Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!
It’s another pic from the Walker Art Center’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden. This image makes me think of:
1) a gigantic spiderweb
2) a gerbil in a gerbil ball
3) an alligator caught in a fishing net
And here’s my?first draft.
Wrapped
mutant spider
spins her silk?
slowly?
slowly?
slowly?
around alligator’s armored scales
–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:>)?
198 Responses
Jungle Gym
Scrambling up
Is hard to do
When thumbs are needed
Preferably two
Poor little alligator! This just made me think of the dome-like jungle gym in not-so-long-ago playgrounds 🙁
wonderful
Definitely not-so-long-ago. I’ve climbed on some of those in the past couple of years:>) I love the tone of that last line, especially:>)
Sitting under the jungle gym…neat!
I miss those jungle gym days. I love the last line too, humorous.
Jungle Gym
Scrambling up
Is hard to do
When thumbs are needed
Preferably two
Poor little alligator! This just made me think of the dome-like jungle gym in not-so-long-ago playgrounds 🙁
wonderful
Definitely not-so-long-ago. I’ve climbed on some of those in the past couple of years:>) I love the tone of that last line, especially:>)
Sitting under the jungle gym…neat!
I miss those jungle gym days. I love the last line too, humorous.
Brave, brave spider! Loved the photo and your imagination at work!
Thank you, Linda:>)
Brave, brave spider! Loved the photo and your imagination at work!
Thank you, Linda:>)
kaleidoscope stars
scattered diamonds
across frosty blue sky
gator draws an
etch-a-sketch sun
Poem By Jessica Bigi
Laura I love the pic to day and you poem I like the slowly- slowly- slowly
Thanks, Jessica. I like the way your gator is drawing an etch-a-sketch sun. I don’t even know what that would look like, but etch-a-sketch makes me think of hard, scratchy things, and that seems to fit well with gator claws!
They are read with little nods that you turn to dray pic with
Draw
I was drawn to the “star” in the middle, too. Nice etch-a-sketch sun!
I love your imagery.
Fantastic images, as always.
Love this visual.
kaleidoscope stars
scattered diamonds
across frosty blue sky
gator draws an
etch-a-sketch sun
Poem By Jessica Bigi
Laura I love the pic to day and you poem I like the slowly- slowly- slowly
Thanks, Jessica. I like the way your gator is drawing an etch-a-sketch sun. I don’t even know what that would look like, but etch-a-sketch makes me think of hard, scratchy things, and that seems to fit well with gator claws!
They are read with little nods that you turn to dray pic with
Draw
I was drawn to the “star” in the middle, too. Nice etch-a-sketch sun!
I love your imagery.
Fantastic images, as always.
Love this visual.
Entangled
By the geometric beauty
Weaved around me,
I watch
As the architect spider dances.
This made me think about how beautiful some spider webs are and how much work those busy little spiders must do.
They do make some gorgeous webs!
I love your 3 line
Nice! I esp love “geometric beauty” and “architect spider.”
Entangled
By the geometric beauty
Weaved around me,
I watch
As the architect spider dances.
This made me think about how beautiful some spider webs are and how much work those busy little spiders must do.
They do make some gorgeous webs!
I love your 3 line
Nice! I esp love “geometric beauty” and “architect spider.”
Love this pic and your mutant spider, Laura!
SOMETHING IN THE AIR
It’s one of those days,
unclaimed and wild,
when lizards fly
in a spirograph
sky
Loved the “unclaimed day”…and yes, a spirograph, of course!
You caught the ‘magic’ with that first line, Renee, “one of those days”.
Thanks, Renee–I love the meter of yours. I always admire when a free verse poem still feels so rhythmic. Adore your spirograph sky!
Unclaimed, a Spirograph sky. Love this image and the unique idea.
Spirograph sky is perfection!
Love the line “unclaimed and wild”…I have days like that! Also like the use of “Spirograph” sky. Beautiful!
Love this pic and your mutant spider, Laura!
SOMETHING IN THE AIR
It’s one of those days,
unclaimed and wild,
when lizards fly
in a spirograph
sky
Loved the “unclaimed day”…and yes, a spirograph, of course!
You caught the ‘magic’ with that first line, Renee, “one of those days”.
Thanks, Renee–I love the meter of yours. I always admire when a free verse poem still feels so rhythmic. Adore your spirograph sky!
Unclaimed, a Spirograph sky. Love this image and the unique idea.
Spirograph sky is perfection!
Love the line “unclaimed and wild”…I have days like that! Also like the use of “Spirograph” sky. Beautiful!
Daring young squirrel, he’s
Trapezing from trees -
No sweat,
He’s got a net!
Looked like a flying squirrel to me.…. Leaping from the tree, with a safety net below.
It does look like a flying squirel
I see it now, but have been imagining a large lizard. Like the use of ‘trapezing’!
“Trapezing from trees” is genius!
Very fun!
Very fun. Love trapezing and your end rhyme.
Daring young squirrel, he’s
Trapezing from trees -
No sweat,
He’s got a net!
Looked like a flying squirrel to me.…. Leaping from the tree, with a safety net below.
It does look like a flying squirel
I see it now, but have been imagining a large lizard. Like the use of ‘trapezing’!
“Trapezing from trees” is genius!
Very fun!
Very fun. Love trapezing and your end rhyme.
With this netting
I am betting
something’s caught
that ought not.
Don’t litter,
Sincerely,
Critter
Nice note from a critter. I saw a net bag, too.
Love your environmental take on this, Cindyb. Clever!
With this netting
I am betting
something’s caught
that ought not.
Don’t litter,
Sincerely,
Critter
Nice note from a critter. I saw a net bag, too.
Love your environmental take on this, Cindyb. Clever!
Laura, that sculpture garden sounds like an interesting place.
When I look at this picture, I get the shivers, thinking of the times when I have walked straight through a spider web when hiking in the woods.
Where’s the spider
who lurks in that tree?
Certainly hope that
he won’t catch me!
Walking into webs is never fun I love how you have the spider hiding in the trees
I wondered where the spider was too. Nice voice, here.
It is! Nice poem, Pat–I like seeing spiderwebs, esp in the early morning, but I despise walking into them. Shudder.
Laura, that sculpture garden sounds like an interesting place.
When I look at this picture, I get the shivers, thinking of the times when I have walked straight through a spider web when hiking in the woods.
Where’s the spider
who lurks in that tree?
Certainly hope that
he won’t catch me!
Walking into webs is never fun I love how you have the spider hiding in the trees
I wondered where the spider was too. Nice voice, here.
It is! Nice poem, Pat–I like seeing spiderwebs, esp in the early morning, but I despise walking into them. Shudder.
Perhaps
a hairnet
will hold leaves to trees
through changing colors -
Nope. Off in a breeze.
Sorry. 16 words unless the first one looks like a title. Enticing picture!
I love the first 3 lines and the ending
I love this idea you’ve written, holding the leaves!
Ha! I love the idea of a hairnet for trees. Mother Nature will NOT be constrained!
Love the hairnet idea!
Perhaps
a hairnet
will hold leaves to trees
through changing colors -
Nope. Off in a breeze.
Sorry. 16 words unless the first one looks like a title. Enticing picture!
I love the first 3 lines and the ending
I love this idea you’ve written, holding the leaves!
Ha! I love the idea of a hairnet for trees. Mother Nature will NOT be constrained!
Love the hairnet idea!
Under Nature’s Big Tent
Aerial acrobat
wends her way
to safety
preferring to jump
rather than
f
a
a
l
l
l
l.
Another spectacular photo Laura. So many images. I love Thursdays.
I love the way you ended this wonderful
Great thought of that ‘creature’ & why it’s up there. I focused on that part, too, wondering if it’s stuck, or ?
Oh, I LOVE this, Martha. What a wonderful circus spider!
I love the way you wrote the word “fall.”
Clever.
Love this!!!
Under Nature’s Big Tent
Aerial acrobat
wends her way
to safety
preferring to jump
rather than
f
a
a
l
l
l
l.
Another spectacular photo Laura. So many images. I love Thursdays.
I love the way you ended this wonderful
Great thought of that ‘creature’ & why it’s up there. I focused on that part, too, wondering if it’s stuck, or ?
Oh, I LOVE this, Martha. What a wonderful circus spider!
I love the way you wrote the word “fall.”
Clever.
Love this!!!
I lit upon the star aspect, too.
Long Quiet Nights
Sheep-weary
shepherds watch
the stars
spy fantasy
beasts
but always
come back
to asterisms.
Diane Mayr, all rights reserved
Wonderful to link to ‘that’ story, Diane.
Love the sleepy s sounds. Sometimes coming back to the simple shapes is best (I didn’t know of asterisms until now).
Love the word asterisms. I like to learn new words and so do my students.
Me too! Now the challenge is to remember asterism long enough to use it…
I love from the 4 line till the end
I lit upon the star aspect, too.
Long Quiet Nights
Sheep-weary
shepherds watch
the stars
spy fantasy
beasts
but always
come back
to asterisms.
Diane Mayr, all rights reserved
Wonderful to link to ‘that’ story, Diane.
Love the sleepy s sounds. Sometimes coming back to the simple shapes is best (I didn’t know of asterisms until now).
Love the word asterisms. I like to learn new words and so do my students.
Me too! Now the challenge is to remember asterism long enough to use it…
I love from the 4 line till the end
Last Night
I dreamed of alligators
and spider webs.
Would rather dream
of chocolate
and internet kittens.
?Kate Coombs
Me, too! I have gator-phobia…
Love the ending
Internet kittens! Ha! There are a lot of them.
I would love a dream of chocolate, too.
Yes. I second your rathers. (if this shows up twice, it’s because I had to write it again. Second comment that hasn’t shown up.)
Last Night
I dreamed of alligators
and spider webs.
Would rather dream
of chocolate
and internet kittens.
?Kate Coombs
Me, too! I have gator-phobia…
Love the ending
Internet kittens! Ha! There are a lot of them.
I would love a dream of chocolate, too.
Yes. I second your rathers. (if this shows up twice, it’s because I had to write it again. Second comment that hasn’t shown up.)
I love the ‘mutant spider’, didn’t make that leap. You packed a lot into 15 words this time, Laura.
Hope
A pretending ?spider?
plays the waiting game.
Nothing lured, beautiful web,
just not the same.
Linda Baie ? All rights reserved
love the last 2 lines
That poor empty web:(
The beauty of the web with out the death-threat “just not the same.” What an interesting perspective.
Yes, Linda. Yours is an interesting perspective.
A “pretending” spider — the kind I like best.
This is my second attempt — first comment disappeared — let’s see if I can remember what I said…
“Pretending spider” needs to trap some pretty big “bug game” in his net!
I love the ‘mutant spider’, didn’t make that leap. You packed a lot into 15 words this time, Laura.
Hope
A pretending ?spider?
plays the waiting game.
Nothing lured, beautiful web,
just not the same.
Linda Baie ? All rights reserved
love the last 2 lines
That poor empty web:(
The beauty of the web with out the death-threat “just not the same.” What an interesting perspective.
Yes, Linda. Yours is an interesting perspective.
A “pretending” spider — the kind I like best.
This is my second attempt — first comment disappeared — let’s see if I can remember what I said…
“Pretending spider” needs to trap some pretty big “bug game” in his net!
SuperGator shoots his webbing
clambers up the tallest trees
gazes at his SwampyHome
and jumps.
Kind of a “Spidergator” shooting webs!
SuperGator gets to have all the fun!
This totally tickled me, especially that last line.
SuperGator shoots his webbing
clambers up the tallest trees
gazes at his SwampyHome
and jumps.
Kind of a “Spidergator” shooting webs!
SuperGator gets to have all the fun!
This totally tickled me, especially that last line.
Once again, my students and I try this challenge. It was their idea today. We made ours into haikus. Vannisa’s is a “thanku.”
Flower trapped so high
soon to be rescued by an
invisible prince.
by Tyler
Spinning
The creepy crawler
spins her silk into a web.
Thank you for spinning.
by Vannisa
Caught– a high wire act
My voice echoes in wind-rush.
Kaleidoscope sky.
by Margaret Simon
wonderful poem
Love the “kaleidoscope sky”.
I love reading your students’ poetry! So wonderful that you do this with them 🙂
Wonderful, Margaret! I love the idea of that flower waiting to be rescued! Great job of taking the image and then totally departing from what’s actually there and just letting imagination take over. Lovely “thanku” :>) It feels almost like one stanza of a praise poem or ode, where each stanza would be a brief description of an action and then a final line that is: Thank you for ________. What fun to do a bunch of those (or as a class project, have each student do one verse/thanku). And Margaret–that echo in wind-rush–I can HEAR it!
Great idea. We need to write a thank you letter to my mother-in-law who visited my classes to teach them about Vietnam where she recently visited. A Thank‑u ode. My students will love it.
You do SUCH amazing things with your students, Margaret!
Once again, my students and I try this challenge. It was their idea today. We made ours into haikus. Vannisa’s is a “thanku.”
Flower trapped so high
soon to be rescued by an
invisible prince.
by Tyler
Spinning
The creepy crawler
spins her silk into a web.
Thank you for spinning.
by Vannisa
Caught– a high wire act
My voice echoes in wind-rush.
Kaleidoscope sky.
by Margaret Simon
wonderful poem
Love the “kaleidoscope sky”.
I love reading your students’ poetry! So wonderful that you do this with them 🙂
Wonderful, Margaret! I love the idea of that flower waiting to be rescued! Great job of taking the image and then totally departing from what’s actually there and just letting imagination take over. Lovely “thanku” :>) It feels almost like one stanza of a praise poem or ode, where each stanza would be a brief description of an action and then a final line that is: Thank you for ________. What fun to do a bunch of those (or as a class project, have each student do one verse/thanku). And Margaret–that echo in wind-rush–I can HEAR it!
Great idea. We need to write a thank you letter to my mother-in-law who visited my classes to teach them about Vietnam where she recently visited. A Thank‑u ode. My students will love it.
You do SUCH amazing things with your students, Margaret!
Laura and all, I did not have a chance to reply to each comment, individually, but wanted to give a huge shout-out to all of you. It was a fun picture, fun submissions and I am still amazed at the number of people who contribute, yet each is individual in what they see and how they interpret the picture. Thanks to all.
:>) Well said!
Thank you 🙂
Laura and all, I did not have a chance to reply to each comment, individually, but wanted to give a huge shout-out to all of you. It was a fun picture, fun submissions and I am still amazed at the number of people who contribute, yet each is individual in what they see and how they interpret the picture. Thanks to all.
:>) Well said!
Thank you 🙂
I wrote this cinquain poem a month or so ago. My Toddler (I, too) was seriously tired because we went to the New England Aquarium and he missed his nap.
Toddler
Fun day, Full day
No nap it?s five PM
Biting, Screaming, Crying, Laughing
TIRED!
Yup–right on the nose for a tired toddler:>)
I wrote this cinquain poem a month or so ago. My Toddler (I, too) was seriously tired because we went to the New England Aquarium and he missed his nap.
Toddler
Fun day, Full day
No nap it?s five PM
Biting, Screaming, Crying, Laughing
TIRED!
Yup–right on the nose for a tired toddler:>)
(My homage to Walt Whitman’s Noiseless Patient Spider)
I couldn’t help myself?
Version 1:
THE NOISELESS PATIENT SPIDER FINALLY GETS HIS CATCH
Careful weave
of filament and floss?
I quietly wait
for my prize to cross.
Version 2:
Was this your plan all the while?
Sooner or later
you caught your gator!
Version 3:
Dear Spider,
Is this what you had in mind
when your gossamer filament
you entwined?
Ellen Vojnovic
I think the spider got a lot more than he expected, in more ways than one! Love “filament and floss” and “gossamer filament you entwined”!
So fun to say.
These are lovely, Ellen. Version 1 is my favorite–I especially love those first two lines.
(My homage to Walt Whitman’s Noiseless Patient Spider)
I couldn’t help myself?
Version 1:
THE NOISELESS PATIENT SPIDER FINALLY GETS HIS CATCH
Careful weave
of filament and floss?
I quietly wait
for my prize to cross.
Version 2:
Was this your plan all the while?
Sooner or later
you caught your gator!
Version 3:
Dear Spider,
Is this what you had in mind
when your gossamer filament
you entwined?
Ellen Vojnovic
I think the spider got a lot more than he expected, in more ways than one! Love “filament and floss” and “gossamer filament you entwined”!
So fun to say.
These are lovely, Ellen. Version 1 is my favorite–I especially love those first two lines.
I thought I posted this earlier. I guess I didn’t send it. I hope I didn’t post it on someone else’s blog thinking it was this one. I had several tabs open 🙂
I have a gecko that lives in my mailbox during the warm months. He was there last year, too. Maybe it wasn’t the same one…but he looks the same. Even though I know he’s there, I jump every time he scampers out between bills and junk mail. Due to that, I’ve named him Dennis the Menace. This is for Dennis.
If My Gecko Moved to the Rainforest
Dennis,
dexterous and deft?
climbed the canopy
to call on Clyde,
a colorful, chatty canary.
Penny Parker Klostermann
Heehee–if so, they’re pry thinking, “What the heck?!” This is wonderful–I like line two, especially. And that would totally freak me out at the mailbox!
I love this Clyde, Penny. How fun to have a gecko living in your mailbox. I think I’d jump, too!
I thought I posted this earlier. I guess I didn’t send it. I hope I didn’t post it on someone else’s blog thinking it was this one. I had several tabs open 🙂
I have a gecko that lives in my mailbox during the warm months. He was there last year, too. Maybe it wasn’t the same one…but he looks the same. Even though I know he’s there, I jump every time he scampers out between bills and junk mail. Due to that, I’ve named him Dennis the Menace. This is for Dennis.
If My Gecko Moved to the Rainforest
Dennis,
dexterous and deft?
climbed the canopy
to call on Clyde,
a colorful, chatty canary.
Penny Parker Klostermann
Heehee–if so, they’re pry thinking, “What the heck?!” This is wonderful–I like line two, especially. And that would totally freak me out at the mailbox!
I love this Clyde, Penny. How fun to have a gecko living in your mailbox. I think I’d jump, too!
Laura, love your “alligator armor”, but I’d hope I don’t have nightmares about mutant spiders–the regular ones are bad enough!
Out of place
(In space)
Alligator Consternation
Constellation.
Like your use of parentheses .…and the pairing of constellation with consternation…it’s “out of this world”!
The space to talk about could fit with the up’s and downs of everyday life I love this
The space you talk about
Hehe–it’s the gators that give ME nightmares! And how funny that I’m writing about constellations today and then read this:>) That third line is so fun to say.
Laura, love your “alligator armor”, but I’d hope I don’t have nightmares about mutant spiders–the regular ones are bad enough!
Out of place
(In space)
Alligator Consternation
Constellation.
Like your use of parentheses .…and the pairing of constellation with consternation…it’s “out of this world”!
The space to talk about could fit with the up’s and downs of everyday life I love this
The space you talk about
Hehe–it’s the gators that give ME nightmares! And how funny that I’m writing about constellations today and then read this:>) That third line is so fun to say.
A Day Under the Sun
by Becca Brown
Relaxed
Blue skies, critters
Sedate, surreal, serene
Happy humming in my hammock
Sunset
Oh, this is like a tiny vacation from real life, Becca. Thank you!
I love the last 2 lines
A Day Under the Sun
by Becca Brown
Relaxed
Blue skies, critters
Sedate, surreal, serene
Happy humming in my hammock
Sunset
Oh, this is like a tiny vacation from real life, Becca. Thank you!
I love the last 2 lines
INSECT PREDATOR
I enrapture you
With my design
Then capture you
Yes, you?re mine.
© Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.
Love enrapture and capture!
INSECT PREDATOR
I enrapture you
With my design
Then capture you
Yes, you?re mine.
© Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.
Love enrapture and capture!