London Eye [15 Words or Less]

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. 

Photo: Laura P. Salas

Here’s a picture of the London Eye Ferris Wheel. I took it from my seat on a Thames Rocket Boat–what a ride!

Thames Rockets
Photo: Laura P. Salas

This image (the London Eye, not my selfie!) makes me think of several things:

  1. comparing a Ferris wheel to an actual eye
  2. a fortune-teller’s crystal ball
  3. a ginormous bicycle wheel

And here’s my first draft.  There was so much more I needed to say to get my eye-dea (hehe) across. I should have narrowed my topic/thought for this short poem more.

 

It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count.)

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

40 Responses

  1. Finding balance in troubled times.…what a great first line. Maybe I need to go get in a boat today for a big dose of sky. The news has been troubling, troubling, troubling. This leads me to update an old nursery rhyme.

    A Tisket A Tasket

    A sky-high
    basket
    London’s Eye
    wheels round
    and round
    news-cycles
    even faster.

    1. Perhaps from up that high, the problems in the news would look smaller, like the ground.

    2. So sorry about the news, but we can escape into poetry and research. I like the way your poem spins.

    3. yes, the news is troubling, troubling. I like the way your poem speeds up like the news cycle. I think we all need a good dose of sky these days.

    4. Views of water and mountains (never get those) and sky really do clear my mind, Linda. And I’m limiting my intake of news. Might not be the best things to do from a responsible citizen standpoint, but I also have to look out for myself. So true about the news cycles!

  2. The boat ride looks like such fun! And the London Eye looked like a gear to me in your picture.

    Sky-Gear Turning

    Blue and white
    in sunlight.
    Day to night.
    Black and white -
    stars and moonlight.

  3. Millenium Wheel

    A circle
    to the sky,
    Tourists
    touch the moon
    and return…
    glowing.

    1. What a graceful poem, Margaret. I had to wonder at the stability of the Eye when our guide told us it was meant to be just for the Millennium (I had not known that!) but was so popular they kept it. I mean, I’m sure they did stuff to reinforce it to last longer, etc., but…

  4. Value is In the Eye of the Beholder

    Royal gerbils run around
    On a diamond studded crown
    Precious is the toy they’ve found.

    Donna JT Smith

  5. What an amazing trip Laura. I’m enjoying it, vicariously of course. Finding balance in troubled times, yes! For some reason my eyes immediately saw a giant clock, time 7:30, night sky, daytime sky? Such fun!

    Big Ben’s Frenemy

    daytime dawning,
    nightime yawning
    Big Ben bongs
    London Eye’s song:

    “See You Tomorrow”

    1. Here is a good place to be, when we stop to enjoy it:>) I can SO relate to this poem!

  6. A gaze revolving
    The all-seeing wheel
    A slow blink
    Appraising the sky

  7. Your filter makes the London Eye look especially magical, Laura! So glad you are having a wonderful trip to England!

    train tracks wrapped
    around a circle of sky,
    singing to the stars

    —Kate Coombs

    1. Thanks, Kate. We had a lovely time. Even though it was way too hot and crowded for me:) this poem is stunning. I don’t know how how to capture such a feeling of joy in such an unusual image. That mix of train tracks and scene is so unexpected and beautiful.

  8. I am writing on my phone while traveling to Chicago.. love your poem and hope you don’t mind my borrowing your title..

    Spokes on a wheel
    work together
    pass the load
    join in unity
    in troubled times.

    1. Of course not, Buffy. I love this metaphor of working together in such a beautiful, peaceful way!

  9. Laura it looks like you had a great trip to London. That boat ride looked a bit crazy, but you got a great shot of the London eye. Loved your last line, “full-circle spectacle.”

    Perspective is a funny thing
    perched atop this wheel,
    monumental hang-ups
    recede with turning steel.

    1. Thanks. I love this, Jean. So true that getting a view like this makes problems feel small. Must be why I love ocean and sky and mountains…Lovely poem.

  10. AFTER A RAINSTORM

    On my bike
    in a flash.
    Hit those puddles.
    Make a splash!

    1. I LOVED going out to explore the neighborhood after our daily summer thunderstorms in Florida when I was a kid.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,547 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be...Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be...art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be... bookscan be... poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnccbcCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter booksCharles Waterschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura's board booksLaura's booksLaura's poemsLaura's readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLine Leads the WayLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymagnipoemsmargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMatt Forrest EsenwineMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoneymoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)National Poetry Month 2024 (magnipoems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar's VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreview copiesreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be...Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be...wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat's InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZapZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Discover more from Laura Purdie Salas

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."