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 very glad you’re here. Thank you for being such an active and kind community while I was out of town–out of the country! We were visiting our younger daughter overseas and spent a week and a few days in Cyprus and then London. I’m sure you’ll be seeing pics here from both:>)
Here’s someone climbing out of a tiny exit of a tomb at the Tombs of the Kings (or, really, just wealthy businessmen and politicians) in Paphos, Cyprus.
This image makes me think of several things:
- What would it be like to be a character in a videogame?
- my husband’s claustrophobia
- being trapped by an earthquake (it was weird being in all these old, stone structures around Cyprus and reading about how they were initially destroyed by earthquakes)
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.)
24 Responses
oooooh! I always think it’s a good time to go below ground when I’m up top…but then. yikes! The scurrying fears are spot on. This is my second big reminder of Greece this week. I lived there a long time ago and gosh, I miss that place. Time to dust off my passport? For now, I’ll go have a think about a tiny poem.
I don’t think about it tooooo much, but it does enter my mind. Cyprus, by the way, is not part of Greece, although it was settled, I guess, by Greek people. (I didn’t know this until our daughter moved there last year) :>)
Climbing out
Into the sun
The same person
With something else tagging along-
History
oooh, that’s nice! History
History–that one word says so much.
Oh, intriguing last line. Makes me wonder if history has been absorbed or whether it’s kind of a stowaway. I love poems that make me think like that.
Desert sun
makes
de
cend
ing
to cool
dark caves
inviting
til world weight
above proves
terrifYING!
Love your word play.
Love your line breaks, Linda!
I’d love to hear more about your trip. Sounds amazing.
Catacombs
First touch
of cool stone
shocks
First light
blinds
We emerge
changed
Changed is perfect
Yes, I need to figure out how to blog about it–what I want to say about it…so much and so many pictures! I love how these changes and transformations happen, and how it’s shocking no matter which side of the equation you’re on…
ADDICTION CONQUEST
Being swallowed,
no escape.
Love made exit.
Ticker tape!
Oh, this is a serious change of pace for you, Cindy. I love the contrast from the first two lines to the second. Line 3 is my favorite!
Your trip sounds amazing and spending time with a child puts it over the top. I really enjoy the way you filter the photos. I saw snow and also “flames” bouncing off of the sunburnt stone.
You Can Have it Both Ways
Ascend, descend
exposure. security
winter snow
summer heat
clothing a clue
ending belongs to you.
Ooh, this captures the ambiguity of the snapshot so well! It was hot there. Very hot. Give me the coolness anytime!
It was so wonderful that you could spend time with your daughter, and have such beautiful places to visit, too! More inspiration everywhere!
Alice
“Hello!
I’m back!”
she declared.
“Was scared,
But I dared
And fared
Well!”
by Donna JT Smith
I like the way you played with rhyming words. Can’t believe how many you worked into this little story!
Sounds like a wonderful trip!
Cave Dwellers
hidden in shadows
claws grip the crumbling ceiling
waiting for twilight
I practically hear the rustling of bat wings when I read this poem, Buffy…
Glad you had a wonderful visit
Poem by Jessica Bigi
Sade The Bookworm
Climbing mountains
of library books is fun
climbing out book
endings is difficult
Leaving good books behind is tough!
Didn’t they recently find a hidden space in one of the tombs, maybe even King Tut’s? And then there was nothing there. Very disappointing!
Ancient History
Wall cracks,
dark tomb,
everyone hushes,
expecting Nefertiti
at least, not
Jennifer Jenkins
from Nebraska.
—Kate Coombs
Hahaha– this one made me laugh, Kate. I totally wasn’t expecting the ending, either:)