I'm Painting

I'm painting the dog house.
I'm making it red.
"Yes," said the dog.
"That's right for my bed."

I'm painting the barn.
I'm making it blue.
"That's just the right shade,"
said the cow with a "Moo!"

I'm painting the bird house.
I'm making it green.
Said the bird,"That's the best
 "color, I've seen."

I'm painting my wagon orange
like the juicy ripe fruit.
"I like where you're going,"
said the owl with a "Hoot!"

As I got out my yellow,
up lumbered a bear.
He asked me to paint him
his own rocking chair.

Now everyone is happy
except for me--I ain't,
and it is because
I'm covered in paint.

  Can you guess what I've been doing for the last two days?  My husband wanted fresh paint in his home office.  I thought I could leave him to HIS project, but somehow I always get roped into helping him.  I'm getting really good at doing the taping, the blocking in, the feathering, the trim work and my husband does the roller.  What could be better than that?   Can you try writing your own poem today about a color?  It is Springtime and all the colors are bursting forth.  Let them inspire you.

Where will you leave footprints today?

Happy Friday

POETRY PAINTBOX

Take out your poetry paintbox
to paint me a picture
of a tropical isle
where the chickens all sing.

In water colors wonderful
show me the waves crest
in white foaming churn
for a shore racing dance
that goes zing.

Poise with your paintbrush
in warm sunny colors
to paint palm trees,
their leaves folding
for prayer from a breeze
on this beautiful day.

    This is a free verse poem that uses alliteration, assonance and some internal rhyme. 
   I have moved to the Island of Kauai.  Each day I am a little more settled.  I still have lots of boxes to unpack but my house actually is starting to feel like home.  I do still wake up feeling like I'm on vacation and I have a hard time believing I'm living this wonderful life.
   What are some things you like about your life?  What are you grateful for?  If you took out your own poetry paintbox, what words would you use to paint me a picture?  Your poetry challenge for today is to write a poem picture of something you like about your life.  Have fun stretching with this one.


  

Happy Poetry Friday

Today is the Poetry Friday Roundup and Keri is hosting us at her blog Kerirecommends.com  You'll find links to other poetry blogs and postings over at our poetry party.  Thanks Keri, for hosting us this week.

Give praise for poetry, paint and pictures.

  Live big.

haiku

paint held in a brush
water makes it blend
into new horizons


    I'm playing with art today and having creative fun.  So I tried writing a haiku.  It is Saturday, a day for playing.  Have fun with your writing and try making a picture to go with it.  That is what I'm going to do.  Have fun.

CHLOE'S BOXES

Chloe loves boxes.
She likes big boxes.
She uses them to build
wagons,
trains, 
planes,
and even rockets.

Chloe loves little boxes,
She uses them
to hold her
rocks,
feathers, 
stamps,
and pennies
like a bank.

Chloe loves to decorate
her boxes.
She colors,
paints,
glues,
and stickers 
her boxes.

Every year at Christmas
Chloe likes to give away
her boxes
to Mother,
to Father,
to her Grandmother,
to her brother
even to the postman.

But this box
Chloe has saved
especially for you.
Can you guess
what is inside?

Merry Christmas.


     Today can you write a poem about what Chloe put into your box?  What would you like it to be?  Have fun.

Happy Birthday

     I'm so happy.  Today is the one year birthday for Poetry for Kids Joy.
I can hardly believe I've been writing a poem a day for a whole year.  Zowee!
   To celebrate David L.Harrison is donating a copy of his most recent poetry book COWBOYS.

     Yesterday  David shared the wonderful poem "Bunkhouse."  Today we're getting a peek at  "Spittin' Mad." 

SPITTIN' MAD

Not fair!

"You're too little," they say.
"Go play with your dolls."

Been ridin' since I could walk.
I could break a bronco
good as they can.

"You're a girl," they say.
"Stay out of the way."

I'm tougher'n any boy.
Mess with me,
I'll poke 'em in the eye!

Not fair.

Not fair!

I'm so mad
I could kick a cow chip!

Not!

Fair!

      I love the idea of being so mad you could kick a cow chip.  Actually, I can see the t-shirts now.
     Gosh, I think this is a beautiful book.  I love the variety in the poems and the illustrations just blow me away. Don't you just wish you could sit in Dan Burr's studio and watch him work his magic?
     And I greatly appreciate David Harrison adding this birthday gift to our party.  If you'd like to win the autographed copy that David has donated, leave your own comment or cowboy related poem in the comments below.  You have until midnight tonight.  Then I'll put all the names into a cowboy hat (of course) and draw one name out.
    Actually, I'll draw two names and the second name drawn, I'll write a poem for you.

Here's my poem for today:

POKEY PONY


I have a pony, Pokey.
He's a sweet little paint.
Cause when I'm in a hurry--
Pokey, he ain't.

     Oh that is bad.  I think I need to go drink some sarsaparilla.  Have a good weekend and Happy Poetry Friday.

Native Artist

NATIVE ARTIST IN ECUADOR

She paints nuts—

Brazilian, pecan, hazel, buckeye—

Hard-shelled beauties.

Her soft hands

Add warmth and sheen

To the dark shells

As she sands the surface,

Then brushes the colors

Of butterflies, lizards, toucans.

When, as her brush gets finer

She paints whole scenes--

Women in white blouses

With skirts the colors of her tropical flowers

Bright pink, orange and turquoise

More radiant than sun shining on waves.

The native men in her pictures

Wear wide round hats to protect their brown skin

From the sun. On their feet

A fine one-hair brush paints

Black stripes of huaraches, the soles

from used, old bus tires.

The people she paints carry

Guitars, drums and pipes

Fipple flutes—the siku, kena, and pinkillo.

She sells the nuts on the street.

Some tourists crack them

to eat the soft meat inside.