Pipe Cleaners [15 Words or Less Poems]

Welcome to 15 Words or Less Poems Day! Are you ready to wake up your poetry brains with our weekly exercise (guidelines here)?

pipe cleaners
Photo: Laura P. Salas

Here’s a picture from my basement clean-out. I’m gathering lots of arts & craft supplies into a pile to give to my daughter and/or niece. This image makes me think of:

  1. bottle-cleaning brushes
  2. sea anemone
  3. earthworms (shudder)

And, here’s my first draft.  

in the nest-15wol

 

 

It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count:>) Leave your poem in the comments if you would like to, and feel free to respond kindly to each others’ poems. I am in the midst of a technology superstorm and won’t be able to respond this week:>/

 

23 Responses

  1. Reaching out for the fun
    Let’s play with everyone!
    Bend, twist, recreate
    New favorite playmate.

  2. button face
    bendy arms
    button hands
    bendy lags
    button shoes
    tinny fingers
    creating with
    imaginations

    poem by Jessica Bigi

  3. FREE PUPPIES!

    I want to have a poodle pup.
    But Mom says no,
    ’cause they grow up.

    1. wonderful imagination I love that you saw a poodle we had a toy one named Brandy when I was little

  4. Good morning Laura. Your creativity is alive and well this morning. I can see a chicklet. I look forward to reading the posts of other subscribers.

    Rejection

    Bottle brushes
    missing end bristles
    embarrassed and forlorn
    no help to newborn.

    “Scratches not allowed.”

  5. One of these days I’m going to get the title to drop below the profile pic space along with the words of the poem. Laura, your poem today is perfect. Wow!

    Pipe Cleaners’ Lament

    Ready for the wedding
    decorations
    but
    I’d rather
    be in kindergarten.

    —Kate Coombs

  6. Your poem brought a smile today, Laura. Good imagination!
    My first thought was a memory of an old fashioned string mop that was used with a bucket of water to slop around the floor. Thank goodness for swiffers today.

    Floor is dirty.
    Grab the mop.
    Move that bucket!
    Oops! Kerplop!

    1. Pat, I can see a modern day mop made out of the new micro-fiber strings. Although I don’t care for the micro-fibers for the most part. They don’t absorb quickly enough for me. Dittos for Swiffers.

  7. I love “In the Nest,” Laura–especially that final stanza!!

    In My Recycling Bin

    Here’s a body,
    there’s a head.
    Stick on eyes,
    twist two legs.
    Snip. Glue. Paint.

    1. You’ve got it Buffy. Pipe cleaners are like paper clips and other “mundane” necessities. Wish I had thought of them first.

    2. Snip. Glue. Paint. Love those snappy single syllables and making stuff from the recycling bin.

  8. Sunday school
    art supplies
    glitter, glue,
    Jesus in the manger
    pipe cleaner sheep.

  9. Hi Laura,
    My 3rd graders LOVED this 15 WOL. Rather than sending their poems to you in the comments. I will e‑mail them to you later today. We spent lots of time on revision this morning and have some pretty great work!

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