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 #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 #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 #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.
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Poetry Challenge #109-Dictionary Roulette
I love dictionaries! It’s an excellent way to procrastinate . . . and expand one’s vocab—always a good thing. Best, words lead to ideas…and actions! So grab a dictionary and let’s GO!
Here’s mine…show me yours!
If you don’t have a physical dictionary (Borrow a library copy or Go buy one!!! You should have one!!!), you can use a website such as m-w.com or dictionary.com and look for a list of words of the day.
Poetry Challenge #109
Dictionary Roulette
Yes! You can borrow my dictionary.
One of my favorite prompts when I get stuck with any writing is to take a dictionary, open to a random page, and write down the first word I see. Sometimes I roll three dice and open to that page. Sometimes I have someone pick a number between 1 and 948 (the number of pages in my favorite dictionary) and then another number between 1 and 68 (the average number of words on the two pages) and I find my word that way.
Using the Close-Your-Eyes-and-Point method, Roll-the-Dice method, Pick-A-Number method, find 5 words. Write a 5-line poem using all 5 words.
Pick 5 Words
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 almost 8 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one is Cindy’s.) 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 #108-Where’s Teddy?
“Wait! Where’s my Noy-Noy?”
Where have all the teddys gone?/Long time passing./Where have all the teddys gone/mums have tossed them, everyone….
Pete Seeger, forgive me for riffing off your heartful song, but it’s true. I can not recall the last time I saw a kiddle cuddling a teddy.
How many of us had a favorite Teddy—by “Teddy” I mean that bunny, stuffie, blankie, lovie, bear or otherwise you loved as a child? Mine was named “Noy-Noy.” All these years later I still recall times when it seemed Noy-Noy was my only friend.
Likewise, how many of us recall being teased about that beloved Teddy? Or having been shamed into leaving it behind? Bernard Waber’s Ira Sleeps Over immediately comes to mind.
For that matter, how many of us have discarded, lost, ignored, stuffed into a box, closet, attic, under the bed . . . that beloved Teddy?
What about Me?
Poetry Challenge #108
This One’s for Teddy!
Climb into your attic (metaphoric or otherwise) take out your beloved Teddy, dust it off and give it a big hug—in the form of a poem.
Begin by taking a moment to recall your Teddy (substitute the appropriate moniker).
What does it look like? What did it feel like? And more, what did holding it make you feel?
Did you and your Teddy go on adventures together?
Can you think of a recent time you wish you had Teddy?
Drawing on these moments, write Teddy a poem. Let your Teddy’s name be the title of the poem.
Give Your “Teddy” a mental (or real-time) hug
Set the timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Jack with his dragon from Deb Pilutti
Let’s Here it for Teddy Picture Book List:
Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
The Secrets of Ninja School by Deb Pilutti
41 Books with Stuffed Animals at Their Heart blog post
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge eons 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 Two Scoops of Gratitude!
Gobble Gobble Gobble! That’s what I’ll be doing tomorrow. Maybe you, too? Or maybe you’ve already enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast and will be going in for seconds…or thirds. Or your feasting is yet to come. Regardless of what you’ll eat, where you’ll go, what you’ll do, or whether you’ll celebrate alone or with other, let’s take a moment to reflect on reasons we have to give thanks. (For if you are reading this, then like me, you do have reasons.)
Spotted this rafter of turkeys strutting around our backyard. I shared on social, with a caption saying our B-Ball team “The Gobblers” was warming up, a friend wrote “you mean pre-heating!” Gobble-gobble!
Poetry Challenge #99
Two Scoops of Thanks
Write a poem of thanks. For? or To whom? is up to you.
The poem must be at least twelve words long—one word beginning with each letter of the word T-H-A-N-K-S-G-I-V-I-N-G.
Yes, it can be longer.
Yes, you can include words that begin with other letters, too.
Yes it can rhyme. . . No it doesn’t have to.
When you’ve finished, take a moment to polish your poem so you can share it—perhaps later, with pie!
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
Happy Thanksgiving! I am grateful for your support!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 3000+ 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).