Hallway Beacon [15 words or less]

Photo: Laura Purdie Salas

Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!

15WOLs

Surprising nature images are my favorite poetry prompt, but?everyday stuff works, too! Here’s?our upstairs hall light.?The image makes me think of:

1)?an invisible creature watching (one eye is the light; the other eye is the reflection of the light on the hall wall)
2)?a?mechanical sun
3) a lighthouse

And here’s my?first draft:

Lonely Lighthouse

Warns ships away
(but?wishes they would stay)

cries a sea of salty tears

–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:>)?

88 Responses

  1. Happy 4th, Laura! May you keep lighting up our summer with challenges!

    Sometimes the Light

    At the end of the tunnel–
    in the window burning–
    is simply a safety feature.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. Love the wry sound of the third line. Of course, there are all kinds of safety… Have a wonderful holiday!

    2. Perfect description of my hallway. I definitely think tunnel every day and appreciate the safety aspect you mentioned.

  2. Happy 4th, Laura! May you keep lighting up our summer with challenges!

    Sometimes the Light

    At the end of the tunnel–
    in the window burning–
    is simply a safety feature.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. Love the wry sound of the third line. Of course, there are all kinds of safety… Have a wonderful holiday!

    2. Perfect description of my hallway. I definitely think tunnel every day and appreciate the safety aspect you mentioned.

  3. Light Spiders

    Creep across walls
    Dance dimends on water
    Lighting webs in sky
    Spins ice- stars out of sky

    Laura I like your poem today
    This was all I could come up with today
    Jessica Bigi

  4. Light Spiders

    Creep across walls
    Dance dimends on water
    Lighting webs in sky
    Spins ice- stars out of sky

    Laura I like your poem today
    This was all I could come up with today
    Jessica Bigi

  5. Oh dear — I must be hungry. I saw your link, looked at the photo and thought “That’s bacon?”

    Brown pink crispy

    Fried pork strip

    Salt crystals sparkle on top.

    1. This is wonderful I love mt grandmothers B.L.T
      Homemade bread home grone and mostly the best cos of grandmother made them thank for the wonderful memory

  6. Oh dear — I must be hungry. I saw your link, looked at the photo and thought “That’s bacon?”

    Brown pink crispy

    Fried pork strip

    Salt crystals sparkle on top.

    1. This is wonderful I love mt grandmothers B.L.T
      Homemade bread home grone and mostly the best cos of grandmother made them thank for the wonderful memory

  7. Good morning Laura. I think your poem is perfect; and, by the way, your hall light’s twin is signaling from my hallway — identical twin I might add. Small world.

    Pie in the Sky

    No guess no mess
    Mom serves with pleasure
    perfect slices
    to sibs who measure.

    1. Funny! Wonder if our houses were built the same year! I love that this reminded you of pie. And that you captured those brothers/sisters “who measure.” Ha! Aren’t we all determined to get exactly our share–of pie, of love, of Mom’s time/attention. Love this.

  8. Good morning Laura. I think your poem is perfect; and, by the way, your hall light’s twin is signaling from my hallway — identical twin I might add. Small world.

    Pie in the Sky

    No guess no mess
    Mom serves with pleasure
    perfect slices
    to sibs who measure.

    1. Funny! Wonder if our houses were built the same year! I love that this reminded you of pie. And that you captured those brothers/sisters “who measure.” Ha! Aren’t we all determined to get exactly our share–of pie, of love, of Mom’s time/attention. Love this.

    1. Oh my goodness–so beautiful. And then that last line is brilliant!

    1. Oh my goodness–so beautiful. And then that last line is brilliant!

  9. LIGHT FIGHT

    In another universe

    lights beam, battle, burn,

    to earn the title of

    Sun.

    Andria W. Rosenbaum/all rights reserved

    1. Wow–another great story in so few words. You have brought light to life and put a whole backstory in my head for when I look at the sun today.

  10. LIGHT FIGHT

    In another universe

    lights beam, battle, burn,

    to earn the title of

    Sun.

    Andria W. Rosenbaum/all rights reserved

    1. Wow–another great story in so few words. You have brought light to life and put a whole backstory in my head for when I look at the sun today.

  11. Cathy, I thought it said BACON too! But when I looked again, I saw the spider Jessica saw:

    Friendly Spider

    Installed on the ceiling,
    her legs dangling down the walls,
    she guards the dark hall.

    1. Sorry, Liz, NOTHING with dangling legs is friendly. Shudder. Though this definitely gives me a great image:>) I love that she’s installed–and all the ‑all sounds in your poem.

  12. Cathy, I thought it said BACON too! But when I looked again, I saw the spider Jessica saw:

    Friendly Spider

    Installed on the ceiling,
    her legs dangling down the walls,
    she guards the dark hall.

    1. Sorry, Liz, NOTHING with dangling legs is friendly. Shudder. Though this definitely gives me a great image:>) I love that she’s installed–and all the ‑all sounds in your poem.

  13. Hi Laura, I too saw loneliness in your prompt. Here’s what I came up with:

    beacon

    outstretched fingers
    trace walls worn smooth
    search corner to corner
    for hope in a box

    ?Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.

    1. I love the metaphorical image in this poem of searching along the walls for hope. For me the light signified a beacon as well, yet the one we leave burning for our children to return.

      1. Ahhh yes, the infamous hall light. Last one in turns it off. If mama wakes up and the light is still shining from under her closed bedroom door she glances at the clock either falls back asleep or begins making phone calls. Very nice, Margaret.

    2. Oh my. Those sad, searching fingers of light–and that last line! Well done, Michelle!

  14. Hi Laura, I too saw loneliness in your prompt. Here’s what I came up with:

    beacon

    outstretched fingers
    trace walls worn smooth
    search corner to corner
    for hope in a box

    ?Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.

    1. I love the metaphorical image in this poem of searching along the walls for hope. For me the light signified a beacon as well, yet the one we leave burning for our children to return.

      1. Ahhh yes, the infamous hall light. Last one in turns it off. If mama wakes up and the light is still shining from under her closed bedroom door she glances at the clock either falls back asleep or begins making phone calls. Very nice, Margaret.

    2. Oh my. Those sad, searching fingers of light–and that last line! Well done, Michelle!

    1. Hahahahaha–too funny. But–that “blossom of light” is simply gorgeous.

    1. Hahahahaha–too funny. But–that “blossom of light” is simply gorgeous.

  15. Forget this night-time
    bathroom trip.
    Out in the hall-

    Alien spaceship!

    1. It could be kind of spooky, couldn’t it? As always, I love the childlike point of view you bring. I keep swearing I’m going to do younger poems on 15WOL, but they never come out that way. You rock it (hehe, rocket, spaceship, get it?)!

  16. Forget this night-time
    bathroom trip.
    Out in the hall-

    Alien spaceship!

    1. It could be kind of spooky, couldn’t it? As always, I love the childlike point of view you bring. I keep swearing I’m going to do younger poems on 15WOL, but they never come out that way. You rock it (hehe, rocket, spaceship, get it?)!

  17. Progress

    One glance,
    and the Moon Dancer,
    lured by the light
    of civilization,
    became lost.

    ~~Barbara J. Turner

  18. Progress

    One glance,
    and the Moon Dancer,
    lured by the light
    of civilization,
    became lost.

    ~~Barbara J. Turner

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