Marie [15 words or less poems]

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

Photo: Randy A. Salas

 

15WOLs

Randy and our older daughter, Annabelle, visited family in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, and Randy sent me this sculpture of Marie Antoinette made entirely of cut paper except for the mannequin. Read more about the artwork here. I love the off-with-her-head aspect!

This image makes me think of:

1) the paper shredder in my office upstairs
2) paper cuts
3) a woman drowning in a pool full of suds

And here’s my?first draft.

Paper Cuts

 

Now it’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS!??(Title doesn’t count toward word count:>) If you leave a poem in the comments, and if it’s 15 words or less, I’ll try to respond!

 

96 Responses

  1. Marie Antoinette

    golden letters
    tailor her gown
    a million sorrows
    Shrek songs
    crystal chandeliers
    shatters
    like ice-paper
    crowns

    1. I love the letters tailoring her gown and the ice-paper crowns, Jessica! Striking images…

  2. Marie Antoinette

    golden letters
    tailor her gown
    a million sorrows
    Shrek songs
    crystal chandeliers
    shatters
    like ice-paper
    crowns

    1. I love the letters tailoring her gown and the ice-paper crowns, Jessica! Striking images…

  3. A Hairdresser’s Claim to Fame

    She outdoes herself
    designing the coif
    even though she knows
    the head’s coming off.

    Today is my day with my hairdresser. I hope she is not privy to something I am not. Apologies for the “sinister” take on an exquisite photograph. Kudos for Randy.

    1. Hahahaha–I LOVE that. Funny, dark, and evocative. And then it makes me think, on a more serious note, of people who prepare bodies for viewing and burial.

  4. A Hairdresser’s Claim to Fame

    She outdoes herself
    designing the coif
    even though she knows
    the head’s coming off.

    Today is my day with my hairdresser. I hope she is not privy to something I am not. Apologies for the “sinister” take on an exquisite photograph. Kudos for Randy.

    1. Hahahaha–I LOVE that. Funny, dark, and evocative. And then it makes me think, on a more serious note, of people who prepare bodies for viewing and burial.

    1. Sometime the dress and the hair just don’t go together!

    1. Sometime the dress and the hair just don’t go together!

    1. Hehe–this makes me think of that crazy hair competition that was on cable for a couple of years. I have bad hair days, but luckily not QUITE as bad as Marie in this picture:>)

    1. Hehe–this makes me think of that crazy hair competition that was on cable for a couple of years. I have bad hair days, but luckily not QUITE as bad as Marie in this picture:>)

  5. Laura, loved your poem.

    If I complain
    I’ve lost my mind,
    I’ll remember Marie
    and be sorry I whined.

    1. it most as you wail reading this as if you sing it love the rim of it

    2. Walk a mile in another’s shoes. Your ending is powerful.

  6. Laura, loved your poem.

    If I complain
    I’ve lost my mind,
    I’ll remember Marie
    and be sorry I whined.

    1. it most as you wail reading this as if you sing it love the rim of it

    2. Walk a mile in another’s shoes. Your ending is powerful.

  7. I love paper art. This is awesome work, isn’t it? And I enjoyed this ‘darker’ poem, Laura. What a time that was.

    Marie,Marie
    How could you be,
    still fabulous,
    headless?
    Revengeful royalty?
    Linda Baie ? All Rights Reserved

  8. I love paper art. This is awesome work, isn’t it? And I enjoyed this ‘darker’ poem, Laura. What a time that was.

    Marie,Marie
    How could you be,
    still fabulous,
    headless?
    Revengeful royalty?
    Linda Baie ? All Rights Reserved

    1. What a weird and wonderful poem! I can interpret it so many different ways. I love the very straightforward title and then the kind of surreal poem.

    1. What a weird and wonderful poem! I can interpret it so many different ways. I love the very straightforward title and then the kind of surreal poem.

  9. I wanted to write for this one, but I decided to read a couple of articles about her — and it was just too sad. At the end, she just didn’t look like this at all. Her white hair was chopped off, she’d been in solitary for some time after the execution of her husband. At 38 years old, she was alone, spent, and ready for death.

    Hair shorn
    Clothes torn
    Wagon born
    Still proud
    For jeering crowd
    So few mourned
    aloud.

    1. Fantastic job. So much history in so few words. And that ending — just too sad.

  10. I wanted to write for this one, but I decided to read a couple of articles about her — and it was just too sad. At the end, she just didn’t look like this at all. Her white hair was chopped off, she’d been in solitary for some time after the execution of her husband. At 38 years old, she was alone, spent, and ready for death.

    Hair shorn
    Clothes torn
    Wagon born
    Still proud
    For jeering crowd
    So few mourned
    aloud.

    1. Fantastic job. So much history in so few words. And that ending — just too sad.

  11. What a fantastic picture! So many lovely tributes to Marie here, but they were making me sad so here’s mine:

    New curling gel
    makes me bawl.
    Hair too big -
    face too small.

    1. This hits home in a big way (pun intended). Ellie, thanks for the smile.

    2. Thanks for the light-hearted take:>) I’m trying to go through tons of hair product given to me by my daughter or used once by me and forgotten about. I don’t use much in my hair and have quite a stockpile to either use or trash! The other day I tried a volumizer that was a little too good at its job, and I felt a little like your poem’s narrator.

  12. What a fantastic picture! So many lovely tributes to Marie here, but they were making me sad so here’s mine:

    New curling gel
    makes me bawl.
    Hair too big -
    face too small.

    1. This hits home in a big way (pun intended). Ellie, thanks for the smile.

    2. Thanks for the light-hearted take:>) I’m trying to go through tons of hair product given to me by my daughter or used once by me and forgotten about. I don’t use much in my hair and have quite a stockpile to either use or trash! The other day I tried a volumizer that was a little too good at its job, and I felt a little like your poem’s narrator.

  13. The pose of the mannequin reminded me of Cinderella running away from the ball at midnight. Also, I am the daughter, and this art was incredible in person. It was at a really awesome antique shop! We had lots of fun exploring.

    Dressed To Kill

    Cinderella
    Left a shoe
    I’ve forgotten
    Something, too
    Knock ’em dead–
    Dress! Shoes!
    No head!

    1. Love this, Annabelle! Welcome to 15 Words or Less. Cinderella’s story ended more happily than Marie’s, that’s for sure!

    2. Annabelle, thank you so much for sharing your personal experience. Your poem is great. Possibly you’ll be the next poet in the family.

      1. wonderful to here a poem form the one how saw the art in person

  14. The pose of the mannequin reminded me of Cinderella running away from the ball at midnight. Also, I am the daughter, and this art was incredible in person. It was at a really awesome antique shop! We had lots of fun exploring.

    Dressed To Kill

    Cinderella
    Left a shoe
    I’ve forgotten
    Something, too
    Knock ’em dead–
    Dress! Shoes!
    No head!

    1. Love this, Annabelle! Welcome to 15 Words or Less. Cinderella’s story ended more happily than Marie’s, that’s for sure!

    2. Annabelle, thank you so much for sharing your personal experience. Your poem is great. Possibly you’ll be the next poet in the family.

      1. wonderful to here a poem form the one how saw the art in person

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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

Join 2,548 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."