Rope [15 words or less]

Photo: Laura Salas

Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! 15WOLs This is a closeup pic, and?here are 3 things this photo makes me think of: 1)?Shampoo commercial 2)?Rope swing 3) Hangman’s noose And here’s my first draft. I had fun with my Things To Do poem last week and decided to go with that again–dang, my formatting isn’t there. I wanted that second line indented–a lot!–to mimic the back and forth of the swing.

Things To Do If You’re a Rope Swing

Wear a bristly jacket.
Leap to the sky.
Float safely back to earth.

–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

NOTE: I’m driving five hours (hopefully weather won’t slow me down) to Iowa City, IA, today, to be part of the One Book Two Book Festival! I won’t be able to comment on poems today, although I will read through them all once I get checked in to my room. They will be my reward:>) Now it’s your turn! Have fun? and stick to? 15 WORDS OR LESS!??(Title doesn’t count toward word count:>)?

68 Responses

  1. Luscious locks
    Pouring down
    Spilling sweetly
    Over shoulders
    Washing the worries away

    Cool picture!!! I really like your poem, especially the “Leap to the sky”

    1. Amelia, love “luscious” and “spilling.” I can feel the warm water and smell the aroma of a favorite shampoo.

  2. Luscious locks
    Pouring down
    Spilling sweetly
    Over shoulders
    Washing the worries away

    Cool picture!!! I really like your poem, especially the “Leap to the sky”

    1. Amelia, love “luscious” and “spilling.” I can feel the warm water and smell the aroma of a favorite shampoo.

    1. Kate, your response brings memories of letting the old wooden bucket down into the well that supplied water to my paternal grandparents’ home.

    1. Kate, your response brings memories of letting the old wooden bucket down into the well that supplied water to my paternal grandparents’ home.

  3. Goodbye Launch

    Rockets fire,
    propel Challenger
    into the heavens.
    This month
    seven families remember.

    Laura, I panicked. Did not receive the post. Again I went around my fist to get to my thumb. Clicked on last week’s 15 WOL followed by another click on an underlined “Laura.” Ahhh — success!

      1. It’s one of those events that you do remember. I was a grandmother, wearing braces on my teeth for the first time, stopped at a traffic light on the way to see my orthodontist. I had to break the news to everyone there.

    1. Yes, Martha. It’s a moment that most all of us remember.
      I was teaching first grade at the time and another teacher came in to tell me.
      Shock! It was a sad time.
      I can see why the picture made you think of a rocket launch.
      Good job.

      P.S. I didn’t get the email either.

  4. Goodbye Launch

    Rockets fire,
    propel Challenger
    into the heavens.
    This month
    seven families remember.

    Laura, I panicked. Did not receive the post. Again I went around my fist to get to my thumb. Clicked on last week’s 15 WOL followed by another click on an underlined “Laura.” Ahhh — success!

      1. It’s one of those events that you do remember. I was a grandmother, wearing braces on my teeth for the first time, stopped at a traffic light on the way to see my orthodontist. I had to break the news to everyone there.

    1. Yes, Martha. It’s a moment that most all of us remember.
      I was teaching first grade at the time and another teacher came in to tell me.
      Shock! It was a sad time.
      I can see why the picture made you think of a rocket launch.
      Good job.

      P.S. I didn’t get the email either.

  5. Red and yellow —- that’s all I could see,
    but it brought a thought about —

    Chinese New Year

    Dancing feet beneath
    colorful dragon,
    weave though street
    to banish evil spirits,
    bring good luck.

  6. Red and yellow —- that’s all I could see,
    but it brought a thought about —

    Chinese New Year

    Dancing feet beneath
    colorful dragon,
    weave though street
    to banish evil spirits,
    bring good luck.

  7. I like the ‘bristly’ jacket of your rope swing, Laura, & hope you arrived safely! I imagined a bit differently although your mention of rope influenced me.

    Jack couldn?t ignore
    the shimmer and shine;
    grabbing the golden rope,
    tremulous, began to climb.
    Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved

    1. I love your idea of tying the picture with Jack in the Beanstalk.
      I like the way you worked in the “i” sound and the “o” sound in your end lines.

  8. I like the ‘bristly’ jacket of your rope swing, Laura, & hope you arrived safely! I imagined a bit differently although your mention of rope influenced me.

    Jack couldn?t ignore
    the shimmer and shine;
    grabbing the golden rope,
    tremulous, began to climb.
    Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved

    1. I love your idea of tying the picture with Jack in the Beanstalk.
      I like the way you worked in the “i” sound and the “o” sound in your end lines.

  9. GOING UP OR DOWN?

    A slippery slide,
    leading naught
    or rescue rope
    that’s stretched out taut.

    My choice what.

  10. GOING UP OR DOWN?

    A slippery slide,
    leading naught
    or rescue rope
    that’s stretched out taut.

    My choice what.

  11. What fun poems, today. Linda, I especially like your near rhymes!

    In Grandma’s Day

    Be-
    fore
    work-
    place
    safety
    reg-
    ula-
    tions
    taffy
    mak-
    ing
    re-
    quir-
    ed
    oiled
    hands
    and
    repet-
    itive
    wrist
    twists.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. You made me re-look at the photo, Diane! It “is” taffy. There is a machine that fascinates as it twists and turns in a mountain tourist town. but now you’ve made me wonder how they did do it before? I like the word arrangement!

    2. Creative indeed. Good job Diane. I’ve never personally pulled taffy but I have watched the commercial machines turn, twist, snip and roll in paper.

  12. What fun poems, today. Linda, I especially like your near rhymes!

    In Grandma’s Day

    Be-
    fore
    work-
    place
    safety
    reg-
    ula-
    tions
    taffy
    mak-
    ing
    re-
    quir-
    ed
    oiled
    hands
    and
    repet-
    itive
    wrist
    twists.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

    1. You made me re-look at the photo, Diane! It “is” taffy. There is a machine that fascinates as it twists and turns in a mountain tourist town. but now you’ve made me wonder how they did do it before? I like the word arrangement!

    2. Creative indeed. Good job Diane. I’ve never personally pulled taffy but I have watched the commercial machines turn, twist, snip and roll in paper.

  13. I saw a chewed-up number 2 pencil, and was immediately back in elementary school, filling in circles on the Iowa (?) achievement test that we took every couple of years. That was the only standardized test we had until high school SATs–and that was stress enough for my pencil-gnawing teeth. And to think of what kids today endure!
    Love your rope swing, Laura–especially leap to the sky–and hope you had safe travels. I did not get this in my email today, either. Glad I suddenly remembered that it was Thursday!

    With Number 2 Pencils in Hand:

    brows furrow
    teeth gnaw
    feet shake
    chins tremble
    palms sweat
    hands smudge
    clock ticks

    1. Of course. I can certainly see the pencils and have put teeth marks in a few of my own. Great interpretation.

    2. I had to give that achievement test, even to my first graders.
      The verbs you used are a great description of the good, hard working students.
      Then there were the few who rushed through the test and were the first ones to finish.
      Oh, dear. Their scores were dismal.

    3. I gave that (it is Iowa) test too, & my children took it, no real biggie, but they were nervous. My grandson still is nervous, but in 7th grade, he says they talk about the testing a lot! I wonder how many pencils are gnawed-you’ve captured all the actions, Buffy!

  14. I saw a chewed-up number 2 pencil, and was immediately back in elementary school, filling in circles on the Iowa (?) achievement test that we took every couple of years. That was the only standardized test we had until high school SATs–and that was stress enough for my pencil-gnawing teeth. And to think of what kids today endure!
    Love your rope swing, Laura–especially leap to the sky–and hope you had safe travels. I did not get this in my email today, either. Glad I suddenly remembered that it was Thursday!

    With Number 2 Pencils in Hand:

    brows furrow
    teeth gnaw
    feet shake
    chins tremble
    palms sweat
    hands smudge
    clock ticks

    1. Of course. I can certainly see the pencils and have put teeth marks in a few of my own. Great interpretation.

    2. I had to give that achievement test, even to my first graders.
      The verbs you used are a great description of the good, hard working students.
      Then there were the few who rushed through the test and were the first ones to finish.
      Oh, dear. Their scores were dismal.

    3. I gave that (it is Iowa) test too, & my children took it, no real biggie, but they were nervous. My grandson still is nervous, but in 7th grade, he says they talk about the testing a lot! I wonder how many pencils are gnawed-you’ve captured all the actions, Buffy!

  15. THE FLAME

    Let the flame
    Burn within
    So new life
    can begin
    With abundance
    and joy everlasting

    - Anne McKenna

  16. THE FLAME

    Let the flame
    Burn within
    So new life
    can begin
    With abundance
    and joy everlasting

    - Anne McKenna

  17. I had such a lovely break last night reading through all of your terrific poems. You guys are an inspiration to me. Thank you!

  18. I had such a lovely break last night reading through all of your terrific poems. You guys are an inspiration to me. Thank you!

  19. ROPE CLIMB (PRESSURE)
    Grabbing frazzled twine,
    Ascending slowly, girlfriend?s
    Eyes wait in judgment.

    © Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.

  20. ROPE CLIMB (PRESSURE)
    Grabbing frazzled twine,
    Ascending slowly, girlfriend?s
    Eyes wait in judgment.

    © Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.

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