Charmed [15 words or less poems]

Photo: Laura Purdie Salas

 

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

15WOLs

Look at the beautiful bracelet Heidi Mordhorst gave me at NCTE. Aren’t totally unexpected gifts just the best. I don’t have the packaging with me as I write this, but it’s an Alex and Ani bracelet that I think means passion, leadership, and discipline. Huh. I might have that wrong. Anyway, what it means to me is community and connection. Getting together–in person–with my poetry and book tribe at events like NCTE has become more and more rewarding. I look at this charm and think I am surrounded by and supported by so many terrific people. My tribe, all interconnected. Lovely. This image makes me think of:

1) a safety net
2) skipping rocks
3) Poetry Friday Anthologies and the cool things Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong are doing with them

And here’s my?first draft.

 

 

The Tight-Rope Walker’s Prayer of Thanks

?

Relied upon, though rarely touched:

net’s rough, twisted threads

let me skywalk, step by step

 

–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:>)?

56 Responses

  1. Slowly spinning
    A single thread
    Ties her to the stars

    The link of the bracelet got to me more than the bracelet itself- funny what we notice! I love your poem, Ms. Salas, especially the “Let me skywalk”. Beautiful!

    1. This is really exquisite, Amelia. I wish I could draw. I’d draw/paint a beautiful woman/ballerina/puppet spinning below the stars, but maybe with the line slack a little, so it was clear she’s joined to the stars but not controlled by them. Oooh. Thanks for the image.

    2. It seems I don’t get here until late in the day…but what a treat when I finally do! The words do my heart good 🙂

      A Tumble of Glass

      a frozen,
      kaleidoscopic moment
      glimmering gold

      a turn,
      a tiny tumble,
      miniscule but mighty

      rainbow

  2. Slowly spinning
    A single thread
    Ties her to the stars

    The link of the bracelet got to me more than the bracelet itself- funny what we notice! I love your poem, Ms. Salas, especially the “Let me skywalk”. Beautiful!

    1. This is really exquisite, Amelia. I wish I could draw. I’d draw/paint a beautiful woman/ballerina/puppet spinning below the stars, but maybe with the line slack a little, so it was clear she’s joined to the stars but not controlled by them. Oooh. Thanks for the image.

    2. It seems I don’t get here until late in the day…but what a treat when I finally do! The words do my heart good 🙂

      A Tumble of Glass

      a frozen,
      kaleidoscopic moment
      glimmering gold

      a turn,
      a tiny tumble,
      miniscule but mighty

      rainbow

  3. the rimiest
    writes frosty
    silver flacks
    winter-blue
    crisp parchment
    looping-looping
    her sun-charmed
    pen

    Poem By Jessica Bigi

    Laura hope you had a nice visit with your mom
    I Love your last line and your poem and what a wonderful gift

    1. Thanks, Jessica–I did, overall. I like your “crisp parchment”! I love the idea of writing frosty silver flakes:>)

  4. the rimiest
    writes frosty
    silver flacks
    winter-blue
    crisp parchment
    looping-looping
    her sun-charmed
    pen

    Poem By Jessica Bigi

    Laura hope you had a nice visit with your mom
    I Love your last line and your poem and what a wonderful gift

    1. Thanks, Jessica–I did, overall. I like your “crisp parchment”! I love the idea of writing frosty silver flakes:>)

  5. I like the idea of the “rarely touched”, though knowing that net is there, Laura. So true. I took in the body leaning too, & the closed door. The bracelet is beautiful.

    Illumination

    She alone owned her sun.
    Now strengthened,
    prepared to enter night,
    and share the day.
    Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved

    1. Oh, that first line is glorious, Linda. I wish every girl and woman around the world could own and believe that thought:>)

  6. I like the idea of the “rarely touched”, though knowing that net is there, Laura. So true. I took in the body leaning too, & the closed door. The bracelet is beautiful.

    Illumination

    She alone owned her sun.
    Now strengthened,
    prepared to enter night,
    and share the day.
    Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved

    1. Oh, that first line is glorious, Linda. I wish every girl and woman around the world could own and believe that thought:>)

  7. Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to all! Thank you, Laura, for your continuing poetry generosity.

    Messages

    Thirteen, she’s
    been forbidden
    to wear makeup
    yet her arms
    sparkle, jingle,
    set off sparks.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. Oh, this so captures the teen–been forbidden–yet. That about sums it up. I love that last line. Happy holidays, Diane!

  8. Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to all! Thank you, Laura, for your continuing poetry generosity.

    Messages

    Thirteen, she’s
    been forbidden
    to wear makeup
    yet her arms
    sparkle, jingle,
    set off sparks.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. Oh, this so captures the teen–been forbidden–yet. That about sums it up. I love that last line. Happy holidays, Diane!

  9. Beautiful bracelet! This reminds me of that TV special the other night of homes competing for a 50 thousand dollar prize for their Christmas decorations.

    An explosion of light
    in darkness of night;
    another home enters
    the Christmas Lights Fight!

  10. Beautiful bracelet! This reminds me of that TV special the other night of homes competing for a 50 thousand dollar prize for their Christmas decorations.

    An explosion of light
    in darkness of night;
    another home enters
    the Christmas Lights Fight!

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