Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)!
Howdy, 15 Words or Less-ers! I took this picture a couple of years ago at a high school. I was walking down the hall, and these hands were overhead! They make me think of:
- what teachers are trying to give us (both physically–books, and metaphorically–the world, etc.)
- The Walking Dead
- mud baths (that dried paint looks all cakey, like mud)
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:>) If you leave a poem in the comments, and if it’s 15 words or less, I’ll try to respond!
36 Responses
Athlete, musician, artist, scholar
Options outstretched
Who should I be?
I love that “outstretched.” Works in so many ways. I really like the feeling of possibility, of choice, that this brings, Amelia:>)
this is wonderful
I like options outstretched. Even when their outstretched, we sometimes miss them.
Everybody’s busy
with something.
I like spending time
on nothing-
relieving strain
on my brain.
Cindyb, I’m in love with this, because I need to hear this. Everybody does. That “nothing” time is when so much happens in our brains. Thank you!
Yes! Yes! Even if I can only find 5 minutes, it can make all the difference.
Great! Why is it so hard to do nothing?
We’ll Be Leaders Some Day
Witting freedom
coaching the winning ball
hands that turn
a million pages
Gide us
Poem By Jessica Bigi
Laura I love the tidal of your poem
Thanks, Jessica–I love the last three lines. I love the image of hands that turn a million pages. This makes me think of every teacher and storytime reader who is shaping the future.
Laura, a unique, timely display of worldly emotion.
Offerings
Clamoring hands
grasp music and poetry
common ground
yet world peace
remains elusive.
Oh if only… Your poem says so much. Those first two lines drew me in.
I love the use of “clamoring,” Martha. We want so much to find that common ground… I really like your title, too:>) All we can do is offer and offer and offer, right?
Thank you Laura. And, yes, one day!
Lovely elephant bath cinquain, Laura. Here’s Mine:
Just Drop It!
Hands full
of work
can’t
give a hand,
lend a hand,
hold a hand.
Another one on the busy-ness theme. The universe is speaking to me. Love those parallel last three lines.
Hope
Happy hands grab for the brass ring
Still believing they can do anything.
Yes! Celebrate that believing:>)
Hand
Give me your hand,
I will pull you up
out of the darkness.
—Kate Coombs
this is wonderful Kate
Beautiful. A little song lyric…
Give ‘Em a Hand
You’re just starting
to read
to play
to sing
You’re awful
but I applaud you
Hahahaha! I love this, Jen. This should be the theme song for community television whenever it’s playing dance recitals! Love the awww sounds in last two lines…
Oh, thank goodness you laughed! I’m afraid people who don’t know me at all might think it’s cruel. On the contrary: Learning something new is always cause for applause!
I am ALL about laughing at our human-ness, and failure and learning and striving is all part of that! And I know you don’t write mean poems, though I wouldn’t have taken it that way even from a stranger :>)
Thanks for the inspiration, Laura (who knew that you could write a cinquain in 15 words or less?)
Snowbound–
woolly hands reach
for sleds, skates, and snowballs,
savoring snowflakes that blanket
and hush
Thanks, Buffy:>) Oh, this is lovely. Those last two lines–sigh. And I can totally see the inspiration for it. Nice!
Love the last line!
Hands of time
Here in the present
There in the past
Omnipresent
Hands of time
I love the rhythm of this..so insistent and reminiscent of time marching on endlessly.
It has been awhile since I’ve had time to join in. Your site is so much fun, I’d forgotten how much until today. Hope to be a better participant. 😆
Aw, thanks, Sue! And we’re glad you’re back–always welcome whenever you can join in. No pressure, no worries!
Fun picture. I like that it got you thinking about elephant baths! I guess I liked your form too. : )
Liz
She plunged
her hands into
the waiting rubber gloves
swept her brow, took a breath, and grabbed
the sponge.
Oooooooo…surgery? (I hope, as that’s more dramatic than dishes. Hopefully the breath would be a bored sigh if it were dishes, but I could be totally wrong.) I love “plunged”–so decisive!
World turned upside down
All in confusion
A common thread
Now in unison
Or not
Anne McKenna
Hi Anne, Great to see you here! Love the extra space before your last line–nice beat. confusion and unison also play so well off each other:>)