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.
Okay, one last (this one a rare unfiltered one) photo from Cyprus. On our first full day there, Maddie took us to Cavo Greco, a beautiful beach on the Mediterranean Sea. We rented this fun paddle boat (or pedal boat–as they more accurately call it) with a slide on it! We had such a great time sliding, hanging off the back and being pulled along, paddling…I made them drop me at the dock at the end and go back out so I could take a few pictures. Their parade wave here makes me laugh every time.
This image makes me think of several things:
- a boat with a trampoline on top
- tiny clown cars at parades
- why do we so often stop playing as grown-ups?
And here’s my first draft.
It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count.)
20 Responses
Isn’t that the truth?! I think I learned to be a kid more with my children than when I was a kid!
This poem begs a response:
You’re Welcome, Dad!
for playing
in the sea
on the beach
spinning wheels
down a slide
smiles wide
Yes! Lovely response, Linda. Thank you! I especially like the /ee/ sounds grouped and the long i sounds in the last two lines:>)
Linda your poem brings back such fond memories of the times I spent with my dad at the ocean. He loved the waves, and going in with all of us kids (seven), while my mom was on shore. “Smiles wide” for sure!
I love your “smiles wide” Linda 🙂 , I have a similar line in a picture book story I’ve written.
FRANTIC FUN
Up the ladder in a dash,
down the slide with ending splash.
Pretending
summer’s unending.
I love your command of meter here, Cindy. The first two lines just zip by. But then the last two change, make us pause, make us hear the depth of that illusion we have and the reality behind that illusion. A lot of depth in this tiny poem!
Cindy I love the last two lines, “Pretending summer’s unending.” I wish summer was unending!
I am enjoying the fun in your picture and poem, and am impressed you could paddle fast enough to leave a wake. Two thoughts came to mind: how we don’t notice sore muscles when having fun, and how awful it would be not to have engines to rely on.
Paddle power
hour after hour;
making a wake
till tired legs ache.
Yes Lauren thank goodness for engines. I can imagine how sore those legs would be after hours of peddling.
The sea was very calm, and if two of us pedaled hard, we could get some good speed going. Though the drag of someone hanging off the back of the boat slowed us way down. Our legs did ache afterward:>) And we only did it for an hour, I think!
Laura I’ve never seen a paddle boat quite so cool. I love that slide! Thank goodness for our children keeping us young, I love how your poem captures that. I have only been in a paddle boat once in Florida, and one of the peddles broke, so we were spinning endlessly in a circle, while drifting out to sea. It was the last time I have ever been on a paddle boat as well lol.
Drifters
Peddle boat
peddles me out to sea,
one peddle breaks…
HELP!
Rescue me!
What a scary story! I enjoyed your rhyme.
Yikes–that would be scary! Great drama for a poem, though:>)
So, I want to know- how did you get back? This poem needs a second verse!
Let’s hear it for play! (I can see how the boat/slide combo would inspire play in anyone–and yay for adult kids who still inspire us to play.) I wrote a whopping 21 words this morning, but am playing fair and only including half:
Pedal Power
Racecar driver round the track
spin your pedals,
lead the pack!
You are so good! Maybe the whole 21 words is an entire picture book ;>)
Thanks for sharing this fun pic and poem reminding us to play Laura–made me smile–here’s to more playing!
life loves laughter
and edge of the world
playfull poppycock
Love those last two lines–so fresh!
Poem By Jessica Bigi
look like you had lots of fune
Sad Duck to The World
If wed feet
paddle seven seas
I’ed slide from moon
to sea’s bottom
tired flying
We did! That’s an intriguing image–sliding from the moon to the bottom of the sea…