Poetry Challenge #131-The Miner's Lot
Sometimes it’s time to mine your writing for gems. These gems can become a take-off point for a new poem or story. Or, to paraphrase The Byrds:
There is a time, time-time-time/
for every stage-stage-stage/
Of a poe-eeemmmmm/
a time to create/a time to write/
a time to revisit/a time to rhyme/
a time to delete/a time to combine . . .
Poetry Challenge #131
Working In a Poem Mine, Digging Down-Down-Down
Read through some of your older poems. Pick a line or phrase that you like from three different poems. Then put those lines in some sort of order and write a new poem. Add words or lines as needed.
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Start revising!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
And, if you, like Mary Poppins, think a song will help the job along. Here goes (and forgive me Lee Dorsey):
Working in a Poem Mine/Digging way down-down/Working in a Poem Mine/Digging way down-down/Working in a Poem Mine—Yeah! I wrote some words down/Working in a Poem Mine . . .
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 3600++ days ago (who’s counting?). We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. 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.
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Poetry Challenge #130-Let's Here it for Johnny Appleseed!
You know the adage: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?”
Today, in honor of a guy who must have had a phobia about doctors, let’s spread the apple love!
Poetry Challenge #130
Ode to the Apple
In 1797, John Chapman traveled around sharing apple seeds, tending ailing orchards—spreading apple (and pear) love.
And maybe, thanks to him, the heirloom apple tree in my front yard is covered with teeny, tiny green apples.
Join me in writing an ode to the Apple:
Grab an apple, either an actual hold-it-in-your-hand-and-take-a-bite type, or tap into an apple memory to write a poem in praise of apples or Johnny Appleseed.
Choose a nice juicy apple
Set your timer for 7-Minutes
Ready! Set! Bite! . . . WRITE!
Don’t think about it too much—just do it! (If you share it #JohnnyAppleseedDay)
For more about Johnny Appleseed Day: click here.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 3600 apples ago (If we ate an apple a day, that is.) We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. 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.
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Poetry Challenge #129-#$%^&* Grammar!
Happy ?$&*#@ Grammar Day!
?$&*#@! No, that’s not swearing. It’s punctuation and symbols that tell us something. Grammar!
Are you’re a fan of the oxford comma, semi-colon, em-dash? Every been accused of going overboard on the exclamation points. Or maybe a few too many expletives deleted from your notes.
This is your lucky day!
Poetry Challenge #129
$%^&* Grammar!
Just this once, kick judicious punctuating to the curb!
Write a poem that uses as many kinds of punctuation as possible. Make your poem SHOUT!! Make it whisper. Make it dance. Make it ask? and tell! and order the reader. Can you use commas, dashes, a semi-colon?
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Don’t think about it too much; just feel it!
Start writing!
If you are a punctuation junkie, click over to Poetry Box for some delightful punctuation poems by kids.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge MORE THAN 1400 days ago! (APPLAUSE!!!) We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. 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.
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Poetry Challenge #128-Bippity Boopity POEM!
Take out your wand! Your pixie dust! Magic beans! Spinning wheel! Dust off that big ole pumpkin! Why?
Because we all need a little magic!
And dang, who doesn’t want to be the star of their own fairy tale?
Poetry Challenge #128
Bippity Boopity POEM!
Do you remember the story of the Three Little Pigs? Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Hansel and Gretel? What’s your favorite story to tell?
Today, tell a fairy tale in the form of a poem with 7 syllables (or 7 words) on each line.
Can you tell a whole story in 7 lines? Can you do it in 7 minutes?
Set Your Timer for 7-minutes
Unsheathe Your Creativity Quill
Abra-kadabra!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge so many moons ago! We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. 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.
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Poetry Challenge #127.5-Happy 250th!
There are some things we only celebrate once!
(Birthdays, first teeth, last teeth…and all those firsts you are thinking right now.)
And the 250th Anniversary of the first Fourth of July.
When I was in school, a requirement for passing Government was being able to recite the Preamble to the Constitution. As we celebrate the Country’s 250th, it’s worth revisiting.
And now for the fireworks!
Why July 4th????
That’s the date in 1776, the Second Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, thus severing the 13 American colonies' political ties to Great Britain. In other words, declaring independence. It was a Thursday.
Poetry Challenge #127.5
Happy Birthday U.S.A
In honor, recognition, celebration of our country’s 250th Birthday, write a Fourth of July themed poem. It can be as patriotic or as hot dog and sparkler as you want. It can rhyme or not rhyme. It can be long, or not. The only thing your poem must do is include:
Red, White and Blue!
Set your 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 more than 8 Fourth of Julys ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. 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.
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Poetry Challenge #127 Feelings . . . Whoa Whoa Whoa . . .
Tell me all about it…
Relax, this is not an invitation to visit/revisit the analyst’s couch. But, yes, we are going to go all touchy feely, so get out one of your already written poems, and let’s get down to the nitty gritty:
Poetry Challenge #127
Tell Me How it Feels, How it Really Really Feels?
Poetry often deals with emotions: how we feel, what emotions an incident evokes, and too, how words—the placement of words, word choices/combinations—make us feel. But now, today, let’s go beyond those feeling and get really touchy feely.
Take out one of your already written poems. Don’t spend more than 30 seconds of your 7 minutes choosing—it’s not really about that poem, this challenge is about what feelings can do to/for that poem.
When writing, we often focus on describing things through dialogue and action. We also often set the scene by describing what can be seen in a seen. However, we often overlook the physical, even though our tactile memories are strongest and reactions evoked shared.
Try “chewing glass” for example.
Reread your poem, and ask yourself “What does it feel like?” And by “feel” think literally: What does each image actually feel like? Is it rough? Squishy? Smooth? Glassy or sandy? Does it slosh?
Try changing/adding feeling words to that image to conjure those tactile feelings.
If your poem doesn’t seem to have a tactile feeling to it, can you add one? Even more, try adding a tactile feeling to every line.
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Don’t think about it too much; just feel it!
Start writing!
Now reread your poem. How does it feel, now?
Take a listen: Feelings sung by Morris Albert
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge MORE THAN 3600 days ago! (APPLAUSE!!!) We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or the whole poem in the comments.
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Poetry Challenge #126-What the World Needs Now
I’m not Nick, nor am I Norah, but my entire life is an Infinite Playlist. Song, or snippets of song, spring to mind willy-nilly. All it takes is a word, or feeling, or a beat, and the piano roll in my head begins whirling.
Today it was the news…(isn’t it always???). Gratefully, thankfully, I was saved by Burt Bacharach! Sing it Dionne . . .
Hearts in Montpelier, VT
Poetry Challenge #126
What the World Needs Now
Let’s write a love note to the world in the poetic form called “Tendi.”
A Tendi is a poem made up of four-line stanzas, originating from the Swahili poetry of East Africa. (Here’s more about Tendi.)
A Tendi is usually written with an aaab rhyme scheme, meaning the first three lines rhyme, while the final line establishes a recurring end-rhyme that ties the entire poem together.
Usually that fourth line is repeated at the end of each stanza. If it changes, the end rhyme remains.
Since we are writing a LOVE-LOVE-LOVE Tendi, why not use candy hearts as inspiration for that last line?
I love you very much.
My heart belongs to you.
You are so very sweet.
See if you can’t write a three stanza tendi. Then, if you dare, send it to someone!
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
The Song: I’d Like to Build the World a Home
The Movie: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge about 3500 days ago (who’s counting?). We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. 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 below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
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Poetry Challenge #125-Cloudy With a Chance
The weather forecast has been threatening…promising…rain for two weeks now. We need it or all of our newly planted gardens are shriveling. That’s how the garden grows here in the East (this years at least) we’ve gone from chilly, soggy, weird Spring to hot-hot-hot (for us). Pretending we’re Meteorologists, we search the skies, examining every cloud…
So far, no meatballs . . .
Obviously, the weather forecasters have gotten it wrong. Let’s see if we can do better!
Poetry Challenge #125
Cloudy with a Chance of . . .
Write a weather forecast poem.
To begin, fill in the blanks:
______________ with a chance of _________________
Write your poem in a Weatherperson’s voice (or channel Anchorman’s Ron Burgundy). Make your forecast factual or fantastical—creator’s choice!
Liberally sprinkle your poem with weather terms.
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
Start writing!
Listen to The Weather Girls “It’s Raining Men!”
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 8 years ago (who’s counting?). We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. 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.