1,000 blog posts

Softly,
listen to the quiet.
Gently,
listen to the still.
Can you hear
the heartbeat?
Can you feel
the miracle?
Open yourself
to joy.
Open yourself
to love.
Live the life
you are meant to live.
Be the answer
to another's question.


     Today has been a difficult day for me with my writing.  I've written everything else but today's poem and I even know the reason--nothing was good enough.  Today marks the 1,000th post on this blog.  I've posted a poem every day for then last 1,000 days.  I've explored all sorts of poetry forms from acrostics to villanelles with you.  I supplied original art work or photographs to go with some of the poems.  And on most days, I've supplied a poetry prompt to go with the poems.  You have responded positively and I have had over 105,000 visitors to my blog.  You are the miracle that keeps me writing.  Thank you.
    I was reading a comment from YA author Angela Morrison today and she stated, "Readers are miracles...."  YES!  You are a miracle to me.  I hope you have a fantastic New Year's Eve.
   Thank you for being here to cheer me on.

PLAYING CHEEKS

I can fill
my cheeks
with air
then I tap
my fingers
there.
Sound comes out
a burst of shout. 
Sounds like a trumpet,
sounds like a drum.
Funny cheek
playing,
here I come.

    Have you ever tried to play your cheeks like a musical instrument?  I had a lot of fun making funny noises while I tried to write this poem.  Good thing I was alone and no one could hear me.  
      Your challenge for today is to write your own poem about a sound.  Have fun writing.

SING

Tra-
la-la
Dee-
Dah
A lilt
trips
over
your lips
in a song.



     There are a lot of songs and poems that include a scale for singing. Fa-la-la-la-la-la lah. Do-re-mi, so, your challenge for today is to write a poem that includes some musical notation.  All of our lives need more music, let's see if you can put it into your poem today.

WHISTLE

Tongue curls,
purse lips,
little blows
in tiny sips
Whee-ee-ee-ee-ee!
It is a whistle.


    Can you write your own poem today that includes a whistle?  Have fun playing with this sound.

GRIN

Your face
lights up
and the fun
comes in
that's what happens
when you
grin.

RASPBERRY

Ripple of air
blown between
tongue
and lips.
A reverberation
happens there
when air flows.
Blow!
Feel the tickle
on your tongue.

    A fun stage of development for babies is when they learn how to blow raspberries.  What are some of the funny sounds you can make with your mouth?  Can you write a poem about this silly subject?  Have fun writing.
    Happy Boxing Day.  Do you know why the day after Christmas was called Boxing Day?  It is a holiday still celebrated in Great Britain.

BURP

When air
rumbles
up
from
a rumbly
tummy
it bursts
out 
your mouth
in a burp.
Excuse me.


     I hope you have a very merry Christmas.  It is a great day to enjoy all our blessings.  Peace and happiness are my wishes for you.

SURPRISE

A surprise
makes 
your
eyes
grow wide
and
your
eyebrows
rise.
BOO!


     I hope you have a great day, doing what you need to do.  Thank you for taking time to ready my poem.  If you have a little one in your home, take time to play with that person too.  In fact, take time to play today--you need it too.  May this be a blessed day for you.

SNIFF, SNIFF

A short
breath in
through
you nose,
then do it
again.

     We often sniff when we want to smell things.  What smells do you like?  The sense of smell is the first sense that develops.  Can you write a poem today about smells you like, or try writing about all the smells you don't like to smell.

SMILE

A smile
happens
while
you
turn up
your lips.


     Happy Sunday.  What is something that makes you smile?  Can you write a poem about smiling today?

LAUGH

A laugh
happens
when
something
funny
reaches your
tummy.

PECK

A quick
small kiss
touching lips
to forehead,
eyebrow,
earlobe,
nose,
chin,
or neck.
Smoochies.


      This is another in a group of small poems to share with the 0-2 year old group.  Poems to encourage parents and babies to play.  
      Your poetry challenge for today is to write your own poem that includes a kiss.  Have fun writing and thinking about all the kisses in your life.

TSK, TSK, TSK

Like a snake
with a hiss,
you can 
tsk, tsk, tsk,
by clicking
your tongue
on the top
of your mouth.

SIPS

Sips
are
small drinks
through
your
lips.

BooHoo

When you

cry

it makes

tears

in your eyes.

I'm sorry.

POUT

A lip 
sticking out
is a
pout.


     Busy day today.  I hope you are enjoying the season.  I put a little bird on the pout in this sketch because my mother used to tell me that if I pouted a bird would come along and peck my nose.  I always thought I was more likely to catch gnats with that moist lip sticking out.  Your poetry challenge for today is to write your own poem about someone who pouts.  Have fun.

GIGGLE

A giggle
is a
wiggle
that starts
in
your 
tummy.


     Your challenge for today is to write a poem about something that makes you giggle.  Or write about having a fit of the giggles.  I can remember my sister and I staring at the door to try to keep from giggling.  The moment we'd stop and turn to each other the giggles would start again.  Have you ever giggled so hard that you wet your pants?  Oh, just write the poem.  Have fun.

WINK-WINK

A wink
is a blink
of one
eye.

     If you follow my blog, you'll know that I've been playing with my art supplies this last week.  One of the things I discovered is I have a fun time creating. Whether it is words that I've put together in a fun new way for me, or if it is art materials I've never tried before, doing something new is a challenge and I love the way it makes me feel.  I can become so engrossed in my creation that I forget the time and sometimes even forget to eat.
    What do you like to do to create?  Your challenge for today is to write a poem about creating.   I hope you have as much fun as I do.

CREATION

Words
flow
dance
twirl
jumpleapfly
like learning 
bird talk
or the steps
of a Latvian folk dance
like a volcano
erupting
on fire 
it feels wonderful
powerful
like being
a Greek Goddess
one of the muses
from my brain
hopefully
to live
in your heart

     Today's poem is a great stretch for me.  I don't usually write free verse poems for children, but this is what wanted to come from my pen and I'm going to respect that.  I'm doing some experimenting with this poem.  My own form of CREATION.   Does the "jumpleapfly" work all together like an airplane taking off from a runway?  I know this poem is a little hard to read because of the lack of punctuation, but I did that intentionally because I wanted to take advantage of the enjambment and I wanted to slow the reader down to enjoy each word created and perhaps to create their own meaning in the spaces between the words.
     Your challenge today is to create your own poem.  Take any word you like and have fun playing with it.  Do you feel like an acrostic or a haiku?  Perhaps rhymed couplets or the common verse of quatrains.  What ever you try have fun with your own creation.

    The Friday Poetry Roundup is being hosted today by Tabatha Yeatts on her blog The Opposite of Indifference.  Thanks, Tabatha for hosting the party.
Click on the link to find many other great children's poetry posts today.

haiku

refinished table
turpentine and linseed oil
first day back at school

    Today's poem is another one that deals with the sense of smell.  Of all our senses, smell is the most important and is the first to develop, but it is the third most frequently written about right after sight and sound.  Can you guess which sense is the least written about?  It is taste.  Can you guess why this sense gets the least writing space?  
      Your poetry challenge for today is to write your own poem about the smells of Christmas for you.
Do you notice the scent of pine, apple cider, cinnamon, sugar cookies or fudge?  The holiday season is filled with wonderful aromas.  Pick one and shape your own poem.  Have fun writing.  


    

ORANGES

On this chilly morning
Red clouds
Arch the sky
Near citrus trees
Growing globes of fruit
Erupting in the 
Scent of sunshine


     Do you like the smell of oranges?  I do.  I couldn't think of what to write this morning and I was eating an orange.  I was going to write a haiku about oranges, but then I thought an acrostic would let me say more.  It is hard to write a short succinct
haiku that says everything you want it to.  So, here is your poetry challenge for today, can you write your own acrostic about a piece of fruit?  Can you use the letters to tell us something about the fruit, who eats it, or what it is used for or smells like?  Have fun writing your poem.

I'm Busy

The spaces all around me
are filling up too tight.
Before I get my job done
suddenly it's night.

I know it is the season
of having too much to do
I will try to do my best
to do what I can do.

And if I don't make it
to get every task done
I will remember
 we all need some fun.

I promise not to cry or pout
I won't beat myself up
I'll just wish you, Merry Christmas,
and offer you a cup.
(Of hot cocoa.)


    Sorry to be so late today.  I've got some Christmas projects I'm working on and my deadlines are coming too fast.  I guess I should sleep less and work more.
    What are you busy with today?  Can you write your own "I'm Busy" poem? 

Winter Night

Quiet night
stars shine intensely,
crystal air
snowflakes fall
as silence drops around us
filling all our lives.


  Today's poem is a shadorma, a Spanish six line poem.  This is a syllabic form with 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllables in the lines.  You can check to see if I've done this correctly by counting the syllables in each line.

Line 1 = 3 syllables
Line 2 = 5 syllables
Line 3 = 3 syllables
Line 4 = 3 syllables
Line 5 = 7 syllables
Line 6 = 5 syllables

    If you are one of those people who hates rhyme, or just can't do it, try some of the syllabic forms to get yourself started.  Your challenge for today is to try writing your own syllabic poem.

    I saw a sweatshirt this weekend that said, "Have you noticed LISTEN and SILENT are made from the same letters?"

    Have a fun day writing poetry.  Stay warm.

THE BOOK

Reach for a book
each time you are bored
and you will find a
delightful pastime.

     I hope you are indoors sitting next to a warm fire.  It has been cold all day here and so I've been lazy and have been reading a good book.  What are you currently reading?  Can you write a poem today about books, reading, or what you like to do on cold days?

LOOK UP

Walking along
I'm watching the road.
I feel like I carry
a heavy load.

I tilt my face up
to feel the sun.
I think I'm ready
to have some fun.

I lift my head up 
to see the sky
I feel like a bird,
ready to fly.

Look up, my child 
and you shall see
the world is full
of opportunity.


     If you needed to write a poem to encourage a friend, what would you write?  This is your poetry challenge for today.  Write a poem that will get your friends to take the next step in this exciting journey we call life.  Have a fun day, and have fun writing.

KWANZAA

Keep dreaming
We can
Achieve anything by
Not giving up, by sharing a
Zillion little things of our
Abiding 
Abundance


   The week of Kwanzaa doesn't start until December 26, but I was stuck for a poem today and I thought an acrostic would be an easier one to write.  (Actually I'm working on a cento and it isn't ready yet.  It really needs some more time to cook.)  I was joking with a friend and told her that after three years of writing Christmas holiday poems for three years during the month of December, I'd pretty much said it all and I needed to find a new slant or get a new idea.  I said I'd have to start writing Kwanzaa poems because I didn't think I'd done that yet.  So that's how I got to today's poem.  If you'd like to know know more about this holiday, you can find out more at the Official Kwanzaa web site.

    Your challenge for today is to try writing a poem about how your family celebrates the holiday.   Can you write your own acrostic?

small bowl of a moon
spilling crystal diadems
chilly winter's night

    It has been very cold today and it may freeze tonight, so we've covered our plants and the citrus trees have the holiday lights on them to keep them warm.  Can you write your own poem about the moon you see?  Stay warm. 

December is a busy month.
It's hurry, hurry, hurry
bustle, bustle.
It's time to write cards
and hustle, hustle.

It's a time of secrets
and hiding places.
It's cookie baking 
and happy faces.

It's decorating the tree
all weekend long
and practising singing
the Christmas songs.

It's a time
when there is lots 
to do.
And, I'm taking
this season
to think
of you.

     Thank you for reading my blog and sharing poetry with me.  Your poetry challenge for today is to write your own poem about one of the things you traditionally do during December.  Have fun writing.

EGRETS

Egrets on the roof
watching the world below them
gathering of friends

    There were 6 white egrets on my neighbor's roof this morning.  It was quite a sight to see so many of these big birds together.  In some cultures, having storks on your roof is considered good luck, so I thought today would be my lucky day.  Can you write a poem today about good luck?  Have fun writing.

Navel Oranges

The oranges 
on my citrus tree
are big and round, 
bright and shiny.

I cut one open,
it tastes delicious.
I wish you were here
to try it with us.

    It does seem strange to me that as much of the US braces for a winter of snow, my little orange tree is just coming into its own.  We planted this tree two and a half years ago and it is finally bearing fruit.  Today's poetry challenge is to write a poem about your favorite fruit (or vegetable).

haiku

chilling morning wind
blows white seeds from the broom sage
lacy snow flakes drift

    This morning's walk was lovely.  It seemed like everyone was smiling at me, but maybe that was because I was smiling.  I don't know why I was feeling so good, except it is the start of a new month and December really is a lovely month.  I see my name everywhere.  Maybe that is why I like December so much.  It is a season of giving and surprises.  I've started planning some of mine.  Your challenge for today is to write a December poem.  How about a list of all the things you want to do this month?  Have fun.

haiku

a grasshopper leaps
on the gravel road again
lost in the distance


     It has been a good week for finding money on my walks.  On four of my morning walks I've found coins.  This morning I found a bright copper penny.  Only four more pennies and I will have a quarter.  Can you figure out what coins I found on the other three mornings?
     I always feel like it is a lucky day when I find money.  Can you write a poem today about what makes a lucky day for you?

THE DAY AFTER

I ate turkey,
I ate yams,
I ate cranberries,
biscuits and jams.

I ate stuffing,
pumpkin and apple pies
I'm stuffed all the way
up to my eyes.

I ate so much
on Thanksgiving Day.
I'm starting a diet
as of today.


    Did you have a good Thanksgiving?  There is a lot to be thankful for, isn't there?  I hope you have a great weekend writing.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Today I'll eat turkey
for Thanksgiving Day.
I'll see my cousins
and we'll get to play.

And if I'm good
after I've eaten my fill,
Uncle says he'll take us
to sled down his hill.


    I hope you have a happy holiday, and for my friends outside the us, thank you for being a part of my holiday.  I'm so gateful to have so many readers and encouraging friends who like poetry.  I appreciate you.  Blessings.  Have fun writing your own poems.

MY CASTLE

A pen is a castle
where I want to be
writing so wild
so daring
and free.

Yes, give me a pen
that I may write
happy all day
and into
the night.

    Now it is your turn, pick up your pen, your pencil or use a keyboard, and write.  Where would you like your writing to take you?  What adventure would you like to have?  Dream!  And then write your poem.  Have fun.

Dream Poem

I woke up this morning
from a fanciful dream.
Where I directed a musical
beside a forest stream.

Everyone was singing
a light, happy song,
even the cats and dogs
and the birds sang along.

Everyone was smiling
the skies were full of cheer
the music was so pleasant,
we all paused to hear.


    What do you think the folks in my dream were singing about?  What do you think they were wearing?  It did make for a delightful dream.  You should have heard the frogs.  Your challenge for today is to write your own dream poem.  Have fun.

GOOD MORNING

Wouldn't it be wonderful
to wake each morning from dreams
of an enchanted forest
and gossamer faerie queens.

To rise from a candyland playground
filled with peppermint slides,
where animals speak your language
and hummingbirds give you rides.

I'm certain this would be delightful
to wake up, what would you say?
It's sure to put a smile on your face
at the start of each new day.


    Wow!  I had a crazy dream last night and I'm thinking about writing some dream poems.  Did you have a dream last night?  Can you write a poem today about a dream?  Have fun writing and thinking about dreams.

SUN

after two days of rain
shines in dew drops
crystals
reflecting
blue mountains
white clouds
purple finch
and gold finch
at the bird feeder.

     It is a beautiful sunny day today.  Everything feels green and growing.  I'm going to take a walk this morning and go out to greet some poetry.  Can you take a walk today to find your own poem?

    My friend Linda Andersen has a fun Mother Goose contest and book give away on her blog at A Writer's Playground.  Since today is Mother Goose Day, you might enjoy this.  Who is your favorite Mother Goose character?  Can you write a poem about one character?

haiku

splashes on the roof

rain gushes out the downspout

radio plays jazz

  It has been strange for me to see so much rain.  I'm sure all the dry river beds are filling with water.  It is a perfect day for staying inside and watching basketball or football games on TV.  Can you try writing your own haiku today?  Have fun what ever you do.

haiku

round November moon

darts in and out of rain clouds

hot, fresh pumpkin pie

     Can you believe it?  We are having rain!  All last night I was gently lulled by the rare sound of rain drops.  I had to get up and write.  I was busy last night working on some haiku.  I re-read Rebecca Rust's classic book, THE OUTSIDE OF A HAIKU, (copyright 1984.)  It reminded me of the Zen, the oneness of the images in haiku.  Your challenge for today is to try writing your own haiku for the holiday.  

      I would have included a picture of the pumpkin pie, but we had some for breakfast and it is no longer round, so it didn't look right.

     Poetry Friday is hosted today at Write, Sketch, Repeat.  Follow the link for more poetry and Thanksgiving fun.  Thanks to Katya Czaja for hosting us all today.

Turkey Writes a Good Bye Note

Good bye, Mama

I'm flying away

I hope to hide

till after

Thanksgiving Day.

 
     This is the first verse to a longer poem with many verses.  It is a persona poem written in the voice of a turkey.  Now, why would a turkey want to leave home for the holiday?  Your poetry challenge for today is to write the next verse.  Who would the turkey send a shout out to next?  Where would he go?

   I took this picture of the turkeys in Franconia, NH when I attended a poetry workshop at The Frost Place.  It is a lovely place to learn more about poetry.

November

Now is the time 
Our family 
Visits my Uncle 
Eddie and Aunt 
Mary and 
Both of my cousins. We all
Eat turkey and
Remember to be thankful. 


     I had fun playing with this acrostic.  At first I had trouble with the vowels and the crazy V, but then I reminded myself this is a poem and it doesn't have to be truthful.  I have tons of uncles, but not an Uncle Eddie.  I guess I could have had an Aunt Edna and an Uncle Marty.  So now it is your turn, can you write an acrostic for some Thanksgiving item, or something from this month?  Have fun writing poetry.

LATCH KEY

Around my neck
on a greying shoelace
rides my house key.

You call me Latch Key
and your lip curls
like I'm a wet dog
you don't want in your living room.

I must go straight home.
Can't make after-school plans.
Can't have friends over.
Can't go out.

I surely can't go over to your house
because I'd never be able
to return the invitation.

So I do my homework,
read a book,
color and wait
for someone
to come home.


     What do you do after school?  Do you have sports--tennis, soccer, swimming?  Do you have meetings like boy scouts or brownies, or girl scouts?  Do you have music lessons or some other activity?  For today's poetry challenge can you write a poem about what you do after school.  This is a free verse poem.  It doesn't rhyme.  You can make your poem in a form or free verse.  It's your choice.  I've also used a simile in this poem.  Can you find it?  Just have fun writing.

BEING CAT

If I were a cat
I know what I'd do
I curl in your lap
and purr for you.


    Today's poem came because I was reading a poem posted today by US children's poet laureate Kenn Nesbitt.
    His poem starts: If I had a dollar/ I know what I'd do...  and as I reread the lines, I thought, hey, I've written a poem with those same words.  And the more I thought about the lines, the more I knew these lines would make a good outline for lots of poems.  My previous poem was about a dog, so I tried again with a cat.  The poem above is what came out.  But what would happen if you used a bird?

If I were a goldfinch,
I know what I'd do,
I'd sit at the feeder
and sing songs to you.

     Or what happens if I try another animal?

If I were an elephant
living in the zoo
I'd share half my peanuts
and give them to you.

        I could also try a holiday, this is what I ended with for the Fourth of July.
If I were an American flag
I know what I'd do
I'd wave for freedom
in red, white and blue.


    Would the basic pattern work for professions?

If I were my teacher
I know what I'd do.
I'd make recess last all day.
How about you? 

 So now it is your turn.  Think of an animal, an object, or an event, and write your own poem.

If I were (fill in the blank.)
I know what I'd do.
I'd ______________________
____________________ with you.

    Give it a try and see if you have fun.  You are welcome to leave your poems in the comments below.  Have fun playing with this.

Aliens Are Coming

The aliens have landed.
they're full of laughter and mirth.
They're changing up the colors
for a more colorful earth.

I can't tell my mother.
I won't tell my dad
for to mention these aliens
they'll both say I am bad

To be telling these lies
and making these stories up.
But the aliens are in my backyard
because tall pink grass is growing up.


     See, I'm still working on poems about colors.  Crazy.  But I put my pen to paper and this is what comes out.  Put your pen to paper today and see what comes out.  Let your imagination run where ever it wants to skip.  Nothing has to be real or factual.  See where your penning takes you.  Have a happy Sunday writing your own poem.

THE POEM I WANT TO WRITE

chasing room to room
you are the good idea 
I want to set free.


      It is a busy Saturday.  I need to take a walk to clear my brain.  It is an exciting time for me.  I can actually feel myself growing as a poet, but unless I do the work and write the poems down, they will be lost in the ether.  So here is another little haiku.

collected pennies
gone from our Mason jar
a Happy Thanksgiving


     Go for your own walk today and see if it stirs some poetry for you.  It was by walking that Basho, the father of modern haiku, wrote his poems.  So try it and see what you come up with. Or, see what comes to you.   Have a great weekend writing.

THANKSGIVING COLORS

After Bill Martin, Jr.

                  The seasons are changing

It's November, you see.

And I'm wondering,

Where will you be?

Olives, Black Olives.

Where will you be?

I'll be in the relish dish

beside your turkey.

Cranberry, Red Cranberry.

Where will you be?

I'll be the sauce

beside your turkey.

Corn, Yellow Corn.

Where will you be?

I'll be the side dish

for your turkey.

Potato, White Potato.

Where will you be?

I'll be mashed potatoes

for your turkey.

Lettuce, Green Lettuce.

Where will you be?

I'll be a salad

for your turkey.

Beets, Purple Beets.

Where will you be?

I'll be the vegetable

for your turkey.

Berry, Blueberry

Where will you be?

I'll be the biscuit jam

for your turkey.

Pumpkin, Orange Pumpkin.

Where will you be?

I'll be the pumpkin pie

for your turkey.

Turkey, Brown Turkey.

Where will you be?

I'll be Thanksgiving dinner

for the whole family.

     Since it is getting close to Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fun to write a color poem for all the foods of the Thanksgiving dinner.  This poem could be done in two voices. (There are several ways you could divide up the parts.)  With very young children they could draw the pictures and make a classroom book. Children could pick a color and write their own verses.  There are lots of foods I didn't use celery, yams, gravy, stuffing, carrots, and onions to name a few.  So, your challenge for today is to write your own food poem.  Have fun writing.

    Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Jama Rattigan on her blog Alphabet Soup.  You can find more poetry here.  Thanks Jama for hosting us.  My foodie poem is for you.