Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!
After eating a tasty vanilla mini-cupcake the other day, I thought the empty liner looked kind of sad and lonely. This image makes me think of:
1) what do the other cupcakes think when they see this evidence?
2) what is that ghostie doing in the reflection on the plate?
3) what a waste that some of it sticks to the liner!
And here’s my?first draft.
Too Many Sweets!
November first,
ghosts hold their bellies,
afraid they’ll burst.
Who-o-o-o‑o ate that?
Not meeeeeeeeee?
–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:>)?
166 Responses
Empty liners,
Frosting gone
Spectral diners
Moving on
Looks like it was a good cupcake!!
like the 3 line
Looking for the next good thing? 🙂 Nice rhyming.
I love how you took the ghost idea and ran with it–spectral diners/moving on–yes!
I love the rhythm here, Amelia, & the thought that those ghosts make the most of whatever they can find.
Empty liners,
Frosting gone
Spectral diners
Moving on
Looks like it was a good cupcake!!
like the 3 line
Looking for the next good thing? 🙂 Nice rhyming.
I love how you took the ghost idea and ran with it–spectral diners/moving on–yes!
I love the rhythm here, Amelia, & the thought that those ghosts make the most of whatever they can find.
Empty
I unfold
paper pedals
crumbed memories
you write empty
upon me with
crinkled lined-smiles
Laura I like the ghost in your poem I wasn’t show what to write today
Poem By Jessica Bigi
Thanks, Jessica. I love those paper petals!
I like the crumbed memories, Jessica. Good image!
I like your line “crinkled lined smiles.”
Empty
I unfold
paper pedals
crumbed memories
you write empty
upon me with
crinkled lined-smiles
Laura I like the ghost in your poem I wasn’t show what to write today
Poem By Jessica Bigi
Thanks, Jessica. I love those paper petals!
I like the crumbed memories, Jessica. Good image!
I like your line “crinkled lined smiles.”
Cupcake on a pedestal,
thinking itself great.
Waiting for an audience,
cupcake then got ate.
I like the 1 line
Ha! I am now hearing The Kinks’ “Everybody Wants You” in my head.
Love from the POV of the cupcake-oops-gone!
Oh, those vain cupcakes — they probably think this song is about them…
Anyway, they think they are so great. And they are.
Love the recycle reminder Diane.
Vanity will get you every time! Cute Cindy.
Cupcake on a pedestal,
thinking itself great.
Waiting for an audience,
cupcake then got ate.
I like the 1 line
Ha! I am now hearing The Kinks’ “Everybody Wants You” in my head.
Love from the POV of the cupcake-oops-gone!
Oh, those vain cupcakes — they probably think this song is about them…
Anyway, they think they are so great. And they are.
Love the recycle reminder Diane.
Vanity will get you every time! Cute Cindy.
Crumbs
on
my
skirt
cake was good
Next time I’ll eat
with
slicker
and
hood.
Donna JT Smith, all rights reserved
Hooray for messy eaters! Not that I am one;>)
They are messy, love the way you set it up!
I meant to say before I posted that the cupcake liner looked like a skirt covered in crumbs (mine often looks quite a bit like that after I eat!).
Also, the text didn’t hold its formating. It was kind of at a zigzag angle when I wrote it — like tumbling crumbs. Oh, well! Just imagine…
I likes the way you placed your words. It does represent crumbs falling.
Crumbs
on
my
skirt
cake was good
Next time I’ll eat
with
slicker
and
hood.
Donna JT Smith, all rights reserved
Hooray for messy eaters! Not that I am one;>)
They are messy, love the way you set it up!
I meant to say before I posted that the cupcake liner looked like a skirt covered in crumbs (mine often looks quite a bit like that after I eat!).
Also, the text didn’t hold its formating. It was kind of at a zigzag angle when I wrote it — like tumbling crumbs. Oh, well! Just imagine…
I likes the way you placed your words. It does represent crumbs falling.
Mistaken Identity
Discarded sea sponge
becomes a leach
thinks he’s found safety
in home on the beach.
Cute idea Laura. The remainder sticking to the paper prompted my take. If it makes one feel better (this is not original, read it somewhere), once you lick the frosting off of the cupcake it becomes a muffin and muffins are healthy.
I like the last 2 lines this is difrent
Love seeing where your idea came from. And I’m totally on board with the muffin thing (well, I would be if I though muffins were healthy, but I know the nutritional stats of those, too, so it’s impossible to fool myself, dang it!).
I like the different ‘look’ at the picture!
I, too, like that you looked at the picture in a different way, Martha.
That’s what makes this fun.
Mistaken Identity
Discarded sea sponge
becomes a leach
thinks he’s found safety
in home on the beach.
Cute idea Laura. The remainder sticking to the paper prompted my take. If it makes one feel better (this is not original, read it somewhere), once you lick the frosting off of the cupcake it becomes a muffin and muffins are healthy.
I like the last 2 lines this is difrent
Love seeing where your idea came from. And I’m totally on board with the muffin thing (well, I would be if I though muffins were healthy, but I know the nutritional stats of those, too, so it’s impossible to fool myself, dang it!).
I like the different ‘look’ at the picture!
I, too, like that you looked at the picture in a different way, Martha.
That’s what makes this fun.
Waste Not, Want Not
Snarf the icing,
bite the top,
nibble, nibble,
to the last crumb,
compost the liner.
Diane Mayr, all rights reserved
There ya go…that will take any guilt away:>)
this is wonderful
Didn’t know that composting trick, also takes away evidence, Diane!
Now if they’d just come up with edible liners…
Waste Not, Want Not
Snarf the icing,
bite the top,
nibble, nibble,
to the last crumb,
compost the liner.
Diane Mayr, all rights reserved
There ya go…that will take any guilt away:>)
this is wonderful
Didn’t know that composting trick, also takes away evidence, Diane!
Now if they’d just come up with edible liners…
Laura, I think your poem today is funny — the ghosts holding their bellies after eating all those cupcakes.
If I had more words and more time, I could do this one better.
However, I must go on with my day. 🙂
Party’s over now.
Wonder how
Two dozen cakes could disappear?
All are gone, I fear.
Love the the thought that some how they just gone
Yep, they go fast. So tempting!
Bwah-ha-ha! Disappearing cupcakes, fear, rhyming and party timing… your poem has it all!
Pat, the Cookie Monster?
Yum, yum.
Oh, dear. Hopefully the narrator didn’t eat all 24? Love your first line’s double meaning!
Laura, I think your poem today is funny — the ghosts holding their bellies after eating all those cupcakes.
If I had more words and more time, I could do this one better.
However, I must go on with my day. 🙂
Party’s over now.
Wonder how
Two dozen cakes could disappear?
All are gone, I fear.
Love the the thought that some how they just gone
Yep, they go fast. So tempting!
Bwah-ha-ha! Disappearing cupcakes, fear, rhyming and party timing… your poem has it all!
Pat, the Cookie Monster?
Yum, yum.
Oh, dear. Hopefully the narrator didn’t eat all 24? Love your first line’s double meaning!
DO NOT WASTE YOUR FOOD
It’s not my fault
I demolished every morsel.
I just digested
Mom’s words well.
Love this, especially the ‘digested’ double meaning.
Demolished and digested.…great words and wordplay for introducing vocab and poetry to a kid.
Oh how I remember all of those starving children in the world who would love to have my food.
Yes. Clean your plate!
Sure, sure–blame it on Mom:>)
DO NOT WASTE YOUR FOOD
It’s not my fault
I demolished every morsel.
I just digested
Mom’s words well.
Love this, especially the ‘digested’ double meaning.
Demolished and digested.…great words and wordplay for introducing vocab and poetry to a kid.
Oh how I remember all of those starving children in the world who would love to have my food.
Yes. Clean your plate!
Sure, sure–blame it on Mom:>)
Please
Frosted with yellow,
but now it?s done?
please tell me who
has eaten the sun?
?Kate Coombs
Lovely image of what was, Kate.
All that’s left is a black hole, I guess! Isn’t that the way everyone feels when they finish their cupcake?
I love this wonderful ending 🙂
I see your shine Kate.
Awwww–I love the plaintive tone here!
Please
Frosted with yellow,
but now it?s done?
please tell me who
has eaten the sun?
?Kate Coombs
Lovely image of what was, Kate.
All that’s left is a black hole, I guess! Isn’t that the way everyone feels when they finish their cupcake?
I love this wonderful ending 🙂
I see your shine Kate.
Awwww–I love the plaintive tone here!
Love the thought of Nov. 1st feelings, Laura. The cupcake bakeries here are very popular!
Forgive Me
That last cupcake,
pink icing piled.
lonely on the plate,
I chewed, then smiled.
Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved
Wow, this prompt is making me want a cupcake smile!
You are so right Linda. I know of a bakery named “Sugar Kneads” and it encompasses every kind of bakery items the name suggests. There are flavors of cupcakes that I have never heard of! I’m happy you smiled.
Better than plums, Ms Linda Baie Linda. (Can you tell your poem put me in mind of William Carlos Williams’ “This Is Just to Say”? In which he does not sound sorry at all! And, frankly, neither do you:>)
Indeed, you caught me about both things, Mr. Carlos Williams and the guilt-free!
Well, yes. One cupcake can’t be left all alone.
I like your rhyme — piled — smiled.
Love the thought of Nov. 1st feelings, Laura. The cupcake bakeries here are very popular!
Forgive Me
That last cupcake,
pink icing piled.
lonely on the plate,
I chewed, then smiled.
Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved
Wow, this prompt is making me want a cupcake smile!
You are so right Linda. I know of a bakery named “Sugar Kneads” and it encompasses every kind of bakery items the name suggests. There are flavors of cupcakes that I have never heard of! I’m happy you smiled.
Better than plums, Ms Linda Baie Linda. (Can you tell your poem put me in mind of William Carlos Williams’ “This Is Just to Say”? In which he does not sound sorry at all! And, frankly, neither do you:>)
Indeed, you caught me about both things, Mr. Carlos Williams and the guilt-free!
Well, yes. One cupcake can’t be left all alone.
I like your rhyme — piled — smiled.
Oh, goodness! In the middle of writing comments, this one came to me after reading Martha’s sea sponge…So I HAD to write it down quickly:
Jellyfish
Makes wish
Becomes cupcake
How delish!
Sorry, belly-
pleasing-jelly,
Couldn’t leave you
In the deli.
Oh, terrific rhymes-poor jelly…
Donna, happy I could provide inspiration! 😉
Oh, dear. This could possibly make me lose my cupcake appetite. That is a hard thing to accomplish!
Love your last four lines. Perfect rhythm and rhyme.
Now for a jelly-fish cupcake? Uh, I may pass on that one. Ha!
Oh, goodness! In the middle of writing comments, this one came to me after reading Martha’s sea sponge…So I HAD to write it down quickly:
Jellyfish
Makes wish
Becomes cupcake
How delish!
Sorry, belly-
pleasing-jelly,
Couldn’t leave you
In the deli.
Oh, terrific rhymes-poor jelly…
Donna, happy I could provide inspiration! 😉
Oh, dear. This could possibly make me lose my cupcake appetite. That is a hard thing to accomplish!
Love your last four lines. Perfect rhythm and rhyme.
Now for a jelly-fish cupcake? Uh, I may pass on that one. Ha!
Looked so delectable
that I
decided
to indulge.
Now that it’s digested,
wish I
hadn’t.
Always. Yes, always the way it goes for me!
There is “always” tomorrow Kristi!
Ahhh, I just usually wish I had it to eat all over again!
Looked so delectable
that I
decided
to indulge.
Now that it’s digested,
wish I
hadn’t.
Always. Yes, always the way it goes for me!
There is “always” tomorrow Kristi!
Ahhh, I just usually wish I had it to eat all over again!
Paper daisy
Tempting ants
With crumbs
Their so tinny
Carrying you away
marching-munching-yum
Poem by Jessica Bigi
It doesn’t seem quite fair, luring those ants that way!
Paper daisy
Tempting ants
With crumbs
Their so tinny
Carrying you away
marching-munching-yum
Poem by Jessica Bigi
It doesn’t seem quite fair, luring those ants that way!
The shadow of familiar guilt
Darkens my day
–Yet another dietary eclipse!
Hahaha–oh, dear. I stopped and had a Skor bar on my way home from my Barbell Strength class. I suppose I should be feeling guiltier. Especially as the cashier at Wendy’s (oops, more to feel guilty about) asked if I get the senior discount. Um, no, but thanks for making me feel like crap! (The Skor bar was then to make me feel better:>)
Perfect for the partial eclipse today too! P.S. Don’t feel guilty?it’s only a little cake.
The shadow of familiar guilt
Darkens my day
–Yet another dietary eclipse!
Hahaha–oh, dear. I stopped and had a Skor bar on my way home from my Barbell Strength class. I suppose I should be feeling guiltier. Especially as the cashier at Wendy’s (oops, more to feel guilty about) asked if I get the senior discount. Um, no, but thanks for making me feel like crap! (The Skor bar was then to make me feel better:>)
Perfect for the partial eclipse today too! P.S. Don’t feel guilty?it’s only a little cake.
Sea Shells:
bivalve-powered
bird-devoured
tidal-showered
toddler-scoured
castle-towered
After looking at the pic it does look like a see sheal
I love all these descriptions of seashells–cleverly done!
Oh, so cool!
Sea Shells:
bivalve-powered
bird-devoured
tidal-showered
toddler-scoured
castle-towered
After looking at the pic it does look like a see sheal
I love all these descriptions of seashells–cleverly done!
Oh, so cool!
Had a tough time shaving this down to 15 words!
Empty Liner
Sadness, pure sadness.
I do think it?s the worst
to find a yummy cupcake
that someone got to first.
? Matt Forrest Esenwine
Wonderful poem
You have captured my emotions perfectly!
Terrific, Matt. You did it well in ‘almost’ 15!
Oh, you’re right, Linda! My apologies for such an egregious error. That was “my” version; I wrote the 15-word version, but copied the wrong one! Here’s my “legal” one:
Empty Liner (15-word version)
Sadness, sadness.
Really, it?s the worst
to find a yummy cupcake
someone got to first.
? Matt Forrest Esenwine
I actually like this one better.
Had a tough time shaving this down to 15 words!
Empty Liner
Sadness, pure sadness.
I do think it?s the worst
to find a yummy cupcake
that someone got to first.
? Matt Forrest Esenwine
Wonderful poem
You have captured my emotions perfectly!
Terrific, Matt. You did it well in ‘almost’ 15!
Oh, you’re right, Linda! My apologies for such an egregious error. That was “my” version; I wrote the 15-word version, but copied the wrong one! Here’s my “legal” one:
Empty Liner (15-word version)
Sadness, sadness.
Really, it?s the worst
to find a yummy cupcake
someone got to first.
? Matt Forrest Esenwine
I actually like this one better.
THE GIVING CUPCAKE
Cakey morsels
I devour?
All is not lost-
I still have
a paper flower!
Ellen Vojnovic
Love the title! Never thought of a cupcake as quite that selfless and sacrificing before!
THE GIVING CUPCAKE
Cakey morsels
I devour?
All is not lost-
I still have
a paper flower!
Ellen Vojnovic
Love the title! Never thought of a cupcake as quite that selfless and sacrificing before!
THE GIVING CAKE
Cakey morsels
I devour?
All is not lost-
I still have
a paper flower!
Ellen Vojnovic
THE GIVING CAKE
Cakey morsels
I devour?
All is not lost-
I still have
a paper flower!
Ellen Vojnovic