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!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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

Join 2,501 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 SweeneyLine Leads the WayLion 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)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 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."