Poetry Challenge #136.5-Chuckle Challenge
When was the last time you had a gut busting laugh-so-hard-tears- were-running-down-your-legs laugh?
If you can’t remember, then I only have one thing to say to you:
“It’s about time you did!”
Why? I’ll give you 4 reasons (if you don’t believe me, ask the Mayo Clinic.)
Lowers stress hormones
improves heart and immune functions
burns calories
makes you feel better
Now get this…
““The average 4-year-old laughs 300 times a day. The average 40-year-old? Only four.””
Maybe, along with picking & flicking, graham crackers, and “punch bug” laughing is something our kids can help us do more often. And we can help them too, by writing funny stuff.
Let’s give it a try with a little help from author Julie Hauswirth who decided to up the funny factor with the third annual #2026 KidLit Chuckle Challenge. *
Poetry Challenge #136.5
Chuckle Challenge
To begin, rewind to the child you used to be—the one who laughed 300 times a day—and think about what used to make you laugh.
Or if that child is too buried in grown-up gobbledygook, take a minute or two to watch kids at play. What makes kids laugh? Just about everything!
Next: look at this list I copied off the Chuckle Challenge page. It includes lots of ways to add humor to our writing.
Now: Think of some funny words. Or a funny situation. Or best, both.
Kick your adult to the curb, put your silly hat on a write a poem.
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
the #2026 Kidlit Chuckle Challenge contest is open from 8:00am central September 10th-10:00pm central September 13th. Consider this the practice round. Click the website link for contest rules and past winners poems.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge thousands of chuckles 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 #135-Bird Therapy
Stop! Listen! What’s that Sound? Everybody look what’s flitting round! *
Birds! Hear them? See them?
If you don’t then find a quiet spot, outside or at a window, then… Look and listen!
With most human-made noises stilled and human activity slowed, Birds are everywhere! (Were they always everywhere and we were too busy to notice?) I’m noticing now!
There’s something therapeutic about watching birds flutter and flit about, calling to each other—especially now when we humans are trapped in our cages and the birds are free. For today’s post, let’s send our imaginations winging with the birds.
7-Minute Poetry Challenge #135
Bird Song Therapy
Position yourself in a quiet spot with your eyes and ears tuned to the world beyond your window and listen to the birds. What are they singing about? Are they greeting each other? Squabbling? Sharing news of the world—just learning to tweet?
See if you can track the bird songs to a specific bird or clump of birds. If not, close your eyes and imagine yourself amongst the birds.
Nestlings in sis-in-law planter.
Write a poem about what you’re seeing—and most especially hearing.
Incorporate the sounds and rhythm of the birds into your poem to make it sing!
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
*Stop Children by Buffalo Springfield Utube:
**For more “Bird Therapy in CoVid” click over to Audubon Alaska’s “Birdy Care Package” with glorious photographs, activities—for kid’s too—games & videos—complete with song…& bird poetry! Bird Poetry Corner features a new prompt each week.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge MORE THAN 8 YEARS 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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*Stop Children by Buffalo Springfield Utube:
Poetry Challenge #134-Your Inner Animal
Zoologically speaking, I’m a huge fan. If you’re response is “Boo to Zoo!” Have you been to a zoo lately?
Of the ones I’ve visited, and we seem to visit a lot, nowadays, most recently The San Diego Zoo, here’s what I’ve noticed: the animals in the zoo have not been captured ruthlessly. for the most part they are rescues. (Don’t believe me, read the signs.)
FYI: “The first modern zoo was established in the beauty of Vienna, Austria with the order of Emperor Francis I in 1752. It was created to viewing pleasure of the imperial family, but in 1765 it was extended to the public.”—via https://happydays365.org/zoo-lovers-day/national-zoo-lovers-day-april-8/.
While on the subject of the San Diego Zoo, one of the most interesting “Road Trip” books I’ve read is Lynda Rutledge’s West With Giraffe, non-fiction that reads like a novel.
What’s more animals are gorgeous, fascinating, interesting…all the ings.
Poetry Challenge #134
Access Your Inner Animal
Imagine you’re an animal at the zoo. (If you’re not a fan of the zoo, then for purposes of this prompt, channel Dr. Dolittle.)
Write a poem from that animal’s point-of-view. What does it see, think, feel? Who are its friends/enemies? When is dinner?
How would you describe the people looking at you?
What would you think they love based on the people they’re with or what they’re wearing or eating?
If you spoke the same language, what would you say to them?
For extra fun, see if you can’t use words that sound like your animal. Ssssay for instance, you are a python…
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
*This photo links to an article about the trip from NY to San Diego with the giraffes. Click: “How A Gift of Giraffes in 1938 Helped Make the San Diego Zoo.”
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge MORE THAN 3600 days 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 #133-Orange You Glad
Knock-Knock?
Who’s there?
Banana
Knock-Knock?
Who’s there?
Banana
Knock-Knock?
(Say it…)
Orange! Orange you glad I didn’t say “banana”!
There! Now that I’ve got that out of my system, let’s get to prompting! Because it’s baseball season—including Women’s Pro Baseball!And my family has gone Baseball Crazy! this prompt was going to be about something that makes you crazy. But then I read this poem by Lauren Cook.*
Maybe because an orange is round like a baseball, and throws like a baseball, and I used to bring orange slices to my children’s baseball/softball games, I immediately changed my mind. Maybe…
Even writing that, I know I’m fibbing. I changed my mind because this poem touched me in the same way a favorite Billy Collins poem “Litany” does.
Poetry Challenge #133
Orange You Glad
Choose a fruit from the bowl below, or a vegetable (not pictured) and write a poem inspired in some way by that fruit.
What ever else you may do, make it juicy.
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
*Lauren’s poem flew into my inbox courtesy of Rattle Poetry. Rattle posts weekly prompts, a weekly poetry podcast (well worth your time), and contests. Check it out!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge MORE THAN 3600 days 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 #132-Little Red Wagons Get Rolling!
What movie was it where the kids took off in a Radio Flyer? I’ve been wracking my brain trying to remember…. Of course I could GTS but I choose not to. (Besides, I have you….) Besides, that’s not the point. The point is that that little red wagon gave those kids them freedom. And it’s that what summer vacation is about? Being Free! Flying under ones own power? Summer Break aside, they even have a national holiday for doing just that. The last Wednesday each March is Little Red Wagon Day, a holiday established by Radio Flyer in honor of their Little Red Wagon “to encourage kids to get outside, get active and go wherever their imaginations take them.”
Let’s take it for a spin around the old noggin maze—with words!
Poetry Challenge #132
Little Red Wagons Get Rolling!
Norman has a little red wagon—that’s how he rolls! Bennett had one too. How about you?
Do you remember bumping along the street pulling a little red wagon? Or maybe, as my brother and his friends did, attaching the wagon to your dog’s leash and trying to get him/her to tow you?
If you had a Little Red Wagon who or what would you fill it with? Or, if you’re the passenger, who’d be pulling the wagon? And where would your adventuring take you? Imagine the rhythm of the wheels rolling along. What does it sound like? What does it feel like?
Create a rhythmic Little Red Wagon poem by first creating a refrain evoking the sound and feel of the ride. See if you can use the refrain three times in your poem. *
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 3000+++ days 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 #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.