Howdy, folks! I’m taking part in Ed Decaria’s Madness Poetry this year, and today is the last day for voting in Round 1. I’m pitted against Lissa Clouser, and we both had to write poems using the word “coordinates.” Lissa’s poem is lovely, and we both had similar themes but with different approaches. Would be grateful if you went here to read the two poems and vote for your favorite! (Voting ends at 8:30 US Eastern Time today, March 8, 2018.) And perhaps you’ll want to go to some other match-ups and vote, too! You’ll see other kitlitosphere folks you know, like Michelle Kogan, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Charles Waters, and more. It’s a fun way to try to bring poetry to more people, so if you like the idea of this, please share it widely with educators and other friends. Thanks so much:>)
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.
I would tell you more about this photo…except I can’t remember where I took it! Maybe it will come back to me!
This image makes me think of several things:
- sidewalk chalk art
- The Snow Queen (see the shard of ice in the eye?)
- a sunflower
And here’s my first draft. I saw rows of tulips popping up below the eye, and here’s what it brought to mind:
It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count.)
49 Responses
Awesome poem, Laura! And well done in the contest!
Thanks, Rebekah!
What a fascinating photograph.….surreal. It sent me on a strange journey. I hope to see tulips soon. This winter has been yucky and I’m ready for it to be done.
Soul Window
Sees darkness
midnight
Dreams awake
nightmare fright
Startles at morning
sunlight
Open
closed
open
closed
Oh, Linda, I love this one. Kind of beautifully creepy with the perfect ending.
We must’ve been writing at the same time because when I finished posting, yours popped up. That open, closed repetition reminds me of sleepless nights.
I really like your meditation here–the “Startles at morning/sunlight” especially:>)
Love this Linda, very haunting.
Congrats on being an authlete. Best of luck! I love your first line. (She was tulips blooming.)
Eye of Spring
A certain sparkle
in her eye,
A certain swizzle
in her step,
She glows…
(This feels like a first stanza rather than a complete poem.)
I want to know more.…and I could use some swizzle in my step today.
Love your use of “swizzle.” Spring does seem quite far away today!
That’s how I feel about many of my 15WOL 1st drafts. Love the repetition. That Spring is a magnetic season:>)
Sparkle, swizzle, glow, such great imagery.
Ahh, those elusive first days of spring. I know them well. Last week sunshine and 60s, today blizzard. The upside is that I have time to go check out the poetry madness! I love the picture this week–it was perfectly timed for me!
I Spy
Pinkish eye
not too dry
Dusting of crusting
Disgusting!
I fear my plight is
conjunctivitis
M. Hogan © 2018
Sorry if you’re knowing this poem personally! But very clever rhyming!
oh, noooooooo! It’s right about the time I think to myself I haven’t been sick in a while that something is brewing. I hope you aren’t feeling this. But, the rhyme is indeed clever!
Hahahaha–kudos to you on a near rhyme for conjunctivitis! Sympathies on the pink eye:>(
Eww conjunctivitis brings back memories of gooey eyed children. Love this!
Your snow queen visited us last night. My crocus met her. 🙁
This picture took me in another direction.
THE LOOK
My mother eyes me,
Gasp! She knows!
that I am guilty
head to toes.
This one made me laugh–that all-knowing mother! When my son (oldest child) went to college I found a holographic eye postcard and told him to hang it on his bulletin board and know that I was always watching. Of course he didn’t do that, but it did make me laugh. The eye photo reminded me of that as did your poem. Nice job!
Oh, that look. How well I know it. (And as a teacher, I perfected my own LOOK.)
Ha! This made me laugh. And reminded me of when my mother told me she had eyes in the back of her head–for years I thought they were hidden in her pouffy hair.
Love this! Boy do I know that look.
Oh, dear.…there’s a memory I could have skipped. Great capture of a moment in those few words.
Hope you clever poem takes you to the next round, Laura. Today’s picture brought to mind a wood carving, but then my thoughts turned to warm, buggy weather. Who hasn’t had a teeny tiny flying spec land smack in their eye at least once? Then the tearing and blinking begin until its gone. Poor things probably don’t survive.
To the bug in my eye,
you’re making me cry.
Now fly away -
please try.
I love that you’re sympathetic to the bug. When one flies into my eye (ick) or open mouth (argggggghhhh!), I am totally cold-blooded and unsympathetic. I just sputter and mutter and spit! Love the wordplay in lines 1/2.
immediately! please, please and thank you.
Great job.
Thanks for sharing the contest site in which your poetry appears. Your approach was very clever. Dependability most often emanates from repetition, which in turn produces harmony. Your photo today screamed “Egyptian” to me.
Oh Those Eyes
Mark Anthony
walks a straight
and narrow path
doing his best to
avoid Cleopatra’s wrath.
Thanks, Martha. I don’t use repetition and refrain as often in poetry as I would like to–I LOVE it in other people’s poems. I think it’s because I’m always aiming for shorter, shorter, shorter. Sigh. Working on that. Love your title. Who could avoid Cleopatra?
Oh, I love this!
Bouncing, Bouncing, Bouncing
Rocketing toward the sky
Jumping on my trampoline
With birds and planes I fly!
Now I’m off to vote! 🙂
I ADORE that this picture inspired a trampoline poem:>)
Wow I can just feel the motion in your poem.
I saw the light streak in this eye as a pencil point, so my poem went meta. Love your approach in your March Madness poem, Laura–so nice to read something unique. When I read all the poems I was wondering why I didn’t sign up this year!
The Writer’s Eye
Her eyes delight
in treasures–
nest, bud, bug
her brain chases words–
sheltered, cozy, snug.
I love this Buffy, so clever and beautiful.
Oh, this is fabulous, Buffy! Yeah, I looked for your name. I haven’t played in the tourney for a few years. Did it on a whim this year. We’ll see how it goes. I struggled with “coordinates”!
Exceptional short journey. Love this.
Laura we could sure use some of those spring tulips here. Just beautiful!
Anatomy of an Eye
Pupil dilates,
light pours in,
rods and cones
construct.
Optic nerve,
electric spark,
visions aqueduct.
Oh, I love this construction metaphor! Lovely!
Gorgeous image Laura, and beautiful poem, I like these lines,
“She was tulips blooming
yellow against gray snow.”
lovely imagery, thanks for sharing it with us. Thanks too for the shout out about Madness Poetry!
Here’s a haiku for International Women’s Day,
everythings not
black and white–look
through a woman’s eye…
Michelle that is a lovely haiku.
Thank you, Michelle. There’s something I really like about the line break of that second line. So little is black and white about our world…
sorry I missed last had a tummy bug but beater now
poem Jessica Bigi
Elephant was scared of a mouse
He looked through a magnified glass
Giant eyes were looking back
He runaway crying
I love the magnified glass perspective.
Oh, poor, poor elephant!
Glad you’re feeling better, Jessica! What a fun little story/poem.
I love the variety of verses from this prompt photo. Congratulations on your March Madness.
WINNERS AND LOSERS
The packed arena
all tiers focused
on that round ring.
It’s a fun variety, you’re right! Thanks, Joy! I like your boxing ring take!
Behind schedule, behind on life, really. It’s fun to see what everyone did with this image. And congrats, Laura!
Boy, do I hear that, Kate! And thanks:>)