My Poem

My poem sits
like a monkey in a tree.
It won't come down 
and play with me.

Instead he sits there
chattering all day.
I want him to here
so we can play.

   I'm sorry my post is so late today.  Every time I've been at my computer an interruption has happened.  It is nice to be needed by so many people, but when I was finally ready to write about the colors of spring, my poetry brain was turned off and all I could think of was monkeys playing in the trees.  When I visited Thailand and the rain forest in Peru there were wild monkeys outside my window.  I finally gave up struggling with what I wanted to write about today and just went with those ornery monkeys.  What do you do on days when you have so many interruptions that it is hard to get your work done?  What can you write about that?  Have fun playing with your own ornery monkeys today.

Some days, you just can't take yourself seriously.  Have fun.

AT THE BEACH

Here at the beach,
I'm having fun,
playing my trumpet,
watching crabs run.

Waves crashing,
a gentle sea breeze,
monkeys screeching
from tall palm trees.

You're collecting seashells
in a sandy pail
you stop and listen
to my trumpet wail.


     I couldn't think of what to write today, so I opened a book--HOW TO VOID MAKING ART (or Anything Else You Enjoy) written by Julia Cameron with illustrations by her sister Elizabeth Cameron.  Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2005.  The page I randomly opened to had this caption, "Under no circumstances make any art just for fun."  You can guess what the picture looked like from my poem.  What kind of art do you like doing?  Do you ever write poems just for fun?  That is your challenge for today--write a poem just for fun.  Enjoy the journey.

JUNGLE ABECEDARIAN

   I can't believe I'm coming back for one more round, I guess I'm just having too much fun with this form.  I opened my notebook this morning to write today's poem and found the beginnings of this poem that had stalled out and decided  I could finish it.

“Ahem,” said an Alligator,

Biding his time, “This

Creek flows fast and mighty fine.”

Down on the bank is bunch grass to

Eat, It's juicy, sweet,

Fine, tender, and so

Good and green. The

Holopono River has the best bunch grass

I've ever seen. And

Just as the Alligator has another

K-R-U-N-C-H,

'Long swims a river snake looking for lunch.

Monkeys make

Noise in the Bayans

Overhead, knowing each of them soon may be dead.

“Please,” said the gator politely, “I'm looking

Quite diligently for a

Reptile for

Supper for me.

That tastes terrific and is

Ultimately filling, a

Very nice dinner.

Would you be willing?” “Can't grant the wish.” Snake

X-ed his eyes, “Here's the deal, it's no surprise,

You won't want me for your next meal, I'm too small.

Zebras make a much better dish.”

    Please help me out, any suggestions for improvement?  Have you tried writing your abecedarian yet?  Have fun writing your own poem today. 

Counting Monkeys

Mildred, Moe, Margaret and Manny

Monkeys ride on the merry-go-round.

Martin, Mary, Mike and Molly

How many monkeys

could be found

riding round and round

on the merry-go-round?
    
      I laugh every time I think about the antics of these monkeys.  How many monkeys did you count on the merry-go-round?  How many "M"s are in this poem?  Do you like riding on merry-go-rounds?  I love picking the best horse to go up and down to the calliope music.  I have ridden on merry-go-rounds in 8 different cities.  Can you write a poem about riding the merry-go-round?  Is there a merry-go-round you can ride on to collect details?  Does you merry-go-round have other animals?  Pigs?  Swans?  Have fun!