Moose Topiary, Sort Of [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

This moose topiary/sculpture charmed me at the Botanical Garden in DC.

This image makes me think of several things:

  1. Necco wafer candies (those ears)
  2. Max, the dog/reindeer in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas classic animated special
  3. My wish to see a live moose in the wild (sadly, I have seen a dead one)

And here’s my first draft.  I played with telling a story using nothing but pairs of rhyming words. Didn’t really do that. But I had fun with setting a scene, sort of.

NOTE: I am at a school visit today in Northfield, MN (unless snow has caused a cancellation), so I won’t be able to respond. I’m sorry for being gone two weeks in a row. I miss you guys.

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

28 Responses

  1. Could you?

    Smell
    Rose petals?
    Pump bike pedals?
    gather
    Moose petals
    in the woods?

    I would!

    1. I love the homophones and upbeat feel of you poem. Also, “moose petals” is adorable .

  2. What a charming moose–those ears are simply fabulous! Laura, I love the word play and sounds in your poem. Sadly, my thoughts turned in a darker direction.

    A Highway Lament

    Up ahead
    confused angles
    jangled-up legs
    heavy lolling head
    overfilled
    the truck-bed

    Then I realized…

  3. What an adorable picture. Don’t those ears look like giant flowers?

    Hiding

    No ants on my antlers,
    nor bees, please.
    I’ll mimic a flower
    till I sneeze.

  4. Safe travels Laura. The colors in today’s pic are a welcome sight this stormy, wet morning.

    Incognito

    pastel pine cone ears
    chocolate drop eyes
    posing as a puppy
    in adorable, adoptable
    disguise.

  5. Mournful Moose Reassured

    Tiny antlers.
    Giant ears.
    Eyes keep filling
    up with tears.

    Someday,
    someway
    ’twill be okay.

  6. We saw two moose a few years ago in Michigan’s UP. When there are a whole bunch of cars stopped by the roadside, there might be a moose! The moose described below is not one we saw.

    The Baking of Moose

    Chocolate eyes
    on frosted snout,
    pretzled antlers,
    icing mouth.

  7. I like how your poem flies off the page Laura. Thanks for this colorful fun image!
    Moose Flowers

    Enjoy my moose-filled flowerful finery,
    But remember… Leave our habitat
    clean and free!

  8. We used to have a moose that would peek in our windows. Even when I didn’t see him, I’d find his footprints going right up to our window.

    Peek-a-Moose

    I peek in the window
    Through rugosa roses
    You see me back
    Glass between noses.

    By Donna JT Smith

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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

Join 2,499 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 FlynnCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter bookschoral 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 SweeneyLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoonmy 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)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 poemsrefugeesresearchreviewsrevisionrhyming 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 conferencesYouTubeZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

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