Disappearing [15 Words or Less Poems]

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 glad you’re here.

Disappearing 15WOL
Photo: Randy A. Salas

Randy took this pic while we were walking Jack. by the lake. The white edging on the trail is cottonwood fluff. Boy, was there a lot of sneezing and sniffling going on! 

This image makes me think of:

  1. people disappearing from our lives
  2. the curvature of the earth
  3. staying on the path vs. blazing a trail

And here’s my first draft. As we pack to move, I’m saying goodbye to a lot of things. Furniture that won’t fit in our new place. My library. My gym. My Taco Bell. I will have different versions of these in our new place, and I’m very excited about moving! (And we’ll only be 15–20 minutes from our old house.) But there’s a comfort in acknowledging the loss of routines and people and places that are woven into my current life.

under the curve 

It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count)

25 Responses

  1. Laura, moving can be so draining. I love your attitude shown in your poem. I should abide by my poem- a forage into the blackberry patch knocking Japanese beetles into soapy water left me full of chigger bites!

    LEAVING IT TO OTHERS

    I adore
    to explore
    where others already
    went before.
    (No chiggers, ticks or fleas,
    please!)

    1. Cindy, I love that I can read your poem several different ways. And that unexpected idea of exploring, but not being the first. Ah, chiggers. I haven’t had chigger bites since we left Florida…

  2. Good luck with your move Laura I like your poem and pic
    poem by Jessica Bigi

    trying on
    cotton wings
    dreams nit footprints
    our further awaits

  3. Wishing you happiness in your new home, Laura. Your picture made me want to take a woodsy walk. Not sure where my poem came from.

    MISSING ELDERLY

    Solitary walk
    around the block,
    I thought.

    Now nothing looks familiar.
    Exactly where is “here?”

    1. Lauren, possibly your poem came from Laura’s first thought generated from the picture. Fits perfectly and unfortunately it seems to be more and more common. I love your take on the symptom.

    2. so true nice poem even wne not moving people and landmark we once new so wall all chand and every thing is difrent

  4. Good morning Laura. Having moved many times (hubby’s career moves), I empathize. Always bittersweet. You are handling it well with Jack’s help! Best to you all.

    Captain Jack to the Rescue

    Eyes front, center
    ne’er to roam
    ’til we learn the way
    to our new home.

  5. We had cottonwood flurries here up until recently. There’s a huge tree in the yard next to my mother’s house–there were spots in her yard where it actually looked like snow had fallen.

    White fluff
    softens lines,
    eases the way
    to–
    where?

  6. Faded flurries
    form a furrow
    Founding a footpath
    for finders to follow

  7. Laura, best wishes and good luck for a smooth moving experience. It’s difficult. We’ve moved several times. Never easy.

    Exploring

    I chose this way
    to walk today.
    Where will I go?
    I really don’t know.

  8. Good luck with the packing and the moving, Laura. And the wedding–what a busy time for you!
    Hope all goes well.

    Moving Day

    Memories
    drift and gather,
    a squall of cottonwood fluff
    tangling
    yesterday’s tale
    with tomorrow.

    1. so much death to this poem so much meaning and thought wonderful poem

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