[15 words or less poems] Giant Snowman

Photo: Laura Purdie Salas

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

Here’s a ginormous snowman I saw on my way home from a school visit a few weeks ago. It was huge–10–15 feet tall!?It makes me think of:

1)?What would a snowman carry in her purse?
2)?What if the Great Lakes were formed by a melting snowfamily?
3) What would it be like to be the little brother of a perfect snowman?

And here’s my poem first draft:

A Little Snowbro’s Lament
All-state center.
Recess snowboard hill.
Donator of
Sno-cones off his back.

Who can compete?
–by Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

What do you think of when you look at this snowman? Take any quick idea and jot down a 15 Words or Less poem. It doesn’t have to rhyme or describe this picture. Just?look at this picture and say, “This makes me think of _________.” Fill in the blank and write about THAT!

Please note: I’m finishing a weeklong school visit today and presenting at a parent night at the school tonight. So I won’t be able to comment on your poems. I’ve loved how much feedback you’ve been giving each other recently–please keep it up:>)

118 Responses

  1. Come celebrate
    Sit a while
    They we will
    go out in style

    One giant wave !

    - Anne McKenna

    1. Come celebrate
      Sit a while
      Then we will go
      Out in style

      One giant wave !

      Anne McKenna

      (Knew it wasn’t quite right)

  2. Come celebrate
    Sit a while
    They we will
    go out in style

    One giant wave !

    - Anne McKenna

    1. Come celebrate
      Sit a while
      Then we will go
      Out in style

      One giant wave !

      Anne McKenna

      (Knew it wasn’t quite right)

  3. Stack and layer
    Freeze, don’t bake!
    Voila!
    A giant snow girl cake!

    Congratulations and good luck on your March Madness! Love your poem- you perfectly captured that feeling of overshadowment to the little sibling. Also loved the description of what the big brother does.

    1. This is one of my favorites of yours, Amelia!!! I love that she’s a snowgirl, too!!!

  4. Stack and layer
    Freeze, don’t bake!
    Voila!
    A giant snow girl cake!

    Congratulations and good luck on your March Madness! Love your poem- you perfectly captured that feeling of overshadowment to the little sibling. Also loved the description of what the big brother does.

    1. This is one of my favorites of yours, Amelia!!! I love that she’s a snowgirl, too!!!

  5. Big, bold
    heart, cold
    Stood guard
    in yard.
    Sun’s heat:

    complete defeat.

    1. This is for the oldsters in the crows.….reminds me of how they used to rate songs on American Bandstand. It went something like I give it a 95 because I like the beat. I give yours 100. Clever!! A story in measured words.

  6. Big, bold
    heart, cold
    Stood guard
    in yard.
    Sun’s heat:

    complete defeat.

    1. This is for the oldsters in the crows.….reminds me of how they used to rate songs on American Bandstand. It went something like I give it a 95 because I like the beat. I give yours 100. Clever!! A story in measured words.

  7. Ha- like how wave can mean two different things.

    (I read it better with go on the third line.)

  8. Ha- like how wave can mean two different things.

    (I read it better with go on the third line.)

  9. Summer Church

    Dressed in my
    Sunday best
    hat and tie.
    Add jacket -
    start to melt.

    1. Sorry guys. This might have been a bit obscure. The dressed up snowman made me think of my father who always said he might melt once he put on that jacket and tie for work or church in the summer.

  10. Summer Church

    Dressed in my
    Sunday best
    hat and tie.
    Add jacket -
    start to melt.

    1. Sorry guys. This might have been a bit obscure. The dressed up snowman made me think of my father who always said he might melt once he put on that jacket and tie for work or church in the summer.

  11. Snowlady?s Lament

    Too fat, such
    wide white hips.
    New friend
    March wind
    recommends
    a diet of sun.

    –Kate Coombs (Book Aunt)

      1. Me, too. I was thinking about the whole “big” snowman and how to work it in. Love this, Kate.

  12. Snowlady?s Lament

    Too fat, such
    wide white hips.
    New friend
    March wind
    recommends
    a diet of sun.

    –Kate Coombs (Book Aunt)

      1. Me, too. I was thinking about the whole “big” snowman and how to work it in. Love this, Kate.

      1. Ah, the cheeky snowgirl. (Great description, Catherine!) Love how you found a way to include the innocence of a snowman and the potential power of the giant in something so totally real ie kids who throw snowballs at car and hide!!!

      1. Ah, the cheeky snowgirl. (Great description, Catherine!) Love how you found a way to include the innocence of a snowman and the potential power of the giant in something so totally real ie kids who throw snowballs at car and hide!!!

      1. Ah!! We in the snowbelt long for that melting in March!!! The greyness, the dirty snowbanks and piles and no sunshine.…not fun. And we rarely get snowman making snow!!! Too cold…lake effect snow is puffy and not “packable” !!! So to see the bright blue sky and a beyond huge snowman is a signt for snowsore eyes here in central NY!!!! Though the people, the summer, autumn and the beauty of our region makes up for the snowy and cold and long winters and too short spring!! Come visit!!!

      1. Ah!! We in the snowbelt long for that melting in March!!! The greyness, the dirty snowbanks and piles and no sunshine.…not fun. And we rarely get snowman making snow!!! Too cold…lake effect snow is puffy and not “packable” !!! So to see the bright blue sky and a beyond huge snowman is a signt for snowsore eyes here in central NY!!!! Though the people, the summer, autumn and the beauty of our region makes up for the snowy and cold and long winters and too short spring!! Come visit!!!

        1. Oh, yes, the focus on all that red and the blue sky, white contrast, picturesque and reminds us that winter is not all that grey!!! The soft sounds of winter do bathe our eardrums!!! Lovely.

        1. Oh, yes, the focus on all that red and the blue sky, white contrast, picturesque and reminds us that winter is not all that grey!!! The soft sounds of winter do bathe our eardrums!!! Lovely.

  13. Love that idea of the competition between them-younger siblings feel that often enough, don’t they? Here’s mine, another lament! It always seems sad that those snow people must stay outside, and especially this one, although he does have a companion.

    Snow Giant?s Lament

    Dressed up,
    ready to play.
    No house big enough,
    even cold enough–
    (Guess here I?ll stay!)

    1. I used to play dress up as a kid.…loved it.…dressed up and no place to go except in my imagination.….poor snowmen.…..capture the moments of our lives, right? Fun poem despite the lament!

  14. Love that idea of the competition between them-younger siblings feel that often enough, don’t they? Here’s mine, another lament! It always seems sad that those snow people must stay outside, and especially this one, although he does have a companion.

    Snow Giant?s Lament

    Dressed up,
    ready to play.
    No house big enough,
    even cold enough–
    (Guess here I?ll stay!)

    1. I used to play dress up as a kid.…loved it.…dressed up and no place to go except in my imagination.….poor snowmen.…..capture the moments of our lives, right? Fun poem despite the lament!

  15. Stamp! Stomp! Where’s my cake?
    How dare you, could you, snowman make?

    1. Very funny!!! I did think.…wow, it looks like giant marshmallows on steroids!!!

  16. Stamp! Stomp! Where’s my cake?
    How dare you, could you, snowman make?

    1. Very funny!!! I did think.…wow, it looks like giant marshmallows on steroids!!!

    1. Love the confident voice and your rhyme, Buffy. Your poems are always impressive!

    1. Love the confident voice and your rhyme, Buffy. Your poems are always impressive!

  17. 33 Degrees of seperation

    Guardian on the hill,
    bearer of good news.
    Spring is on the way.

        1. time goes by so quickly lately.…the days are over before I get to everything.

  18. 33 Degrees of seperation

    Guardian on the hill,
    bearer of good news.
    Spring is on the way.

        1. time goes by so quickly lately.…the days are over before I get to everything.

  19. Race frozen snowflakes,
    Scoop up some cloud,
    Climb the snowman staircase,
    Share your poem outloud!

  20. Race frozen snowflakes,
    Scoop up some cloud,
    Climb the snowman staircase,
    Share your poem outloud!

  21. SNOWMAN’S KRYPTONITE
    3‑tiered mountain
    Of frozen fury
    Will never withstand
    Sunshine’s glare.

    © Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.

  22. SNOWMAN’S KRYPTONITE
    3‑tiered mountain
    Of frozen fury
    Will never withstand
    Sunshine’s glare.

    © Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.

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