Photo: Laura Salas
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!
I took this picture at drum corps rehearsal last week. The little medians inside a parking lot had this tall grass that made it look like a miniature meadow!
1)?ocean waves (of course)
2)?tiny snow-covered evergreens
3) archery at camp
And here’s my?first draft.
Archery Time
Feather brushes cheek
Meadow spreads, rustles
Time
Stops
Arrow leaps ahead
Leaving?me behind
–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:>)?
100 Responses
Adorable, Laura!
Peaceful,
Quiet
Until you dare to jump
on Monster’s hairy back.
Ooh, just a bit of a hint to a story here! I like the ominousness…
Adorable, Laura!
Peaceful,
Quiet
Until you dare to jump
on Monster’s hairy back.
Ooh, just a bit of a hint to a story here! I like the ominousness…
Breathy touches
F e e l, p i c k m e
Feathered kisses
T o u c h, h o l d m e
Grassy meadows
L o v e m e d e a r l y
This picture reminds me of the fields near my house and the way I used to run through them and love the tickly feeling of the grasses… Great choice 🙂
I love your poem and story makes me think of when I was child running bar foot through the field near my grams we would fly kites in those fields
Aw, I love the delicacy of the extra spaces between the letters, and the romantic language applied to nature. Feels very classical. You should get out there and run through those fields again soon:>)
Yes, I remember how grass like that can feel as you run through it.
It also can cut and scratch. I like the way you described the good feel of it.
Breathy touches
F e e l, p i c k m e
Feathered kisses
T o u c h, h o l d m e
Grassy meadows
L o v e m e d e a r l y
This picture reminds me of the fields near my house and the way I used to run through them and love the tickly feeling of the grasses… Great choice 🙂
I love your poem and story makes me think of when I was child running bar foot through the field near my grams we would fly kites in those fields
Aw, I love the delicacy of the extra spaces between the letters, and the romantic language applied to nature. Feels very classical. You should get out there and run through those fields again soon:>)
Yes, I remember how grass like that can feel as you run through it.
It also can cut and scratch. I like the way you described the good feel of it.
Song of morning
A million chimes
Sweep across fields
Father harvest our lade
Mother’s hands
Needing gold wheat
I rely like your poem Laura
Those million chimes are such a gorgeous, unexpected representation of morning. Love it!
Song of morning
A million chimes
Sweep across fields
Father harvest our lade
Mother’s hands
Needing gold wheat
I rely like your poem Laura
Those million chimes are such a gorgeous, unexpected representation of morning. Love it!
Our land
Our land
Laura, love the tiny, snow-capped evergreens image, especially with our current heat and humidity. I felt enticement.
Safe Haven
You wave me
into your world,
void of lawn mowers,
weed whackers,
into ethereal lightness.
I rely love your first two lines makes me think of someone making a basket
Mmmm, lovely. I esp love all the w sounds:>)
Nice expression of a deep thought, Martha.
Laura, love the tiny, snow-capped evergreens image, especially with our current heat and humidity. I felt enticement.
Safe Haven
You wave me
into your world,
void of lawn mowers,
weed whackers,
into ethereal lightness.
I rely love your first two lines makes me think of someone making a basket
Mmmm, lovely. I esp love all the w sounds:>)
Nice expression of a deep thought, Martha.
A tanka:
oh, the heat…
toes in the grass
uncurl
root into the dirt
dispersing his words
Diane Mayr, all rights reserved
I love your begging and last two linex
Line
Wow. That feels like so much more than 15 words, both in language and in thought. You compress so well! Love the last line especially.
A tanka:
oh, the heat…
toes in the grass
uncurl
root into the dirt
dispersing his words
Diane Mayr, all rights reserved
I love your begging and last two linex
Line
Wow. That feels like so much more than 15 words, both in language and in thought. You compress so well! Love the last line especially.
Grass
My sister and I
roll sideways
down a green hill?
bumping, laughing,
turning to summer.
?Kate Coombs
Yes! lol
Wonderful and fun
Aw, I love the poignancy of that last line. It’s a joyous poem and somehow a little bittersweet at the end, too.
Grass
My sister and I
roll sideways
down a green hill?
bumping, laughing,
turning to summer.
?Kate Coombs
Yes! lol
Wonderful and fun
Aw, I love the poignancy of that last line. It’s a joyous poem and somehow a little bittersweet at the end, too.
See how stealthy !
Through the grasses
a tiny baby bunny passes.
Sweet, and yes I see.
This is so sweet I just a saw a bunny yesterday wail walking
Ooh, I love the quick-building rhythm here!
See how stealthy !
Through the grasses
a tiny baby bunny passes.
Sweet, and yes I see.
This is so sweet I just a saw a bunny yesterday wail walking
Ooh, I love the quick-building rhythm here!
Laura, i really love your last two lines.
ATTACK THE SNACK
Little hands reach to the sky.
Mommy holds the ice-cream high.
Share,
Compare,
No fair!
I love seeing “my” childhood replayed in others’ poetry.
Thanks, Cindyb–love that you saw some keepaway ice cream here:>)
The grass tops looked like reaching hands to me, and what is there to reach for but something chocolate and sweet? I’m thinking she was giving out ice cream sandwiches, and no matter what it is, some kid thinks they got shorted. 🙂 At least, my kids were that way!
I love all this drama! Thanks for sharing the behind-the-scenes story:>)
Laura, i really love your last two lines.
ATTACK THE SNACK
Little hands reach to the sky.
Mommy holds the ice-cream high.
Share,
Compare,
No fair!
I love seeing “my” childhood replayed in others’ poetry.
Thanks, Cindyb–love that you saw some keepaway ice cream here:>)
The grass tops looked like reaching hands to me, and what is there to reach for but something chocolate and sweet? I’m thinking she was giving out ice cream sandwiches, and no matter what it is, some kid thinks they got shorted. 🙂 At least, my kids were that way!
I love all this drama! Thanks for sharing the behind-the-scenes story:>)
Beautiful poem, Laura.
Interesting picture. Reminds me of my Granny’s field where
my cousin and I played many years ago.
Hide and Seek
Quick!
Run!
Hide!
See the field?
Slip inside.
Here we go.
Stay down low.
Sh-h‑h.
This is wonderful 🙂
Thanks, Jessica. I noticed from one of your comments above, that you also have memories of playing in a field by your grandmother’s.
This is wonderful 🙂
Love that image of slipping inside a field!
Beautiful poem, Laura.
Interesting picture. Reminds me of my Granny’s field where
my cousin and I played many years ago.
Hide and Seek
Quick!
Run!
Hide!
See the field?
Slip inside.
Here we go.
Stay down low.
Sh-h‑h.
This is wonderful 🙂
Thanks, Jessica. I noticed from one of your comments above, that you also have memories of playing in a field by your grandmother’s.
This is wonderful 🙂
Love that image of slipping inside a field!
Do not bruise the tender reed:
toss it to the sky:
Spirit sifts its soul!
I love the use of bruise here, Jeanne, and then how tossing is the less violent option! Lovely.
Do not bruise the tender reed:
toss it to the sky:
Spirit sifts its soul!
I love the use of bruise here, Jeanne, and then how tossing is the less violent option! Lovely.
Fido fords the grassy ocean
breaking waves of green,
tail sailing high.
One of the things that waving grass always makes me think of is The Ghost and the Darkness, the movie about the (real-life) man-eating lions in Africa. You know, where you see tall grass moving, and that’s the only physical evidence of some beast traveling below? I love your happier take on that and how you worked ocean/ship imagery into each line.
Makes me won’t to be on that boat braking through the grassy fields of my childhood
Fido fords the grassy ocean
breaking waves of green,
tail sailing high.
One of the things that waving grass always makes me think of is The Ghost and the Darkness, the movie about the (real-life) man-eating lions in Africa. You know, where you see tall grass moving, and that’s the only physical evidence of some beast traveling below? I love your happier take on that and how you worked ocean/ship imagery into each line.
Makes me won’t to be on that boat braking through the grassy fields of my childhood
The Wild Grasses
Overgrown
unmown
they shimmy
in wild gyration
untamed and
unrestrained
free from
civilization
~~Barbara J. Turner
I can see these images as I read your words just bueautiful
Ooooooooh, Barbara. Lovely. The sounds in here, the rhymes, the meter, the imagery–and in 13 words. Holy smoke! I especially love lines 3 and 4.
The Wild Grasses
Overgrown
unmown
they shimmy
in wild gyration
untamed and
unrestrained
free from
civilization
~~Barbara J. Turner
I can see these images as I read your words just bueautiful
Ooooooooh, Barbara. Lovely. The sounds in here, the rhymes, the meter, the imagery–and in 13 words. Holy smoke! I especially love lines 3 and 4.
wispy weeds dance
In the wind
To the shrill
Of distant birds
Calling their names
- Anne McKenna
This is wonderful I love the last few lines
Oh, this is lovely, Anne. One of my favorites of yours, because I can actually see and hear this–nothing abstract at all. The wispy weeds, the shrill birds, and the way you connect the two on the last line. Excellent!
wispy weeds dance
In the wind
To the shrill
Of distant birds
Calling their names
- Anne McKenna
This is wonderful I love the last few lines
Oh, this is lovely, Anne. One of my favorites of yours, because I can actually see and hear this–nothing abstract at all. The wispy weeds, the shrill birds, and the way you connect the two on the last line. Excellent!
Such nice poems, everybody! I had to go outside and walk barefoot in the very green and cool grass. 🙂
Yes!
Such nice poems, everybody! I had to go outside and walk barefoot in the very green and cool grass. 🙂
Yes!
GRATITUDE
If stalks could talk
Each would say,
?Thank you for this
Lovely day.?
© Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.
Ha!
GRATITUDE
If stalks could talk
Each would say,
?Thank you for this
Lovely day.?
© Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.
Ha!