Poetry Challenge #8-Moonlight in Vermont

Confession Time: Somedays--many days--I am not in "the mood" to be poetic.

Today's prompt is exactly perfect for one of those days.

(Can't take credit for it, this was Cindy's idea.)

Here goes: 

Poetry Challenge #8

Moonlight in Vermont

Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry made up of 3 lines with 5/7/5 syllables on each line. Traditional haiku has something to do with nature, but you can write them about anything.

Whenever I groan “I can’t write a Haiku… it’s hard…”

Cindy reminds me how, rhythmically, syllabically, miraculously, the first three lines of the song “Moonlight in Vermont” make a perfect haiku. That gets me humming every time.

If you know the song (or at least the tune), you can write haiku very quickly by putting your own words to the tune. Here’s a link to Willie Nelson singing “Moonlight in Vermont”

How many haiku can you write in 7 minutes?

Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes

Start Writing!

Don’t Think About it, Write It!

Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2700+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):

All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .

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Fin Pal asks Norman "Are You a Big Fish or a Little Fish?

Along with Sophia’s letter, she drew this fintastic drawing!

So then, what do you think Norman will say?

Is he a big fish or a little fish….

Ready to read Norman’s answer? Scroll down . . .

Glug

Glug

Glug . . .

But first a finny!

Q: Why do fish swim in schools?

Q: Why do fish swim in schools?

A: Because they can't hop.

Do you have a question for Norman the Goldfish- about friends, school, pets, family, life in and outside the fishbowl? Send him a letter!

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Don’t forget to order your copy of NOT NORMAN: A GOLDFISH STORY and NORMAN: ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH!!

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Poetry Challenge #7-Mixing it UP!

In a recent “Chat” to her band of merry (and sometimes not) writers—of which I’m happy to be included—Book Doctor, Robyn Conley, wrote suggesting how, especially in difficult times, we could and should encourage kindness.

To that end, she asked us to share stories of times when we entered a situation or encountered a person with one belief and came away with another. 

Has that ever happened to you?

It has me. 

“Diversity: “The condition of having or being composed of differing elements :variety; especially: the inclusion of different types of people (such as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization.”

— https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity

Poetry Challenge #7

Mixing it UP

For today’s challenge, look around your space and pick out two completely different objects (or people).

Write a poem that begins with the differences between the two, and end by exploring how they are the same.

Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes

Start Writing!

Don’t Think About it, Write It!

Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2700+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):

All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .

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Poetry Challenge #6-I Am The One Who ____

If you, like me, get songs stuck in your brain, please forgive me in advance.

The moment I read this prompt a Toby Keith song popped into my head (RIP Toby), I Wanna Talk About Me, the one about the guy who really likes to hear every-single-teeny-itsy-detail of his gal's life, but Occasionally... 

So, here's your chance:

Poetry Challenge #6

I'm The One Who ___

Write a list poem.

What is it you do?

What makes you you?

(Or because it is Valentine’s Day, if you usually do most/all of the talking, write it about your sweetie!)

Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes

Start Writing!

Don’t Think About it, Write It!

And because, regardless of his politics, Toby Keith sang some great songs, in memory here’s the Link to I Want to Talk About Me.

Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2700+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):

All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .

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Poetry Challenge #5-What's that noise?

A poll of incredibly interested 2,3 & 4 year-olds revealed noteworthy data: Their favorite part of my picture book, Not Norman, A Goldfish Story, was:

—Not the spunky main character…

—Not the brilliant story…

—Not Noah Z. Jones delightful pictures…

—NOT . . .  NORMAN ???

It was the dark page toward the end of the story when our tad-bit-scared boy says . . .

If your tots haven't read this book, they are missing out--and so are you! Buy It!

"What's that noise?"

Prompted by certain sounds, our minds take us places--interesting, provocative, visceral...scary places. Which leads me to this week's prompt. Let's use sounds to mess around with readers minds--and make our poetry...well...Sing!

Poetry Challenge #5

What's That Noise?

Take a walk—around your house, a store, the school, or your neighborhood.

Write a poem about it. But, rather than focusing on what you see, focus on what you hear.

Extra points for using an onomatopoeia—or a few. In case you forgot: that’s a words that sound like the sound of the object it’s describing.

For inspiration here’s a poem chock full of sounds: A Sound Collector by Roger McGough

“A Sound Collector

A stranger called this morning
Dressed all in black and grey
Put every sound into a bag
And carried them away

The whistling of the kettle
The turning of the lock
The purring of the kitten
The ticking of the clock

The popping of the toaster
The crunching of the flakes
When you spread the marmalade
The scraping noise it makes

The hissing of the frying pan
The ticking of the grill
The bubbling of the bathtub
As it starts to fill

The drumming of the raindrops
On the windowpane
When you do the washing-up
The gurgle of the drain

The crying of the baby
The squeaking of the chair
The swishing of the curtain
The creaking of the stair

A stranger called this morning
He didn’t leave his name
Left us only silence
Life will never be the same”

— Roger McGough

Set the timer for 7 minutes

 Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2700+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):

All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .

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Fin Pal asks Norman "Are You Lonely?"

Wow! That’s a lot of questions! And a fintastic drawing of Norman, isn’t it!

For those of you who have read Not Norman, a Goldfish Story, you know. . .

The boy wanted a pet more than anything, but a goldfish was not the pet he had in mind.

Spoiler Alert! Norman and the boy become best fins! And in NORMAN ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH they even perform in a talent show together. Here’s a scene from that book.

What you might not know is that at the same time, Norman was wanting a human. More about that later. Right now, let’s get back to Marie’s question:

Norman, “Are you lonely?”

Readers, what do you think?

Glug

Glug

Glug . . .

To read Norman’s answer? Scroll down . . .

Want to view a short video of Norman and his new friend, Knot?

Click over to Kelly’s U-Tube Channel. You’ll find book read-alouds, Giveaway Winners, and other fun videos.

And last but not least. To find out how Norman really, really, really felt about wanting a human for so long and then finally getting the human he did. Click over to read Norman’s Tells His Side of the Story!

Do you have a question for Norman the Goldfish- about friends, school, pets, family, life in and outside the fishbowl? Send him a letter!

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Don’t forget to order your copy of NOT NORMAN: A GOLDFISH STORY and NORMAN: ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH!!

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Poetry Challenge #4-Counting With Words

Channeling the Von Trapp Family Singers today, sort of. . .

Let's start at the very beginning. . .

but not with ABC or with Do-Re-Me . . .

with 1-2-3!

Sing it Franz!

One-two-three

One-two-three

One-two three

Poetry Challenge #4

Counting By Words

Today's prompt was created for the math side of your brain, because it's a counting poem.

Line 1 can have only 1 word.

Line 2 can have 2 words.

Line 3 can have 3 words, and so on.

Keep going in that pattern up to line 10. Extra credit if you can work back down from 10.

If you’re stuck for a topic, write about something you can see right now or your favorite color.

Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes

Start Writing!

Don’t Think About it, Write It!

Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2700+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):

All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .

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Poetry Challenge #3-Party Time!

Hurrah! Happy to have you with me. You know the drill (and if you don't it's easy enough): Grab a pen, a paper, your timer, and--why not!--a party hat! 

Poetry Challenge #3

PARTY TIME!

In honor of poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, screenwriter, and children's author Shel Silverstein's whose birthday isn’t for months (Sept 25, 1930) but we are celebrating now anyway, just because…

Write a silly-funny poem about a made-up animal--or the perfect birthday party.

For inspiration, read one of Shel Silverstein's Birthday poems:

                          

  Set the timer for 7 minutes

 Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

Write a poem, paragraph, or story. If the prompt moves you, follow it. If it sparks something else, go with it! Our 7-Minute Poetry Challenge is not about writing great poetry; or writing what is expected; it’s not even about writing anything good. It’s about one thing, writing IT!

And, if you do join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge be sure to let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole dang poem, in the comments!

And for a real treat, celebrate by reading one of Shel Silverstein's books!

Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):

All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .