Click over to Steps & Staircases for more Poetry Friday.
Inspired by Project 1,2,3 originated by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and continued by her daughter, Lisa challenged us to make a metaphorical poem from an object/image. Many of us took the challenge. To see more poems, click over to Lisa’s blog to read more posts.
I brought this idea to my students and combined it with a lesson from Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s book Poems are Teachers, “Make Metaphors” on page 136. We looked at model poems and talked about how an object can become a metaphor. In one class, I passed around a paintbrush and said, “A paintbrush is…” In another, I blew bubbles and said, “Bubbles are like…” Each of these inspired beautiful responses from my kiddos.
- A paintbrush is your imagination.
- A paintbrush paints your path.
- Bubbles are sparkling rainbows.
- Bubbles are in orbit flying around Saturn.
As I wrote with my students, I grabbed a pink marker and made three swirls on my paper. Back at home with a little time to craft (snow day!), I cut and pasted pink swirls in an art journal. Thanks, Lisa, for the fun prompt.
Swirl of pink
sparkle-sky
diamond bright
stars of night
Swirl of pink
puffy parting clouds
play peek-a-boo
with the sun
Swirl of pink
licky-lick
sticky-lip
lollipop
–Margaret Simon, 2017
After we wrote and shared our poems, Andrew had an idea. “Why don’t we take a line from each of our poems and make a new poem?” Sounds like a great idea. Here’s the resulting poem.
To dream it, all you have to do is start.
Don’t erase yourself from the real world.
Paint your true colors.There is no fright.
Not to lose but to gain.Flying high above
a swirl of pink puffy parting cloud,The sea is my world.
The sand is my happiness.–Caneview GT Allstars
Reflections on the Teche 
Each one is fun and thoughtful, Margaret. I love the ‘combo’ poem, just right.
These are wonderful, Margaret. I especially love your “diamond bright/stars at night.” Thanks for sharing!
Your collaborators sure are special! What a fun prompt and poem. I love that you enjoyed a snowy day with creativity. Thank you!
Such fun, Margaret – but I’m going with your ‘licky-lick, sticky lip’ for fave. 😀 Your collaborative poem is Wow! So sophisticated! (And the kids’ individual efforts were a delight.)
I like that licky-lick, too. Also, how open and inventive your young poets are. They have their finger on the pulse of life.
Thanks for these inspiring metaphor poems Margaret, I love them all, and yours has so many layers in it from one swirl of pink!
Love this post, Margaret. How fun is “licky-lick, sticky lip” to read!! The collaborative poem is wonderful and most impressive is how your poets are open to new ideas and enjoy the power and fun of playing with words and ideas.
Thank you for sharing your response to the prompt–3 swirls of pink and a collaborative poem! And another participant with a snow day : ) Hope you enjoyed yours, Margaret. I am collecting the visuals shared for Poetry Friday and working on a post to display them together. I will link to your post if I am successful!
Wow! That borrowed line poem is something else! Your kids never cease to amaze me!