! Those last two lines are stunning and an extravagant contrast to the simpler first three. Nice!

    1. Yes! I really like the kind of Victorian feel to your phrasing here, Andria. And the capitalization of Danger. Totally captures the fearful but restrained mood!

    1. Yes! I really like the kind of Victorian feel to your phrasing here, Andria. And the capitalization of Danger. Totally captures the fearful but restrained mood!

  17. Andria, since I am a true southerner, I cannot fathom myself walking out on a frozen lake, and we do have a few around here right now. I liked your poem.

    1. When living in Wisconsin, I not only walked on frozen lakes, we cross-country skied on them. If it’s cold enough for long enough, it’s safe. I think this year, it would definitely be safe. Br-r‑r.

  18. Andria, since I am a true southerner, I cannot fathom myself walking out on a frozen lake, and we do have a few around here right now. I liked your poem.

    1. When living in Wisconsin, I not only walked on frozen lakes, we cross-country skied on them. If it’s cold enough for long enough, it’s safe. I think this year, it would definitely be safe. Br-r‑r.

  19. Now I want to go for a walk! And it did snow here last night…

    I walk a way
    I do not know,
    leaving prints
    in wide white snow.

    ?Kate Coombs

    1. I love the sense of separateness here, Kate. I also love how simple and concrete this is, and how I can read several meanings into it. This is beautiful.

  20. Now I want to go for a walk! And it did snow here last night…

    I walk a way
    I do not know,
    leaving prints
    in wide white snow.

    ?Kate Coombs

    1. I love the sense of separateness here, Kate. I also love how simple and concrete this is, and how I can read several meanings into it. This is beautiful.

    1. Cynthia. That is profound. Your poem also reminds of what I almost penned — a slight askew gaggle of geese, trying to urge their leader to form the “V” needed for flight to warmer temps.

    1. Cynthia. That is profound. Your poem also reminds of what I almost penned — a slight askew gaggle of geese, trying to urge their leader to form the “V” needed for flight to warmer temps.

  21. Laura, the “things you follow” are individually thought provoking. I like how you used all of them in one verse.

  22. Laura, the “things you follow” are individually thought provoking. I like how you used all of them in one verse.

  23. This brought many things to my mind, Laura. Love that personal ‘follow’. I kept thinking of some wayward animal!
    Missing

    Tracks create a
    ?once upon a time,?
    but the writer
    forgot
    ?happily ever after?.
    Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved

    1. Oh, what an unusual metaphor, Linda. I really like the tracks and the missing animal being compared to the beginning of a story that’s yet to find its ending. Cool!

  24. This brought many things to my mind, Laura. Love that personal ‘follow’. I kept thinking of some wayward animal!
    Missing

    Tracks create a
    ?once upon a time,?
    but the writer
    forgot
    ?happily ever after?.
    Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved

    1. Oh, what an unusual metaphor, Linda. I really like the tracks and the missing animal being compared to the beginning of a story that’s yet to find its ending. Cool!

  25. Some nice poetry here, Laura — I especially enjoyed yours and Kate’s. Here’s mine:

    THE JOURNEY

    is mine; I don’t expect you
    to come, but here is the path
    …if you do.

    - ? 2014, Matt Forrest Esenwine

  26. Some nice poetry here, Laura — I especially enjoyed yours and Kate’s. Here’s mine:

    THE JOURNEY

    is mine; I don’t expect you
    to come, but here is the path
    …if you do.

    - ? 2014, Matt Forrest Esenwine

  27. Awh lovely, Laura!

    Tip toe tip toe
    I know where I go
    follow me
    if you dare

  28. Awh lovely, Laura!

    Tip toe tip toe
    I know where I go
    follow me
    if you dare

  29. I know this is silly, but the first words that flew into my head and wouldn’t leave were:

    I hope the ice holds!
    I hope the ice holds!
    I hope the ice holds!

    Sometimes you just have to go with what comes.

    1. The VERY few times I’ve walked across frozen lakes, this is my mantra! We’ve been in Minnesota 24 years now, and it’s STILL bizarre to me to see trucks and ice houses scattered across the surface in the winter!

  30. I know this is silly, but the first words that flew into my head and wouldn’t leave were:

    I hope the ice holds!
    I hope the ice holds!
    I hope the ice holds!

    Sometimes you just have to go with what comes.

    1. The VERY few times I’ve walked across frozen lakes, this is my mantra! We’ve been in Minnesota 24 years now, and it’s STILL bizarre to me to see trucks and ice houses scattered across the surface in the winter!

    1. and I see that I can’t count, so let’s say this instead:

      Mystery

      Tracks coming toward me,
      Tracks going back,
      Who?s been visiting,
      Leaving this code to crack?

    1. and I see that I can’t count, so let’s say this instead:

      Mystery

      Tracks coming toward me,
      Tracks going back,
      Who?s been visiting,
      Leaving this code to crack?

  31. They have no beginning
    There is no end
    A trail leading
    who knows where

    Infinity!

    - Anne McKenna

    1. That is exactly what I adore about being out in nature, Anne–those moments where infinity is all around…

  32. They have no beginning
    There is no end
    A trail leading
    who knows where

    Infinity!

    - Anne McKenna

    1. That is exactly what I adore about being out in nature, Anne–those moments where infinity is all around…

  33. Crowded Empty Places

    Traces,
    Spaces filled
    With footprints
    Of lives lived,
    Of loved ones gone
    Who still remain.

    ~~Barbara J. Turner

  34. Crowded Empty Places

    Traces,
    Spaces filled
    With footprints
    Of lives lived,
    Of loved ones gone
    Who still remain.

    ~~Barbara J. Turner

  35. It’s been so long since I’ve participated. What a great prompt! I thoroughly enjoyed the poems today.
    Here’s mine.

    Signed: Mr. Hare

    Thump-a-thump.
    Thump. Thump.
    Hopping hieroglyphics
    penned a
    frisky-footed,
    frosty-fonted,
    farewell.

    ?2014~ Penny Parker Klostermann

  36. It’s been so long since I’ve participated. What a great prompt! I thoroughly enjoyed the poems today.
    Here’s mine.

    Signed: Mr. Hare

    Thump-a-thump.
    Thump. Thump.
    Hopping hieroglyphics
    penned a
    frisky-footed,
    frosty-fonted,
    farewell.

    ?2014~ Penny Parker Klostermann

  37. I wasn’t their when they wear made

    sail flow them perhaps Dear, bunny , mouse or fox
    I will never now I decided to flow
    my own tracks instead

  38. I wasn’t their when they wear made

    sail flow them perhaps Dear, bunny , mouse or fox
    I will never now I decided to flow
    my own tracks instead

  39. I wasn?t their when they wear made

    sail flow them perhaps Dear, bunny , mouse or fox
    I will never know I decided to flow
    my own tracks instead

  40. I wasn?t their when they wear made

    sail flow them perhaps Dear, bunny , mouse or fox
    I will never know I decided to flow
    my own tracks instead

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