Poetry Challenge #97-It's The Berries!
Berries! Silly me…I took a vow this past summer to only buy local produce. That was great during corn season, and green bean days and berry season and pumpkin season… but now what?
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.And right now, because the float and don’t spoil quickly and a gorgeous to look at, cranberries are tops.
What about you?
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 8 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.
Poetry Challenge #98-Beach Time
Winter hit this week. It is FREEEEEEEZING! I know deep in my rattlin’ bones that I’ll get used to the cold (soon, please) even embrace wearing bulky comfy clothes to brave the outdoors—or, more likely, use the cold as an excuse to stay inside: Baby it’s cold outside!
Huntington Beach—my Beach Time then
But right now I am asking myself why did I ever leave home? Gidget take me back to HB! So bear with me, pull a flowered shirt on over your sweats and let’s head to the beach! Hey Moon Doggie, wait for me!
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.
*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.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #95: Coo-Coo For Coconuts
Back to Standard Time ticked-in a little too soon, too dark, and too cold…it has me longing, already for lazy, crazy summer. And so, even though it’s not (according to the calendar), let’s pretend it’s National Pina Colada Day!
Whether you do or do not like getting caught in the rain . . .
Whether you are or are not into health foods or champagne . . .
Regardless your opinion on waking up at midnight—
Let’s put the lime in the coconut and bust out in poetry Pul-lee-e-e-e-sa! PLEEESE!
Poetry Challenge #95
Coo-Coo for Coconuts
Thinking coconuts, tropical islands, pineapples ripe for the plucking, and coo-coo birds write a poem.
And yes, because the notion that there is even a National Pina Colada Day is slightly coo-coo, use as many words as you can think of which include the letters C and O in that order—and if you really want to cut loose, try including a bird call or two!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
See what toucan caw-caw come-up-with!
*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 7-Minute Poetry 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):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #94-Fireworks Spooktacular
Fireworks!!! I love fireworks!
In the book Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, Max and Freak attend the Fourth of July celebration. As the fireworks bloom overhead, Freak calls them out in all the chemical compound glory:
“Magnesium!” (Freak) shouts as the white sparkles glitter down over the pond. “Potassium chlorate!” as the shells go womp-womp-womp and everybody goes oooooh. “Potassium nitrate! Sulphur! Aluminum!” And after a burst of hot red fire in the sky, Freak tugs my hair and screams, “Copper! That’s copper powder combusting with oxygen!”
Poetry Challenge #94
Fireworks Spooktacular
Who says fireworks are only for Independence Day, sports and Celebrations of Life? (Yes, that is a thing…ashes to starbursts). Why not Halloween! Who doesn’t want to see a jack-o-lantern spewing sparks?
So in honor of Spooktacular, write a ghostly, spooky, goblin-ish poem that includes fireworks—either as nouns, verbs adjectives—or creatures! Maybe even as Freak did, use their chemical names. Let your words burst on the page!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
BOO YOU!
*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. (This one was Cindy’s creation.) 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.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #93-Pretty in Pink (Copy)
Close your eyes and repeat after me ten times: Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink
Or maybe a Florida Belle . . .
What images came to mind?
Did you imagine cotton candy clouds?
Flamingos?
Ballerinas?
. . . A Pop Star?
... Molly Ringwald
with sprinkles!!
Poetry Challenge #93
Pretty in Pink
Use your Pink images to write today’s poem.
You might begin by listing everything that comes to mind related to Pink. Reorganize and embellish them to create a list poem.
Or, write a PINK acrostic poem, with each line beginning with a letter in the word PINK.
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 before you were born (kidding…maybe…). 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.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #92: This Plum is Too Ripe!
All of us is sorry for or about something. (If you’re not, then lucky you!)
My All-Time Favorite Off-Broadway Musical—if you’ve never seen it, you should. Or you will be sorry…
Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones drew on this uniquely human need* to apologize in a song about two neighbors who are great friends until they tear down a wall in the longest running Off-Broadway, sometimes on Broadway musicals of all times The Fantastiks. Here’s a snippet:
“This Plum is too Ripe!”
“Sorry.”
“You’re standing in MY Rose Garden!”
“Sorry.
And now, with no further apologies, on to our prompt:
Poetry Challenge #92
Who’s Sorry Now?
For this prompt, list things you are sorry for. (Your list can be as long or as short as need be.) Select one or several items that are related from that list and write a poem about it.
Finish the poem with a positive spin by suggesting ways you can, or might apologize. Or do it better next time . . .
* I don’t imagine whales apologize for combing up krill, or cheetahs apologize for mowing down gazelle, but maybe they do . . . if so: Sorry!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
No Apologies, No excuses—Just do it!
Song for Inspiration: Who’s Sorry Now as sung by Miss Patsy Cline—Of course!
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge when the current POTUS was running for office the first time. It was to fend off impending darkness. (So sorry how that turned out.) We’ve continued as a way of adding a bit of light. And, we 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.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #91: Words! Words! Words!
Words! Words! Words!
I’m so sick of words!
I hear words all day through/first from him, now from you/is that all you blighters can do?*
YES, Eliza! The answer is unequivocally, unapologetically, YES!—so on to the Challenge:
Poetry Challenge #91
A Few of My Favorite Words
Do you have favorite words? If you do, pause right now and jot them down.
I love to collect words I hear or read that are unfamiliar or that have an interesting sound. I try to remember to write them down to use another day. As you go through your day, pay attention to words that you like the sound or meaning of. Write them down! Save them!
A few I like are: Lilliputian, grommet, butterfly, whimsical, and gumption.
Think of five of your favorite words.
If you can’t think of words, open to a random page in the dictionary and find a word you like.
Write a Poem using one or more of the words on your list. Extra noogies if you use them all!
You can use some of my favorite words if you like.
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
* Eliza sang those words to Freddy in Lerner & Lowe’s My Fair Lady. The song is Show me, Now!
Here’s another ditty for inspiration: Three Little Words by Kalmar & Ruby
And one more because I just can’t help myself: My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music by Rodgers & Hammerstein
**Tara Lazar’s book Absurd Words is everything the cover says it is—and definitely not “just for kids”!
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 3200-ish days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one is Cindy’s; the “I” is her speaking. 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.
Click on Fishbowl link below and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FISHBOWL
Poetry Challenge #90: Like a YO-YO, Yo!
Sorry I’m tardy in posting this prompt. I had to untangle some knots. But how it’s all wrapped up, ready to roll!
“I used to be a swinger/Til you wrapped me round your finger . . .” Who can forget inspired lyrics like those by Joe South—or the singer who sang them to Hit status in 1971? (BTW: It was not Yo-Yo Ma.)
Did you know June 6th was National Yo-Yo Day? Neither did I. As soon as I learned, Donnie Osmond started singing away so I went with it…(how could I (k)not?
Take a moment to ponder YO-YO. Who could have ever imagined how, with the flick of a finger, one could make a disc roll up and down on a string* thus providing endless hours of entertainment, inspiring more than one hit song, and now, if you’re game, poetry!
Poetry Challenge #90
Like a YO-YO
Write a YO-YO poem. It can be about a YO-YO, playing with a YO-YO, feeling like a YO-YO—up and down about something? Or, sure, YoYo Ma. Roll the sounds of it around in your mouth for a while and see what comes of it, Yo!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
*According to the Museum of Yo-Yo History, “It is believed that the yo-yo most likely originated in China. The first historical mention of the yo-yo, however, was from Greece in the year 500 B.C. These ancient toys were made out of wood, metal, or painted terra cotta disks and called just that, a disc. It was customary, when a child turned of age, to offer toys of their youth to certain gods. “
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge eons ago. We 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—and tell your friends!