Photo: Laura Purdie Salas
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!
Here’s what this image?makes me think of:
1)?Glasses of juice
2) Sunset
3) Tropical Lifesavers
And here’s my poem first draft:
Sunrise
She squeezed Sun,
caught each drop in
morning’s clear glass…
served the Eastern sky.
–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved
What do you think of when you look at this picture? Take any quick idea and jot down a 15 Words or Less poem. It doesn’t have to rhyme or describe this picture. It’s just about whatever you think of when you look at it.
218 Responses
Sunset Surprise
Reaching to catch sky
Grab a fistful (my, it’s high!)
Drop the rays
Into crystal
Sunset in glass
Three words over, but I had to add that last bit. I LOVE your poem! First and last lines especially! Great picture!
Oooooh. I especially love fistful (so unexpected with sky) and crystal. Great images AND sounds. And thanks:>) [I’d love an extra line space before that final line to set it apart and highlight its role as a summary/result of what came before. Especially since it’s such a great image. Just my 2 cents, though! It’s lovely as is…]
Sunset in glass…great image!
Lovely image!
Amelia,
I love the second line a lot and I like drop the rays into cyrstal sunset!!!
Truly a lovely poem and sunset suprise.
Mrs. F.
So pretty, Amelia. I love the metaphor of the voice catching the colors of the sun and sky and swirling them into a glass. There’s a painting in your words.
Sunset Surprise
Reaching to catch sky
Grab a fistful (my, it’s high!)
Drop the rays
Into crystal
Sunset in glass
Three words over, but I had to add that last bit. I LOVE your poem! First and last lines especially! Great picture!
Oooooh. I especially love fistful (so unexpected with sky) and crystal. Great images AND sounds. And thanks:>) [I’d love an extra line space before that final line to set it apart and highlight its role as a summary/result of what came before. Especially since it’s such a great image. Just my 2 cents, though! It’s lovely as is…]
Sunset in glass…great image!
Lovely image!
Amelia,
I love the second line a lot and I like drop the rays into cyrstal sunset!!!
Truly a lovely poem and sunset suprise.
Mrs. F.
So pretty, Amelia. I love the metaphor of the voice catching the colors of the sun and sky and swirling them into a glass. There’s a painting in your words.
Inside On a Winter Evening
Warm flame tongues
licking fireplace logs.
Warm dog’s tongue
lapping my fingers.
I love where you went with this, ellie. From a bright, summery photo to this heart-filled, warm poem.
Love the sounds of tongues licking/tongues lapping–lovely!
Great language…every word really nice!
What a cozy poem! 🙂
I love the images though at my mother’s house (she’s got the fireplace) it would be golden tabby cats!!! This warms me just by reading!
Isn’t it amazing to be able to feel poetry? This piece oozes with touch and color.
Inside On a Winter Evening
Warm flame tongues
licking fireplace logs.
Warm dog’s tongue
lapping my fingers.
I love where you went with this, ellie. From a bright, summery photo to this heart-filled, warm poem.
Love the sounds of tongues licking/tongues lapping–lovely!
Great language…every word really nice!
What a cozy poem! 🙂
I love the images though at my mother’s house (she’s got the fireplace) it would be golden tabby cats!!! This warms me just by reading!
Isn’t it amazing to be able to feel poetry? This piece oozes with touch and color.
M– USEUM OF ART
Guard watches,
“One mississippi, two…”
“My two-year-old could do that.”
Guard chuckles…
“Five seconds.”
© Diane Mayr
One word over, but they were all necessary! 😉
Hehe–Sometimes with art I don’t understand or appreciate, I feel the same way. I try to remember people look at poems or picture books and think the same thing… Love the guard waiting for the inevitable!
I’ve read that the average time spent looking at art in a museum is 7 seconds or less!
Wow! I’m guilty of this sometimes, I’m sure, but when I find a piece I like, I want to study it longer. But sometimes crowds and noise make me just move along quickly. Wouldn’t it be great to be in a museum all alone, able to just wander and stare?
🙂
Ha! This is funny!
That’s great!
This. IS A RIOT. You must use this in a book. The dialogue is true and crisp and rhythmic. I laughed! I didn’t see it coming. Love this, Diane.
M– USEUM OF ART
Guard watches,
“One mississippi, two…”
“My two-year-old could do that.”
Guard chuckles…
“Five seconds.”
© Diane Mayr
One word over, but they were all necessary! 😉
Hehe–Sometimes with art I don’t understand or appreciate, I feel the same way. I try to remember people look at poems or picture books and think the same thing… Love the guard waiting for the inevitable!
I’ve read that the average time spent looking at art in a museum is 7 seconds or less!
Wow! I’m guilty of this sometimes, I’m sure, but when I find a piece I like, I want to study it longer. But sometimes crowds and noise make me just move along quickly. Wouldn’t it be great to be in a museum all alone, able to just wander and stare?
🙂
Ha! This is funny!
That’s great!
This. IS A RIOT. You must use this in a book. The dialogue is true and crisp and rhythmic. I laughed! I didn’t see it coming. Love this, Diane.
Glasses
I picture myself
living 300 years ago,
blind all my life
without you,
dear glasses.
?Kate Coombs (Book Aunt)
My life would have been very different without glasses too!
Isn’t that the truth! I’ve worn contacts/glasses since 7th grade, but as my vision gets even worse now, I’m awfully thankful for glasses. Love the ode!
I think this all the time. Thank goodness for glasses.
What a clear picture (pun intended) you’ve painted with your words!
Wish I had thought of this. Love your comment!!
Definitely something to be grateful for… I’ll have to remember that next time I’m annoyed with wearing my glasses.
Yes! I thought of this, too. Wouldn’t it be fun, though, to see the world in blurred happiness and just be able to deal? Love the “surprise” ending.
I am Janet Clare on FB…too long to explain!
The contrast between “picturing yourself” to “blind” is startling. A sweet homage to the “glasses” you saw in this photo. I relate. Never needed glasses until a few years ago, as I noticed the crossword grid blurring worse by the day. HOW DID PEOPLE SEE BEFORE GLASSES??!
Glasses
I picture myself
living 300 years ago,
blind all my life
without you,
dear glasses.
?Kate Coombs (Book Aunt)
My life would have been very different without glasses too!
Isn’t that the truth! I’ve worn contacts/glasses since 7th grade, but as my vision gets even worse now, I’m awfully thankful for glasses. Love the ode!
I think this all the time. Thank goodness for glasses.
What a clear picture (pun intended) you’ve painted with your words!
Wish I had thought of this. Love your comment!!
Definitely something to be grateful for… I’ll have to remember that next time I’m annoyed with wearing my glasses.
Yes! I thought of this, too. Wouldn’t it be fun, though, to see the world in blurred happiness and just be able to deal? Love the “surprise” ending.
I am Janet Clare on FB…too long to explain!
The contrast between “picturing yourself” to “blind” is startling. A sweet homage to the “glasses” you saw in this photo. I relate. Never needed glasses until a few years ago, as I noticed the crossword grid blurring worse by the day. HOW DID PEOPLE SEE BEFORE GLASSES??!
Charts, folders
Data holders
Special ed, IEP
Test scores
Just one part of me
Long ago I ditched plain vanilla manila folders for my son’s education files. These sunny colors seem so much more cheerful!
Yes! Whatever the necessary, sometimes drudge-like, parts of our lives are, why not liven them up a little bit! Love your litany of things, and then that slightly contradictory, defiant last line:>)
Fun!
Creative as usual, Cathy!!!
I like the rhymes and the message.
I love your take on the photo. Amazing to see this perspective. So much of our life is stuffed into folders, categorized by labels and color. Very nice.
Charts, folders
Data holders
Special ed, IEP
Test scores
Just one part of me
Long ago I ditched plain vanilla manila folders for my son’s education files. These sunny colors seem so much more cheerful!
Yes! Whatever the necessary, sometimes drudge-like, parts of our lives are, why not liven them up a little bit! Love your litany of things, and then that slightly contradictory, defiant last line:>)
Fun!
Creative as usual, Cathy!!!
I like the rhymes and the message.
I love your take on the photo. Amazing to see this perspective. So much of our life is stuffed into folders, categorized by labels and color. Very nice.
I love this image you’ve described. So simple and so eloquent.
I love this image you’ve described. So simple and so eloquent.
Complimentary opposites:
Cerulean blue
to push the tangerine
from the spectrum
down to sunrise’s stage.
Jeanne Poland
Lovely, Jeanne!
Really, really nice. I love the thought of pushing the tangerine to sunrise’s stage!
I love “cerulean” and “tangerine”!
Love how you gave the colors heft by having that blue actually push the tangering color. So tangible:>)
I just love this poem, Jeanne. Cerulean blue and tangerine and sunrise’s stage, my favorite parts, but the whole thing just works so nicely. Hope to “see” you in March!
Breathtaking to read. A lovely choice of colorful words. And “sunrise’s stage” is an image I won’t forget.
Complimentary opposites:
Cerulean blue
to push the tangerine
from the spectrum
down to sunrise’s stage.
Jeanne Poland
Lovely, Jeanne!
Really, really nice. I love the thought of pushing the tangerine to sunrise’s stage!
I love “cerulean” and “tangerine”!
Love how you gave the colors heft by having that blue actually push the tangering color. So tangible:>)
I just love this poem, Jeanne. Cerulean blue and tangerine and sunrise’s stage, my favorite parts, but the whole thing just works so nicely. Hope to “see” you in March!
Breathtaking to read. A lovely choice of colorful words. And “sunrise’s stage” is an image I won’t forget.
If those pages make my life
Mix me some tangy tangerine
I love this, Catherine!
Ooh, I love “tangy”! 🙂
Ooh, I love tangy tangerine! And the alliteration of ms and ts. Nice.
Love this new beverage you’ve created. A potent potable, a la JEOPARDY. If all our days were tangy and tangerine… ah… the problems of the world would fade to invisible. {}
If those pages make my life
Mix me some tangy tangerine
I love this, Catherine!
Ooh, I love “tangy”! 🙂
Ooh, I love tangy tangerine! And the alliteration of ms and ts. Nice.
Love this new beverage you’ve created. A potent potable, a la JEOPARDY. If all our days were tangy and tangerine… ah… the problems of the world would fade to invisible. {}
TOO MUCH GUSTO
A toast- a clink.
What do you think??
A crack, a splash!
Towel needed dash.
Laura, loved the last line in your poem. Actually, our western sky last night had that drink- beautiful sunset.
Love the speed of this!
Fun! Love the title!
Fun poem and rhymes.
Thanks, Cindyb. Love the story you tell here. You are the master of tons of content in so few words!
Such nice rhyme, a fun poem and just glad it wasn’t me!!!! And to think this came from that pic. I am continually impressed by the wide array of creative paths we all take.
Cindy B: Ouch. I felt the cracked glass as I read your words. Splash to dash is so effective in helping us feel the urgency of the moment.
TOO MUCH GUSTO
A toast- a clink.
What do you think??
A crack, a splash!
Towel needed dash.
Laura, loved the last line in your poem. Actually, our western sky last night had that drink- beautiful sunset.
Love the speed of this!
Fun! Love the title!
Fun poem and rhymes.
Thanks, Cindyb. Love the story you tell here. You are the master of tons of content in so few words!
Such nice rhyme, a fun poem and just glad it wasn’t me!!!! And to think this came from that pic. I am continually impressed by the wide array of creative paths we all take.
Cindy B: Ouch. I felt the cracked glass as I read your words. Splash to dash is so effective in helping us feel the urgency of the moment.
At the Paint Store:
fluid colors seep
from one shade
to the next
swatch
of indecision.
I can see this clearly, now! Nice!
I like the surprise at indecision.
Love this! It’s so real!
I like this, especially “swatch of indecision”.
swatch/of indecision–brilliant!
Love the fluid colors seeping!!! Love your poem.
This poem feels like swatches on a a chart, a nice blend from seep to shade to swatch. This poem flows so nicely, like colors thrown on canvas and forming art.
At the Paint Store:
fluid colors seep
from one shade
to the next
swatch
of indecision.
I can see this clearly, now! Nice!
I like the surprise at indecision.
Love this! It’s so real!
I like this, especially “swatch of indecision”.
swatch/of indecision–brilliant!
Love the fluid colors seeping!!! Love your poem.
This poem feels like swatches on a a chart, a nice blend from seep to shade to swatch. This poem flows so nicely, like colors thrown on canvas and forming art.
On days like today,
When everything?s gray,
It?s hard to convey
The importance of orange.
Orange is important…so cheerful!
I’m not usually an orange (the color) fan, but you’re right ~ gray days make me appreciate it!
I seem to be missing a “not.” It’s been that kind of day.
Just noticed Liz has the best last name for this week’s poetry challenge. {}
What a great and unexpected last line. Especially with the whole thing about no words rhyming with orange–this made me laugh, and it’s true!
Love this. So blunt and plaintive. I hear the voice in the poet. No punches pulled. What a nice surprise to the end of the poem.
I don’t wear orange well, but I love your poem with the suprise of orange at the end. Here near Syracuse, orange is a fashion statement in the sports-loving world and the greyness. I know many who would LOVE this poem on multiple levels because we are also covered in grey clouds for much of the year; we APPRECIATE color and the sun. (Having grown up elsewhere I was used to sunshine on a daily basis!!!) Your poem has a ready audience in CNY!!
On days like today,
When everything?s gray,
It?s hard to convey
The importance of orange.
Orange is important…so cheerful!
I’m not usually an orange (the color) fan, but you’re right ~ gray days make me appreciate it!
I seem to be missing a “not.” It’s been that kind of day.
Just noticed Liz has the best last name for this week’s poetry challenge. {}
What a great and unexpected last line. Especially with the whole thing about no words rhyming with orange–this made me laugh, and it’s true!
Love this. So blunt and plaintive. I hear the voice in the poet. No punches pulled. What a nice surprise to the end of the poem.
I don’t wear orange well, but I love your poem with the suprise of orange at the end. Here near Syracuse, orange is a fashion statement in the sports-loving world and the greyness. I know many who would LOVE this poem on multiple levels because we are also covered in grey clouds for much of the year; we APPRECIATE color and the sun. (Having grown up elsewhere I was used to sunshine on a daily basis!!!) Your poem has a ready audience in CNY!!
I love your poem, Laura! I can see it!
Neon Happiness
Happiness?
bright and glowing,
flashing…
flooding
space
with laughs and giggles.
~Penny Klostermann
I really like the title, and the cheerfulness of the poem.
I love this! Sweet and heartfelt- I can picture this perfectly. Good job!
Thanks, Penny. And I really like the way you’ve given something abstract like happiness form and color and sound!
Penny: Such a happy piece, alive and awash with noise and joy!
I love your poem, Laura! I can see it!
Neon Happiness
Happiness?
bright and glowing,
flashing…
flooding
space
with laughs and giggles.
~Penny Klostermann
I really like the title, and the cheerfulness of the poem.
I love this! Sweet and heartfelt- I can picture this perfectly. Good job!
Thanks, Penny. And I really like the way you’ve given something abstract like happiness form and color and sound!
Penny: Such a happy piece, alive and awash with noise and joy!
What a beautiful poem, Laura!
I don’t see too many sunrises (I’m not an early morning person), so I thought of a sunset instead.
Vibrant
scoops of sherbet
melt and
slide down the sky,
puddling
on the horizon.
I totally love this! Love! (And I even read it as “pudding” the first time through! LOL! I guess I had yummy stuff on my brain after reading sherbet!)
Pudding could work, too. 😉 Thanks, Penny!
Oh, I like puddling much better! I like the “l” sound in puddling with the word slide in the previous line!
I love the image you’ve created here! Fun poem! I love lines 2 and 4 especially. Great job!!!!!
Thank you!
Thanks, Janelle. Oh, this is one of my favorites of all of yours. Melted sherbet is a great description, and puddling is perfect. This poem is delicious:>)
Your comments made my day, Laura! 🙂 Thanks!
Like Janelle, I am a total night person but oh those rare sunrises overwhelm me in their beauty. I wish I could see them every day. I absolutely relate to the images in your sunset– and truth be told, aren’t they equally astonishing and marvelous to see? And yes, I see it here in your poem. Melt, slide, puddling.. wow, such perfect descriptive terms.
Thanks so much!
What a beautiful poem, Laura!
I don’t see too many sunrises (I’m not an early morning person), so I thought of a sunset instead.
Vibrant
scoops of sherbet
melt and
slide down the sky,
puddling
on the horizon.
I totally love this! Love! (And I even read it as “pudding” the first time through! LOL! I guess I had yummy stuff on my brain after reading sherbet!)
Pudding could work, too. 😉 Thanks, Penny!
Oh, I like puddling much better! I like the “l” sound in puddling with the word slide in the previous line!
I love the image you’ve created here! Fun poem! I love lines 2 and 4 especially. Great job!!!!!
Thank you!
Thanks, Janelle. Oh, this is one of my favorites of all of yours. Melted sherbet is a great description, and puddling is perfect. This poem is delicious:>)
Your comments made my day, Laura! 🙂 Thanks!
Like Janelle, I am a total night person but oh those rare sunrises overwhelm me in their beauty. I wish I could see them every day. I absolutely relate to the images in your sunset– and truth be told, aren’t they equally astonishing and marvelous to see? And yes, I see it here in your poem. Melt, slide, puddling.. wow, such perfect descriptive terms.
Thanks so much!
Lollipop Reflections
Swirls of golden
red-drop rainbows,
kaleidoscope-deliciousness
maple syrup,
ribbon-candy
lost in childhood,
found in dreams.
Oooooh, I love this image! Great wording- I love the way you added that tinge of wistfulness to the lovely descriptions. Lines 2 and 3 are my favorites.
I love all the tastes and textures here, Janet. Especially red-drop rainbows, for some reason, even though I don’t know exactly what it means. It’s just so whimsical and fun. And then the ribbon candy, too. So evocative of childhood, and so vivid!
This poem is full of tangible tastes. The words melt in my mouth.
What a yummy poem!
Oh, and I meant to say that I really love “lost in childhood/found in dreams”. Sigh.
Thank you, Janelle. I always gazed longingly at those giant lollipops but never got one.….not that I really wanted it, but the idea of it!!
Lollipop Reflections
Swirls of golden
red-drop rainbows,
kaleidoscope-deliciousness
maple syrup,
ribbon-candy
lost in childhood,
found in dreams.
Oooooh, I love this image! Great wording- I love the way you added that tinge of wistfulness to the lovely descriptions. Lines 2 and 3 are my favorites.
I love all the tastes and textures here, Janet. Especially red-drop rainbows, for some reason, even though I don’t know exactly what it means. It’s just so whimsical and fun. And then the ribbon candy, too. So evocative of childhood, and so vivid!
This poem is full of tangible tastes. The words melt in my mouth.
What a yummy poem!
Oh, and I meant to say that I really love “lost in childhood/found in dreams”. Sigh.
Thank you, Janelle. I always gazed longingly at those giant lollipops but never got one.….not that I really wanted it, but the idea of it!!
Composition
We collaborate
in colors,
your pastels,
my poetry,
collage, counterpoint
crescendo, symmetry,
symbolism
into
song.
-Pamela Ross
Oh, I really like this one!
Awesome!
Oh, this is so cool! Don’t you think this should be painted on the walls in art schools? Besides the alliteration, I also love the rhythm and how there are several pairs separated by a comma, but then the last phrase, symbolism/into/song comes together in a collaboration rather than a juxtaposition–so skilled!
Composition
We collaborate
in colors,
your pastels,
my poetry,
collage, counterpoint
crescendo, symmetry,
symbolism
into
song.
-Pamela Ross
Oh, I really like this one!
Awesome!
Oh, this is so cool! Don’t you think this should be painted on the walls in art schools? Besides the alliteration, I also love the rhythm and how there are several pairs separated by a comma, but then the last phrase, symbolism/into/song comes together in a collaboration rather than a juxtaposition–so skilled!
Laura: your words evoke so much emotion. Here’s a story in 15 words. I know your heroine. She is ambitious, determined, and creates beauty from nature, served up in a poem.
She is you. {}
Pamela,
I really love what you did with the poem and then your story about “our” heroine. Also I have enjoyed your lovely comments on all the other poems this morning. Thank you.
What a beautiful thing to read at the end of an exhausting day! I think we are a whole community of heroines (with an occasional hero thrown in for good measure). Thank you:>)
Laura: your words evoke so much emotion. Here’s a story in 15 words. I know your heroine. She is ambitious, determined, and creates beauty from nature, served up in a poem.
She is you. {}
Pamela,
I really love what you did with the poem and then your story about “our” heroine. Also I have enjoyed your lovely comments on all the other poems this morning. Thank you.
What a beautiful thing to read at the end of an exhausting day! I think we are a whole community of heroines (with an occasional hero thrown in for good measure). Thank you:>)
Silken shards
of sculptured glass?
sorbet for the soul.
I love all the s sounds, especially your final line.
That last line captures such a great mood!
Silken shards
of sculptured glass?
sorbet for the soul.
I love all the s sounds, especially your final line.
That last line captures such a great mood!
Some terrific poems here, with great imagery. Here’s my attempt at something different:
Summer shines
radiant hues;
Autumn, gone away.
Captured, held
for festive views
any winter day.
Matt, I love the idea that autumn’s beauty is captured and saved for relief during winter. At least, that’s how I’m reading it. Is that right? Summer is just there to set up the seasonal sequence? Nice word choices here–esp radiant, captured, and festive.
Some terrific poems here, with great imagery. Here’s my attempt at something different:
Summer shines
radiant hues;
Autumn, gone away.
Captured, held
for festive views
any winter day.
Matt, I love the idea that autumn’s beauty is captured and saved for relief during winter. At least, that’s how I’m reading it. Is that right? Summer is just there to set up the seasonal sequence? Nice word choices here–esp radiant, captured, and festive.
WAKE-UP CALL
Shafts of Tangerine
Rays slash through venetian blinds -
“Good morning sweetie.”
© Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
Yes! Those rays slashing are why I have blackout curtains in the bedroom–they wake me up too early. Love the immediacy and sort-of violence of this!
WAKE-UP CALL
Shafts of Tangerine
Rays slash through venetian blinds -
“Good morning sweetie.”
© Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
Yes! Those rays slashing are why I have blackout curtains in the bedroom–they wake me up too early. Love the immediacy and sort-of violence of this!