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.
This is a close-up of a dragonfly on one of the herons in La Crosse, WI.
This image makes me think of several things:
- stained glass
- plastic shopping bags
- the gaudy jewelry my mom loved!
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.)
43 Responses
Oh, Laura! This photo is stunning! I may need to use it as prompt for another poem. I went right to the idea of jewels too.
Mother Nature
desired a brooch
when a dragonfly
pinned itself
to her collar
shimmering
jewel
Love this! Is it how jewelry got started? 🙂
Linda, love the idea of the dragonfly pinning itself to her collar.
I love this!
I really liked both of yours, Linda and Laura! My first thought was jewels as well, but my 3rd graders wrote some and most of them were prompted by thoughts of summer–which made me think of a day when my family and I saw lots of jewel-toned dragonflies on a walk on OUR first day of summer.
June 16
frenzy fades
respite rises
on jeweled wings
of dragonflies:
messengers of summer’s pause
I couldn’t decide if I liked for the end “pause” or “calm” better (calm because so the opposite of frenzy), but went with pause because summer always feels like just that to me).
Oh, this is lovely! I like pause both for the ah sound and also because it doesn’t have the harsh /k/ sound. So it feels like a more peaceful word. That’s two of you who have used “messengers,” and I love it in both poems.
🙂
A new name to add to Margaret’s list poem?
Oh, that last line is good! Great tone to this.
Names for the Dragonfly
Water spirit
Snake doctor
Mosquitohawk
Magical messenger
Golden horse
Invincible insect
Source: http://anniehorkan.com/legend-of-the-dragonfly/
Lovely list poem, Margaret!
I love that last line
Oh, you know I’m a complete fool for research. How fun and informative!
Wow who knew there were so many wonderful names. I really love this.
Good morning, although I know that greeting does not resonate with those in Michael’s path. The colors in the photo are bright and display rays of hope for those in need. Jewels and gossamer are certainly fitting descriptions.
The Displaced Dragonfly
She’s bright
she lights
camouflaged
cocooned in
silky backdrop.
She rests,
safe for now.
I like the way your words flip around in such a light, airy way. Perfect for a dragonfly poem!
safe for now.….delightfully loaded with meaning
the delicate curve
of a long, thin abdomen–
autumn dragonfly
~Loree Griffin Burns
You’re photo really caught my eye this week, Laura. I’ve been saying for ages I was going to come over and visit. Thanks for the inspiration!
So glad to see you here, Loree! When I read your poem, I love the descriptive first line and then the unexpected second line (if I’m not in front of the photo I mean). Then the third line reveals the answer: )
Delightful. I want someone to describe ME like that.
I love “jewel with wings”!
IRIDESCENCE
All the spinning colors
of a carousel,
a dragonfly captures
and wears them well.
What a cool comparison, Cindy. The carousel gives it such a connotation of celebration and music and color, so it makes me look at the dragonfly with new eyes.
Cindy, great connection between the carousel, spinning and wearing.
Rainbows buzzing
Messengers of pigment,
Glide on prismatic wings,
Spectrums on the landscape,
Spread glamour versus stings.
Rainbows buzzing
Messengers of pigment,
Glide on prismatic wings,
Spectrums on the landscape,
Spreading glamour versus stings.
Ooh, messengers of pigment! Love that! And even though they don’t sting, this gave me the image of dragonflies gathering to give someone a tattoo :>)
Now that is a unique definition and description of the dragonfly. Well done.
I overlaid your colorful photograph with my morning view..
mist drifts on the pond
ousting the iridescence
of dragonfly wings
I love the soft /i/ sounds–makes those first couple of lines sound rather ethereal.
It’s a wing competition this fall morning. Wishing you beautiful leaves, no storms or flooding.
To a Butterfly
Who else has wings
like mine,
cries dragonfly,
that shine
and catch the light?
—Kate Coombs
A smackdown! Now the butterfly needs to write a response poem!
This is great, Kate! A teensy tiny story in 14 words!
I just love this Kate!
What a gorgeous photo!
Dragonfly Dance
Dragonflies
Shimmer and shimmy ,
dance and dart
through
a kaleidoscope
of colors.
Thanks:>) Interesting that they move “through” a kaleidoscope of colors. Now this poem has me thinking about what that kaleidoscope might be…
ooooooh.…I always wanted to get inside the kalidescope
What a beautiful image and so timely for me!
Change
Transformation, I see
Dragonfly skitters
call to me
Dragonflies do make me feel like anything is possible, somehow. Glad this photo resonated with you!
love that word, skitters.
poem By Jessica Bigi I know it a little over the count but like it
A Gift From Gram
Ella’s gram sowed her ribbon
on a silver clip some glitter wings
lots of strings button feet
clipping her dragon coral tails
Beautiful!
Dragonflying
over maples’
“last hurrah”
the end in sight -
it was good
while it lasted.
Oh, yes.…it was a good summer, wasn’t it Donna?
Well I’m a day late, but this photo was too beautiful to pass by. Laura, “Gilt-edged and gossamer”, just beautiful!
Dragonfly
Globe Skinner,
Smokey water skimmer,
Iridescent hunter,
Evolutionary wonder.