Bird [15 Words or Less Poems]

Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m glad you’re here.

bird on ground
Photo: Laura P. Salas

I was picking up the yard before a showing last week, and I saw a flash of yellow on the ground. I thought it was a tennis ball from the neighbor kids or something, but when I went to get it, I found this bird instead. It was so tiny and perfect and bright, and I was so sad that it was lying dead next to our house. I assume it flew into a window? Anyway, I got my phone and took a picture–not because I like pictures of death (generally the exact opposite), but because I felt like somehow this little creature deserved a witness.

This image makes me think of:

  1. a 2nd-grade boy forced to wear a dress jacket for a portrait or fancy event
  2. a still life painting where things are arranged, just so
  3. how I wish I saw living birds as close up as this one

And here’s my first draft. 

still life 15wol

 

It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count)

37 Responses

  1. Drops of sunshine
    Fly through invincible skies
    Dying by landmarks
    Made by those without wings

    1. Beautiful, Amelia–I especially love the image of that first line and the mood of the second!

  2. MOURNING

    My little feathered friend, sleep on.
    Your cheerful morning greeting’s gone.

    A memory for me.

  3. Laura, love your “yellow heart” I recently heard the singing of a bird I could not identify but saw a flash of yellow when it flew. Still don’t know what kind it was, but your image brought the memory back.

    A yellow flash
    a high pitch trill
    Listen
    God is singing.

  4. Your picture and your poem touched a nerve in many of us it seems.

    Folding back the empty sleeves,
    drawing it across my knees.
    laying his jacket to rest.

    1. Oh, Liz–this is heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing. Those empty sleeves.

  5. Laura, how sweet. Thank you for the tribute to the little creature. I have a Cockatiel, Pepper, who was 20 yrs. old last weekend. He is the original gray color, with yellow head and large orange “cheeks.” I’m not sure how old that is in human years, but he has worn out two cages, now living in a third one.

    Memorial

    May your gray
    shroud shield,
    comfort,
    as the song and sun
    from your soul lives.
    .

    1. Oops, I meant to change the first line to read differently.

      Memorial

      May nature’s
      shroud shield
      and comfort
      as the song and sun
      from your soul lives.

      1. This reads like a beautiful Irish toast, Martha–I love it. And happy birthday to Pepper–20 years old–wow!

  6. [Note: This wouldn’t post at home so I’ll try from work. If you see a duplicate, sorry!] I found a dead bird a week ago, probably a nuthatch. It was red and yellow and black. So here are your bird and my bird together, beautiful in death. (Margaret, I used “flash” before I saw yours and decided to keep it in.)

    Flash of red and yellow,
    bright voice shining through morning,
    now fallen with leaves.

    —Kate Coombs

    1. Oh, I love both this celebration of life and solemn observation of death. That last line just fits…

  7. I love your yellow heart singing of sunshine, Laura–a lovely tribute to this beauty.

    At Sunrise

    Yellow-throated song
    wakens a spring morning.
    Pale leaves frolic,
    cheering the new day.

    1. Thanks, Buffy–and what a happy change of pace:>) Love leaves frolicking!

  8. I look forward to your photo every week, Laura.

    Still now.
    Stiff.
    No more swooping,
    soaring.
    No more golden notes
    from
    my golden throat.

    1. Thanks, Cynthia. Those brief first two lines really swipe at my gut. :>(

  9. poem By Jessica Bigi

    Yellow Book Mark

    whistle of songs
    feathered quotations
    question mark
    comma rest
    page marked
    in remembrance

    1. What a beautiful merging of ideas, Jessica. I especially love the feathered quotations!

      1. Thank you congracions on both of your daurts news that you shared the wedding and the return 🙂

  10. Yellow gold
    feathers flutter
    keeping
    dreams
    alive.

    It is the tiny nails, on the tiny curled feet that always gets to me.

    1. I agree–something about them like tiny baby toenails. I love the restraint in your poem, Joy.

  11. Laura, I’ve been having a tough time writing something because my mind keeps going back to a haiku I wrote a few years ago that was published in YARN. So even though the following is not new, I hope you don’t mind me sharing it:

    sparrow sweetly sings
    melancholy melody
    her mate, on the ground

    - Matt Forrest Esenwine

    1. I absolutely am glad you shared this! The rhythm itself is so musical, then cut to stillness at the last phrase. Beautiful.

  12. NAPTIME
    Warbler
    naps in leafy
    bed, its yellow throated
    breathing pulsates like heartbeats of
    the sun.

    © Charles Waters 2016 all rights reserved.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,499 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be...Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be...art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be... bookscan be... poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter bookschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura's board booksLaura's booksLaura's poemsLaura's readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar's VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be...Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be...wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat's InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."