Rooster

Big rooster,
cock-of-the-walk
wakes me each morning
with his chicken talk.
His crow is loud
and very deep
when all I want
is to sleep 
          and sleep!

   This rooster is going to be named soon.  He comes around at 5 each morning to say hello.  Either he's getting named, or I'm finding a chicken pot.
Then I can curse him by name, which is much more satisfying.
   There is a Kauai joke.  How do you cook a Kauai chicken?  You put it and a lava rock in a pot with water.  Cook it until the lava melts, skim out the rock and cook the chicken for two more hours, then the chicken might be tender enough to eat. Kauai chickens are tough old birds.
   Do you know a chicken joke?
   When I was in China, we went to a restaurant in Peking, I think it was called Peking Duck.  We had a seven course meal that featured duck in every course.  So I've been thinking about Kauai chicken as a seven course meal with cold chicken consume, shredded chicken tacos with cabbage and pineapple, devilled eggs, roast chicken, barbecue chicken and sweet and sour chicken.  What is your favorite way to eat chicken?  Maybe you can try writing a list poem today about eating chicken.  Have fun writing.

SURPRISES

Sometimes I surprise myself
with the things I do.
I can use a screw driver
and an electric drill too,
I can paint my room
and turn it blue
and get 100
on my spelling test too.
I can ride my bike 
for a mile or two.
I can do so many things.
How about you?
Do you some times
surprise yourself too?

   Living in a new place, I'm having lots of new experiences.  I AM surprising myself. It is fun when there is something I'm not sure I can do and then I discover that I can and I did.  For your poetry challenge for today, can you write a list poem about all the things you can do?  Can you swim? Can you dance? Can you make a pie? Are you a good big sister?  Can you read a book?  Can you make toast?  Just think of all the wonderful things you are capable of doing? Have fun writing your poem.

   There are some poets who don't mince their words--they chew them.  Jean L'Anselme

LOVE POEM

I don't know why
a caterpillar turns
into a butterfly.

Or why the black comma
of a polliwog
turns into a frog.

All I know
is beauty can come, unexpectedly,
from the most unusual places
like love.

Which is why
I'm writing
this poem
for you. 

   I don't know why, but love poems are hard for me to write.  If I set out to write one, I always feel like I'm blocked.  So many poems have been written about love, that it is hard for me to find something new to write about, or maybe it is just hard for me to expose my feelings.  I don't know.  All I know is when poetry contests have a category for "love poems," I always pass and skip to the next category.  Your poetry challenge for today is to write a poem about all the things you love.  I doesn't have to rhyme.  Try to use all of your senses in the list.  Do you like school, or summer vacation?  What is about vacation that you love?  Have fun making your list.  If you'd like to share, leave your list in the comments below.  Just remember this is a site intended for children and I will censor anything I deem inappropriate for children under 13 years of age.

Earth's the right place for love: I don't know where it's likely to go better.  Robert Frost, "Birches," 1916.

STONE

Rock
boulder
igneous
obsidian
sedimentary
sandstone
shale
limestone
calcite
metamorphic
marble
granite
crystal
gazing
ball
MAGIC


    This is a list poem built on the word stone.  Can you take a single word and build your own poem?  You might want to use a thesaurus for this one.  Have fun following your words to see where they might take you.

Children's poetry starts with a small idea and grows.

MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

I'm trying to make
the world a better place.
I try to put a smile
on everyone's face.

A woman with groceries,
I try to help her.
I donate my used toys
to the homeless shelter.

To animal rescue I give
my baby sitting cash.
And when I see it
I pick up trash.

For hospital kids,
I make a get well card.
Working to improve the world
really is not hard.


   Can you write a list poem today of way you can think of to try to make the world a better place?  Have fun writing.

FANCY THE FLAMINGO

Fancy a flamingo
loves fancy dress.
She likes wearing costumes.
Who she is, can you guess?

She might be a cowboy,
a doctor or a nurse,
a ballerina dancer, or the lady 
with the alligator purse.


    Did you know that a fancy dress party in Great Briton is a costume party?
This poem could go for another stanza of more costumes Fancy likes to wear, but you get the idea.  Perhaps you'd like to try writing the next stanza.  This is a list poem, listing a lot of costumes Fancy might wear.  Can you write your own poem today about going to a party?  Have fun thinking about parties.  Enjoy your writing.  Celebrate.

DREAMS

Each thirsty night

I am sprinkled

with a soft rain

of words I try

to arrange

in to poems.

    What dreams do you have at night?  Can you write a list poem about your dreams today?  Have fun writing your poem.

     Today is the Poetry Friday Round-Up.  You can find more poetry on Paul Hankins' blog These 4 Corners.  Thanks, Paul, for hosting us today.

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.

Spooky Party

 

copyright 2014, Joy Acey

1, 2, 3, 4
spooky ghosts
float through the door.
5, 6, 7, 8
they're rushing in
can't be late.
9,10, then 10 again.
They're laughing
loud and hardy
20 ghosts
having a
Halloween party.

    Here is your challenge for today-- make a list of all the Halloween related words you can think of.  My list had 22 words.  Now I'm going to try to write poems using those words.  Have fun making your list.  Can you write a list poem using your words?  Happy writing.

LET'S GO FISHING

I like eating fish.
I like it a bunch.
I eat fish for dinner.
I eat fish for lunch.

I catch fish
on my fishing pole.
I catch fish 
in a net.
I like eating fish,
oh yeah, you can bet!

    Do you have a favorite food?  How do you make it or get it?  Can you write a food poem today?  Or, how many different kinds of fish can you name?  Can you write a list poem with all the fish you know?  Have fun writing.

NIGHT LIGHT

When I'm alone and scared
in the middle of the night,
all I need to do is grab
my trusty flash light.


    Do you have a flash light?  What do you use your flash light for?  Can you write a list poem about the uses for your flash light?  Have fun writing

MONDAY

Today is Monday.
It's a let's have fun day.
I'll show you the way day.
We can write a poem today, day.
It's a can you come play day.
What do you say, day?
So much to do on Monday.

     Happy Monday.  What a great day to start a new week.  Do you have plans for what you want to get done this week?  Can you try writing a list poem about that?  Or take one topic from your list and write a poem on that.  Have fun writing.

Haiku

black chin hummingbird
comes again to talk to me--
three mornings running

    I'll bet you are busy today.  Can you find time to write a quick haiku, or an acrostic poem?  If that doesn't work for you, try writing a list poem and include all the emblems of the Fourth of July.  Have fun writing.

This Poem

has tremendous potential.
It might
      make a new friend,
      or find a lover,
      stop a baby from crying,
      win votes,
       create laughter,
       inspire wisdom,
       stop a war,
       bring tears and make memories,
       build dreams,
       or put you to sleep,
  and possibly this poem
  can change lives.







This poem is a list poem based on the line "This poem has tremendous potential." What other things might a poem do?  Can you try writing your own list poem?  Have fun writing.

A WORLD FULL OF B'S

Suppose the world
was all full of bees.
There'd be buzzing and bumbling
in all of the trees.

A bandanna wearing buffalo 
would play a banjo tune,
while Belugas and baboons
blow bubbles at the moon.

And an itty-bitty baby bear
hip-hops and bops in his chair
while a badger, none too soon,
plays a big, long, black bassoon.

Oh life would reveal so many mysteries
if the world was filled with all these B's.

    I think the summer heat is getting to me.  It was 107 again today, and can you guess what the predicted temperature is for tomorrow?  This poem is a riff on the letter B, can you pick your own letter and write a poem with lots of that letter?  Have fun.

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.

haiku

chilling morning wind
blows white seeds from the broom sage
lacy snow flakes drift

    This morning's walk was lovely.  It seemed like everyone was smiling at me, but maybe that was because I was smiling.  I don't know why I was feeling so good, except it is the start of a new month and December really is a lovely month.  I see my name everywhere.  Maybe that is why I like December so much.  It is a season of giving and surprises.  I've started planning some of mine.  Your challenge for today is to write a December poem.  How about a list of all the things you want to do this month?  Have fun.

A grasshopper sat on my window
staring with his big eye.
I watched, and watched.
I waited and waited,
thinking he would fly.

But the grasshopper sat with patience
while the wind went rushing by,
and he turned his head to stare at me
him with the great big eye.

I looked at him,
he looked at me
as I wondered how long
he would be 
sitting there on my still.

Then with a nod
and what looked like a smile
he opened closed wings
and flew off, all the while
I watched him float
over a distant hill.

And I wondered if he felt
like he'd wasted his time.
I was certain he hadn't
wasted mine.

     Grasshoppers are interesting creatures to watch even when they are flying.  Can you write a list poem today about all the things that fly?  Let your imagination soar and I'm sure you will have a fun list.  Enjoy writing.

Happy Monday

Lying in bed
just after dawn
the sleep of night
is suddenly gone.

I'm listening to doves
cooing away
as I lie here and think
of the coming day.

Monday is the start
of this new week.
There's lots to do
and lots to seek.

I'm making my list
of things to get done.
I'm counting blessings
for lots of fun.

I  hope whatever
you have to do
this will be a
great week for you.



     Today's challenge is to write a list poem about all the things you need to do today.  Can you make it fun and interesting? 

PROGRESSIVE POEM 

Each day during the month of April I will add a line to this poem.

WHAT IS POETRY? 

 
Poetry is the tunnel at the end of the light. --J. Patrick Lewis

  It is finding the truth, no need to lie.

  It's munching on watermelon and letting seeds fly.

 
  It's a letter that comes with a card in the mail.

  It's the lacy silver threads left by a garden snail.

 
  It's daffodil trumpets covering the hill.

  It's a deer at the creek, drinking her fill.

   It's giggling and laughing and being absurd.

   It's reading a haiku and feeling each word. 
   

  It's a dragon who blows flames, loud and hardy. 

  It's fairies in the garden having a tea party.

  
  It's the sound of a truck shifting its gears.

  It's the feel of two soft puppy dog ears.

 
  It's a bright sun rise and glowing moon shine.

  It's a Carolina wren singing in a Lob-lolly pine.

 
  It's a snowman rolled on a cold winter morn.

  It's crows calling from tall tasseled corn.

 
  It's the whisper of hummingbird wings in the air.

  It's plaits and curls tied with bows in my hair.

  It's spying a bird feeding her young.

 It's pink cotton candy that melts on your tongue.

 It's watching black ants as they march by.

 It's corn on the cob for the Fourth of July.

It's a bumble bee tumbling inside a rose.

It's dandelion puffs tickling my nose.

It's a penny tossed in a wishing well. 

It's the cackle of a witch casting a spell. 

It's roasting marshmallows over a campfire flame.

It's squirrels in the poplar trees playing a game.

It's mermaids on a rock, combing their hair.
It's hearing a hot air balloon in the air.

It's you and me having a good time

finding words and making them rhyme.

It's taking our words and creating a verse

that includes our world and the whole Universe.

That's what poetry is to me.

     Good bye April.  Come on May.  I'm really sorry to see the end of this poem.  I hope you've enjoyed it and thank you to everyone who supplied ideas.  Oh gosh, now what shall we do for May?  Oh good, I just had an idea to start the month off.  Tune in tomorrow to see what poem I have to start a new month.  Your poetry challenge for today is to write a short letter poem to the poem you want to write.  Is that confusing?  Let me see if I can supply an example.

Dear Poem,

    Thank you for the ideas

    you give to me.

    Thank you for the laughter

    and the fun. 

    I'm so glad you're a part of me.

    Aren't I the lucky one? 

Turn the page on your calendar and I'll see you here tomorrow.  Have fun writing.