EARTH WORM

An earth worm
hides below,
eating dirt,
moving slow.

Watch him wiggle.
Watch him grin.
Hiding out from
that robin.


     I've been reading Julia Donaldson's picture book, SUPERWORM, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, (2012, Arthur A. Levine Books, An imprint of Scholastic Inc.) and it got me to thinking about earth worms.  
     Here is your poetry challenge for today: write a poem about something you might find underground.  Have fun writing.

SOON, SPRING

   This is for all my friends east of the Rockies, who got hit with more snow last week.

SOON SPRING

Walking the gravel drive
to get the morning paper,
it's the first time
I haven't needed a jacket.

I hear the birds trilling, tweet.
Robin, jay, mocker, chickadee.
The high pitched tea tweet tee
of a Carolina wren.

Then the cardinal's song.
Even the low pitched curdle
of a common crow
makes me smile.

I look up in the bare trees
searching for signs of the birds.
Somehow the trees seem taller.
I see small tight fists

Of nubs growing on the branches
like prayers, soon to be released into the air.
I breathe deeply to smell.
My mouth waters for the taste of it.

It feels good to be here on the lip
of spring.  The kiss of it.
It feels good to just be.
This promise--soon.

     The weatherman is predicting 91 degree weather in Tucson for Thursday and Friday.  Everyone is getting out their shorts.  Your challenge today is to write a poem about the weather where you live.  Have fun. 

ROBIN FEAST DAY

1 worm

2 worms

3 worms

4, there's

lots of worms

maybe a score.

The robins are tugging

yanking up more.

What do you say?

It's Robin Feast Day

     I've been having fun today thinking about all the different kinds birds I know.  I'm sure someone has already written a bird abcdarius .   In my mind I started with albatross, then bluebird, bunting and barn owl, cardinal, Carolina wren.  There are just too many.  I tried to remember the first bird I learned about.  Probably a blue bird.  In the house I grew up in was a picture on the wall of a little girl with long curls looking at a bluebird nest.  And I remember seeing a robin tugging a worm on my walk to kindergarten.  Do you remember the first bird that you noticed ?  Did you learn about bluebirds from the song "Some Where Over the Rainbow" or robins from "When the Red, Red, Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin Along"?  How about "Yellow Bird"? 
    Your challenge for today is to write a poem about a bird. 

    I'm also thinking about what would happen if I wrote this poem all on one long loopy line like a worm.  Hum, wonder if I can do that and what it will look like.  I wonder if it would be too difficult to read that way.  Oh, I do love playing with poetry.  I hope you have fun too.