Spring is the season for dragonflies. This year we have them in abundance. It’s fun to watch them circling about. My neighbor, first grade teacher Lory Landry is a photographer. I was amazed by her recent Instagram photo of a dragonfly. It struck me in many ways. The close-up on the compound eyes makes the creature look more human (or alien). The wings are poised either in landing or taking off position. He (or she) just seemed to be asking for a poem.
Instagram @loryla63
Last night in a Highlights mini-workshop, Laura Shovan talked about the skinny form. The rules: the first line can be any length, lines 2-10 each hold a single word (repeated word in 2, 6, and 10), line 11 uses the same words as line 1. Doing a quick search about the dragonfly, I scribbled out a skinny. Please join with a quick poem in the comments and encouraging comments to other writers.
Compound eyes look upon
Margaret Simon, draft
spring
days.
Iridescent
wings
spring
branch
to
branch.
Spring
looks upon compound eyes.
Reflections on the Teche 
I have just six minutes to hop into my car to drive to school to be on time…so this was a quick write! Margaret, your poem brings in rich language…iridescent, compound…blended with the beauty of the photo.
Dragon flutter
Dragonfly
Dragon wing
Dragon eye
Dragon spots me
Oh, my!
Flutter, dragon
Dragon, F L Y!
I love your dashing off of this fun poem before you yourself FLY! Have a great day!
What a fun response you offer us Linda, and it’s off in a flutter, thanks!
Yes, Linda, amen to what Margaret said. It is a perfectly fast and flying poem you wrote in six minutes today! I love “Dragon flutter” and “Flutter, dragon” Super!
You write well under pressure! I love the feeling of hurrying you created in this poem. Nicely done, Linda.
Wow, Linda! Great repetition and rhyme in such a short time.
Margaret, I like what you did there with your skinny poem and the repeat of spring. Nice! Here is my poem about this dragonfly with his eyes on his next meal:
Caution-tape tail gives warning
Skeletal wings bowed in wait
Eyes focused on its supper
A septercet! Love caution tape tail!
Love “caution-tape tail” – Beautiful images, Denise.
And it sounds like supper is sure to happen, love the suspense building, thanks Denise!
Caution-tape tail is a winner! Love that.
Denise, did you create this poetry form of seven syllables in each line? I looked up septercet and all it showed me was a septet form. I like the form and your poem. I especially love “skeletal wings bowed in wait.” Thank you. I will have to try it.
Denise called it a Blackjack form on her blog post: https://mrsdkrebs.edublogs.org/2021/05/19/this-photo-wants-to-be-poem/
I remembered it from Today’s Little Ditty with Jane Yolen: https://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com/2016/09/september-dmc-wrap-up-giveaway.html
Thank you, Gail, for the question, and Margaret for the answers. I have seen others on Ethical ELA call it a Blackjack poem. I do like the term septercet, which is a perfect description of it.
It was an interesting and helpful webinar last night. I’m going to pay more attention to words that are verbs and nouns. Your use of “spring” is very clever and gives the skinny a meaningful image.
You are quick, I just found the article I’m going to try out today.
You always have such interested photos, Margaret. I’m sorry I missed the workshop, so thanks for sharing the skinny form. That is new to me. Great use of the word “spring” in yours. I’m going to cheat just a little here and post a poem I wrote when I was doing the Lyrical Language Lab.
Dragonfly
What magic surrounds
This swift ancient flier,
Whose desire for larva
Is endless?
He darts over ponds
Flashing blue, flashing green,
Efficiently conjuring
Tasty cuisine.
I dig that phrase, “ancient flyer”
Rose, nice! I love reading the last stanza aloud! Some great lines rocking there! I can just see him flashing and darting and “efficiently conjuring / tasty cuisine”
You are allowed to “cheat” anytime. My favorite line is “flashing blue, flashing green”. They are just so flashy, those dragonflies. (wink)
Rose, I love “Efficiently conjuring/Tasty cuisine” and how it rhymes with “green.”
Love your response to the Dragonfly Margaret–especially the middle,
“wings
spring
branch
to
branch.”
Thanks for the intriguing pic!
TIME TRAVELER
Amber brilliance rests on nature’s curve,
winged
elegant
lattice
webwork,
winged
from
prehistoric
times,
winged
on nature’s curve, amber brilliance rests
Such a wonderful skinny….I’m trying to remember if I’ve seen any dragonfly paintings by you. They must be fun to paing.
Michelle, this is beautiful. It really takes us to the dragonfly’s roots–“amber brilliance”, “from prehistoric times” and I love “elegant lattice webwork”
Good word choices here (the backbone of a skinny). I especially like “elegant, lattice, webwork.) Thanks for playing with the skinny form with me.
Wow, Michelle! Great title and skinny. I especially love “elegant lattice
webwork” and “amber brilliance.” Thank you.
[…] to Margaret Simon – the skinny. You can read more about it and see Margaret’s example here. So, this morning I took my coffee outside to the patio. I listened to the birds, the passing […]
Margaret, great skinny! I love this image “iridescent wings spring branch to branch.” I think the skinny is more difficult to write than it looks. Here’s my attempt:
I SEE you
mosquito
I
fly
fast
mosquito
you
are DINNER
mosquito
I SEE you
I love what you did with the form and making it a persona poem as well. The capitalizing of See and Dinner are effective.
Thank you, Margaret.
Gail, nice skinny! I love the repetition of mosquito. The relentless hunting of the dragonfly will get his dinner!
Thank you, Denise.
Margaret, thank you for the great photo prompt. I agree that the dragonfly is begging to be a poem.