FLEA SCHOOL

When young fleas
go to school
they have to learn
all the rules--

like how to leap
and how to dive
doing gymnastics
to stay alive.


     Today's poem came from reading the funny pages this morning.  There was a picture of bugs in school and I thought how funny it was for a flea to go to school.  We all know lice often go to school.  So pick your insect or any animal at all and write a poem about what they would learn at school.  Or just read the comics and write a poem inspired by your reading.  Have fun. 
    

FAKE FLOWERS

What a bunch

pink peony,

yellow and orange

daffodils,

a stately spear 

of freesia,

gathered together

in an arrangement.

I use my notebook

as a fake flower vase

for the art class.

A blind contour exercise--

draw flowers.

I enrolled in a basic drawing class at the desert museum.  The first session was on Monday and our first assignment was to draw this bunch of flowers without looking at the paper or our pencil.  Very interesting.  I couldn't help but think about all the times I've written at the computer without looking at the screen.  Today's writing assignmnet is to write a poem about your favorite flower.

I am the trumpet

blowing jazz into the wind--

yellow daffodil.   

     Now that was fun.  Thank you.

The Wolf

I had so much fun yesterday writing that FIB, that today when I saw two beautiful drawings done in colored pencil of a wolf, I wanted to write another FIB.

The
Wolf
paces
lifts his nose
to smell scented air
knows this whiff maybe his dinner.

   Can you write your own FIB about an animal?  Do have fun and if you want try illustrating your poem.

Thank You

I love racing

along the beach.

Love the cool sand

between my toes.

Love the tickle

of foaming ocean bubbles.

I'm lucky.

Thank you

beach,

ocean,

sand,

sun.

My life

is fun.

    I owe the inspiration for this poem to writer extraordinaire Joan Edwards.  Thank you.  What things are you thankful for?  Soap bubbles, chocolate cake, dancing, raking leaves?  Can you write a poem about it?  There are so many blessings and lots of poems.  Thank you.

AN ANT

A red ant marches across the sand
the hardest worker I've seen.
His legs move up and down and around
he's a moving machine.


     I wrote this poem on my walk yesterday morning as I knew I needed a poem for today.  I saw an ant walking with me and I knew he was a real moving machine.  I ended up using reverse rhyming to write this poem.  I started with a red ant is a moving machine, but then when I tried to write a line to rhyme with it, everything sounded forced, or like a throw away line written just to rhyme with machine.  So I moved the moving machine to my last line and worked backwards for a line to go with that.  Try reading the poem with the second and fourth lines reversed and you'll see what I mean.  Of course, you can always try the other trick I use when I can't find a good rhyming line.  I see if the poem will fit as a haiku.

one red desert ant

hurries across the hot sand--

a moving machine

  Or as a FIB (a poem based on Fibanachi's number  1,1,2,3,5,8.)

one

red

desert

ant hurries

across the rough sand

legs scurry-- a moving machine.

  Then as serendipity sometimes works, the poem posted on children's poet David Harrison's blog this week is from his collection  BUGS  and is titled ANTS.  You can read it here:  http://davidlharrison.wordpress.com/2011/10/02/poem-of-the-week-ants-2/

Happy Sunday

Today I wish

you sunshine

and a silly

happy grin.

Also I wish

you lots

of  words

to flow

quick from

your pen.

     Today is a great day to write.  I love lazy Sundays.  I write to help me organize the week ahead, to set some goals for myself, and to catch up on notes to friends.  I hope it is a great writing day for you too.

DING-A-LING

My telephone rings
ting-a-ling
ting-a-ling.

Should I stop sleeping
or let it ring?
I lift the phone
to hear
my brother sing:

Happy Saturday to you,
Happy Saturday to you
Happy Saturday, Happy Saturday
Oh what shall we do?

Sometimes he thinks
I'm a real
ding-a-ling.

      Don't ask me why, but my family has the habit of singing our messages when we get the answering machine.  Do you do silly things like that?  Can you write a poem about one of the silly things your family does?  Do you make weird sandwiches? Does Mom leave strange notes in your lunch sack?  Does Dad make up songs when he is shaving, or sing in the shower?  What ever your weirdness, have fun writing.