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.
Before we start, I want to share something. Longtime 15 Words or Less participant and fabulous teacher Margaret Simon (of Reflections on the Teche) was at NCTE. When she ran into me, she handed me this magnet:
I don’t know if you remember, but a while back, I had a an image of a cell tower or something on a 15 Words or Less day, and it kind of looked like a sparkler, and Margaret wrote this. So lovely! Every so often, one of you will send me news that you’ve published a poem somewhere, and it started out as a 15 Words or Less poem. Or that you took your poem and added even more creativity to it and shared it with other people. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me! Thanks, Margaret!
A few weeks ago, I enjoyed this Cookie Monster cupcake. It was, of course, a chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake. What else would Cookie Monster eat? Don’t ask why he’s sideways. The photo is normal in my library of images but goes all wonky when I insert it into the post. Sigh.
This image makes me think of several things:
- Christmas cookies!
- The idiom “biting off more than you can chew”
- The Play-Doh extruder thingy from my childhood
And here’s my first draft. My sweet tooth took over this week:>)
It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count.)
41 Responses
Thanks for the shout out. I was pleased with myself over this idea. Sometimes I have good ones. I managed to give away all 50 of the magnets I ordered. Spreading the love.
I love the C shape of your poem. Cookies are appearing in the teacher’s lounge these days.
Teaching
is like a cookie
at Christmas,
a rare treat
but so worth it.
And a good teacher is truly a gift.
Margaret, I do remember your 15 WOL poem from the wording on the magnet. What a delightful way to pay it forward. A big shout-out to you and all teacher.
Love the magnet poem, Margaret–what a perfect gift (and reminder) for teachers and children’s poets!
Good for you for giving them out. I do things and then don’t hand them out. Yours is on my fridge, and it makes me smile:>) Love to see your enthusiasm–it’s a gift for your students and everyone!
Delicious poem, Laura!
CHILD’S APPRECIATION FOR HIS MOM’S COOKING
Sinking in a bliss of blue,
eating a cookie
made by you.l
Isn’t made by Mom the best?
Love your first line, Cindy–blissful!
“bliss of blue” — love that! So sweet (hehehehe).
Love that culinary “C”. Today’s picture was a mood-lifter in the aftermath of grading insanity. Who doesn’t love Cookie Monster? Thanks!
Lessons from Cookie Monster
Dive in with gusto
no regrets
Spray crumbs
Smile blue-toothy grins
Embrace your inner cookie!
A great way to go through each day.
Today’s POEM is a mood-lifter. I love the energy in this–especially the spraying crumbs!
What a cute poem, Laura. I love your play on “C”/sea in that second to last line.
As Christmas rolls around, so do finals.
I tried my best.
Still got a “C.”
Sure hope my folks
aren’t mad at me.
Love the rhyme.
Oh, dear. As the daughter of parents who were happy with nothing less than an A+, I could sure relate to this. So glad I do not get graded anymore. Even though I get rejected regularly.
Good morning all. Brilliance Laura, in title, rhyme and style. Cookie Monster looks sad and scared, but my little verse comes from one of your recent posts. He’s actually happy!
Is She Here Yet?
All alone
on sterile
white plate
but from Scotland
comes
my favorite
playmate.
Aw, I love that. She’s here! She’s here! We picked her up at the airport last night. Thank you for letting Cookie Monster celebrate with us:>)
Aroma
Ginger, cinnamon, clove combine
As Mom makes
Dozens of discs of love
Now a memory
Lovely–the two-way meaning for that last line is just wonderful. Love the spices in line one.
A little like a Zen koan, and all right, just a little weird! (Also, you made me hungry, Laura!)
If cupcake eats cookie,
what does cookie eat?
Chocolate chips
fleeing like mice.
—Kate Coombs
Oh dear–those fleeing mice! Any koan with cookies is A‑O-Cookie with me:>)
Love the C‑shape and title of your charming poem, Laura! And Margaret’s magnet poem certainly sparkles–what a wonderful reminder for all of us.
Cookie Monster
Moon-pie eyes
gumdrop nose
licorice smile
frosted clothes–
Too good to eat?
Down he goes!
Nice rhyming! And a good looking cookie just gets eaten all the sooner. 🙂
Hahaha. Love the exuberance of this! I am with you. Nothing looks too good to eat. (I especially like moon-pie eyes here.)
Your concrete poem looks like the handle half of a teapot to me.
I actually made a Cookie Monster birthday cake for my son’s birthday when he was young. The blue monster food dye for the frosting turned everyone’s teeth blue.
Eating Cookie Monster cupcakes
When they are done
Everyone is blue
Nice double meaning in the last line. I’m always sad when the sweets are gone.
That blue frosting is disgusting, isn’t it. I LOVE frosting, but I hate the blue teeth and the artificial aftertaste lots of dark frostings have. Love your double-meaning of blue!
Poem By Jessica
Who Ate Santa’s Cookies ?
Santa’s sad
empty plate
trilling crumbs
mousses with
purple mustaches’
Santa’s laughing
Ho-Ho-Ho
Glad the mice moustaches cheered him up:>)
Dough Way!
The cookie flows
through my flesh,
faster than I can chew,
flushing down the drain
Oh, dear. So…sweets don’t agree with you? :>D
I have one of those stomachs.
Nothing lasts forever.
Let’s just say I know where they hide the bathrooms. ;>
Awwww. My daughter and I were just talking about her “travel stomach.” :>/ I love the wry tone and sort of abrupt feel between lines. Like the pauses in a comedian’s act.
I’m a stand-up comedian hidden in the fiesh of a sit-down poet. {}
Argh. Typo. Hidden in the FLESH. 🙁
And while I do not want to disturb the poets and readers here, I took one look at your prompt photo and I saw a cookie freaking out, a moment away from taking a spin down a porcelain toilet bowl.
Hi Laura!
I had a student’s poem that I think you will enjoy. Here is Cassie’s 15WOL:
Cookie Monster
good old friend
I hear you eat
veggies now
not nearly
as delicious
Cassie and I are clearly poetry sisters:>)
My middle school creative writing club is back in swing, and we’re recovering from NaNoWriMo with some poetry! A little late, but here’s my 15 WOL poem for this photo!
Blue
mop-headed mutt,
mischievous monster–
for months
my poodle matches
the paint
of kitchen walls
Hilarious! Love this.
Oooh, congrats on doing NaNoWriMo. Lots of novelists use poetry as a palate cleanser between long projects. Oh dear. This is what would happen if our dog Jack was present during a household project! Love the alliteration.