Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!
It’s yarn–pretty yarn close-up. This image makes me think of:
1) split ends
2) Santa Claus
3) bird nest
And here’s my?first draft. I thought about how I find random bits of fuzz and fabric on the ground sometimes, and it made me imagine the journey of this bit of yarn, from sheep to scarf to blow-away scarf to bird’s nest.
Yarn Reminisces
I rode sheepback,
warmed necks,
flew on breezes,
cushioned squawking chicks…
What a life!
–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:>)??
204 Responses
Tiny wisps
branch out
reach for each other
protecting the fibers
that hold them
together
Cute picture!
Lovely connections.
I love this the treads that weave our lives together
Amelia, I really like the protective action your poem took. It is a perfect link to Cindy’s verse.
“Reach for each other”…strength in that!
I like the ‘tiny wisps’ & ‘branch out’, a new image to me.
I love how fragile this feels, Amelia!
I like your words “tiny wisps” — perfect description.
Tiny wisps
branch out
reach for each other
protecting the fibers
that hold them
together
Cute picture!
Lovely connections.
I love this the treads that weave our lives together
Amelia, I really like the protective action your poem took. It is a perfect link to Cindy’s verse.
“Reach for each other”…strength in that!
I like the ‘tiny wisps’ & ‘branch out’, a new image to me.
I love how fragile this feels, Amelia!
I like your words “tiny wisps” — perfect description.
What a life indeed! Sounds like a picture book journey!
What a life indeed! Sounds like a picture book journey!
AFTER THE TEST
Totally shaken,
feeling bereft.
My brain is achin’
from the theft.
Everything taken,
nothing left.
Now I see frazzled neurons in the picture. Love “theft”.
wonder comparison to an over tiered brine
wonderful
Cindy, what an eloquent verse to describe such a sad condition. Brilliant!
Hate that frizzy frazzled brain feeling!
I too thought something similar, but didn’t connect with those brain neurons. Sad tale, told well.
It’s how I feel after a really difficult first draft! Achin’ brain, indeed!
AFTER THE TEST
Totally shaken,
feeling bereft.
My brain is achin’
from the theft.
Everything taken,
nothing left.
Now I see frazzled neurons in the picture. Love “theft”.
wonder comparison to an over tiered brine
wonderful
Cindy, what an eloquent verse to describe such a sad condition. Brilliant!
Hate that frizzy frazzled brain feeling!
I too thought something similar, but didn’t connect with those brain neurons. Sad tale, told well.
It’s how I feel after a really difficult first draft! Achin’ brain, indeed!
Magic My Mother Taught Me
knitting needles clacking
yarn transformed -
hat, scarf, mittens
warm mother’s love
for cold winter days
I love the fist line and all the sounds and the last nine
Beautiful Ellie, and knitting magic is indeed the necessary ingredient for a finished product.
I remember this, too.
The first line is wonderful, that ‘clacking’.
Yes! As a fairly newbie knitter, I love this. The title is perfect.
I like the sounds of knitting needles clacking.
Magic My Mother Taught Me
knitting needles clacking
yarn transformed -
hat, scarf, mittens
warm mother’s love
for cold winter days
I love the fist line and all the sounds and the last nine
Beautiful Ellie, and knitting magic is indeed the necessary ingredient for a finished product.
I remember this, too.
The first line is wonderful, that ‘clacking’.
Yes! As a fairly newbie knitter, I love this. The title is perfect.
I like the sounds of knitting needles clacking.
blue yarn
silver stars
grandma’s hear
shining
in the sun
colors of
sweaters
she made
for me
blue yarn
cotton candy
me and grammoma
blue yarn
silver stars
grandma?s hear
shining
in the sun
colors of
sweaters
she made
for me
blue yarn
cotton candy
me and grandma
at the fair
I love the pic today and your poem I love how you showed the sages of the yarns I didn’t mean to go over the t word count journey
Silver and blue is always a lovely color combination Jessica.
Yes, I can see blue cotton candy.
Thanks, Jessica. What a lovely memory poem this is!
So lovely to find a memory! I had lots of fun with my grandmas, but no sweaters!
Love the blue yarn-blue hair-grandma connection!
blue yarn
silver stars
grandma’s hear
shining
in the sun
colors of
sweaters
she made
for me
blue yarn
cotton candy
me and grammoma
blue yarn
silver stars
grandma?s hear
shining
in the sun
colors of
sweaters
she made
for me
blue yarn
cotton candy
me and grandma
at the fair
I love the pic today and your poem I love how you showed the sages of the yarns I didn’t mean to go over the t word count journey
Silver and blue is always a lovely color combination Jessica.
Yes, I can see blue cotton candy.
Thanks, Jessica. What a lovely memory poem this is!
So lovely to find a memory! I had lots of fun with my grandmas, but no sweaters!
Love the blue yarn-blue hair-grandma connection!
Elsa’s Boa
She sings,
she’s frozen,
yet lets it go.
Platinum pigtail
glistens against furry
neck warmth.
Good morning Laura. I loved your progression from sheep to bird’s nest and the yarn color is my absolute favorite color. We have 5.5″ of beautiful, clinging show this morning and I couldn’t resist.
this is wonderful
Fun that you went right to Frozen! I like that ‘platinum pigtail’!
You know, I haven’t seen Frozen yet. I have to. Just a little while ago a first grader told me I looked like Elsa! Yeah, right! Maybe her grandmother!
Donna, I haven’t seen the movie either. Just pull your hair all to one side, braid it and throw it forward over your shoulder and presto, you will be Elsa!
So jealous of your snow. I love the platinum pigtail glistening!
Sounds like you did see Frozen.
I think the snow was 6 inches. Ha! On our deck anyway.
I’ll be happy to “let it go.” Enough is enough!
Elsa’s Boa
She sings,
she’s frozen,
yet lets it go.
Platinum pigtail
glistens against furry
neck warmth.
Good morning Laura. I loved your progression from sheep to bird’s nest and the yarn color is my absolute favorite color. We have 5.5″ of beautiful, clinging show this morning and I couldn’t resist.
this is wonderful
Fun that you went right to Frozen! I like that ‘platinum pigtail’!
You know, I haven’t seen Frozen yet. I have to. Just a little while ago a first grader told me I looked like Elsa! Yeah, right! Maybe her grandmother!
Donna, I haven’t seen the movie either. Just pull your hair all to one side, braid it and throw it forward over your shoulder and presto, you will be Elsa!
So jealous of your snow. I love the platinum pigtail glistening!
Sounds like you did see Frozen.
I think the snow was 6 inches. Ha! On our deck anyway.
I’ll be happy to “let it go.” Enough is enough!
Warm woolly sky
Fuzzy clouds
On high
A good day
For playing
I Spy
Donna JT Smith, all rights reserved
I have a picture of clouds that this reminded me of immediately — and of looking for shapes in the clouds.
Love that you saw clouds, Donna, and the thought of “I spy”.
Love that game Donna, especially with the clouds. My sister and I shared a room in which even the ceiling was wallpapered with a cloud-like pattern and our mother would let us leave the light on for a few minutes after she tucked us in and we would point out shapes to each other. What a walk down memory lane.
LOVE that wooly sky!
I like the words “warm wooly” — especially this morning.
Novel idea applying them to fuzzy clouds in the sky.
Good idea.
Warm woolly sky
Fuzzy clouds
On high
A good day
For playing
I Spy
Donna JT Smith, all rights reserved
I have a picture of clouds that this reminded me of immediately — and of looking for shapes in the clouds.
Love that you saw clouds, Donna, and the thought of “I spy”.
Love that game Donna, especially with the clouds. My sister and I shared a room in which even the ceiling was wallpapered with a cloud-like pattern and our mother would let us leave the light on for a few minutes after she tucked us in and we would point out shapes to each other. What a walk down memory lane.
LOVE that wooly sky!
I like the words “warm wooly” — especially this morning.
Novel idea applying them to fuzzy clouds in the sky.
Good idea.
Love that point of view, Laura. Having fun with that new lens?
Maze
Even dreams tangled
with the bedclothes.
Like life itself,
tied up in knots.
Linda Baie?All Rights Reserved
Linda, I can apply this literally. My yarn always ends up in knots when I try knitting.
Love the image of “dreams tangled with the bedclothes”, Linda.
Heehee–yes! I like the “Even” here, Linda. Makes me feel plopped down in the middle of a story. Tangled up. Disoriented.
The knots, so true.
I like your idea of “life .… tied up in knots.”
Love that point of view, Laura. Having fun with that new lens?
Maze
Even dreams tangled
with the bedclothes.
Like life itself,
tied up in knots.
Linda Baie?All Rights Reserved
Linda, I can apply this literally. My yarn always ends up in knots when I try knitting.
Love the image of “dreams tangled with the bedclothes”, Linda.
Heehee–yes! I like the “Even” here, Linda. Makes me feel plopped down in the middle of a story. Tangled up. Disoriented.
The knots, so true.
I like your idea of “life .… tied up in knots.”
Clouds
I take photos
of clouds.
People look
at me funny
but clouds
define
the world.
?Kate Coombs
Kate, so true! And every second or two, while staring at a cloud, a different definition appears.
I take the pics, too, wonders every day! Love that you made this connection!
I love to look at clouds and see how they differ… and love to take pictures of them. People may look funny at us, but I think there are more of “us” than “them”!
I like the heart/voice of this…the sense of wonder, of quiet defiance. Thanks for sharing, Kate!
Clouds
I take photos
of clouds.
People look
at me funny
but clouds
define
the world.
?Kate Coombs
Kate, so true! And every second or two, while staring at a cloud, a different definition appears.
I take the pics, too, wonders every day! Love that you made this connection!
I love to look at clouds and see how they differ… and love to take pictures of them. People may look funny at us, but I think there are more of “us” than “them”!
I like the heart/voice of this…the sense of wonder, of quiet defiance. Thanks for sharing, Kate!
Pretty picture. Made me think of ocean water. Could be because one of my sons is in Costa Rica surfing this week. This is for him. (Sorry, John.)
Ocean’s rough.
Surfer’s tough.
Feeling brave,
takes big wave.
Doesn’t sail.
Takes a bail.
Wipeout!
Poor John! This is a fun interpretation of the picture.
Wonderful to see that ‘sea splash/foam’ in a wipeout, now I can imagine it! Great trip for your sons!
Turbulent waters! Hope he has more fun/luck than your poem says!
Poor John! I love the whole scene you painted here in so few words. Nicely and compactly done!
Pretty picture. Made me think of ocean water. Could be because one of my sons is in Costa Rica surfing this week. This is for him. (Sorry, John.)
Ocean’s rough.
Surfer’s tough.
Feeling brave,
takes big wave.
Doesn’t sail.
Takes a bail.
Wipeout!
Poor John! This is a fun interpretation of the picture.
Wonderful to see that ‘sea splash/foam’ in a wipeout, now I can imagine it! Great trip for your sons!
Turbulent waters! Hope he has more fun/luck than your poem says!
Poor John! I love the whole scene you painted here in so few words. Nicely and compactly done!
Kid in a Candy Store
Angora, bamboo, cashmere, silk
Periwinkle, Willow, Cherry, Rose
Skeins with dreams of mittens
sweaters
socks
Love the title, too, Buffy. You must be a knitter! It didn’t even occur to me-all those choices!
“Skeins with dreams of mittens,” and the names! Lovely.
Written like a true knitter. Well done.
Only a knitter could have written this.
I feel the same way in a fabric store!
Oh, my knitting heart is swooning!
Kid in a Candy Store
Angora, bamboo, cashmere, silk
Periwinkle, Willow, Cherry, Rose
Skeins with dreams of mittens
sweaters
socks
Love the title, too, Buffy. You must be a knitter! It didn’t even occur to me-all those choices!
“Skeins with dreams of mittens,” and the names! Lovely.
Written like a true knitter. Well done.
Only a knitter could have written this.
I feel the same way in a fabric store!
Oh, my knitting heart is swooning!
STRING THEORY
Great big universe
tiny space-
All tied together
by mysterious lace
Ellen Vojnovic
This is great Ellen. Wonderful summation with so few words.
Really nice, a pretty picture ‘tied’ up beautifully!
What a great connection, and well written!
Love “mysterious lace.”
Yes. I also thought of the universe. I like the way you wrote this.
Love the idea of the universe being tied together
With mysterious lave
Love the idea of the universe being tied together
With mysterious lace
Love “mysterious lace” tying it all together.
Oh, that mysterious lace. Love. Ly. This is just wonderful, Ellen. I hope you’re sharing it elsewhere, too! I love it when a tiny poem contains the whole world. Sigh…
STRING THEORY
Great big universe
tiny space-
All tied together
by mysterious lace
Ellen Vojnovic
This is great Ellen. Wonderful summation with so few words.
Really nice, a pretty picture ‘tied’ up beautifully!
What a great connection, and well written!
Love “mysterious lace.”
Yes. I also thought of the universe. I like the way you wrote this.
Love the idea of the universe being tied together
With mysterious lave
Love the idea of the universe being tied together
With mysterious lace
Love “mysterious lace” tying it all together.
Oh, that mysterious lace. Love. Ly. This is just wonderful, Ellen. I hope you’re sharing it elsewhere, too! I love it when a tiny poem contains the whole world. Sigh…
Apologies to Ogden Nash
Unsuspecting angora goat
Gives us mohair
While he gets no hair
Cute Marian. I like the mohair and no hair combination.
Terrific, exactly as Ogden would have liked it!
Bwahahaha! I fell in love with Ogden Nash’s poetry when I was about 8. Love this.
Your brevity, humor and rhyming would fit right in with his poems.
Good job.
Good one!
Oh, dear! Hehehe–poor goat. Very punny:>)
Apologies to Ogden Nash
Unsuspecting angora goat
Gives us mohair
While he gets no hair
Cute Marian. I like the mohair and no hair combination.
Terrific, exactly as Ogden would have liked it!
Bwahahaha! I fell in love with Ogden Nash’s poetry when I was about 8. Love this.
Your brevity, humor and rhyming would fit right in with his poems.
Good job.
Good one!
Oh, dear! Hehehe–poor goat. Very punny:>)
Collaborative poem with Vannesa, a fifth grader
Fluorescence
Waves of diamond threads,
electric and branching out,
sending messages
of love,
Margaret Simon and Vannesa S
love those ‘waves of diamond threads’, Margaret & Vanessa! They do sparkle…
I Love the first line 🙂
Like the “waves of diamond threads”.
Oh, this is just glorious. I love that first line, especially. What a gorgeous image. And then the last two warm my heart:>)
Collaborative poem with Vannesa, a fifth grader
Fluorescence
Waves of diamond threads,
electric and branching out,
sending messages
of love,
Margaret Simon and Vannesa S
love those ‘waves of diamond threads’, Margaret & Vanessa! They do sparkle…
I Love the first line 🙂
Like the “waves of diamond threads”.
Oh, this is just glorious. I love that first line, especially. What a gorgeous image. And then the last two warm my heart:>)
into the vortex
strands of time
wisping
fraying
tangling
raveling
into another
dimension
Love the the time travel idea
Loved the “raveling” vs “traveling”…
Oh, my. I love those strands of time…
into the vortex
strands of time
wisping
fraying
tangling
raveling
into another
dimension
Love the the time travel idea
Loved the “raveling” vs “traveling”…
Oh, my. I love those strands of time…
It looks like a luffa to me.
THE LUFFA
I grew
like a vegetable
in the garden.
Now I scrub
keep your back
clean.
Whew! Excluding the title, I did keep to the 15 words. Yea!
I like the first 3 lines
Ha! Yet another view!
This would make a great riddle poem for kids (or adults!), Joy:>)
It looks like a luffa to me.
THE LUFFA
I grew
like a vegetable
in the garden.
Now I scrub
keep your back
clean.
Whew! Excluding the title, I did keep to the 15 words. Yea!
I like the first 3 lines
Ha! Yet another view!
This would make a great riddle poem for kids (or adults!), Joy:>)
I see something more astronomical — like a nebula or protostar…
OTHER WORLD
Dynamic yet static
mysterious place:
the fabric of time…
or the fabric of space?
- ? 2015, Matt Forrest Esenwine
love the last two lines
“Fabric of space” is a great way to picture it.
So clever! Love the big feel of it, and then the pun to bring it down to human size.
The word nebula came to mind for me too when I saw the photo. Loved your question..“fabric of time or fabric of space?”
I see something more astronomical — like a nebula or protostar…
OTHER WORLD
Dynamic yet static
mysterious place:
the fabric of time…
or the fabric of space?
- ? 2015, Matt Forrest Esenwine
love the last two lines
“Fabric of space” is a great way to picture it.
So clever! Love the big feel of it, and then the pun to bring it down to human size.
The word nebula came to mind for me too when I saw the photo. Loved your question..“fabric of time or fabric of space?”
GRANDPA?S BEARD
Busheled strands
Welcome my fingertips,
Feels like hay relaxing
On a Sunday afternoon.
© Charles Waters 2015 all rights reserved.
GRANDPA?S BEARD
Busheled strands
Welcome my fingertips,
Feels like hay relaxing
On a Sunday afternoon.
© Charles Waters 2015 all rights reserved.