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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Poetry Challenge #96: Hot Diggity Dog!

Hot Diggity Dog! It’s National Hot Dog Day! July 17th)! An entire day officially dedicated to gobbling hot dogs. This is your chance, you can fire up the BBQ, grill up a mess of fat/calorie/nitrate packed hot dogs, nestle them in buttery toasted buns, slather them with tasty toppings and gobble away or you can take the challenge (or both):

Poetry Challenge #96

Hot Diggity-Dog

In honor of National Hot Dog Day, let’s write a concrete poem. Concrete poems are words arranged in a shape to give extra meaning to the subject of the poem. Maybe the words form the branches of a tree or letters drip down the page to show rain. Sometimes there’s a surprise hidden in repeated words like the marshmallow in the concrete poem below created by Cindy*.

For this one step grab an old-school writing implement (aka pencil, marker, pen). Unless you’re a “Cindy”, it’s harder to create a concrete poem on a device. Begin by visualizing a hot dog. Now, to turn it into a concrete poem you can:

• Sketch the outline of a hot dog and fill it by writing hot dog hot dog hot dog over and over and over . . . until you are fed up with writing hot dog.

• Or, fill your hot dog outline with a poem about hot dogs or a hot dog memory.

•  Or, draw a hot dog with words associated with hot dogs.

•  Or, use letters as Cindy did by using hot dog part words to create an image. Use other words to dress up your hot dog. Do you like ketchup? Mustard? Onions? Chili? Sweet relish? Marshmallows?

Grab Your Marker

Get Set

Hog-Diggity Draw! (I do relish a good concrete poem…with mustard.)

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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Poetry Challenge #95: Coo-Coo For Coconuts

Hooray! Hooray! It’s National Pina Colada Day!

So whether you do or do not like getting caught in the rain . . .

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 coocoo 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!

Got Kids? Check out POETRY LAB, our* poetry prompts just for kids in ROAR! a delightful new kids’ magazine!

*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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Poetry Challenge #94-Freak the Mighty Fireworks

Fireworks!!!

In the book Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, Max and Freak attend the Fourth of July celebration and Max is amazed at what Freak knows.

“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!”

— pg. 32-33

Poetry Challenge #94

Freak the Mighty Fireworks

In honor of Independence Day, try writing a poem that includes fireworks—either your description of them or 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.

*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. (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.

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Poetry Challenge #93-Pretty in Pink

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?

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 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):

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