COLORS BLEND TOGETHER*

Yellow and orange hibiscus ,
green fields and mountains,
anthurium and red ti leaves,
brown monk seals and plovers,
blue waves and blue, blue sky,
white clouds in the wind,
egrets winging by,
a rainbow necklace overhead
making a strong people--
all the races, blended together,
here in Hawaii,
the land where all colors
call it home.
Aloha. 


  * From a line, All colors blended together, suggested by Clo Ann Smith.  This free verse poem is the result of her suggestion.  Can you try writing your own free verse poem about where you live?  Can you include at least one simile?  Have fun writing today.

  What pictures does this poem make you think about?

Ho-ne-ho-ne: adj. Playing tricks, teasing, fretting; not letting one alone.

A human being is nothing but a story with a skin around it.  Fred Allen

SUNSET

The sun sets
like a child
forced to bed,
screaming
and yelling
and turning
the sky red.
He wants 
to stay
for another day
so we can
have more time 
to play.

   It has been another busy day for me.  I found the box with my computer, monitor and printer in it, but I don't have them hooked up yet.  My desk is still upside down in the middle of the floor.  It needed to be glued and then I couldn't take the weight of it to turn it over because my broken wrist is still causing some problems with weighty things.  Plus, my empty file cabinet was locked to move it.  Now, I can't find the keys to unlock it.  I put the shelf brackets taped inside and now I can't open the files to get them out.  All little problems.  Anybody have suggestions for where I should look for the keys, or how to get the locked file cabinet open?  Anyway, I figure in about another 20 days, I'll have all the boxes emptied.  One of my bookcases did not last the journey, so I guess the answer is to get rid of some of my books. Anyway, after working all day on getting boxes emptied and the house more settled, I'm tired and expect to sleep well tonight.
   I hope your day was a good one and that you wrote an interesting poem.

  Tomorrow is another day.

IT'S NOISY OUT THERE, FRED

Today I think
there's music 
in the air.
I sit to listen
and the sounds
are there.

The refrigerator hums.
The ceiling fan clicks.
The light makes a buzz,
and the old clock ticks.

So much music
bringing me cheer,
I just need it quiet
so I can hear.

     Close your eyes and listen for a moment.  What do you hear?  How are the sounds inside different from those outside? Does your school sound different from your home?  Is the school library filled with different music than the art room, the music room, the office?  Take you note pad and sit quietly  listening for five minutes.  Write down everything you hear.  Can you shape our notes into a poem.  You can do this exercise with friends to see who has the longest list in five minutes.  Can you turn each sound into a simile?  Have fun writing today.

LATCH KEY

Around my neck
on a greying shoelace
rides my house key.

You call me Latch Key
and your lip curls
like I'm a wet dog
you don't want in your living room.

I must go straight home.
Can't make after-school plans.
Can't have friends over.
Can't go out.

I surely can't go over to your house
because I'd never be able
to return the invitation.

So I do my homework,
read a book,
color and wait
for someone
to come home.


     What do you do after school?  Do you have sports--tennis, soccer, swimming?  Do you have meetings like boy scouts or brownies, or girl scouts?  Do you have music lessons or some other activity?  For today's poetry challenge can you write a poem about what you do after school.  This is a free verse poem.  It doesn't rhyme.  You can make your poem in a form or free verse.  It's your choice.  I've also used a simile in this poem.  Can you find it?  Just have fun writing.

AIRPLANES

I like to ride in airplanes
high up in clouded skies
to watch the farm lands
far below like stripes
on Grandpa's ties.

   Sorry I'm running so late today.  Can you guess what I've been doing?  What did you do today?  Can you write a poem to tell me about it?  Have fun writing.

SUMMER

(original art, Joy Acey, all rights reserved)

old wooden row boat
in the gentle current drifts
idle oars at rest


     There are times, during this summer when I have felt like that row boat--just drifting with the current, with little energy to do anything more.  The heat affects me that way.  How is your energy level today?  Can you write a poem about that and use a simile or metaphor to show how you feel.  Have fun writing.  Have a great weekend.

MY NEW FRIEND

My new friend
is like a rock,
a plain geode
found in the desert.

As I get to know her
it's like cracking
that geode
to discover
the beautiful
crystals
sparkling 
inside.


    Oh, I've been having a lovely time writing poems this week.  This poem used two similes.  Can you find them?  What will you write about today?  Have a cool Saturday.  It is only supposed to get to 105 here today.

OW-EEEE

Blow on it, blow on it,

some one said

as I sat and watched

my knee turn red.

I was running too fast

across the dirt,

then I tripped and fell

that's how I got hurt.

I shouldn't have been running.

I wish I hadn't fell.

My bleeding knee 

hurts like

stones in my shoes.



     Can you find the simile in the last stanza?  Today's writing challenge is a little different.  Either write your own poem about getting hurt, or try re-writing the last stanza of my poem. 

How to Make Poetry Sing

Open your mouth,

let the happiness erupt.

Let the words spread

like butter on hot toast.

Send a small song---

a sonetta to your tonsils,

let them vibrate

in every color of the rainbow.

Breathe deeply.

Let your heart turn golden

from the glow of your words 

on fire.

      This is a free verse poem.   If you wanted to make your poems sing, how would you do it?  Notice the concrete words in this poem?  Are the verbs strong enough, or could I have found some better ones?  Have I used any similes or metaphors in this poem?  Do you find any of the lines cliché?  Which ones? 
Can you write your own poem about how to write a poem?  Poems written about poems or poetry are called ars poetica.  Please share your thoughts and comments with me.

My Winter Cocoa Mug

My favorite cocoa cup

is the color of my friend

sweet,

warm,

comforting.

     Today's poem is a little different, so the challenge will be too.  Take any object of winter (sweater, boots, mittens, snow shovel, etc.) and then tell how that object is like your friend.  When you compare two things and say one is  like the other, that is a simile.  When you say the winter object IS your friend--that is a metaphor.  Use either a simile or a metaphor in your poem.  Have fun.