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More Poetry Challenges

Posted in Poetry, tagged , , on April 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Catching up on the 30 Day Poetry Challenge:

Day 19: Imagine yourself performing any household task/chore, then write a poem using what you’ve imagined as an extended metaphor for writing: an Ars Poetica.

Ars Poetica on a Stained Shirt

Coffee spilled on my shirt,
early morning stain
I’d wear all day.
Cover it with a cardigan,
hidden and unnoticed.
Spray-n-Wash
launder clean
fresh and new.

Poem spills out on my notebook page,
early morning musings
I’d think about all day.
Scratch out words,
Incubate-launder
with revision.
Type onto a clean page
here for you.

Day 20: Write a narrative poem detailing a specific childhood memory.

Growing up Beside Purple Creek

A concrete slab becomes a waterfall.

A tree is a cabin in the woods.

Dirt-filled lots are caves for dolls.

A trampoline tarp makes an acrobat’s stage.

We put on another play for the neighbors in the garage.

Listen for the whippoorwill to call us home for supper.

Come home, come home, come home!

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A Cardboard Box

Posted in Poetry, tagged , , , on April 18, 2012| 1 Comment »

30 Day poetry challenge: Day 17 Write a poem that employs a rhyme scheme.

Race me to the door in a speedy machine!

My sister has been posting for days about cardboard boxes that my niece and nephew have made into a variety of imaginary things.  Oh, the joys of childhood!  And hats off to my sister for allowing these huge things to remain in her living room for days.  I think we should collaborate on a children’s book or maybe I’ll just write a poem for the poetry challenge.  Wherever your imagination takes you.

What can we create with a cardboard box? I know.
A slippery sled to ride in the imaginary snow.
Maybe a spaceship the flies to the moon!
Or the basket part of a hot-air balloon.
I can imagine the most perfect thing.
Race me to the door in a speedy machine.
Before our momma throws it out
Let’s make a clubhouse and lounge about.
Be sure to bring your favorite book
To curl up with in my
cardboard box-spaceship-speedboat-reading nook.

Cardboard box-spaceship-speedboat-reading nook

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The Knockout Punch

Posted in Poetry, tagged , , on April 13, 2012| 2 Comments »

30 Day Poetry Challenge: Day 13 Write a poem a child would like.

When I teach writing to students, we workshop our writing pieces.  I write when they write.  I pass out sticky notes. (Kids love colorful sticky notes.)  They label their notes with a plus, a question mark, and a triangle.  We call these notes “Criticycles.”  They are our way of critiquing.  The plus is something you like, the question mark a question, and the triangle a suggestion for a change.  When I saw the challenge for today, I thought, “That will be easy.”  All I needed to do was look through my school journal and find a page full of sticky notes that told me I had caught a good poem.  This poem I wrote in writing camp last summer.  (I am doing two this summer, so leave me a comment or send an email if you are interested.)

We take a writing marathon on one day of the writing camp.  On the marathon, we tour around town with writers’ eyes.  Most shop owners are happy to have us come in when we say we are writers.  On this day, we went into the downtown bookstore.  I had a discussion with one of my students and her mother about the book, “Heaven is for Real.”  Then I opened it up and stole a line.  This jump-started my poem.  The illustration shows the criticycles from my students, so I knew I had a winner.  Sometimes when fishing for poems, we catch one.  Sometimes, we catch a boot.  My students usually let me know loud and clear what I have caught.

The knockout punch is the one they didn’t see coming.
Like the wave that flips your peaceful float
Twirling you under the salty water
whipping you upside down
You can see the air, the reflection of sunlight calls you up
Can you find it?
Will you swim long enough to catch a breath?
Will you find the shore?

Relax.
Release tension.
Don’t fight the wave.

God will take you in His arms
and carry you home.

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Lists of Spring

Posted in Poetry, tagged , , on April 11, 2012| Leave a Comment »

30 Day Poetry Challenge: Write a list poem.

A Perfect Spring Day

Mating call of a mockingbird
Rhythmic chimes faintly heard

A gentle breeze rustles the trees
Open blossoms fragrant sweet

Rippled stream, greenest green
Field of grass, fertile and clean

Far away song of a fisherman
Cumulus cloud hiding the sun

Days like these are far and few
Writing poems here with you

Darby’s Poem:

If I were a bird, I’d belong to the sky.
If I were a bird, I’d be fearless and brave.
If I were a bird, I’d do my own thing.
If I were a bird, I’d make my own song.
But most of all, if I were a bird,
I’d soar long, high,
and free.

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Blue Morning

Posted in Blessen, Poetry, tagged , , on April 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »

30 Day Poetry Challenge Day 9: Quickly jot down four verbs, four adjectives, and four nouns. Write a poem utilizing all 12 words.

The proof for Blessen, my first novel for young readers.

The proof of Blessen came on Easter Eve, like a long-awaited gift.  I read it aloud to my husband on our drive to and from New Orleans to be with daughters for Easter.  He enjoyed it.  We talked about word choices and together made some changes.  Now Blessen belongs to both of us.  So today, with this challenge, I opened my book to find the required words from the first page.  I hope the poem captures both my apprehension and excitement about this new literary adventure.

verbs: cackling, hear, flip-flop, birthing

adjectives: big, feathery, thick, proud

nouns: morning, voice, coop, egg

Blue Morning

Cackling of a big feathery hen
wakes up this morning.
Blessen flip-flops to the coop
proud of the newly laid egg.

The birthing of a literary adventure
traveling down the bayou
searching for a home.

Her voice rises in a joyful call,
“I am here, Lord,
ready for this new day!”

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Roots, Wings

Posted in Poetry, tagged , , , on April 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Day 7- Take a walk until you find a tree you identify with, then write a poem using the tree as a metaphor for yourself or your life.

This quote comes to mind when I look at the great cypress in our backyard: “There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children.  One of these is roots; the other, wings.
—William Hodding Carter, Jr.

Old cypress, tall and lean,
roots running deep, branches tall,
offer us protection.

Old cypress, your memory long
crawfish boils and Easter egg hunts,
you watched them all.

Open your branches wide for
nests of birds,
paws of cats,
squabbling squirrels.

Give us your roots,
send forth our wings.

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Weeding on Good Friday

Posted in Poetry, tagged , , , on April 6, 2012| Leave a Comment »

30 Day Poetry Challenge  Day 6: Write a poem of any length incorporating every word from your latest Facebook status update in any order.

It took a while to find my last real post.  My posts have been my blog, so I kept looking.  I passed over the post about Berry Queens, not really that poetic.  Then I came to this post: With this little extra day, I was able to finish The Hunger Games just in time for the movie. I resisted and resisted, being encouraged by my student to keep reading. I hated the violence, but now I am intrigued to see the movie.  Too many words to work with, but I took the liberty of picking out some that fit with my thoughts on this gorgeous Good Friday.

In the Springtime, our yard becomes a jungle
growing vines cling to brick
resisting my pull, my tug
my violent raging against invasion.

With time, I am able to clear a path
follow it to the water’s edge.
In this silent game, I keep
tending and trimming.

Today is the day of hunger;
In passion, he gave up his life.
I walk through the mud
plucking the weeds.

How can I know such hunger, such pain?
I didn’t see the movie avoiding the sight
of violence on my Savior.
Yet, the story intrigues:

A crown of thorns–
betrayal–
Here is the man you call
King of the Jews.
It is the law
He should die. Why?
For me? For my clutch of weeds?

I look up into the strong arms
of grandmother oak and notice
the resurrection fern
open, happy, and green.

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Little about Lemons

Posted in Poetry, tagged , on April 5, 2012| Leave a Comment »

30 Day Poetry Challenge Day 5: Write a poem about lemons without using the following words: lemon, yellow, round, fruit, citrus, tart, juicy, peel, and sour.

The scent of a candle
Intoxicating
Spice in my tea
Meyers grow like experts
at beaming sunshine
with hints of honey and thyme
Mix them with cream cheese–
dessert!

100 things to do with a Meyer lemon

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A Day in Haiku

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, tagged , , on April 4, 2012| 2 Comments »

30 Day Poetry Challenge Day 4: Write a haiku (a three line poem where the first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables). Haiku are often about nature, but yours can be about anything.

During the March Slice of Life Challenge, a fellow slicer wrote a series of haiku about his day: Kevin’s Meandering Mind

The storm woke me up at 4:30.  The dog, Charlie, was upset.  I decided to enable his insecurities and cuddle with him on the couch.

Wakened by the storm,
Frightened, we cuddle safely
in each others’ arms.

It’s Spring Break this week, Holy Week.  I scheduled a facial and massage at the spa.

Melting cares away
Massage relieves all tension
relaxation time

Looking out on the bayou after the storm, I saw this egret fishing in the bog behind our house.

Stealthily steps in
egret fishes, alert with
head poised for the catch.

One of the goals of my week off was to repaint my bathroom.  Today, I went to the paint store.

Pick a paint color
Refresh my bathroom walls with
Gratifying Green.

My after school writing students do not have their break until next week, so they came over to write.

Counting syllables
Grace, Isabell, and Patrick
write their best haiku.

Living on the bayou, I watch the daily barge pass by.  Today’s barge was named Louisiana Sunrise.

Watch the barge go by
Louisiana Sunrise
churns the brown bayou.

Can you make a haiku of your day?

Taking the back way
Paddling on the water-way
soft bayou sunset

This video was posted by the 30 Day Poetry Challenge.  It speaks to the art of Western Haiku.

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Blackberry Time

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, tagged , , on April 3, 2012| 5 Comments »

30 Day Poetry Challenge #3: Find the nearest book.  Turn to page 8.  Copy the first ten words and create a poem.

From page 8 of The Hunger Games: “a few blackberries from the bushes around us. And may…”

Blackberry Time

A few blackberries from the bushes
around us and may
I hold the flavor
on my tongue
now turning purple.
The juice running down through
my fingers staining
my jeans.  The vine grows
like a weed
among thorns
with this small gift of plump purple bites
never asking permission
to invade the flower bed.
Like the love of a teenager,
sweetness grows out of pain.

And a prompt from Bud the Teacher: “Some apples are gifts for special people.  Others are poison.  Which one is this?”

Comment: Sometimes when kids leave home, they leave behind disgusting things.

An Apple

Did you leave
the half-eaten apple
in the drawer behind
the peaches
rotting slowly?

Now that you are gone,
shall I take a bite
to remember you by?
No one is worth
the risk.

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