IT STARTS WITH THE GRASSHOPPER

Grasshopper hopping
down the road,
he got eaten 
by a toad.

Toad was hopping,
made a mistake,
he got eaten 
by a snake.

Snake slinked off
said, See you later.
He got eaten
by an alligator.

Alligator swam
off to the sea,
said, I'm so glad
I am me.

Until he was caught
by a hag
and was made into
a lady's hand bag.


     Who would eat the alligator?  It is all part of the food chain.  Can you write your own food chain poem today?  Have fun writing.

ROUND AND TOASTY CRACKERS

I like crackers,
especially with cheese.
Can I have some,
pretty please?
I like the kind
with sesame seeds,
round and toasty crackers.

What is your favorite food to eat?  Can you write a poem about food today?

THE FLAMINGO

There is a flamingo
in my shower
and he's splashing
all about.
I told him
to be quiet
but all he does 
is shout.
Mom came 
and saw us
and said
we must
get out.
Then she turned about,
slammed the door,
"Clean up the wet towels
and the footprints
on the floor!"

     This poem definitely is a draft.  Have a fun Saturday, write on!  This poem was written at the inspiration of my friend Linda Anderson.  Thanks for a fun idea, Linda.

THE OTTER

In your bathtub
don't put an otter.
She's sure to splash,
and mess with the water.

And when it's time
for us to clean,
the otter will 
not be seen.

The Elephant

There is an elephant
in my lunchbox.
He's eating all my food.
He never says,
Please or Thank you.
I think he's very rude.

The Monkey

A monkey raced
into my room.
He's jumping 
on the bed.
I hope he'll 
be gone soon,
and isn't waiting
to be fed.

The Crocodile

If you see a crocodile
don't ask him to come and play.
Never pet, or poke or stroke him
to watch his tail swish and sway.

His teeth
are big
and white.
Good for
a crocodile
BITE!

MONDAY MORNING

I'm rushing around
fast as I can
Mom calls
one more time
I don't want 
to be
late.

I grab my backpack
zipper it shut
out the door,
didn't have time 
to make my bed.

I pick up the toast
glup three swigs
of orange juice
and rush out the door
to Dad's angry face
waiting in the running car.

I rush
dash to school
slide into my desk
just as the tardy bell rings.

"Get out your homework,"
and I unzip
my backpack before 
I put it down.

"Oh,no."
It's not there.
Knew I should have
packed my backpack
last night.

It's Monday,
and already
I've started off
on the wrong foot.

I hope this 
doesn't last all week.

     It really is hard and difficult being a kid.  Can you write a poem about one of the difficult things a kid faces?  What is your hardest problem?  I think mine is when I misspell words.  Have fun writing today.

SURPRISE

Woke up early.

Had a surprise.

Saw a gorgeous,

bright sunrise.

     Happy first day of fall.  It is Sunday, can you write a poem about all the things you are thankful for?  This sunrise was a surprise to me, and it certainly started my day off on the right foot.  Hope your day is super too.

VOICE FROM YOUR PEN

I'm sitting here
waiting for you.
Please try to write
a poem or two.

I'm sitting here
upon your desk
wanting to write 
poems humoresque.

Please pick me up
and write away.
Together we'll have
a poetry day.


     OK, so this isn't the most brilliant poem I've ever written.  I think if my pen did try to talk to me, I might freak out.  But, wait, my pen talks to me almost every night when I fall asleep with a pen in my hand.  I wake up and find there are some strange things written in my journal.  If your pen could talk to you, what would yours say?  Hey, it's Saturday and I hope you have a fun weekend writing.

THE LIZARD

A lizard dashed
across the patio
racing in the sun.

With his tail curled
over his back
he made it look
like fun.


     If you are patient; if you wait and watch, everything moves.  Be still and watch for a moment.  What is moving around you?  Are you moving?  Can you write a poem today about the movement?  This should be a good poem for using exciting verbs.  Have fun writing.

         Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is being hosted by Tabatha Yeatts.  Head over to her blog for today's party. Thanks, Tabatha for hosting us.  I just love Fridays.  So much good poetry to read.  So many new things to learn.

WHAT IS POETRY?

Poetry is a radish
with green leafy top,
red cheeks
and a long white 
goat beard.
It is Mom's
beaming red cheers
and  Uncle's flushed 
with booze.
It's the brothers
and sisters,
Grandma and Grandpa,
it's all the dead poets
standing in the doorway
to watch me write,
and it's the brown
earth worm moving
round and round
making room
for the radish
to breathe.

     This is one of the weirdest poems I've ever written, but it's what has been going round and round in my head for the last few days.  The "radish" came from a poem by Linda Baie.  It was the last line of her poem and I guess I liked thinking about a radish.  Can a radish be like a poem?  Can a radish be like a person?  So here is your challenge for today--pick a fruit or vegetable and use it as a simile or a metaphor for something else--a person, a favorite pet, poetry or your life.  You've heard how people are described as pear shaped, now it is your turn to take it one step further.  This can be fun, so give it a try and let me know what you come up with in the comments below. I hope you have a grand time writing (and thinking possibilities) today.
    Oh, by the way, I had originally planned to make that cheers, another cheek, but I mis-typed.  When I went back to check the poem for errors, I saw my mistake and I had to question which word I liked better.  I decided on cheers,  because Mom would always cheer me on and the cheeks is understood.  Sometimes my subconscious knows what I should be doing before I do.

BLACK BEETLE

Black beetle, black beetle
crossing the road.

Black beetle, black beetle
carries a load.

Black beetle, black beetle
where do you roam?

Black beetle, black beetle
are your babies at home?

Black beetle, black beetle
crossing the road.


     Can you guess what I saw on my morning walk?  This poem can be performed or read as a poem for two voices with students saying the repetitive line "Black beetle, black beetle," and the teacher or five individuals saying the second line of each stanza.  Writing poems with a repetitive line is fun because the poems can easily be performed by groups.  Can you try writing a poem with a repetitive line today?  Have fun writing.

THE PARK

I want to go out and play.
Can we go to the park today?
I want to pump in the swings.
To chase
and race
and do all sorts of things.
To roll in the leaves
and watch the fall breeze.
I want to fly a kite
and toss a Frisbee
to a friend.
And then tomorrow,
can we do it again?


     When was the last time you went to a park?  What did you do there?  Can you write a poem about that today?  Have fun writing your poem.
     When I was travelling in France, I saw lots of KEEP OFF THE GRASS signs in the parks.  Why do you think they had those signs?

     I also have a friend who scattered her mother's ashes in the local park.  She didn't know what to do with Mom's ashes and she thought her mother would like to be in the rose bushes by the children playing. Do you have a story about ashes?  Can you make it into a poem? 

Facile

Public Speaking
shouldn't be a hassle.
Practice your speech
until you're facile.

Let words roll
off your tongue.
You can be glib.

Then you might need
a big speech bib.



      Sometimes poetry can be used for vocabulary building.    For today's poetry challenge you'll need a dictionary.  Find a random word in the dictionary. Do you have a favorite letter of the alphabet? Use your favorite letter for a starting point in finding a random word.  Now write a poem based on the random word. Use your poem to let us know what the word means.  If you don't like this idea, you can always make up your own word.  This is something poets do, make up words.  Just have fun writing today.
    You can leave your poem in the comments below.  I'd love to read your poem.
Thank you for reading my poem today.
    

My Dog's Poems

My dog is sleeping with poetry,
He dreams of the poem's beat.
He's chasing a rabbit, a bird, a deer.
You can tell by his moving feet.

The poems with animals are
the ones he likes the best.
His dreams are of poetry
each time he takes a rest.



     Name an animal or an object.  Now what kind of poetry would it like to hear?  What kind of poems would a carrot want? How about a rock?  Can you write a poem about that today.

I had a chore
and I forgot
I didn't get it done.

I will hurry
now to write
poetry is fun.


     Oh, I'm sorry.  I really blew it today.  I've been working on taxes all day, and it has taken my mind from the really important things.



Tommy plays video games.
Mary reads a book.
Alice likes to sing her songs.
Jeffrey likes to cook.

Susie experiments with science.
Freddy plays with math.
Chris plays many sports.
David hikes a mountain path.

All of us have different talents,
different things we like to do.
and it is with practicing
you are uniquely you.


    OK, so can you write a poem today about the things you like to do?

WHERE WILL YOUR POEM GO?

I wrote a draft of this poem
on a sheet of notebook paper.

I included all of my hopes,
my wishes and dreams.

Now I recycle, make a paper boat
to float upon the creek.

The paper talks to the water,
the ink moves with the flow.

The creek reads the words,
whispers my poem to the rocks
and willows lean in to hear.

    Who would you like to hear your poem?  If you needed to write a poem for the King or the Queen of Hearts, what would you write?  Where do your poems travel?  Have fun writing about this today.   Oh, and be sure to try reading my poem out loud to see how it makes your mouth feel.  Have fun with poetry.

   Jen over at Teach Mentor Text is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today.  Thanks, Jen.  There's more great poetry on her blog.  Happy Friday the 13th.

Silly Rhyme

Before Uncle died 
and said Adios,
they called for a doctor
most grandiose.

The doctor sat up Uncle
before he'd diagnose,
"This man is not dead,
he's comatose."


     Oh goodness, I'm being silly again.  Today I looked at a page of rhyming words from the SCHOLASTIC RHYMING DICTIONARY.   The page (from the book, p. 142) was part of a handout from a poetry workshop.  I was looking at the three syllable words ending  in OSE.  There were only four, so I thought I could write a short poem using the words.  Can you use a rhyming dictionary today to write a silly poem?  Have a good time.

He's another silly one from OSE

There was a lady
big as three buffaloes
who lives in a tiny
little bungalow.

Until the day when
a special beaux
asked her out to
the movie show.

The dear lady
quickly came to blows
trying  to put on
her pantyhose.

She was standing
on her tippy toes
when everything fell
like dominoes.

She tried hard
not to expose
all her skin
that overflows.

Now she's famous
for inventing clothes.
She has stockings
that open and close.

You can see her and
all she sews
on her you-tube
videos.

     Crazy, yes.  But, isn't that the fun of poetry?  I don't know why I think pantyhose is a funny word, maybe it has to do with some of my experiences with them.  Hope you have a great time writing.

Writing a Poem

There are words
floating in the air.
You can't see them,
but they are there.

I grab them,
one, two, a few.
Rub them together
see what they do.

Do they fit together?
Make a fun pair?
Do sparks fly off?
Do the embers flare?

Then I write a poem,
it's what I do.
The words are waiting,
there's plenty for you,
too.

      Where are your favorite places to look for words for your poems?  Can you write a poem about that today?  Have fun.

ORAL PRESENTATION

Today is a secial day.
I'm making a presentation 
to my class.
My teacher says I must speak up.
I surely hope
I pass.

I'm trying not to mumble
and to look folks
in the eye.
I have a power point
and I will not tell a lie

because I've done my research
double checked all my facts
there's nothing my presentation
has forgotten or it lacks.

I've made this entertaining
I  should get a good grade.
Then perhaps the memory
of all the work will fade.

Watching TV

My dad and I
are watching TV
a football game
for him and me.

We're eating chips
and all is fine.
We're dipping dips.
It's a good time.

Our team is winning
what more can I say?
I think it will be
a very good day.

    Who do you watch TV with?  What do you watch?  Can you write a poem today about television?  Have fun.

Childhood Sunday

I'm sitting here
down by the stream
watching the water
glitter and gleam

while my imagination
dances and tipples
along with the water's
flowing ripples.

Somewhere a faerie
flutters her wings.
Somewhere an imp
chortles and sings.

Sunday is such
a delightful day
to wile away hours
dreaming away.

    I went to another garden store this week and they had more of the faerie gardens.  If you were to design your own little garden for the wee folk, what would you put in it?  Can you write a poem about your garden today?

SATURDAY CHORES

Today I'll change my sheets
and tidy up my room.
I'll put my toys away
and get the job done--zoom.

I'll straighten all my books
and put clean clothes away.
I'll do all my chores,
It's Saturday, cleaning day.


     Do you have Saturday chores?  Can you make a list poem today about all the things you have to do?  Have fun writing.

ANOTHER GHOST POEM

Little Monster
shivered in bed,
he pulled his covers
over his head.

Moans and whispers
gave him a fright,
he thought he heard
a ghost in the night.

His mother asked him,
"What's the big deal?
Ghosts who eat monsters
surely aren't real."


     I thought I was done with ghost poems for a while, then I saw a picture of a kid huddled in bed afraid of the monster hiding under his bed.  I had to write the poem of the monster and the ghost.  I can see a picture book developing from this idea but first I want to finish a story about Guilda a Quail.  Things are picking up.  I hope you are keeping busy.  Can you write another ghost poem today?  If a monster and a ghost were going out together, where would they go?  What would they do?  Oh my goodness, what would happen if a monster, a ghost and an alien were all friends?  (This could start a whole new line of jokes.)  Have fun writing your poem.

Laura over at http://authoramok.blogspot.com/ is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup.  For more great poems head on over to the party.  Thanks Laura for hosting us all.

A GHOST AT THE DOOR?

The wind is whistling.
The door rattles a lot.
Is there a ghost there?
I surely hope NOT.


 I had so much fun writing about a ghost yesterday, I thought I'd try again today.  Where else can I place the ghost?  

The noise scares my dog.
She runs for her bed
then uses her paws
to cover her head.

    Can you write a poem today about something that might scare you?

The Ghost

There is a ghost in the bathroom
and he's not very nice.
He's stinky and noisy
and makes sounds like mice.

He rattles and moans
then leaves in a rush,
but first grabs the handle
and I hear him flush.


     This poem had me giggling.  Once I had that first line, I knew I was going to have fun writing this poem.  I actually like ending on the "sh" sound which lets the poem end in a whisper.  Can you write a poem today that features a line ending in a "sh" sound?  Have fun writing about your own ghost. Maybe she is in the kitchen eating the chocolate cake and leaving crumbs.

Today was the first day of school,
and now I'm tired.
But the new teacher they've hired
is nobody's fool.
She's assigned us homework
for this very first night--
that hardly seems right--
as my fried brain goes berserk.


     Goodness!  I must be too tired to think straight.  This poem really needs lots of help with the meter.  Hey, I thought I was doing OK just to get the rhyming pattern I wanted.  I bet your ear didn't hear the rhymes.  Look carefully and you'll see the weaving pattern of oblique rhymes that I used.  Can you write your own poem aobut the first day of school?

I'm sitting in the garden
for hours and hours
watching the blooming
of the flowers.

Some have 3 petals
some have four,
five or seven
and even more.

Some have leaves
with a central spine.
Some do not
and that is fine.

Some need sunshine.
Some need showers.
I'm sitting, watching
for hours and hours.


      When was the last time  you looked closely at a flower?  When was the last time you looked closely at the flowers' leaves?  My mother learned how to paint china dishes when she retired from teaching school.  One of the first things she gave to me from her painting was a jam jar and butter dish with strawberries she had painted. The strawberries were big and red with tiny yellow seeds on the sides.  The stems and tops were perfect, but there was something that wasn't quite right about it, and it took me a long time to figure out.  Mom had painted raspberry leaves on the strawberry vine.  I still treasure my hand-painted strawberry set, but it has gotten me to closely examine leaves.  As we approach fall this month and the leaves start to change colors, you might enjoy collecting your own leaves to examine and write poems about.  Happy Labor Day, have fun kicking back and gathering data for writing your own poems.

September 1, 2013

I want to remember
to wish you
a happy
September.

This is the month
with 30 remarkable days.
Let see if we can
be happy in 30 ways.

   Your challenge for today is to write your own poem about September.