Scroll [15 words or less poems]

Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!

15WOLs

Here’s a pic I took when we were in New Orleans in May for the International Reading Association conference. I loved the architecture there. This image makes me think of:

1) a swan at night
2) Faberge egg
3) fancy fonts

And here’s my?first draft.

Swan at Midnight

Black lake ripples

Feathered moon
tucks its beak into night,

pulses with dark’s heartbeat

 

–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

 

Now it’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS!??(Title doesn’t count toward word count:>)?

 

 

 

 

122 Responses

  1. Here’s mine and I had to look the word up again because I never can remember how to spell.

    SCHERENSCHNITTE

    It’s scissor cuts,
    sharpen your scissors
    for paper silhouettes
    with symetry in design.

    1. I love all the /s/ sounds and the /t/s, too. Gives your poem long curves and sharp bites that echo the art form you’re talking about (which I admire but don’t know how to pronounce!).

    2. Joy, your take on this is perfect. I now know a new word and its definition. Thanks.

  2. Here’s mine and I had to look the word up again because I never can remember how to spell.

    SCHERENSCHNITTE

    It’s scissor cuts,
    sharpen your scissors
    for paper silhouettes
    with symetry in design.

    1. I love all the /s/ sounds and the /t/s, too. Gives your poem long curves and sharp bites that echo the art form you’re talking about (which I admire but don’t know how to pronounce!).

    2. Joy, your take on this is perfect. I now know a new word and its definition. Thanks.

  3. Twists, curves
    And
    Swoops, swirls
    And
    Locks, bolts
    And
    Gates of Night

    The one swirl looked like an ‘and’ sign to me and… this is what came out! Lovely picture 🙂

    1. Ampersand! (I did know what that’s called.) I like your interpretation of that picture!

    2. Wow, I like how you’ve used this refrain of And. Usually “and” is filler and adds nothing, but it works here somehow. And that last line is impactful and surprising–something metaphoric after all the concrete details. Lovely, unusual poem today, Amelia!

    3. I like this a lot, Amelia! Have you considered putting ampersands in place of your And’s to see how it looks? The And’s look good, so just a thought.

  4. Twists, curves
    And
    Swoops, swirls
    And
    Locks, bolts
    And
    Gates of Night

    The one swirl looked like an ‘and’ sign to me and… this is what came out! Lovely picture 🙂

    1. Ampersand! (I did know what that’s called.) I like your interpretation of that picture!

    2. Wow, I like how you’ve used this refrain of And. Usually “and” is filler and adds nothing, but it works here somehow. And that last line is impactful and surprising–something metaphoric after all the concrete details. Lovely, unusual poem today, Amelia!

    3. I like this a lot, Amelia! Have you considered putting ampersands in place of your And’s to see how it looks? The And’s look good, so just a thought.

  5. Promises

    all forgotten words
    frozen admits
    moon ’ sky and green-blue see
    breath of whispers
    clouds

    Poem By Jessica Bigi

    the pic reminds me of the writing on a hottest cupcake
    Laura I love your poem I love the first 3 lines

    1. I love how ethereal your poem feels, Jessica. Lovely! I wasn’t sure about line 2–is “admits” the word you were going for?

  6. Promises

    all forgotten words
    frozen admits
    moon ’ sky and green-blue see
    breath of whispers
    clouds

    Poem By Jessica Bigi

    the pic reminds me of the writing on a hottest cupcake
    Laura I love your poem I love the first 3 lines

    1. I love how ethereal your poem feels, Jessica. Lovely! I wasn’t sure about line 2–is “admits” the word you were going for?

  7. At first light,
    scary sight!
    Icy curls,
    frosty swirls,
    Winter’s nigh.
    Sigh.…

    1. Cindy, the image you paint is just around the corner. Nice poem, even if it means we’re close to winter whites.

  8. At first light,
    scary sight!
    Icy curls,
    frosty swirls,
    Winter’s nigh.
    Sigh.…

    1. Cindy, the image you paint is just around the corner. Nice poem, even if it means we’re close to winter whites.

  9. Sleepy duckling
    sees reflection
    in moonlit water
    drifts into dreamland
    safe and secure in numbers.

    Sweet picture Laura. I love “feathered moon” and “dark’s heartbeat.”

    1. Thanks, Martha. Love the pastoral scene you paint here. Definitely a feeling of cozy safety.

  10. Sleepy duckling
    sees reflection
    in moonlit water
    drifts into dreamland
    safe and secure in numbers.

    Sweet picture Laura. I love “feathered moon” and “dark’s heartbeat.”

    1. Thanks, Martha. Love the pastoral scene you paint here. Definitely a feeling of cozy safety.

  11. I love your poem about the swan, Laura. Beautiful! Really sets a midnight mood.
    I saw ocean waves, but then I saw leaves, so here goes:

    Sudden breeze
    brings blizzard
    of leaves.
    Reds, yellows,
    autumn browns,
    swirl, twirl,
    tumble down.

    1. Very nice Pat. A white pallet leaves the perfect backdrop for whatever colors the eye can see.

    2. Ooh, I didn’t see leaves at all. Nice! I also like the hint of winter in blizzard.

  12. I love your poem about the swan, Laura. Beautiful! Really sets a midnight mood.
    I saw ocean waves, but then I saw leaves, so here goes:

    Sudden breeze
    brings blizzard
    of leaves.
    Reds, yellows,
    autumn browns,
    swirl, twirl,
    tumble down.

    1. Very nice Pat. A white pallet leaves the perfect backdrop for whatever colors the eye can see.

    2. Ooh, I didn’t see leaves at all. Nice! I also like the hint of winter in blizzard.

  13. Laura, that second image in your poem is really something! I like how this image is such a great jumping-off point for everyone.

    Strong

    Strong
    can curl,
    whirl, swirl,
    and yet hold
    tight, still
    and white.

    ?Kate Coombs

    1. Very nice Kate and you have a keen eye to pick up on the “jumping-off point.”

  14. Laura, that second image in your poem is really something! I like how this image is such a great jumping-off point for everyone.

    Strong

    Strong
    can curl,
    whirl, swirl,
    and yet hold
    tight, still
    and white.

    ?Kate Coombs

    1. Very nice Kate and you have a keen eye to pick up on the “jumping-off point.”

  15. The Letter

    Loops and lifts,
    curls of cursive,
    cast me backward
    into time.

    Andria W. Rosenbaum/all rights reserved

    1. Andria, I like the “c” sounds — curls, cursive, cast … It reads like the picture looks.

    2. Yes! That scrollwork evokes another era, doesn’t it? So does your poem. Love the choice of “cast.”

  16. The Letter

    Loops and lifts,
    curls of cursive,
    cast me backward
    into time.

    Andria W. Rosenbaum/all rights reserved

    1. Andria, I like the “c” sounds — curls, cursive, cast … It reads like the picture looks.

    2. Yes! That scrollwork evokes another era, doesn’t it? So does your poem. Love the choice of “cast.”

  17. What struck me is the thick layers of paint! Here’s a haiku for today:

    restoration
    layer by layer her past
    unmasked

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. You do so well at joining the literal and metaphorical, Diane. I really like those last two words together.

  18. What struck me is the thick layers of paint! Here’s a haiku for today:

    restoration
    layer by layer her past
    unmasked

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. You do so well at joining the literal and metaphorical, Diane. I really like those last two words together.

  19. Love the image of a “feathered moon” Laura. I can see the curved swan’s neck tucked into it’s wing. Lovely.

  20. Love the image of a “feathered moon” Laura. I can see the curved swan’s neck tucked into it’s wing. Lovely.

  21. Wow–I love your poem this week, Laura, especially the feathered moon tucking its beak into night. Once I noticed your swans in the scroll I also saw deer at the heart of them.

    Trapped inside
    the body of a graceless swan,
    a fleet-footed deer bounds
    across imaginary meadows.

    1. Thanks, Buffy. Your choice of “graceless” is so unexpected, since I usually think of swans as the epitome of grace. This really made me stop and think and picture a swan on land, waddling around…

  22. Wow–I love your poem this week, Laura, especially the feathered moon tucking its beak into night. Once I noticed your swans in the scroll I also saw deer at the heart of them.

    Trapped inside
    the body of a graceless swan,
    a fleet-footed deer bounds
    across imaginary meadows.

    1. Thanks, Buffy. Your choice of “graceless” is so unexpected, since I usually think of swans as the epitome of grace. This really made me stop and think and picture a swan on land, waddling around…

  23. My gifted students again are loving this site. We wrote poems this morning and want to share them with you all. One of my students saw a swan in the design and planted that image in our heads. (Coincidentally, we also read a poem by Kate Coombs today and were excited to see her here.)

    Beauty in Darkness

    A black pond
    holds a graceful swan
    reflecting its beauty
    in its darkness.
    –Vannisa

    Waves
    hiding a nest
    of majestic swans
    trapped with loneliness
    and secrecy.

    –Tyler

    Elegant swan swoon
    bowing to his excellence
    silhouette of night
    laced in a masterpiece.

    –Margaret Simon

    1. Yay–another poetry party! Love the dark beauty, the idea of being trapped with loneliness, and the silhouette being laced in. What wonderful images!

  24. My gifted students again are loving this site. We wrote poems this morning and want to share them with you all. One of my students saw a swan in the design and planted that image in our heads. (Coincidentally, we also read a poem by Kate Coombs today and were excited to see her here.)

    Beauty in Darkness

    A black pond
    holds a graceful swan
    reflecting its beauty
    in its darkness.
    –Vannisa

    Waves
    hiding a nest
    of majestic swans
    trapped with loneliness
    and secrecy.

    –Tyler

    Elegant swan swoon
    bowing to his excellence
    silhouette of night
    laced in a masterpiece.

    –Margaret Simon

    1. Yay–another poetry party! Love the dark beauty, the idea of being trapped with loneliness, and the silhouette being laced in. What wonderful images!

  25. What a nice collection of poems here today 🙂

    Laura,
    I looove that swan poem. Your language is a perfect visual!

    Margaret,
    Your students poems are amazing!!

    Here’s mine:

    A Writer?s Life

    I spy white
    I want to write
    I don?t hold back
    ca-clack, ca-clack.

    ?Penny Parker Klostermann

    1. Thanks, Penny. I was happy with my swan/moon image–the rest of it pry needs more work. But it has a kernel…

      This poem took me back to my Selectric II typewriter! I love the idea that we see white and immediately know it needs filling:>)

  26. What a nice collection of poems here today 🙂

    Laura,
    I looove that swan poem. Your language is a perfect visual!

    Margaret,
    Your students poems are amazing!!

    Here’s mine:

    A Writer?s Life

    I spy white
    I want to write
    I don?t hold back
    ca-clack, ca-clack.

    ?Penny Parker Klostermann

    1. Thanks, Penny. I was happy with my swan/moon image–the rest of it pry needs more work. But it has a kernel…

      This poem took me back to my Selectric II typewriter! I love the idea that we see white and immediately know it needs filling:>)

  27. Degas Pencil

    Charcoal slippers
    Scratchy lines of ruffle
    Turning- turning- spinning
    Arm lines of wings fluttering freely
    Flowing Lines tiptoe-tiptoe-stepping across canvas
    Leaping ?leaping twilling-twilling
    Charcoal slippers step forward
    Flowing lines tilt their heads and bow

    poem By Jessica Bigi

  28. Degas Pencil

    Charcoal slippers
    Scratchy lines of ruffle
    Turning- turning- spinning
    Arm lines of wings fluttering freely
    Flowing Lines tiptoe-tiptoe-stepping across canvas
    Leaping ?leaping twilling-twilling
    Charcoal slippers step forward
    Flowing lines tilt their heads and bow

    poem By Jessica Bigi

  29. Old Soul

    Gilded gingerbread
    Graceful arc-
    Victorian curlicue
    on a bench
    in the park.

    1. I really liked the unexpected turn from the “romantic” to the pragmatic! Great poem!

  30. Old Soul

    Gilded gingerbread
    Graceful arc-
    Victorian curlicue
    on a bench
    in the park.

    1. I really liked the unexpected turn from the “romantic” to the pragmatic! Great poem!

  31. GOTHIC FENCE
    Jagged rods,
    Jutted designs,
    A contortionist
    Sense of care,
    Signifying to all ?
    Beware.

    © Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.

  32. GOTHIC FENCE
    Jagged rods,
    Jutted designs,
    A contortionist
    Sense of care,
    Signifying to all ?
    Beware.

    © Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.

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