Kauai Chicken

Kauai hen scurries
across the busy highway
seven chicks follow.


     Kauai is Hawaii's northern most island.  It has lots of wild chickens.  When Hurricane Iniki blew across the island in 1992  all the chickens were blown away from their coops and cages. It was impossible to tell which chickens went where making it impossible to return any of the chickens to their owners.  Plus everyone was busy with more important things than worrying about chickens after the hurricane. so the chickens have roamed freely around the island since then and Kauaians are quite proud of their free roaming chickens.  It is a distinctive aspect of this island. What is a distinctive characteristic of your school, family, or yourself? Can you write a poem about that today?Have fun writing.

WINTER SNOWFALL

Winter snowfall gently drifting
flake by wondrous flake,
Silver moonbeams brightly shining
dancing on the lake.
In the water swans are swimming
gliding hen and drake.
Nature's mystery to be granted
in the life we make.


    Oh boy, am I in trouble.  I'm up in the wee hours and reading some old dead English poets and see what happens to my verses?  My rhyme scheme changes and my lines get longer.  Did you see the quarter moon last night?  What is a mystery of nature that you have seen or experienced?  Can you try writing a poem about that today?  Do have fun with your writing.

FORM POEM

LITTLE YELLOW FROG

Little yellow frog,

Little yellow frog,

Where have you been?

I've been hiding,

I've been hiding,

said little yellow frog,

under a log.

LITTLE RED HEN

Little red hen,

Little red hen,

Where have you been?

I've been sitting,

I've been sitting,

said little red hen,

trying to hatch these eggs.

     Can you see the pattern I've set up in these two poems? 

Little (color)  (animal).
Little (color)  (animal),
Where have you been?

 I've been (action word),
I've been (action word),
said the little (color) (animal)
(line to explain where or what the action is)

So let's try it with a cat.

Little white cat,

Little white cat,

Where have you been?

I've been sleeping,

I've been sleeping,

said little white cat,

on this cozy mat.

Or a dog.

Little brown dog,

Little brown dog,

Where have you been?

I've been running,

I've been running,

said the little brown dog,

through this misty fog.

 I'm already thinking about the verses I can write using this pattern with a goat, a lion, an ostrich, the moon, (see, it doesn't have to be an animal), the broom, even a Texas tycoon.  Just to show you the form can be used for something other than animals, I wanted to use different colors too.  So I thought about silver and the first thing that came to mind was a shovel.

Little silver shovel, 

Little silver shovel,

Where have you been?

I've been digging, 

I've been digging,

said little silver shovel

all across the gravel.

   So now it is your turn.  Can you write your own poem using this form?  If you had a whole group of poems you could put them together in your own little book of poetry.  Have fun.  If you'd like to leave your poem in the comments below, I'd LOVE to read your creation.  Thank you.