Define Happy

Happy as a
peanut,
an acorn,
a hummingbird,

a grain of sugar
joined with others
spun in heat
to become
cotton candy.

I can't think
of anything happier
than a paper cone
filled with candy floss.


    Your poetry challenge for today is to craft your own definition.  Select a word and then write your list poem.  Have fun writing.

POEMS LIKE A RIVER

Write like the river.
Let your words flow.
Where it will take you
you may not know.

It might be to fantasy
or could be sci-fi.
Words create reality, 
so give it a try.

Let poems drift
out of you pen,
and then when you're done
start over again.

   Happy Poetry Friday!  You poetry challenge for today is to try free writing a poem.  If you get stuck try sitting quietly and making a list of all the things you hear.  Then can you shape that list into a poem? Have fun writing.

     I'm travelling and having some problems posting from my iPad.  I'll post this poem for now and will fix it later.  Boy, is this frustrating.

CREATIVITY

Turtle woman watches
space upon space
providing room
for her stories.
Like the garden she tends
her words grow.
A profusion of peonies blooms.


   Who is Turtle Woman?  What does she look like?  What story does she have to tell you?  Is there a Wolf Man?  Can you write a poem about his story?  Have fun writing.  

THE TURTLE WINS

Slow, slow,
Don't go.
Ease up
on the gas.
Don't go so fast.
Find a hammock.
Take a rest.
Sometimes,
going slow 
is best.

    In the fable of the tortoise and the hare, it is the slow and steady tortoise who wins the race.  Your poetry challenge for today is to write a poem about stopping to smell the roses.  Have fun writing.

HURRYING RIGHT ALONG

Hurry, Hurry,
Rush, Rush
Hustle, Hustle
Quick, Quick
Speed along, Speed along,
Now, Now
Faster, Faster
Pronto, Pronto
Sometimes
I'm moving so fast
I barely avoid
disaster.


    Try reading this poem as fast as you can.  Can you say it so fast and not  stumble or stutter?  Now for fun, can you write the companion poem about poking along?  Have fun writing.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

Happy Memorial Day.

Thanks to all the veterans

who fought to keep us free.

Today we'll remember folks

who fought for you and me.

    Do you have any special plans for this holiday?  Can you write a poem about one of the things you are doing today?  (It can even be a poem about writing a poem, and that is called an ars poetica.)

DISAPPEARING ACT

Slowly, I am starting to disappear.

I'm getting smaller every day.

I've lost my fingers and my toes, my dear.

Soon all you'll see, is a sun ray.

If you could disappear like Harry Potter with an invisibility cloak, what would you do? Can you write a poem about that today?

   So sorry I'm late, I had internet problems.  But it looks like I've got that fixed now so we should get back on track shortly.  In the meantime--Write On!  Keep the passion for poetry alive.

MY DOG

Bark,
BARK!
My dog
likes to bark.
Round and round she turns
then settles on the rug to sleep.


     Today's poem is a FIB--a poem based on Fibonacci’s number.  Try writing your own FIB today.

haiku

red and green lights flash
on the helicopter--
a hawk flies circles


   Sorry I'm so late today.  It has been really busy.  Can you try writing your own haiku based on something you see? 
    There is supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, perhaps that will be a great subject for you.

A dove
sits up on high
in the old Saguaro
watching doves alit on the fence
below.

Two quails
followed by two 
more quails bobbling along
pacing on the scrubby desert 
running

And then
a fat lizard
races across concrete
in the early morning hot winds
well fed.


      When I woke this morning, quite a production was going on outside my window.  There was even a hummingbird whirring past.  I felt privileged be a part of all the nature in my backyard.  What is going on in your back yard?  Can you write a cinquain about it.

THE MOOSE

copyright 2014, Clo Ann Smith, used with permission

There is a moose
on the loose
rampaging through our town.
He is standing
in the elevator
riding up and down.

    This is a silly nonsense verse.  I got to thinking about an Albatross playing Lacrosse, a Bear in a chair, a Crocodile with a smile, etc. this morning.  Can you have fun writing your own nonsense verse today?  Pick an animal and do something crazy.

Rabbit hops
in the garden,
pauses to nibble
the new plant greens.
Rabbit dashes
across the patio,
hoping he
won't be seen.

     My rabbit has a very busy life.  He is always moving quickly.  If I don't pause to watch him, I miss seeing him.  When you look outside your window, what do you see?  Can you write a poem about the view from your window?

Friends

 

copyright 2014, Joy Acey

My friends come in many sizes
and every shape and hue.
I do not judge them by how they look
but by the things they do.

    Who is your best friend?  What does he/she look like?  What things does this person do to let you know they are your friend?  What do you and your friend do together?  Can you write a poem about this?  Have fun writing.

May 18, 2014

Copyright 2014, Joy Acey

Sailing
on a river of dreams
the words float by



     Can you find a picture in today's newspaper, or a magazine to write your poem for today.  Have fun writing.

TRAVELING

You can travel by car
or travel by plane.
You can go by boat,
or go by train.
But wherever you travel,
and what ever you do
take me along so I
can stay close to you.


     Here is the question for today--what is your favorite way to travel?  Can you write a poem about that today?  Personally, I really like going on the back of a flying frog.

GONE FISHING

Down by the quick running brook
there's a young lad with a special look.
He's got his fishing pole
and a sparkle in his eye.
And he'll tell you
he is the guy
who will catch
the big one, today
from this fishing hole.


      I'm starting to feel like baseball and fishing.  What is your favorite thing to do during summer vacation?  Can you write a poem about that today?  I hope you have the opportunity to go fishing soon.

     Elizabeth Steinglass is hosting THE POETRY FRIDAY round up today on her blog.  Drop a line over at her fishing hole if you want to catch more fun poetry.  Thanks Elizabeth for hosting this week.

CACTUS WREN CINQUAIN

Poking 
from a dark hole
in the old saguaro
a new-born cactus wren calling
for food.

    Today's poem is a cinquain-- a five line poem with two, four, six, eight and two syllables in the respective lines.  Can you try writing your own cinquain today?  Have fun.

LET ME BE

I want to be the girl
you say has moxie and grit,
one with pith and patience
and stamina to stick to it.

I want to be the girl
with pluck, spunk and persistence;
to be remembered for backbone,
toughness and my endurance.

I want to be the girl with gumption,
chutzpah, dash, and bravado.
Let me be the touchwood,
the amadou, to help poetry flames grow.

     There are a lot of descriptive adjectives in this poem.  What words might you use to describe yourself?  Can you write a poem that uses the words you'd like to hear someone use to refer to you?  Have fun writing.  You might want to use a thesaurus or synonym finder dictionary for writing this poem.

GROWING UP

I started out very small
and grew to be sorta tall.

But it seems, the more I grew,
that it was, the less I knew.

And though I guess, it must be real,
the more I know, the smaller I feel.


     What is something that makes you feel great?  What is something that makes you feel small?  Can you try writing a poem about that today?  Have fun considering this poetry prompt.

haiku

purple blossoms dance
in the hot, dry desert winds
more and more dust blows

     I don't know why, but it seems like the desert winds have been blowing for the last month.  Yesterday when I was out there was so much dust in the air I couldn't see the Santa Catalina Mountains in the distance.  Think about dust for a moment.  What does it mean in your life?  Is it the motes that float on sunbeams?  Is it a magic for faeries?  Or is it just the plain old dust that leaves dirt on table tops?  You guessed it, today's poetry prompt is to write a poem about dust.  Have fun writing.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Guess Who

Who always makes me
feel like a star?
Who drives me around
in the family car?

Who cooks for me
and packs my lunch?
I love this person
a whole big bunch.

Who changes the sheets
on my bed?
And cuts the hair
upon my head?

Who helps me with
my school homework
and keeps me from being
too big a jerk?

Who puts the bandages
on my scraped knees?
And at bedtime
reads to me?

Who never forgets Christmas
or my birthday?
You're really terrific,
what can I say?

I love you, Mom.
You're lots of fun.
I'll always be
your loving son.



    I hope you have a great Mother's Day.  What fun things have you got planned for today?  Can you make a list of the things your mom, or someone else does for you?  Perhaps it is a friend, your dog, the school librarian, your grandma, or a teacher.  Then try writing your own GUESS WHO poem to say thank you to that person. In England they don't celebrate Mother's Day on the same Sunday that we do here in the United States, and they call it Mothering Sunday to honor all the folks who do the job of mothering others.  This would include day care workers, nurses, grand-parents, aunts and uncles, too.  Have fun writing your poem.

Nonet

Half moon light shines on the Saguaro
casting dark shadows in the sand.
Their arms stretch up offering
blessings to the desert,
praise to the cool night.
I, in my bed,
am wishing
it were
me.

   Yesterday I said I was working on nine line poems and shared two lai with you.  Today I have another syllabic poem--the nonet.  This poetic form has nine lines and nine syllables in the first line, eight in the second and each subsequent line has one less syllable until the last line has only one syllable.  Finding a suitable one syllable word to end the poem on is the tricky part of this form.
Your challenge for today is to try writing your own nine line poem.  Have fun writing.

MAY 9

A Lai

Bobbing the fence rail
are two feathered quail--
mistake.

Along that same trail
flicks his rattle-tail,
a snake.

His meal, it will fail
as up the birds sail--
heart-ache.


     I thought for May 9, I'd try a couple of nine line poems.  The first is the French form, the lai.  This form uses two rhyme families.  A syllabic form, there are five syllables for the first two lines using one rhyme, followed by two syllable lines for the second rhyme.  So, the lines look like:

x x x x a
x x x x a
x b

x x x x a
x x x x a
x b

x x x x a
x x x x a
x b

  It is fun working with the long and short lines, but it does make the poem list-like with that really short two syllable line.

Here's another:

Once you may recall
when we were still small
we'd play
at chasing a ball.
You'd try not to fall
each day
and sometimes we'd crawl
or we would stretch tall
in May.

   Another nine line poem is the nonet.  The first line has nine syllables, the second eight, with each successive line having one less syllable until the ninth line has only one syllable.  This takes some planning because you have to end on a single syllable word.   I'm working on a nonet for tomorrow.

   But May 10th is Astronomy Day, so I might write about the moon.  And it is also National Public Gardens Day, so I might make my poem about the garden.  What will you write about today?  Can you try writing a lai or a nonet?  Have fun writing.

   The Poetry Friday Round Up is hosted by Jama Rattigan on her blog Alphabet Soup.  Head over to Jama's Alphabet Soup to read more poetry today.  Thank you, Jama for hosting a fun party.

Let's Be Pals

Won't you please
come for tea?
Bring you doll,
arrive at three.

We'll sit and talk,
have a good time.
I'd like you to be
a friend of mine.

We can eat cake,
us two gals.
I hope we'll become
the best of pals.

      What things do you do when you are trying to make a new friend?  Can you write a poem about your friends, making friends, or how to be a friend, today?  Have fun writing.  

Baby Eats

Baby eats her O's.
Baby eats her mush.
As she eats she throws
it on the rest of us.

     Hey, it is Wednesday, hump day.  Your work week is half over.  I hope you are having a great week.  I certainly am.
     Besides eating and wearing, what are some other things you can do with food?  Think about it for a moment.  Now can you write a poem about that?  Surprise me.  For that matter, did you surprise yourself?  Have fun with your poetry writing.  Enjoy.
    Thank you for stopping by and reading my little poem for today.

Baby Is Eating Carrots

Carrots on my face.
Carrots in my tummy.
Carrots are so
yummy,
      Yummy,
             YUMMY!



    I'm back to writing baby poems again.  What are some of the silly rhymes and chants you know that parents play with to help baby eat?  Can you write your own chant today?  Have you ever seen an adult play like the spoon was an airplane coming in for a landing in baby's mouth?  Have fun writing.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

On Cinco de Mayo
mi familia has a fiesta.
We sing and dance
and eat lots of food.
Tia Margarita brings tamales,
Tia Anna brings the enchiladas.
Mama and I and my sisters
make the tacos and burritos.
My papa plays his guitar.
Tio brings a piñata.
All the children
take turns swinging the bat
to hit the piñata
and to grab the dulces 
that come flying out.
I hope your Cinco de Mayo
is a sweet as ours.


    Today's poem is a free verse poem.  I've used several Spanish words in the poem.  Can you find them?  Your challenge for today is to write a poem using a word from another language.  Have fun writing.

Never Ending Poem

Pancakes for breakfast,
pancakes for lunch,
I like pancakes
a bunch,
      Bunch
          BUNCH!


     Now, you might ask, why did I title this a Never Ending Poem?  Because it can have almost unlimited stanzas if you want to play a poetry game.  Each person can add a stanza but first must repeat all the previous stanzas.

Pineapple for breakfast,
pineapple for lunch,
I like pineapple
a bunch,
      Bunch
          BUNCH!

 Think of all the foods you could put into stanzas for this poem.  Or someone could name a topic like citrus fruits, flowers, trees, shoes.  The first person's stanza would have the topic word and then everyone playing could supply an example for the next stanzas.
  This could also work as a jump rope rhyme and everyone who comes in has to add a verse.  Then 

Too many pancakes for lunch,
Too many pancakes for dinner,
I jump rope
to get 
    thinner,
        Thinner,
             THINNER!
  
   You are welcome to leave your verses in the comments.  I hope you are having a good day writing. Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo.  What will you do to celebrate?  Will you write a poem about that?

haiku abude

Saturday morning
rooster crows to raise the sun
sad to say farewell

   Today's haiku is an aubade.  A morning poem.  Can you write your own poem to praise the morning?
   Another special occasion poem is the epithalamium, a poem written on the occasion of someone's wedding.  Do you have a special occasion coming up--Mother's Day, a birthday, last day of school, teacher appreciation day.  If you wrote a poem for the person you want to honor, that would be an occasional poem.  Try writing an occasional poem for your mom on the occasion of Mother's Day.  Have fun.

haiku

Polite dragon sleeps
at the top of the mountain
clouds caught in a lei

Many plumeria trees
are blooming.
You can smell them.

       Here are two form poems for today.  Can you try writing your own form poem today? 

Aloha

Today is the first of May
I wish you a Happy Lei Day
It's May Day
I hope is is a sun day
I hope it is a fun day
for you.
Happy first of May.



     So did you remember to turn around three time this morning and say, "Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit," to have a lucky month?  What are some other things you do for good luck?  Can you write a poem about luck today?