THE DANCER

Play the music,
   her toes tap
her heels click.
She bends her knees
for a gentle kick,
   first left
   then right.
Her hips sway.
She does a twist
   at her waist.
Her arms reach
   out then up.
Her shoulders drop
   and she moves
   to find her groove.
She's dancing
   free and wild,
making the music her own
   and the best
is her smile
   I want to embrace
as she dances
   to her music.

   Have you ever listened to music that made you want to get up and dance?  Have you been to a concert where everyone sat in their assigned seats and then someone got up to dance in the aisle?  Have you watched a toddler dance to music?  What happens to keep us from enjoying music like a baby?  Your poetry challenge for today is to write a poem about how music makes you feel.  Pick whose voice you want to write your poem in and have fun dancing words on your paper.

Dance with me, dance with me under the moonlight.

ALWAYS TALKING

Jibber-Jabber
Yack, yack, yack.
You talk, talk, talk
and then sass back.

You'll never learn
when your mouth's on flow.
If you'd stop to listen
then you'd know.

 Can you find some time to sit in silence today?  What can you learn in your moments?  Can you write a poem about what you heard?  What you learned?

Poetry is music written for the human voice.  Maya Angelou

FERMATA

Fermata, one-eyed owl
a musical symbol
go back, start over
repeat from here.

I want those owls
to show the way
I need to return
to finish in music.


   Do you know what a fermata is?  It is a musical symbol that looks like a one-eyed owl.  What other musical symbols do you know?  Can you try writing your own musical poem today.  Have fun.

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.

CHORUS

A bird symphony
surrounds
red of cardinal
and gila wood pecker
blue of jay
purple and yellow finch
rosy pink of dove
brown quail and cactus wren
gray of a mocking bird
voices swirl
trill high
sing deep
some tap a beat
the music lifts
pulls my head
higher, higher
makes me feel
like I just might
              Y!
         L
    F

SING

Tra-
la-la
Dee-
Dah
A lilt
trips
over
your lips
in a song.



     There are a lot of songs and poems that include a scale for singing. Fa-la-la-la-la-la lah. Do-re-mi, so, your challenge for today is to write a poem that includes some musical notation.  All of our lives need more music, let's see if you can put it into your poem today.

Licorice Stick

She shapes the reed

keeps it slick

slips the mouth piece

between her sweet lips.

Each trilled note

splits the air.

Can you hear it

lingering there?

Her music makes

her feel alive

as she plays jazz

bebop and jive.

       I'm back to music again today.  I've had some fun researching the clarinet even though none of the information has ended up in this poem.  Go figure.  Sometimes you just don't need to dump everything into a poem.  To enjoy the music you don't need to know how the instrument is constructed, or famous clarinet players.  I did find out that there are lots of clarinet jokes posted on the web.  The clarinet is the band instrument that most often gets joked about.
      What is your favorite kind of music or song?  Can you write a poem about music today? Have fun.  May you have lots of music in your weekend.

Laura Salas is hosting Poetry Friday today.

PIANO

           keyboard

88 keys            52 white          36 black

ivory white      ebony black

felted hammer         strikes      steel strings

piano wire       vibrations        resonate frequency

bridge              sounding board

acoustic energy           middle C

pedals               soft, sostenuto, sustain

quite piano        loud forte

J. S. Bach        Haydn              Beethoven

Jerry Lee Lewis           Little Richard

Elton John                   Billie Joel

tickle ivories               piano


      I'm still playing with musical instruments.  I'm wondering if I've gotten too technical this time and think perhaps this one would be more interesting with a metaphor or some onomatopoeia.   What do you think?  Do you take music lessons?  What is your favorite kind of music?  Do you like to sing?  for today's challenge try writing a music poem.  Do have fun.

TUBA

brass

bell

horn

press

valves

mouth piece

big

puff

cheeks

blow

um-pah

um-pah

march

band

     I'm still playing with band instruments.  How about you?  Do you have a poem you'd like to write about music?  Have fun.  Happy Monday.  Happy first day of October.

VIOLIN

It's scroll                     It's head

It's tuning pegs           It's neck

It's fingers                  It's frets

It's inlaid                    It's soundhole

It's strings                  It's chin

It's pluck                    It's rosin

It's horsehair              It's bow

It's pull                       It's notes

It's passage                It's twinkle

It's Little Star              It's song

        Happy Sunday.  If you had a violin, what song would it play for you?  Can you write a poem about a magic violin that plays what ever you are thinking?



My magic violin
plays fine music.
All I do
is think and the tune
begins to play.

I think of a tree
and music swishes
like leaves turning
in the breeze
to flutter to the ground.

I think of moonlight
and the music
becomes big
and round
and shines brightly
to twinkle and sparkle
like starlight.

And when I think of you
my violin plays
a merry tune
that makes me feel happy
and like dancing.

Sunday White flower

Datura

large white flower

with white whiskers

rippling in a breeze

like Granpa's beard.

Some say

Angel Trumpet,

I say sweet mystery

scenting the afternoon air,

playing a tune for me.


     This is a huge flower, as big as a salad plate.  If smells very nice. Do you have a favorite flower? What color is it?  Would you like to try writing a poem about a flower today?  Have fun.

A Dozen Doves

A dozen doves perch

on the telephone line,

fluffing their feathers

and feeling fine.

Sitting on the lines

that look like a music staff

the notes of their song,

aren't bad by half.

     This morning on my walk, I saw the birds on the line, and like a shape note singer, I sang their song.  It really was a happy tune.  What is your favorite song?  If you were writing a song for a Valentine, what would you say, sing?  Have fun trying this.  Happy Valentines Day.