Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)
So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was, apparently, my choice. Last week, Sara emailed the group to say, “Are we still doing Laura’s challenge? September — Laura — A poem comparing something with a snake — some snake pairing you think has never been done before! 8 lines or less.” Seriously? What on earth made me suggest that 9 or 10 months ago? I haven’t the slightest idea. But, hey, a challenge is a challenge.
Last weekend, my husband and I drove to La Crosse, WI (about 2–1/2 hours away), to help our daughter and future son-in-law clean out their apartment as they have moved to Madison, WI (4–1/2 hours away :>( ). I wrote this poem and created the graphic in the car on the way there. I was thinking about the birthday cake I picked up for our daughter that morning, with its lovely piped lettering.
I’m looking forward to seeing what my Poetry Sisters have come up with–right along with you guys!
Liz
Sara
Rebecca
Andi
Tanita
Tricia
Non-poetry demands are keeping Kelly away this month, but she’ll return :>)
Click here to see all our previous Poetry Princesses collaborations.
The amazing Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong are rounding up Poetry Friday at Poetry for Children. Check it out!
33 Responses
meadow of cake and candlelit sky…love!
“basks below a candlelit sky,” what a lovely image, fun snake poem and graphic, thanks Laura!
I am not a fan of snakes, but I LOVE cake, and I LOVE this poem! Thank you, Laura!
I am loving reading all these snake poems. My 2.5 year old was startled by a black snake a few weeks ago. Now he goes around telling anyone who will listen about the “scary noodle” he encountered. I think there is a poem in there somewhere.
I saw those birthday celebrations and love to think of that ‘meadow of cake’, will remember the next birthday, Laura. I love your presentation, too!
Such a fun poem, Laura. I love that your poetry group gives each other challenges. I’ll need to suggest that to my group!
What a sweet take on a snake! And the candlelit sky has to be, along with the meadows of cake, one of the nicest surrealist landscapes, ever. Not even Hansel and Gretel would be unnerved, knowing what they know.
I’m still SO amused that you don’t recall from whence your decidedly creative poetic instructions came. Using a new metaphor, though, was probably the best suggestion you had ‑and the hardest, but worth it.
That ending — below a candlelit sky???? BRILLIANT!
You gave us this challenge and then made us a wonderful cake! Cheers to you and your snakey frosting words!
I love this–a wonderful example of a “seen in a new way” poem. The graphic really adds to the effect.
How imaginative! Don’t think I’d ever think to compare the writing on a birthday cake with a snake (even though they do rhyme)! The “candlelit sky” is marvelous! And now you’ve made me hungry for cake. 🙂
No matter that you can’t remember what first inspired you issue this challenge (maybe it was like the Mad Libs of Poetry?)—you definitely nailed it. So clever to first to animate the “snake” as piped frosting, and then to imagine it beautifully still, too, basking in the candlelight—and all in eight, tight lines. Delicious.
“meadow of a cake.” I love this image. Snakes are not my thing, but this poem is a sweet answer to the challenge.
Thanks, Joyce! One thing I love about poetry is how a poem can make even a topic we don’t love a tiny bit more appealing…
So short but so full of imagery! “meadow of cake” yes, please! Candlelit sky–sigh.
Thank you, Linda!
I like the “candle lit sky”. That is a really neat image. Nice work!
Thanks, Tim!
What a creative comparison! Clearly your challenge choice was inspired :), even if it didn’t feel that way in retrospect. I love that “meadow of cake” and the snake basking under a “candle lit sky.” These fabulous short snake poems are reminding me how much power lies within a few well-selected words!
Thanks, Molly:>)
Who knew that snakes could be so delicious! I love that meadow of cake under a candlelit sky.
Thank you, Kay:>)
Birthday balloons to your dear daughter! And move-in charms too, Laura.
A new city may mean new places for you to explore & to learn new lore.
Next week it happens that I expect to poem-make at Bookseedstudio. exactly about that, celebrating
our gal’s marriage to someone of a family with roots on the other side of our World.
I love the way you have snaked your prompt into today’s birthday post 🙂
Oh, Jan–hugs to you and congratulations! ope all the festivities are wonderful!
What a lovely image. What a delicate snake! I love candlelight sky!
THanks, Liz!
Thanks for joining our Poetry Friday fun once again. I love that “snake” was the challenge AND that you forgot it was YOUR challenge. That’s the sign of a busy poet! But you rocked it with your cake and frosting metaphor!
I felt kind of lame about forgetting, but I guess that’s why we need distance from our ideas and drafts–haha! THanks, Sylvia!
So much to love here. I adore the candlelit sky, but most of all that you took something we all have seen and made us see in a new way. I’ll never look at a cake with lettered icing in the same way again.
Aw, thank you, Tricia!
Drat! I keep losing comments. Hopefully this one will come through. I really love that you’ve made me see cake in a while new way. I would never have thought to make this comparison.
What a unique way to write about a snake, Laura. I do love how frosting slithers lavishly across a cake so you started with a great opening and ends with a gorgeous image.
Thanks, Carol!