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.
One brisk morning at NCTE in Houston, I was walking to the convention center when I saw that this big hotel had all their huge potted plants wrapped up. It had gotten below freezing the night before, I guess.
This image makes me think of several things:
- ghosts
- giant Christmas gifts that don’t fit in any bag
- the old aqua, brown, and white blanket I loved as a kid
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.) Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating this coming week!
31 Responses
Happy holidays to all!
Midnight Dancers
Ready dancers
Shrouds unfold
Sway and shimmy
in breezes cold
love those “s” sounds.
Ha! Fun way to see this!
I love the celebratory feel of this, Suzanne–happy holidays!
Oh, that blanket. I didn’t have a special one.…but my sister did. I remember trying to save the blanket.
I saw two women in rain hats. ha!
Pssssst!
My rollers covered?
‑Yes, Marge
we bloom
for butterflies
Even if it rains?
‑Even then
Linda this is so funny, especially the rollers. I remember my mom sometimes going out in her rollers and how embarrassed I felt. Love the line “we bloom for butterflies”
What a charming scene, Linda:>)
Laura, Love your plant viewpoint!
First Day of Winter Break
Tucked in snug
with blanket hug,
the world at bay-
No school today!
There is nothing like a cozy day inside when the rest of the world is all hustle and bustle:)
In the deep south, we freak out when the weather drops below 33 degrees.
I can’t see you.
You can’t see me.
Are we really here?
So many ways to interpret this poem, Margaret! I’m thinking about virtual friends and how seldom we connected person but how much affection I hold for you and others I know basically online. We are really here!
Delightful!
I agree with margaretsmn. Much of the deep south froze last year killing uncounted palm trees. We lost several despite blankets and lights on them to keep them warm. However, the picture made me think of a butterfly.
From chrysalis
I unfold,
shimmering wings
of turquoise and gold.
I adore how this winterish photo inspired this poem that just sparkles with summer. Lovely!
Fun poem Laura. I first thought of a bowtie for King Kong! I recently watched two friends jump from a plane (in tandem or course). They were given the jump as birthday gifts. We watched from the beginning; suiting up, boarding the plane, first sight out of the plane and their landing. Not for me!
Oops!
Parachutist leaps
free fall a breeze
yanks the cord
at least
he missed the trees.
Ack! I like adventurous stuff, in general, but skydiving is the total off-limits thing for me. I love your punny second line!
Laura I can imagine how confused those plants might be waking up under a blanket. Fun poem! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Winter cold settled
In icy dusk.
We huddled together,
Blanketed in good cheer.
This is so cozy, Jean. Exactly what I love about winter!
Intrigued by the idea of wood in the writing process: as inspiration, comfort and tools.
Bundled
Bundled woods
Fueling fire;
Paper, pencil,
Flames inspire.
Bundled words;
I retire.
By Donna JT Smith
Lovely! A friend sent me a pic of a Little Free Library created inside a tree stump, and it had me thinking of wood and the reading process as wood turns to paper and I love reading by the fire. We’ll ignore the fact that I’m reading on a Kindle by a gas fireplace!
That’s just what struck me, too!
a haiku.…
winter oaks
raise snow flecked branches
to the sun
Dianne Moritz
Love the fresh feeling of this–so specific!
Love the image of blanketed plants!
rooted in frozen earth
garden waits, huddled beneath
its blanket of snow
I love the rooted, both literal and metaphoric meanings, and the sense of waiting…
This is just beautiful.
Happy Winter to everone and a good new year
poem By Jessica Bigi
A Night of Stories
red-clay-pots
dragon-flamed-cols
Pop! Pop! Pop!
yummy supersize
mom fills sombreros
with popcorn
Great image of sombreros filled with popcorn. Love that! Happy holidays, Jessica!
Gift Wrapped
Colorful swirls of
Satiny turquoise blue and gold
I wonder what treasures
are wrapped beneath?
The beautiful colors of the wrapping reminded me of seeing Korean wrapping cloth, called bojagi.
Cool! I love learning new stuff through poetry. Just Googled bojagi–glorious! Thanks for your poem, Dawn:)
Your website is a new discovery for me — it’s glorious! Thank you!