Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!
Here’s a pic I took while walking the dog the other day. This image makes me think of:
1) a cemetery
2) hiding places
3) lying on the floor by a Christmas tree
And here’s my?first draft.
Hidden Worlds
stolen????????? mornings
leaves ???????? carpet
branches??? ceilings
witches?????? castles
spyholes ??? ships
stories ??????? shadows
hiding???????? places
–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:>)?
Please note: I’m making the drive today to Sheboygan, WI, for the Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival! I’m doing two school visits tomorrow and two presentations on Saturday, and I can’t wait to enjoy spending the weekend with book lovers! And I’m hoping to hear Kevin Henkes’ presentation! On the down side, though, I will not be able to respond to this week’s poems. So, write, share if you like, respond to each other, and have fun! I’ll see you next week.
134 Responses
Leaves, blanketing noise
Trees, softening skies
Squirrels, splashing energy
Me, watching, surprised
I absolutely love fall and this picture. I guess this was a sort of “see how cool nature is” poems for my technology-glued generation.
I like that you rhymed skies with surprised. Well done.
wonderful makes me think of the city
Amelia, I, too, liked the skies/surprised rhyme. I can hear the silence.
Amelia, you’re just getting better and better!
Love the squirrels “splashing energy”. They don’t seem to ever stop!
Oh, don’t those squirrels LOVE to splash energy!
Great line!
Leaves, blanketing noise
Trees, softening skies
Squirrels, splashing energy
Me, watching, surprised
I absolutely love fall and this picture. I guess this was a sort of “see how cool nature is” poems for my technology-glued generation.
I like that you rhymed skies with surprised. Well done.
wonderful makes me think of the city
Amelia, I, too, liked the skies/surprised rhyme. I can hear the silence.
Amelia, you’re just getting better and better!
Love the squirrels “splashing energy”. They don’t seem to ever stop!
Oh, don’t those squirrels LOVE to splash energy!
Great line!
Kicking leaves
Earth’s patchwork quilt.
Each a memory
falling
into my life.
Our desert autumn is very different from your picture, so I end up going to the memories of when I was a child.
love your 2 line
I like that final line, “falling/ into my life.” I still kick leaves…
My desert autumn
cactus trust
for oranges’ reads
gold’s like sunshine
out side my window
kitted with scents of Blue Spurs
are my memories of leave
Poem By Jessica Bigi
for Joy
Loved the leaves being a patchwork quilt…they are, aren’t they? Nice!
Kicking leaves
Earth’s patchwork quilt.
Each a memory
falling
into my life.
Our desert autumn is very different from your picture, so I end up going to the memories of when I was a child.
love your 2 line
I like that final line, “falling/ into my life.” I still kick leaves…
My desert autumn
cactus trust
for oranges’ reads
gold’s like sunshine
out side my window
kitted with scents of Blue Spurs
are my memories of leave
Poem By Jessica Bigi
for Joy
Loved the leaves being a patchwork quilt…they are, aren’t they? Nice!
floating off their branches
orang-gold leaf kites
rest under blue spruces
crackling under feet
Joy, patchwork quilts and memories just naturally fit together. Love this.
Jessica, leaf kites make a nice image.
I like the ‘resting’ and the ‘crackling’, Jessica.
“Orange-gold leaf kites” is beautiful!
floating off their branches
orang-gold leaf kites
rest under blue spruces
crackling under feet
Joy, patchwork quilts and memories just naturally fit together. Love this.
Jessica, leaf kites make a nice image.
I like the ‘resting’ and the ‘crackling’, Jessica.
“Orange-gold leaf kites” is beautiful!
MO– USE HO– USEKEEPING WOES
Amid the clutter
I heard the mutter,
“Oh, please,
trees,
enough of
your stuff!”
I love this
Cindy, I can identify, not only with the mice but in my home.
Ha! so funny, and true. Just when I’ve raked, the next day–more!
I can just picture those irritated little mice trying to clean house with all those leaves, quite out of their control, messing up the place again!
MO– USE HO– USEKEEPING WOES
Amid the clutter
I heard the mutter,
“Oh, please,
trees,
enough of
your stuff!”
I love this
Cindy, I can identify, not only with the mice but in my home.
Ha! so funny, and true. Just when I’ve raked, the next day–more!
I can just picture those irritated little mice trying to clean house with all those leaves, quite out of their control, messing up the place again!
3:23
old dog watches the road
expectantly
So succinct, so sweet!
Diane, I saw the dog also. You said it all.
And that is a new thought for the scene, Diane. I imagine he would.
Watching for the kids to come home? Our cat used to do that, too!
3:23
old dog watches the road
expectantly
So succinct, so sweet!
Diane, I saw the dog also. You said it all.
And that is a new thought for the scene, Diane. I imagine he would.
Watching for the kids to come home? Our cat used to do that, too!
Ghouls
Damp, moldy leaves
silence footsteps
awaiting arrival
of sleek, black limousine
into the graveyard.
BOO!
Taking a cue from Laura’s thought of a cemetery, and seeing my neighborhood dressed out in orange and black that will rival most Christmas decorations, I couldn’t resist.
I love the sound of your poem as in read it and the boo at the end
Yes, yards are filled with all kinds of those decorations here, too. Just the addition of ‘moldy’ creates the flavor.
Love the leaves when they are dry and crispy…damp and moldy have a whole different image! Good for Halloween fare!
Ghouls
Damp, moldy leaves
silence footsteps
awaiting arrival
of sleek, black limousine
into the graveyard.
BOO!
Taking a cue from Laura’s thought of a cemetery, and seeing my neighborhood dressed out in orange and black that will rival most Christmas decorations, I couldn’t resist.
I love the sound of your poem as in read it and the boo at the end
Yes, yards are filled with all kinds of those decorations here, too. Just the addition of ‘moldy’ creates the flavor.
Love the leaves when they are dry and crispy…damp and moldy have a whole different image! Good for Halloween fare!
Leaving
Leaves fall,
they die
with a sigh.
Leaves leave
but
in spring
new leaves
breathe.
?Kate Coombs
I love the last few line and the poem
Kate, and the circle of life continues. Nice verse.
The sound must be a quiet sigh. We don’t hear them coming down at all. Nice!
Love that new leaves breathe. We are always ready for spring, aren’t we?
Loved “they die with a sigh”!
Leaving
Leaves fall,
they die
with a sigh.
Leaves leave
but
in spring
new leaves
breathe.
?Kate Coombs
I love the last few line and the poem
Kate, and the circle of life continues. Nice verse.
The sound must be a quiet sigh. We don’t hear them coming down at all. Nice!
Love that new leaves breathe. We are always ready for spring, aren’t we?
Loved “they die with a sigh”!
Bronze, brown,
bits of gold and green,
dry and rustly
underfoot–
the ultimate shag carpet.
Love it! I owned one of those “back in the day.”
Love to think of that as a shag carpet, super ending!
Oh, those awful shag carpets…had one in the KITCHEN once even! Ugh. Don’t even want to know what treasures it held!
Bronze, brown,
bits of gold and green,
dry and rustly
underfoot–
the ultimate shag carpet.
Love it! I owned one of those “back in the day.”
Love to think of that as a shag carpet, super ending!
Oh, those awful shag carpets…had one in the KITCHEN once even! Ugh. Don’t even want to know what treasures it held!
I too thought of what was under those leaves, Laura. “Hidden worlds” brings all sorts of imaginings, doesn’t it? Beautiful picture!
The news today:
The cold is snapping.
?TREES DONATE
EXTRA BLANKETS
FOR WINTER NAPPING!?
Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved
Love the last 2 lines
Love your clever rhyme of snapping and wrapping.
Ha Ha! Love this!
How kind of those trees! Such colorful blankets, too!
A new take on “The Giving Tree”…
Love the idea of trees “donating” their leaves instead of discarding them. :0)
I too thought of what was under those leaves, Laura. “Hidden worlds” brings all sorts of imaginings, doesn’t it? Beautiful picture!
The news today:
The cold is snapping.
?TREES DONATE
EXTRA BLANKETS
FOR WINTER NAPPING!?
Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved
Love the last 2 lines
Love your clever rhyme of snapping and wrapping.
Ha Ha! Love this!
How kind of those trees! Such colorful blankets, too!
A new take on “The Giving Tree”…
Love the idea of trees “donating” their leaves instead of discarding them. :0)
Students joining in again.
Christmas in fall
Two worlds
Shadows having Christmas
Light having nothing.
–Tyler
Woven quilt of rustic colors
blankets the earth
in whispering waves.
–Margaret Simon
What is hidden
behind the tree
stalks us,
watching,
it awaits
for you
and me.
–Vanissa
Thanks for sharing some student input! Great jobs!
I could see Tylers “two worlds”. That struck me in the picture, too!
Vanissa’s was pretty scary actually…who is that beneath the boughs looking out at us?
Margaret, I loved the line “in whispering waves”…
These are all terrific, Margaret. I love the idea of ‘Christmas in fall’, the quilt, and the creepiness of that final one. Great that you do this with your students.
loves the kids poems today I love the 1 and 3 line of the first poem wonderful poems kids
Students joining in again.
Christmas in fall
Two worlds
Shadows having Christmas
Light having nothing.
–Tyler
Woven quilt of rustic colors
blankets the earth
in whispering waves.
–Margaret Simon
What is hidden
behind the tree
stalks us,
watching,
it awaits
for you
and me.
–Vanissa
Thanks for sharing some student input! Great jobs!
I could see Tylers “two worlds”. That struck me in the picture, too!
Vanissa’s was pretty scary actually…who is that beneath the boughs looking out at us?
Margaret, I loved the line “in whispering waves”…
These are all terrific, Margaret. I love the idea of ‘Christmas in fall’, the quilt, and the creepiness of that final one. Great that you do this with your students.
loves the kids poems today I love the 1 and 3 line of the first poem wonderful poems kids
Dense blanket of fallen leaves are
crunching beneath
our feet.
Not to be seen again until
winter?s wrath is
complete.
Dense blanket of fallen leaves are
crunching beneath
our feet.
Not to be seen again until
winter?s wrath is
complete.
Dense blanket of fallen leaves are
crunching beneath
our feet.
Not to be seen again until
winter?s wrath is
complete.
Oops! So much for counting my total word count. Back to the drawing room! lol
Well, I like this one even with too many words! The rhyme and “winter’s wrath” were so perfect.…How about leaving these (only for this purpose, because I like it the way it is!)?
Blanket of leaves
crunching beneath
our feet -
HIdden until
winter?s wrath is
complete.
I love your idea of the leaves being out of sight soon, under a blanket of snow!
Dense blanket of fallen leaves are
crunching beneath
our feet.
Not to be seen again until
winter?s wrath is
complete.
Oops! So much for counting my total word count. Back to the drawing room! lol
Well, I like this one even with too many words! The rhyme and “winter’s wrath” were so perfect.…How about leaving these (only for this purpose, because I like it the way it is!)?
Blanket of leaves
crunching beneath
our feet -
HIdden until
winter?s wrath is
complete.
I love your idea of the leaves being out of sight soon, under a blanket of snow!
Let’s try this again!
Dense blanket
Fallen leaves
Crunching
Covering
Warming earth
Autumn
Good second poem.…but I still love your first!
Let’s try this again!
Dense blanket
Fallen leaves
Crunching
Covering
Warming earth
Autumn
Good second poem.…but I still love your first!
old spruce
draws close her counterpane
in autumn’s wane
she knows
the cold to come
It so looked to me as if the spruce was gathering leaves to cover her feet…
Love the use of counterpane!
old spruce
draws close her counterpane
in autumn’s wane
she knows
the cold to come
It so looked to me as if the spruce was gathering leaves to cover her feet…
Love the use of counterpane!
I know this is so not done… but there were so MANY really neat lines in this collection today that I had the notion to play with them. I had a much longer poem with many more great lines in it, but I then pared it down to this 6 line 14 word poem. I hope I didn’t offend anyone by either not using theirs in this, or by using their line in a different poem. My apologies to all! I just couldn’t resist this:
old dog watches
awaiting arrival?
with a sigh?
leaf kites?
falling?
in whispering waves
Lovely, Donna!
I am honored the you like my words so much that they inspired you to use them I a poem
I know this is so not done… but there were so MANY really neat lines in this collection today that I had the notion to play with them. I had a much longer poem with many more great lines in it, but I then pared it down to this 6 line 14 word poem. I hope I didn’t offend anyone by either not using theirs in this, or by using their line in a different poem. My apologies to all! I just couldn’t resist this:
old dog watches
awaiting arrival?
with a sigh?
leaf kites?
falling?
in whispering waves
Lovely, Donna!
I am honored the you like my words so much that they inspired you to use them I a poem
THE PATIENCE OF SQUIRREL
Under the musky stench
Of soggy leaves
I wait for supper.
© Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.
THE PATIENCE OF SQUIRREL
Under the musky stench
Of soggy leaves
I wait for supper.
© Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.
Arboreality
Lovely, lovely quiet tree
Whispering secrets silently.
Branch, bough, limb, leaves?
Murmuring in the breeze .
Ellen Vojnovic
your poem is almost like a song
I can almost sing it as I’m reading it
Love the alliteration in “whispering secrets silently”. Great poem for all ages.
Arboreality
Lovely, lovely quiet tree
Whispering secrets silently.
Branch, bough, limb, leaves?
Murmuring in the breeze .
Ellen Vojnovic
your poem is almost like a song
I can almost sing it as I’m reading it
Love the alliteration in “whispering secrets silently”. Great poem for all ages.