HIPPOPOTAMUS

Joy Acey, 2014

copyright, 2014, Joy Acey

Hippo, hippo, hippopotami

down by the river acting shy.

You can hear them

grunt and groan

as they go splashing by.

Hippo, hippo, hippopotami.

I wrote this poem because I like saying hippopotami.  Are there any words you like the feel of in your mouth and the sound in your ear?  Can you write a poem today with words that you like--bubble gum, buffalo, beautiful, caramel?  Those are a few of mine.  Today is a great day for making a list of words your mouth likes.  (Why do so many of my favorites relate to food?)

Have a super-dee-dooper day writing a poem.

November 29, 2014

haiku

Maasai Giraffe eats

Umbrella Acacia leaves

stretches his long tongue

Did you know there are three kinds of giraffes? Reticulated, Rothschilds and Maasai. Each one has a different coat pattern. All are very tall. They each have a different habitat. Their long black tonguew can be 18 inches long to reach out and grasp leaves.

Learning about animals can be fun. Can you select an animal to write a poem about today? Enjoy your writing.

Maasai Giraffe, copyright 2014 Joy Acey

Haiku

The wart hogs gather
Around the watering hole
To wait, watch, then drink

THANKSGIVING BLESSING

May you have a fruitful fall,
May your turkey be a butterball.
May the pies all be golden brown.
May friends and family gather round.
May the food be plentiful and the complaints be few.
This is my Thanksgiving wish for you.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

THE ANIMALS GIVE THANKS

Thanks said the elephant
eating his grass.
Thanks said the rhino
as he wandered past.

Thanks said the giraffe
munching on leaves.
Thanks said the monkey
swinging through trees.

Thanks said the lion
as he strolled on his way.
We're glad we're not turkeys
on Thanksgiving Day.


    I hope you have a great Thanksgiving with lots to be thankful for.  Can you write a poem for a friend today?  Have fun writing.

Mr. T. Speaks V

"Gobble, gobble,"
said Mr. Turkey.
                           "If I color myself gray
                            to look like an elephant
                             maybe you'll go away."

What other colors could a turkey be?  What else can he do to get away?  Have fun writing your own poem today.

November 24, 2014

Mr. T. Speaks IV

"Goggle. Gobble,"
said Mr. Turkey,
                            "I'll stay out 
                            in all kinds of weathers
                            if you'll let me 
                            keep my feathers."


Sorry this is late, I didn't have internet connection yesterday.  Are you getting ready for the holiday?  What are you doing?  Can you write a poem about that?

Mr. T. Speaks III

I'm still working in two voices.

"Gobble! Gobble!"
Said Mr. Turkey,
                             walking in his turkey trot.
"Gobble! Gobble!"
Said Mr. Turkey,
                            "Please don't serve me hot."


And here is the next for the counting rhyme.

On the third of November
Mr. Turkey said,
"If I color myself green
and crawl like a gator,
maybe you won't see me,
till much, much later."

   There aren't too many more days until you get to eat your turkey.  What will you eat for Thanksgiving Day?  Have fun writing a food poem today.

Mr. T. Speaks II

I had so much fun thinking about a talking turkey yesterday that Mr. Turkey had to have something today too.  This is still in two voices.

"Gobble! Gobble!"
Said Mr. Turkey,
                              trying to make himself thinner .
"Gobble! Gobble!"
Said Mr. Turkey.
                             "I don't want to be Thanksgiving dinner."



  And since I started the counting yesterday let's see if I can keep it going today.

On the second of November
Mr. Turkey ran off in a trot.
He cried, "It's almost Thanksgiving,
and I just forgot."

   Can you find some time to write your own poem of Thanksgiving today?  Have fun writing your poem.

Mr. T. Speaks

This is a poem for two voices.

"Gobble! Gobble!"
Said Mr. Turkey.
                              "I'm running to get away."
"Gobble! Gobble!"
Said Mr. Turkey.
                              "It's almost Thanksgiving Day."



     If you could talk to Mr. Turkey what do you think he'd say?  What would he do?  Where would he go?
(I have it on good authority a lot of turkeys go to Florida for the holiday.)  Can you write the next verse, about what Mr. Turkey would say?
     Oh, I can see this developing as a counting picture book.
      On the first of November
Mr. Turkey said,
       "I think I will dye
        all my feathers red,
        then folks will think
         I'm a boa instead."

    Have fun writing your own poem today.

Becky Shillington is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today.  You can find links to lots more children's poetry on her blog Tapestry of Words at http://www.beckyshillington.blogspot.com
Thanks for hosting us today, Becky.

Linked Haiku

Golden brown turkey
on Grandma's shining china--
family gives thanks

Grandpa is missing
his spirit is with us all
giving his blessing


     Have you ever tried writing linked haiku?  You can write a verse and another and put them together to tell a story, or you can write with friends.  You write a verse and then a friend can write a haiku to go with your verse.  Have fun trying to write linked haiku today.

haiku

Scent of roast turkey
filling my grandmother's home
my stomach growling

haiku

Red cranberry sauce
sweet and tart--a bitter taste
another year gone

   What kind of cranberry sauce will you have this year?  Will it be the same as last year or different?  What other foods will be on your Thanksgiving table?

Thanksgiving Cinquain

Turkey
for Thanksgiving
roasted a golden brown,
family and friends gather to
give thanks.


   I had trouble with the eight syllable line.  I kept counting family as two syllables on one count then three in the next.  I finally had to look up the proper pronunciation of family.  Simple, right?  But, it just goes to show you, it never hurts to double check on syllabic forms.  The cinquain has two syllables in the first line, four, six, eight, and two syllables in the next lines, making a five line poem.  Can you try writing your own cinquain today?  Have fun writing.

LITTLE RED WAGON

A turkey with
his foot a dragging
is pushing along
his little red wagon.

He is riding fast
it is clear
he's trying to get
out of here.


    Thanks to my sister Clo Ann Smith who suggested I write about a turkey and a little red wagon today.  This one is for you, Sis.  I'd ask where you get your ideas from, but I know it is our weird family.  Now can you draw a picture to go with the poem?
   When my boys were young we had a little red wagon we took with us every where.  It worked better than a stroller.  I can remember when my son was five, I would pick him up from school and he would ride the wagon home from school.  One day I was showing him how to careen down the hill in the wagon and I tipped the wagon over.  He wasn't hurt because my body was wrapped around him, but I got some great scrapes on my leg, thigh and bum.  I felt rather foolish explaining to friends how I had hurt myself, but I was proud of my battle scars.  My poor kids had a terror for a mother.
     If you had a little red scooter, who would ride it?  Where would it go?  What would you see?  Can you write a poem about this today?  Have fun.  Enjoy.

Ars Poetica

Many doors,
many handles
How would you like
to enter this poem?
Shall you tiptoe
into the darkness
or skip flittingly
into streaming sunshine?
Which bird would you like
to be?
To lift yourself 
over the wooden sill
out through the window
into the world?

   I haven't been feeling terribly creative lately.  So, I've been mining my journals for things I've written and haven't done anything with in the past. This poem is something I wrote in 2006 in response to a lecture given by Jim Clark on the ghazal.  I also have a note, "I am so very excited.  I got to hear a young girl read one of my poems to her mother and giggle.  It was wonderful to hear her laughter....One should celebrate laughter and this is a wonderful first."
   Your poetry prompt for today is to write a poem about a "first" for you.  Enjoy your writing.
   Thank you for reading my poems.

November 14, 2014

THE SNAKE

One foot,
two feet,
the snake
has no feet.

He can only
slip and slide
over the ground
in a quick glide.

Oh, pity the snake
he has not feet
to set a beat
for poetry.

    It is your free choice what to write today.  Write the poem you have always wanted to write.  Write for fun.  Write to tell a story.  Write about something you learned.  Just have fun writing.  Enjoy your creation.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Gobble, gobble, Mr. Tom Turkey
strutting around the grassy yard.
Scratching grubs up from the dirt
he is growing big and fat.
We will pluck and dress him,
cook in the oven
for Thanksgiving
delicious
turkey
feast.

     This is a nonet, a nine line poem with nine syllables in the first line and then one less syllable in each successive line, ending with a one syllable line.  Can you try writing your own nonet today?  Have fun writing.

   

THANKSGIVING ZENO

Many things I am thankful for
my dear mother 
and my
dad.

And my brothers
make me
glad.

For the turkey
I feel
sad.

   This poem is a zeno, a form developed by former children's poet laureate J. Patrick Lewis.  It is a ten line poem with 8 syllables in the first line, then 4,2,1 in the next three lines. And those 4,2,1 syllable lines are repeated two more times.  Lines 4, 7, and 10 all rhyme.  Can you try writing your own Thanksgiving zeno today?  Have fun writing.

haiku

 

Running cedar creeps

in between fallen birch leaves

below a mole hides

haiku

As the sun dips red
with orange and pink, I stop
to breathe a thank you

     I have a friend who has the practice of stopping every evening just as the sun is setting to meditate on the blessings the day has provided.  This is something I want to try.  To say thank you for each day and for the people who have helped me along the way.  To say thank you for all the discoveries I have made each day.
     So this haiku is for you.  THANK YOU.  Thanks for stopping by, thanks for reading my poems and thank you for all the ideas and suggestions you have shared with me.  You are a blessing in my life.
    Have you noticed I don't really give titles to my haiku?  Haiku don't have titles, so I just label mine with the form.  Can you try writing a haiku about your sunrise or sun set?

haiku

irritating sand
oyster works to soothe the hurt--
a pearl develops

    I've been thinking about how it is the irritations that help develop my creativity.  When I'm the most frustrated is when I work the hardest to find a good solution.  It is the bright sunshine that balances those dark moments.  So your poetry challenge for today is to write a poem about something that frustrates, hurts, disturbs you.  Have fun digging deep.

haiku

warm desert sunshine
on the fence a butterfly
my heart a flutter

    It is a beautiful day today.  The birds are having a gathering at my feeder.  The wind has settled to a gentle breeze.  I'm thankful for this day and thankful you have stopped by to read my poem.  Can you write your own haiku today?  Have fun writing.

MY DOG

My dog at 17,
he's always sweet.
He is never mean.

My dog is a bore,
he dribbles his food
on the floor.

My dog is so dumb,
he stands still
when I yell COME.

My dog is a fool,
on the floor
he likes to drool.

My dog practically shouts,
every five minutes
he wants to go out.

My dog is a creep,
all he does is
sleep, sleep, sleep.

My dog is a grouch,
his favorite bed
is my couch.

My dog is very rude,
he stands at his dish
to gulp his food.

My dog chews
on the phone
like it is
his tasty bone.

My dog still wants
a hug
after he piddles
on the rug.

With all these faults
my dog has got
I love the rascal
quite a lot.

     When a poet repeats a line or phrase in a poem, this poetic technique is called anaphora. Do you see how I've started most of the stanzas with the phrase My Dog is?  As I was writing this poem I kept thinking about the Yo Mama jokes that were popular.  So can you pick a pet--a dog, a cat, a bird, a goldfish--and use anaphora to write several couplets about your pet.  Have fun writing.
    It is Friday and today's Poetry Round Up is hosted by Diane Mayr at her blog Random Noodling.  Just click on the link for more poetry fun today.  Thanks Diane for hosting us all.

   Teaching Authors has a copy of Writers Digest 2015 Children's Writers and Illustrators Market they are giving away at http://www.teachingauthors.com/

Whip Cream

Mix the cream.
Stir the cream.
Beat it till it's high.
Spoon it on the pumpkin
for Thanksgiving pie.

    Does your family have special foods they eat for Thanksgiving?  Can you write a cooking poem today that tells how to make  your favorite food?

    Our wind is still blowing and today I noticed that the wind made the top feathers on the quail bob even more than usual as the birds walked past my window.  I know there is a poem in there, but it needs to percolate.  What is one thing you have noticed today?  Have fun writing.

Unchain the Wind

Wind blows in a whirl
making branches dip
making leaves flutter 
and twirl.

Blowing leaves skyward
before they dance down
like snowflakes twirling
toward the ground.

With leaves crunching
under my feet,
autumn is the season
I love to greet.

    It is definitely starting to feel like fall.  This morning I put a sweater on for my walk.  All day I've been watching the wind blow and the branches on my citrus trees bob up and down.  What is autumn like in your part of the world?  Can you write your own autumn poem today?  Have fun writing.

Turkey's Lament

Hurry, hurry,
keep up the pace.
Quick, quick, quick,
find me a place.

Make it safe,
a hidden winner.
I dont want to be
your Thanksgiving dinner.

    Do you know what a lament is?  It is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.  Why do you think a turkey would be sad at this time of year? So here is your poetry prompt for today--can you write a list poem about all the places a turkey might hide?  Go ahead, be silly.  You might put the turkey in the bath tub.  In Uncle Charlie's tennis sweater to impersonate him.  How about in your brother's basketball hoop?  This could be fun.  I hope you have a good time writing your poem.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Shadow Puppets

Cloud shadows
dance over the foothills
turning the landscape
into a puppet play.

    Have you ever made shadow puppets?  Did you make a barking dog?  A bat?  A goose with a long neck?  Try using a light source and make a hand puppet.  Can you write a persona poem from the voice of your shadow?  What would it tell us?  Have fun writing.

MY DOG

Asleep by my bed
my dog is a lump,
but if I wake him,
he is a grump.

haiku

ribbon clouds draping

in and out over the moon--

a curtain rises