SUMMER

Here are three acrostics on summer.

Shimmering reflections

under rippling water,

my best friend

Mike and I are on the lake,

each with a paddle

rowing this boat.

Slow

up in the 

morning

making time to

enjoy

reading.

Simply

utterly the 

most

marvelous

enjoyable time to

relax. 

      Now it is your turn, pick a word that means summer to you and write your own acrostic poem.

    

Ferns

Fiddle heads

like fists

tightly curled

along the stem

of the fern.

Fibonacci

knew the secret

of the spirals

that slowly

uncurl

to cool

even the hottest

days.

      I've been enjoying the flora and fauna today.  I saw a white rumped shama. A most interesting  bird that sings "tick-tick."  Can you observe a plant of animal today and write a poem about it? 

Yellow Swallowtails

Kayak

paddle

drips

fractures

the water

prisms

crystal

light

rising

like

golden

swallow-

tails

     Today's poem could be called a spine poem because it is long and skinny like a spine.  Each line break is supposed to cause a momentary pause for the reader to reflect on the image of the word.  Each line (except for one) only has one word like the lone kayaker paddling.  The funny thing to me is that normally I use very few articles in my  poems (words like the, a  or an) but I tried removing the and it changed the meaning for me.  

     Normally, I don't break words in a poem, like I've done here with swallow/tails--but that is what the poem has asked me to do. What does this do to the poem to have the last word fractured?

     Would you call this a concrete poem?  Is it in the shape of a kayak for you?   

      Would you like to try writing your own spine poem today?  Or try your own concrete poem.

       Oh, this is fun.  I'm thinking of summer activities and spine poems.  Of course the very first thing that pops into my mind is a book spine.

resting

in the 

hammock

shade

from

two

oak

trees

a favorite

summer

beach

read 

in

my 

hands.

     The words aren't perfect yet, but I have the general idea down.  Do you know what a "beach read" is?  It is one of those quick-read books one reads for fun.

I didn't start this with a capital letter because I wanted the writing to be lazy like the summer day.  I'm going to have to decide if that is a good decision, but that can wait for later after all the words are right.  

     Now I'm thinking it will be fun to see if I can shape this poem into a horizontal banana shape like a hammock slung between two trees.  I hope you have as much fun with your poem as I'm having with mine.  Happy Saturday.

Happy Friday

At half dawn

the rooster crows

his feathers

a soft gray

his voice

a loud crowing,

greeting the sun

that has decided

to rise 

another day.

Happy Friday.

This is one day,

his day

the one to live

before 

tomorrow.

      This poem is about today for the rooster.  But how do you think the gecko, the rabbit, a pig or horse sees Friday?  Today's writing challenge is to write a poem from the view point of an animal.

Ahuimanu

This is the gathering place

for the birds

in the coconut palms

the ferns, orchids,

and monstera leaves.

Their trilling

a welcoming song

calling to me

to join them,

to hear the siren song

inviting me to come

to the islands 

and feel the gentle

trade winds

breathe across

my cheeks.

    In my imagination, I'm cooling off.  Where do you go to cool off?  Can you make up a place, serene, where you can relax and be cool?  can you write a poem about your place?

Moon Names

The August dog moon

sees lightning

in the sky.

He yips

and he yelps

a thunderous cry.

     The Indians had different names for each of the moon's phases and months for planting or harvesting.  One of the names for the full moon in August is Dog Moon.  I think it might have something to do with the Dog days of summer.  Can you write a poem about the moon today?

Thunder

Rain rushes

with a crack

a crash

and a rumble.

Clouds are heavy

and dark

with lightning's

grumble.

      It is monsoon season in the desert.  Late in the afternoon we get winds, heavy clouds and then deluges
of rain.  The roads are washed out.  In an instant, the dry creek beds fill with gushing water.  Then a short while later, it is all gone.  Many of the plants that were turning brown are now sprouting green leaves and the ridges in the Saguaro cacti are spreading as the plant takes on water to store.  What would you like to write about today?