Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)!
Here’s a pic from St. Louis on my ILA trip. St. Louis doesn’t have a stock market, but this cool bull and bear battle each other outside a financial firm (sculpture by Harry Weber). It makes me think of: 1) the bear in Lord of the Rings 2) super slo-mo sports video 3) why we (as a race, not me personally) like to watch people fight And here’s my first draft.
It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count:>) If you leave a poem in the comments, and if it’s 15 words or less, I’ll try to respond!
46 Responses
Laura you have found some incredible things to photograph. I love sculpture and this picture makes me realize that there is really a wealth of this art form in this country. The fun is finding it.
Best to you, Connie
Thanks, Connie:>) I do always have my eyes open for anything striking that might make a good 15 Words or Less image. Especially non-nature ones, since I am partial to nature photos and do probably too many of them!
prehistoric horsefly’s
buzzing in bars ears
grouchy grrrr
grouch he didn’t
get a vote
poem By Jessica Bigi
I’m Tired
We’re at it again
you and me
they need us both
let’s agree to disagree.
In light of this week’s anxious moments: Kudos Laura, you’ve “taken the bull by the horns” (couldn’t resist) and provided the perfect prompt.
love the ending
Thank you Jessica. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, right?
A different look, nicely done, Martha.
I love the voice of this, Martha. The voice of reason. And–I’ll have to confess I made this post on Sunday and had no idea of coming stock market woes. The poetry gods must have made me choose this pic out of the many I have uploaded for possible 15 Words or Less use:>)
prehistoric horsefly’s
buzzing in bears ears
grouchy grrrr
grouch he didn’t
get a vote
poem By Jessica Bigi
I like that you looked at this from the ‘why’ the fight, Jessica.
I like the image of a little horsefly annoying a powerful bear!
Good morning, all! I wrote a 22-word poem but got it down to 16 for you guys… Cutting “now” didn’t quite work for me, but that’s what I’d cut to get it to 15. 🙂
Bear and Bull
Stock market,
shock market,
horn, paw-claw
snort market.
Rumble and crash,
now will that be cash?
—Kate Coombs
this is a wonderful cheer
I like the ‘stock market/shock market’, Kate. True this week!
So cute Kate. I can’t help but think about the people in Greece trying to get their cash.
What fun you had with words and voice! Nice job getting down to 16, at least. Poetry is a cruel mistress, some days. At least Thursdays:>)
Haha. Yes. I started with 22!
Struggle
Bulls and bears both strong
Luckily, neither wins for long.
love the first line
I’m glad too, thinking of this week. Nice couplet.
Well put Marian.
Love the title–it feels epic.
Bear: Shall we dance?
Bull: Should we tap?
Bear: Only tango!
Bull: Stomp, clap, snap!
this is wonderful 🙂
And bears would love the tango! Fun, Donna.
Passive, aggressive and on it goes. Well done Linda.
Donna, dancing makes it all seem better! ? Fun!
Wow, you guys are on fire with the rhyming poems this week!
It’s an awesome sculpture, Laura, and I love “jaw whipped into last week”!
Wall Street Brawl
Although I like slow bears the best,
I cheer for bulls when I invest.
Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved
I love the begging and the end very nice
Clever! And I love the title…
Wall Street Dancing Lessons
Hoofs, horns
fangs, claws
Tangle, mangle
stumble, pause.…
Take a rest,
then reinvest.
I love all the deferent words of description together wonderful 🙂
So clever Buffy. I really like this.
Oooh! All these strong, visceral words–awesome. Though they leave me feeling like I’ve been put through the wringer. Much like looking at our pathetic 401(k) balance does.
Wonderful to see how you made the animals come alive, then connect with Wall Street.
WHEN YOU WANT YOUR WAY
I didn’t,
nor my kids,
not even my grands.
Nobody pays attention
to reprimands
Wow, how timely, Laura! Your poem is great, and I love the ones others have shared, too, especially the idea of the two as dance partners.
P.S. I hope your “smay-cation” (Great word, BTW!) doesn’t include email. I just sent you a message I need a quick response to.
Cast foes
Imprisoned in endless battle…
An eternity of rage and anger…
What were we fighting about?
“Cast foes” — you’ve got the great word choices going this week!
Iron-willed combatants
Dueling to the death
Neither one invested
Neither one with breath
With or without the photo, this works so well. When I read it on its own–no photo–I see gladiators, lions, tributes, and impoverished people. Those fighting because their circumstances (or captors/rulers) demand it. The juxtaposition of dueling to death and neither being invested is great. Love the wordplay of invested.
Bullish,
Bearish,
Quite Nightmarish,
Watching Money Go,
Riches for Contestants,
Who Already Have the Dough!
LOVE that rhyme of bearish and nightmarish! And the use of Contestants. Gives the whole poem a surreal feeling, which fits pretty well:>/
Two fierce warriors
Not l friends
Fight it out
until it ends
No game
No winner
Anne McKenna
Fierce poem, Anne–nice ending!