Turtle [15 words or less]

Photo: Laura Salas

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

15WOLs

Look at what Patty,?my sister visiting from Fla., spotted as we walked Captain Jack (who totally ignored it). Here’s what this turtle makes me think of:

1)?moving boxes (which they don’t have to go get from grocery stores)
2)?room cleaning (which would be the easiest job ever for them)
3) a reptile knight with bony armor

And here’s my?first draft.

Turtle Jousting

We gallop fearlessly

s?? l? ?o? ?w? ?l?? y

on?waterlogged log,
weedy lances hoisted

relying on bony armor’s
protection

–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:>)?

96 Responses

  1. Laura I like your poem and this pic I have a poem I wrote about sea turtles glad your having a visit with your sister

    Turtle Sadeb

    S
    l
    o
    W

    D
    O
    W
    N

    Stop

    C
    a
    N

    S
    o
    M
    O
    N
    E

    Tall me where is

    H
    o
    m
    e

    1. I love the idea of the turtle looking for its home and not thinking of its shell that way.

    2. I like how reading vertically forces us to read more slowly. I’m a turtle!

  2. Laura I like your poem and this pic I have a poem I wrote about sea turtles glad your having a visit with your sister

    Turtle Sadeb

    S
    l
    o
    W

    D
    O
    W
    N

    Stop

    C
    a
    N

    S
    o
    M
    O
    N
    E

    Tall me where is

    H
    o
    m
    e

    1. I love the idea of the turtle looking for its home and not thinking of its shell that way.

    2. I like how reading vertically forces us to read more slowly. I’m a turtle!

  3. Badge of Honor

    Barren land
    camouflages
    helmet
    of fallen hero:
    rest in peace
    may your soul soar.

    1. Martha, this is so eloquent. Paints a vivid image in my mind of that fallen soldier’s helmet left behind. Beautiful and sad.

  4. Badge of Honor

    Barren land
    camouflages
    helmet
    of fallen hero:
    rest in peace
    may your soul soar.

    1. Martha, this is so eloquent. Paints a vivid image in my mind of that fallen soldier’s helmet left behind. Beautiful and sad.

    1. I love how the one descriptor “gravid” informs every other word in your poem!

    1. I love how the one descriptor “gravid” informs every other word in your poem!

  5. Laura, what poetic fun one can have with the little and not-so-little turtles. Whether marching to the sea after hatching or sunning themselves on a lazy summer day, or trying desperately to remove themselves from harms way, they prompt our attention. I took your “reptile knight” in a different direction. July 4th approaches!

  6. Laura, what poetic fun one can have with the little and not-so-little turtles. Whether marching to the sea after hatching or sunning themselves on a lazy summer day, or trying desperately to remove themselves from harms way, they prompt our attention. I took your “reptile knight” in a different direction. July 4th approaches!

  7. Turtle’s Request

    Please, dear friend,
    don?t knock on my door?
    it rattles my house
    from the roof to the floor!

    (Sorry I went over.)

    1. I bet our friend fell.this this way when we tall the sad news this is wonderful

    2. I’m picturing the cutest little sign gently stuck on the turtle’s shell:>)

  8. Turtle’s Request

    Please, dear friend,
    don?t knock on my door?
    it rattles my house
    from the roof to the floor!

    (Sorry I went over.)

    1. I bet our friend fell.this this way when we tall the sad news this is wonderful

    2. I’m picturing the cutest little sign gently stuck on the turtle’s shell:>)

  9. I like your poem, Laura — especially the way you wrote the word slowly.
    Now Captain Jack may not have noticed that turtle, but I bet the turtle noticed him.

    Myrtle the turtle
    likes to hide.
    Whenever scared
    she slips inside,
    especially when seeing
    DOG!

    1. I love this I wrote a story about a turtle named Myrtle for a story time I cut the pic out of colored pare

    2. Ha! Yes, the turtle was probably much more observant than my dog–so true. I love the short, all caps last line!

  10. I like your poem, Laura — especially the way you wrote the word slowly.
    Now Captain Jack may not have noticed that turtle, but I bet the turtle noticed him.

    Myrtle the turtle
    likes to hide.
    Whenever scared
    she slips inside,
    especially when seeing
    DOG!

    1. I love this I wrote a story about a turtle named Myrtle for a story time I cut the pic out of colored pare

    2. Ha! Yes, the turtle was probably much more observant than my dog–so true. I love the short, all caps last line!

    1. Love the final line on your poem–makes the turtle, who we usually just see as quiet and slow, fierce and protective, too.

    1. Love the final line on your poem–makes the turtle, who we usually just see as quiet and slow, fierce and protective, too.

  11. Patient Warriors

    He stares down prey,
    deliberating time, like a ninja

    then SNAPS–

    hunting strawberries
    in June.

    1. Ha! I had no idea snapping turtles ate strawberries, until your poem inspired to me do a bit of research. Great contrast!

      1. we have a turtle. His favorite food is red food or as close to red as possible, so he eats a lot of strawberries, melon and cat food. He also loves earthworms, despite their lack of color.

  12. Patient Warriors

    He stares down prey,
    deliberating time, like a ninja

    then SNAPS–

    hunting strawberries
    in June.

    1. Ha! I had no idea snapping turtles ate strawberries, until your poem inspired to me do a bit of research. Great contrast!

      1. we have a turtle. His favorite food is red food or as close to red as possible, so he eats a lot of strawberries, melon and cat food. He also loves earthworms, despite their lack of color.

  13. I have two to offer today. Just this weekend I saw a large turtle crossing the road to higher, drier ground; and when I came back that way, she was returning marsh side.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Why did turtle cross the road?
    To lay eggs sunny side
    up in the sand.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Smug grin on her face
    For Rabbit disgrace -
    Losing the race
    To Turtle’s slow pace.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  14. I have two to offer today. Just this weekend I saw a large turtle crossing the road to higher, drier ground; and when I came back that way, she was returning marsh side.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Why did turtle cross the road?
    To lay eggs sunny side
    up in the sand.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Smug grin on her face
    For Rabbit disgrace -
    Losing the race
    To Turtle’s slow pace.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    1. Wouldn’t life be simpler if we didn’t have so many possessions to drag around? Love this.

    1. Wouldn’t life be simpler if we didn’t have so many possessions to drag around? Love this.

  15. Some good ones here, esp. yours & Buffy’s! Here’s mine. It took me longer to edit it down to 15 words than it took the write it!

    The Animal Race

    Animals raced
    just out of town.
    Turtle tried keeping up
    while snail shouted, ?Slow down!?

    - ? 2014, Matt Forrest Esenwine

  16. Some good ones here, esp. yours & Buffy’s! Here’s mine. It took me longer to edit it down to 15 words than it took the write it!

    The Animal Race

    Animals raced
    just out of town.
    Turtle tried keeping up
    while snail shouted, ?Slow down!?

    - ? 2014, Matt Forrest Esenwine

  17. So glad to see the prompt today. It made me edit an idea from a while back!
    Enjoyed the poems today!

    Turtle Opposite

    Turtle-one who can?t excel
    at sticking out his neck for staying in his shell.

  18. So glad to see the prompt today. It made me edit an idea from a while back!
    Enjoyed the poems today!

    Turtle Opposite

    Turtle-one who can?t excel
    at sticking out his neck for staying in his shell.

  19. Photo Finish

    Your shell is
    like a satellite
    snapshot,
    slowly
    orbiting an ideal earth
    of green goodness.

  20. Photo Finish

    Your shell is
    like a satellite
    snapshot,
    slowly
    orbiting an ideal earth
    of green goodness.

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