Poetry Challenge #104-Hope Lives

National September 11th Memorial & Museum

Today marks the 18th Anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States. “The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. Additional people died of 9/11-related cancer and respiratory diseases in the months and years following the attacks.” The site of the World Trade Center “Twin Towers” is now the September 11 Memorial and Museum. 

Poetry Challenge #104

Hope Lives

 To mark this day let’s create prayer poems with hopes and wishes for children of today living in the post 9-11 world.

With sympathy and strength to all who lost loved ones in this and other senseless acts of violence. Sending love love, light and strength for a brighter, understanding, compassionate world.

Poetry Challenge #103-Back to School

Bennett’s 1st Day of 1st Grade (Jack, too)

School bells are ringing, schedules are made, new pens and pencils and notebooks full of blank pages fill bright, new backpacks.

Poetry Challenge #103

Back to School 

Write a poem about the beginning of the school year—or the beginning of any school year you remember. Are you excited/scared/worried? Does anything surprise you? What do you like best? Least? 

Ready for School!

Try writing your poem in couplets—two lines that rhyme. See what happens if you take two couplets and use the first lines from each and then the second lines from each so every other line rhymes.

Which poem do you like better?

 *Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 1200 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry 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 #102-Worker's Holiday

Labor Day, called by some the “Worker’s Holiday,” is celebrated the first Monday in September in the U.S. and was signed into law on June 28, 1894, by President Grover Cleveland.

Up until that time workers in America (including children as young as five) toiled twelve hours a day, seven days a week to eke out a living.

Child Labor laws in other places???

Nowadays, thanks to the efforts of those early labor movement organizers, we Americans take fairer work conditions for granted.

Poetry Challenge #102

Workers Unite for Worker’s Rights

For the sake of this prompt, let’s pretend we are one of those early labor organizers, making up a chant for the Labor Day Rally. 

According to Merriam-Webster, “a chant is a repeated rhythmic phrase, typically one shouted or sung in unison by a crowd.”  Chants are short. (One or two lines at most), set to a definite march beat. Often they rhyme.  

Hint: It might be easiest to find rhymes first. To that end list words that rhyme with labor, day, work, or others that come to mind when you think of Labor Day.

Ready, Set, March!

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 more than 1200 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry 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 #101-End of Summer

Sun Setting on Summer in WHB

It’s hard to believe summer is coming to an end. Long, sunny days are growing shorter. Nights are cooler. Trips to the beach or pool are less frequent (or maybe more…)

 What signs tell you that summer is almost over? Back to school sales? The one branch of red leaves? Geese flying overhead?

What do you do to celebrate the end of summer? Take one last swim or hike? Bake (or eat) one more pie? Have one more campfire and roasted marshmallow?

One last swim…

Poetry Challenge #101

Ode to Summer

 List some things you notice at the end of summer. Use the questions above to help you make your list. Think about activities that you try to do one more time or maybe some that you know are coming to an end.

 An ode is a poem that celebrates a person, place, thing, or idea. It often follows a certain pattern of number of lines or number of beats on a line. It’s usually short and tries to capture the emotion of the celebrated item. 

Choose one (or more) of the things on your list and write an ode to summer.

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 more than 1200 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry 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 #100-One Hundred Reasons Why . . .

Today marks the 100th 7-Minute Poetry Challenge! A 100-hand round of applause to those of you who’ve tried any—all—of the prompts. (All of the prompts are posted & waiting if you’d like to give them a go, or take a look back.)

Poetry Challenge #100

One Hundred Reasons Why . . .

If ours were a kindergarten class, we would each have brought a hundred of one ingredient: toothpicks, cotton balls, acorns, M&Ms . . . and mixed them up into some marvelous creation—trail mix, a wreath or maybe a Fruit Loop necklace.  As our focus is poetry, let’s do it with words: 

Using one of the following prompts, write a poem. And if you really want to celebrate create a 100 Word Poem! 

• 100 Reasons Why I Love __________________

• 100 Things I Want to Do Before I Grow up

• If I were making a 100 Memory Necklace it would include__________

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 more than 1200 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry 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 #99-It's The Berries!

Berries!

It’s berry season!

The Kingston Trio sang a song called “Raspberries, Strawberries” that you can watch here:

Poetry Challenge #99

Berries!

Which kind of berries are your favorite? I love blueberries and strawberries—especially in a strawberry rhubarb pie. I love walking through wild strawberries and smelling the sweet smell underfoot. And scratches are worthwhile for raspberries warmed by the sun.

Write a poem about berries—any kind, any form. I bet it will be sweet!

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 over 1200 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Poetry Challenge #98-Beach Time

Huntington Beach—my Beach Time then

Summer is in full swing! For some this means CRANK Up the AC! For others it means bugs, or vacation, and for even more it means hot Hot HOT!

When it’s just “Too Darn Hot” there’s one sure fire way I know of to beat the heat: Head to the Beach.

Poetry Challenge #98

Beach Time

Beach Time is way more than just a thing to do. It’s a mindset. And best, it’s way Cool! So let’s get beachy!

Begin by listing whatever comes to mind when you think of a day (or night) at the beach. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

Frothy surf, bikinis, surf boards, sand, shells, waves, orange sherbet sunsets, coconut and cocoa butter, Gidget & Jeff aka Moon Doggie

Now you try:

Fine! If “sand in your pants” is what Beach Time means to you, go with it.

Create a poem using a many of those beachy words as you can. Here’s a little theme music to get you in a beachy mood: Da-na-nah-na-nah-nah-na…WiPE OUT!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

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

Got Kids?

Get ROAR! a delightful new (free) magazine for kids featuring Poetry Lab, poetry prompts co-created by us*, just for kids.

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 3 years ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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