Welcome

This is my playground for poetry written for children with ideas and inspiration for writing your own poems. Come on in. Sit for a spell, have a cup of words to swirl around and make your own cup of poetry. I'm so glad you are here. I hope you'll find the Kingdom of Poetry a fun place to be.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

EDDIE

Easy Eddie
for his food pick,
likes to eat
Eggs Benedict.


     Happy last day of March.  Tomorrow is April Fools Day.  I wonder what wild tricks I can think to play.  Tomorrow also starts National Poetry Month.  It is a great time to celebrate poetry.  For your poetry challenge for today, can you write a poem about eggs?  Sunday is Easter.  Will you have an egg hunt?  Will you dye eggs?  Have fun writing.  And tell me about your celebration.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Having fun

I made banana bread yesterday with left over bananas.  This morning, as I was cutting a slice for breakfast, I was thinking about today's poem.  I came up with a couplet, and then I thought about other couplets, and I ended up with a game for myself.  Would you like to play too?

Little girl, her nickname is Red,
her favorite food is banana bread.

Little boy with eyes of blue,
his favorite food is Irish stew.

Basketball player with skinny legs,
his favorite food is scrambled eggs.

Granny Horton with skin like a snake,
her favorite food is carrot cake.

Gloria Jean, eyes with a gleam,
her favorite food is chocolate ice cream.

Silly Suzie loves to tell jokes,
her favorite food is artichokes.

Alice Ann won't tell a lie,
her favorite food is apple pie.

Bobby Bolton wears blue jeans,
his favorite food is Boston Baked Beans.

Charlie Carter, his hair is sandy,
eats a lot of hard rock candy. 

    OK, so can you see I'm starting to follow the alphabet?  Now it is your turn.  Take an initial from your name and see what you come up with.  Have fun writing couplets today.  If you want to play, leave your couplet in the comments.  Thanks.

     I'm off to find "J" foods, or I might slip into sports.

Joyful Joy stepped on a pin
when she hurled a javelin.

 Jone is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup, thanks Jone.  You can find more poetry here: http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=509905

Thursday, March 26, 2015

FINGER SNAPS

Snapping his fingers.
Dancing on toes.
He has music
wherever he goes.

     Can you snap your fingers?  I remember how I practiced for a long time trying to learn to do this.  You might have fun snapping your fingers as you read this poem.  What other noises can you make?  You can clap.  Can you whistle?  What different noises can you make for your own music?  Once you get a tune going, can you write a poem for your tune?  Have fun making music today.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

The moon is a bowl
dripping with scattered star dust
across the night sky.

   Did you see the moon last night?  It was a beauty.  The bowl shape always makes me think of the magic dripping out.  It was the perfect moon for making wishes.  What wish would you make?  Can you write a poem about your wishes?  My wish for you today is that you enjoy your writing practice.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

HARRY HOUDINI

Crouched
inside a safe,
inside a water tank
Harry Houdini
holds his breath
works his way out.

    Today is Harry Houdini's birthday.  He was a famous magician.  If you could have any magical power, what would it be?  Can you write a poem today about your power and what you would do with it?  Have fun thinking about magic.
   I wrote this poem as part of my friend Heidi Mordhorst's monthly challenge to write poems using words ending in CH.  Today's word is crouCH.  You can read more poems using CH words on her blog at www.myjuicylittleuniverse.blogspot.ca

Sunday, March 22, 2015

HAIKU

A Gila Woodpecker
sways and sips at the feeder
for the hummingbird

    Can you imagine a big, heavy woodpecker, swaying and dipping his long beak into the sweet water?  He is so much bigger than the tiny hummingbird, it almost seems unfair.  Like stealing food from a baby.  But my finches love it.  When the gila woodpecker flies off, they dart over and catch the drops on the bottom of the feeder that have splashed out in the swaying.  This is all part of the rich tapestry of life outside my office window.  What do you observe outside your window?  Can you write a poem about that?  Have fun observing.

T.N.T=TRY NEW THINGS

I'm dynamite.
I'm T.N.T.
I try new things
to find out what
will work
for me.

    Today's poem started because I was dreaming about dancing and I needed a rhyme for ballerina.  I ended up looking in five different rhyming dictionaries to try to find the words to rhyme.  Alas, I couldn't find what I was looking for. I will have to try another end rhyme.  But as often happens as I'm working hard, searching for just the right word, my sense of the ridiculous takes over.  I laugh at myself spending so much time on words.  This is what I came up with.  I probably should let it hatch a lot longer in a drawer (or a lost file on my computer.)

The Ballerina

I fell for a dancer from Argentina
Who loved to dance at the marina.
She ate semolina,
And tons of farina.
She was a whale of a ballerina.

   Can you try writing something new today?  Have fun trying new things.  As mothers the world over are known for saying, how do you know if you'll like something unless you try it.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

HAIKU

A train's long echo
whistles calling through the night
who else is awake


  This is a short little poem based on sound.  Can you try writing your own sound poem?  What does the hum from your computer remind you of? 

Thursday, March 19, 2015

I'm sneezing. I'm sneezing
in this strong breeze.
It's raising the pollen
and my allergies.

   What is something that makes you sneeze or gives you hiccups?  Can you write a poem about that today?  Have fun writing.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

DESERT RAIN

It's raining.  It's raining.
Wind is blowing.
A rainbow is coming.
Flowers are growing.
Yahoo!

  Spring is almost here.  Friday is officially the first day of Spring.  Can you write your own spring poem today?  Have fun writing.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

NATURE'S CELEBRATION

All day long
I've watched the weather change.
The clouds came up
then they rearranged.

The sun is gone.
The wind is blowing.
The birds are out,
with feathers glowing.

An orange oriole
flashes across the sky.
In the citrus tree
flits a butterfly.

Soon it may rain,
I'll wait to see.
This wonderful show
has all been free.

   I hope you have lots of green to look at today.  And to wonder about.  Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Can you include something green in the poem you write today?  Have fun.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Ides of March

I'm hiding here
behind this larch
trying to be safe
on the Ides of March.

    In ancient Rome, March was the first month of the new year and the Ides of March fell on the first full moon of the year.  There were religious ceremonies including the feast of Anna Perenna, goddess of the year. If you are feasting today, what foods will you eat?  Can you write a poem today about feasting?  Have fun.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

National Pi Day

Happy National Pi Day
a me-oh-my day,
full of numbers day,
a most mathematical day.
Oh, what do you say?
Give a cheer.
Hip-hip-hooray
for National Pi Day.

Friday, March 13, 2015

FRIDAY 13TH

It's Friday the 13th,
be careful;
don't step on any cracks.
It's Friday the 13th 
beware full
don't walk under
ladder stacks.

It's Friday the 13th
don't make the mistake
of dropping a mirror
or walking
in a black cat's wake.

It's Friday the 13th
what ever you do,
please stay safe
and have a fun time too.

     My son thinks Friday the 13th is his lucky day.  Good things always seem to happen to him on this date.  I think it is just because he likes Fridays.  What is your favorite day of the week?  Can you write your own poem about a day of the week?  What makes that day special for you?  Have fun writing your poem.

     The Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Laura Shovan today.  (Thanks for hosting us, Laura.)  You can find links to more great poetry at http://www.authoramok.blogspot.com
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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

BOGGLED

My mind is boggled.
I'm really a mess.
I don't know what's up.
I can't even guess.

   Listening to an interview on the radio this morning, I heard, it boggles the mind.  The boggled jumped out at me and I thought about flipping the phrase.  This is what I came up with.  What causes your mind to get all mixed up?  Can you write a poem about being mixed up today?  Have fun writing.

THE ELEPHANT


I saw an elephant
at the zoo.
His eyelashes were
long and black.

I thought I saw
him wink at me
so I smiled
and I
winked back.


    What are some other animals you might see in the zoo?  Can you write your own poem about a zoo animal?  Have fun writing.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

SPRING

Spring is coming.
I can tell.
The quail have started
to screech and yell.

Cane flies are 
at my window today
and the little cactus wren
calls me to come play.

My fence roses are blooming
in yellow and white,
spring in the desert
is a beautiful sight.

     I hope it is starting to feel like spring where you live.  I've had a vase of daffodils on my kitchen table this week.  The coyotes have been particularly noisy howling at one another on my morning walks.  And, there are four planets visible in the night sky.  Our daytime temperatures are in the 80's.  Lovely weather, except for the wind, and that just moves the clouds around making interesting shapes of them.  Everything is good.  Can you try writing a poem about something good in your life?  Have fun being grateful and writing.

Monday, March 9, 2015

DAYLIGHT MOON



Daylight moon
shining bright and round.
What has caused you 
to hang around?

In the sky
above the trees,
I wonder what
the moon sees.

     On this evening 36 years ago I was up late nursing my baby. I looked up at that night's full moon and suddenly it hit me, the moon I was looking at was the same one  Joan of Arc, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Martha Washington, or Sojourner Truth saw.  Can Grande Della Scala (a military leader in Verona), Amerigo Vespucci, Leland Staford, and Mickey Spillane, all of whom were born on this day, saw the same moon we'll be able to see tonight.  So, often when I look at the moon now, I wonder what it could tell us about all the things the moon has seen.  Perhaps you'll be inspired to write a poem about what the moon sees.

I see the moon.
The moon sees me.
I wonder what
he thinks of me.

MARCH 8, 2015

broom sedge seeds unhitch
from their whiskery branches
floating in the breeze

   Heidi Mordhorst has a list of words ending in CH that she has challenged us to write poems using a daily word.  The word for Monday is "unhitched."  I enjoyed the thought of seeds becoming unattached from their branches.  We have three large broom sedge bushes along our fence and they constantly shed seeds that float through the air and make me sneeze.  You can find out about Heidi's poetry challenge on her blog MY JUICY LITTLE UNIVERSE.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Saturday, March 7, 2015

small green gecko
sits in the sun
changing spots

Some days I feel like my blog is a big monster taking bites out of me.  Each day it eats a little more.  This is a sign I need to do more taking in than giving out.  It is a signal I need to do more reading for a while and less writing.  If I don't do this, I find my writing becomes stale and I feel uninspired.  So your prompt for today is to find a favorite poetry book and spend some time reading poetry, or find a biography about a poet.  Enjoy having a reading day.

Friday, March 6, 2015

CLOUD RODEO

Lying on the hill
watching the clouds go.
I'm stretched into spring
at a cloud rodeo.

I see a white horse
become a bronco.
A cloud in the west
is a Plains buffalo.

Wonder who will win.
I watch the clouds flow--
sheep, fox or turtle
at this cloud rodeo.


   I think I'm still stuck on clouds today.  It is a perfect day for watching cloud as the winds pick up in the east.  Can you write your own poem today about a cloud shape you see?  Have fun writing. 

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Jump Rope Rhyme

My friend Heidi Mordhorst has been hosting a fun challenge on her blog My Juicy Little Universe this month.  Every weekday during March she has a different word ending in "CH" for us to write poems with.  Today's word was punch.





Ice cream soda,
Delaware punch,
will you be
my honey bunch?

If you love me
here's what to do
we'll jump together
one and two.

   Can you try writing your own jump rope rhyme today?  Have fun.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

CLOUD RIDER

I'm a cloud rider,
how about you?
I move the clouds
across the blue.

I change their shapes
as I hustle clouds along.
I push the clouds up,
to where they belong.

When weather is bad
clouds buck like a bronco
but I hold on tight
I'm the cloud riding head honcho.

   If you could take a ride on a cloud, where would you go?  What would you do?  What do you think it would feel like?  Can you write your own cloud poem today?  Have fun.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

It rained today,
I say hooray.
The desert flowers bloom.

The cactus grow,
what do you know?
Saguaro blossoms coming soon.

   Spring is definitely coming to the desert.  Desert marigolds are blooming.  My daffodils have yellow trumpets.  I've seen two snakes this last week--a rattler and a corn snake.  The birds are doing their springtime behavior.  There was half an egg shell in the pool today.  Is spring coming your way?  I hope so.  Can you try writing your own spring poem today?  Have fun writing. 

Monday, March 2, 2015

A Letter Poem

Dear C.P.A.,
I'm sending you these faxes.
I don't know what to say.
Please help me with my taxes.

Yours truly,
I. O. Plenty


   I wasn't happy with rhyming practice with taxes on Saturday's poem, as I played with the problem on my walk, this is what I came up with.

  The poem I worked on last night while I was sleeping had to do with fish swimming in the aquarium.

See my fish in the aquarium,
swimming like fish do?
Can you count them
one and two?

Oops, made a mistake,
there is Three
hiding in the shrubbery.

Oh no!  
There is more.
Can you see number Four?

Oh dear, there's Five and Six,
Seven and Eight.
They are swimming quickly.
They don't hesitate.

Oh my,
Nine and Ten,
here they go again,
a whole school of fish
swimming by
in my aquarium.

     Have you ever tried to count fish?  They move so quickly and if there are more than a few fish to count, you can easily loose your place and count some twice or not at all.  Now here is a tough question.  What was the last thing you counted?  Money into your bank, socks to be folded, silverware for the table?  Can you write a poem about something you might count today?  Have fun writing. 

Sunday, March 1, 2015

THAT TIME OF YEAR

Mama scowls.
Daddy growls.
I do not like this practice.
I ask them what the matter is--
they're doing income taxes.


     Guess what I've been doing today?  Actually, writing this poem is a fun break.  But, I did have to do some research for this poem.  For the life of me I couldn't think of a word to rhyme with taxes.  If you have a better word to rhyme with taxes, please send it along to me.  I did learn a new word in my searching--hackmatack, which is a kind of elm tree, or a juniper.  It is an Algonquin word.  I came across another word that I have seen before, but it isn't in my vocabulary--gimcrack--something of little value, a geegaw.  You might say this is a gimcrack poem.  What do you think?
    Do you pay taxes?  What are taxes used for?  Can you try writing a poem today about taxes?  Have fun writing.

A LITTLE MONSTER

I have a little monster
who is helpful as can be.
Every where I travel
He is sure to follow me.

When I pick up my toys
and put them on the shelf,
he will always knock them off,
the helpful impish elf.

And when I tidy dresser drawers
before I push them in,
he strews the contents all around
and leaves them out again.

He steals homework from my backpack.
He pulls hangars from the closet rack.
He knocks down towers that I stack
I wish he'd leave and not come back.

This thug, this thief, this gangster,
my impish elfish, monster prankster.