A for ALOHA

A for ALOHA. 
The hello and good bye.  
The living breath 
of HA at the end
sending love.
One word will do.  
You don't need two
because no one ever 
really leaves us.
You are with me
Always
ALOHA.

  My friend Linda Anderson at A Writer's Playground is following a blog post challenge this month, writing about one letter of the alphabet each day in April.  She started with "A" but her list of A words didn't include my favorite ALOHA.  So I had to write a poem about that word.  Can you try writing your own "A" poem today?  Have fun exploring A words.

An aardvark ate an apple and was anxious all day.

BIRD TRILLS

Winter is coming.
The birds all trill.
Snowflakes will fall
to give us a thrill.

The geese all gather,
fly south through the sky.
Why do I feel sad to say,
"Good Bye?"

     Happy December, the last month of the year.  What is your favorite month?  Why?  Each month has something special about it. Can you write a poem today about your favorite month?  Have fun writing.

GOOD BYE DOVES

Doves sit on the courtyard wall
making their dove-y coo-y call.
Saying hello and good bye
before they fly 
into the blue, blue sky.

  The doves usually huddle on my back hurricane fence, but today they all sat on the wall in front of the house so I'd be sure to see them.  They didn't want to be missed.  Have you ever missed something?  What was it?  Can you write a poem today about something missed?  Have fun writing.

Cold turkey sandwiches are de-lish.
   The Poetry Friday Roundup is over at Carol's Corner.  Go here for links to more children's poetry.  Thanks Carol for hosting us.

JAVELINA

A javelina stood in the road today.
He didn't budge, as if to say,
"I hear that you are moving away.
I think I'd like for you to stay."

It was a while before he moved on,
he ambled off, and then was gone.
I didn't move, or even try.
I was sad when the javelina said,
"Good bye."

     Lately, it seems like the animals are coming out in force to give me wonderful memories of Arizona.  Do you really think they are giving me a special treat because I'm moving away?  Several times this week the phainopepla has perched at the top of the ocotillo to sing a symphony just for me.  I feel a little like that man who was trying to grow tulips for his spring garden party.  All winter long he'd go out to where the bulbs were planted.  He'd talk to the plants; he'd croon and whistle to them; he'd tell them how beautiful they would be.  When Spring came the bulbs didn't stick their pretty little heads up.   The man stepped up his efforts.  He gave them extra fertilizer.  The day before the garden party, still nothing.  By now the man was angry that all his time and efforts were for nothing.  He went out to the garden.  He stomped his feet.  He yelled and cursed.  He told the bulbs, "If you don't come up by tomorrow, I'm going to rip you out of the ground."
    The next day the man went back out to his garden ready to go to work digging the bulbs up, but to his amazement there were beautiful, richly colored tulips, all abloom just in time for the garden party.
   Now that I'm ready to move, all those animals I waited patiently to see are showing themselves to me.

   Can you write a poem today about something you have learned from observing?  Have fun.

I am thankful.  What do you give thanks for?

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.

HANDS

Instead of waving
Bye Bye or Hello

I learned how to
High Five

to Bump Knuckles
so I
Pound It

that 
EXPLODES

with a 
POW.

      This is a poem about nonverbal communication, or the gestures we use.  All nonverbal language is learned from the community we live in.  Can you think of other gestures you use to convey meaning to another person (or animal, because you use gestures with your dog, I bet?)  I have a niece who is deaf and she is constantly teaching me new words to say with my hands.  Can you write a poem today about a gesture, or better yet, can you say a poem by just using your hands?  Try the Teensy-weensy Spider.  Have a fun day.

GOOD BYE

Renee, Renee
what should you say
when you see a friend
walking away?

Well, of course
you'd say, Good Bye
for your good friend
you might even cry.


Can you try writing a Good Bye poem today?  How do you tell someone you are going to miss them?

Mr. Grasshopper

Mr. Grasshopper hopped,
                              hopped
                                 along his way.

He hopped,
         hopped by me
                  on my walk today.

He opened his wings

       And off he flew.

Good Bye, Mr. Grasshopper,

      And Good Bye to you.


      Did you meet someone today that you had to say good bye to?  Can you write your own poem about that?  Perhaps you'd like to try writing a Good Bye to Summer poem.