105 Ways to Give a Book

Poetry Friday: 15 Words Poem

For the most part, I read blogs through Google Reader. But when I have a some extra time, I’ll go to the blogs from my blogroll. When I do that I can get immersed in the voice of the blogger and catch things that flew by scrolling through the feed. While taking some time at Susan Writes, I saw that she was guest hosting “15 Words or Less Poems.” The photo grabbed me and instantly inspired my poem:


Now a grown-up
I wish
that making new friends
was as easy
as touching noses.

I was so excited to have written something that I didn’t even realize that it was the previous week’s round-up. Afterward, I read the poems that others had written, and was amazed by the many different ways people responded to the picture. Take a look.

Laura Salas offers this poetic opportunity on her blog every week, but I don’t usually participate because no poem comes to mind. But now I’m curious about those who do write to these challenges or any such poetry challenges. Are you instantly inspired? Do you push yourself to find the words? Do you see the photo, mull about as you wash dishes, and then come back with the idea? Can you force inspiration?

Anyway, the Poetry Friday round-up is over at Picture Book of the Day, where she is reviewing my favorite poetry book. I am spending the day trying — oh, trying — to tie up some loose ends before the spring weather hits Virginia this weekend. And may I say, Thank God for that. I loved seeing the eight inches of snow on Monday, but if we didn’t get a break in this cold weather I was going to snap.

11 comments:

jama said...

Love your poem!! Yeah, if only it were that easy . . .

tanita✿davis said...

Oh, hah! I'm never instantly inspired. Fortunately, Tricia/Miss Rumphius puts up the Monday poetry stretches and expects us to come back to them -- I give myself a week, and sometimes even then nothing happens.

There seem to be two poetry Fridays going on -- the other is at Anastasia Suen's, according to the Feb-April scheduled list at A Year of Reading. Boy, we had no idea how efficient Kelly was until she was gone...

MotherReader said...

You're right Tanita, it is Anastasia's day. I typed in Six Traits which is part of the blog link, but not the blog name. I've corrected it.

Kelly Polark said...

Wasn't that a great picture?! I wrote one for that cute puppy picture, too. Love your poem!

Anonymous said...

I think Laura's weekly inspiration is brilliant! Perhaps we can add 15 Words or less to list of recurring events on the Kidlitosphere website?

Sara said...

Your poem: so true, so true. Maybe if I had a better nose...

I've only done the 15 words challenge once, although I really like looking at the results. And I've taken up Tricia's challenge only a few times. Sometimes, the kick to get started is just what I need. Other times, I'm content to see what others do. What I love about PF is that there are no rules.

Mary Lee said...

I had a lot of success using the idea of a picture prompt for a poem of 15 words or less with my 4th graders last year. Or I guess I should more accurately say, my fourth graders had a lot of success... (greedy of me to claim it as my own...)

Cheryl said...

Cute photo too. I use Google Reader to alert me of new posts (not on my blog sidebar) but I always actually go to the blog. I feel if I am just reading the post that I lose the context that it's written in. I like looking at the whole picture of the post and blog. Otherwise it seems very disjointed to me. Like reading only part of a book or something.

Elaine Magliaro said...

Pam,

A perfect little poem for that picture! What a great photograph.

Vivian Mahoney said...

Pam,
I love your poem! How true it is...

Andromeda Jazmon said...

I love your poem too. I try to do the challenges as often as I can. Sometimes it comes right to me but often I have to work on it for a couple days. That's where the discipline comes in. Sometimes it takes me so long I just give up, sad to say. I like the challenges with photos because that inspires me quickly.