Empty Liner [15 words or less poems]

Photo: Laura Purdie Salas

Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!

15WOLs

After eating a tasty vanilla mini-cupcake the other day, I thought the empty liner looked kind of sad and lonely. This image makes me think of:

1) what do the other cupcakes think when they see this evidence?
2) what is that ghostie doing in the reflection on the plate?
3) what a waste that some of it sticks to the liner!

And here’s my?first draft.

Too Many Sweets!

November first,

ghosts hold their bellies,

afraid they’ll burst.

Who-o-o-o‑o ate that?

Not meeeeeeeeee?

 

–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

 

Now it’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS!??(Title doesn’t count toward word count:>)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

166 Responses

  1. Empty liners,
    Frosting gone
    Spectral diners
    Moving on

    Looks like it was a good cupcake!!

    1. I love how you took the ghost idea and ran with it–spectral diners/moving on–yes!

  2. Empty liners,
    Frosting gone
    Spectral diners
    Moving on

    Looks like it was a good cupcake!!

    1. I love how you took the ghost idea and ran with it–spectral diners/moving on–yes!

  3. Empty

    I unfold
    paper pedals
    crumbed memories
    you write empty
    upon me with
    crinkled lined-smiles

    Laura I like the ghost in your poem I wasn’t show what to write today

    Poem By Jessica Bigi

  4. Empty

    I unfold
    paper pedals
    crumbed memories
    you write empty
    upon me with
    crinkled lined-smiles

    Laura I like the ghost in your poem I wasn’t show what to write today

    Poem By Jessica Bigi

  5. Cupcake on a pedestal,
    thinking itself great.
    Waiting for an audience,
    cupcake then got ate.

  6. Cupcake on a pedestal,
    thinking itself great.
    Waiting for an audience,
    cupcake then got ate.

    1. I meant to say before I posted that the cupcake liner looked like a skirt covered in crumbs (mine often looks quite a bit like that after I eat!).
      Also, the text didn’t hold its formating. It was kind of at a zigzag angle when I wrote it — like tumbling crumbs. Oh, well! Just imagine…

    1. I meant to say before I posted that the cupcake liner looked like a skirt covered in crumbs (mine often looks quite a bit like that after I eat!).
      Also, the text didn’t hold its formating. It was kind of at a zigzag angle when I wrote it — like tumbling crumbs. Oh, well! Just imagine…

  7. Mistaken Identity

    Discarded sea sponge
    becomes a leach
    thinks he’s found safety
    in home on the beach.

    Cute idea Laura. The remainder sticking to the paper prompted my take. If it makes one feel better (this is not original, read it somewhere), once you lick the frosting off of the cupcake it becomes a muffin and muffins are healthy.

    1. Love seeing where your idea came from. And I’m totally on board with the muffin thing (well, I would be if I though muffins were healthy, but I know the nutritional stats of those, too, so it’s impossible to fool myself, dang it!).

      1. I, too, like that you looked at the picture in a different way, Martha.
        That’s what makes this fun.

  8. Mistaken Identity

    Discarded sea sponge
    becomes a leach
    thinks he’s found safety
    in home on the beach.

    Cute idea Laura. The remainder sticking to the paper prompted my take. If it makes one feel better (this is not original, read it somewhere), once you lick the frosting off of the cupcake it becomes a muffin and muffins are healthy.

    1. Love seeing where your idea came from. And I’m totally on board with the muffin thing (well, I would be if I though muffins were healthy, but I know the nutritional stats of those, too, so it’s impossible to fool myself, dang it!).

      1. I, too, like that you looked at the picture in a different way, Martha.
        That’s what makes this fun.

  9. Waste Not, Want Not

    Snarf the icing,
    bite the top,
    nibble, nibble,
    to the last crumb,
    compost the liner.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

  10. Waste Not, Want Not

    Snarf the icing,
    bite the top,
    nibble, nibble,
    to the last crumb,
    compost the liner.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

  11. Laura, I think your poem today is funny — the ghosts holding their bellies after eating all those cupcakes.
    If I had more words and more time, I could do this one better.
    However, I must go on with my day. 🙂

    Party’s over now.
    Wonder how
    Two dozen cakes could disappear?
    All are gone, I fear.

    1. Oh, dear. Hopefully the narrator didn’t eat all 24? Love your first line’s double meaning!

  12. Laura, I think your poem today is funny — the ghosts holding their bellies after eating all those cupcakes.
    If I had more words and more time, I could do this one better.
    However, I must go on with my day. 🙂

    Party’s over now.
    Wonder how
    Two dozen cakes could disappear?
    All are gone, I fear.

    1. Oh, dear. Hopefully the narrator didn’t eat all 24? Love your first line’s double meaning!

    1. Oh how I remember all of those starving children in the world who would love to have my food.

    1. Oh how I remember all of those starving children in the world who would love to have my food.

  13. Love the thought of Nov. 1st feelings, Laura. The cupcake bakeries here are very popular!

    Forgive Me

    That last cupcake,
    pink icing piled.
    lonely on the plate,
    I chewed, then smiled.
    Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved

    1. You are so right Linda. I know of a bakery named “Sugar Kneads” and it encompasses every kind of bakery items the name suggests. There are flavors of cupcakes that I have never heard of! I’m happy you smiled.

    2. Better than plums, Ms Linda Baie Linda. (Can you tell your poem put me in mind of William Carlos Williams’ “This Is Just to Say”? In which he does not sound sorry at all! And, frankly, neither do you:>)

    3. Well, yes. One cupcake can’t be left all alone.
      I like your rhyme — piled — smiled.

  14. Love the thought of Nov. 1st feelings, Laura. The cupcake bakeries here are very popular!

    Forgive Me

    That last cupcake,
    pink icing piled.
    lonely on the plate,
    I chewed, then smiled.
    Linda Baie ?All Rights Reserved

    1. You are so right Linda. I know of a bakery named “Sugar Kneads” and it encompasses every kind of bakery items the name suggests. There are flavors of cupcakes that I have never heard of! I’m happy you smiled.

    2. Better than plums, Ms Linda Baie Linda. (Can you tell your poem put me in mind of William Carlos Williams’ “This Is Just to Say”? In which he does not sound sorry at all! And, frankly, neither do you:>)

    3. Well, yes. One cupcake can’t be left all alone.
      I like your rhyme — piled — smiled.

  15. Oh, goodness! In the middle of writing comments, this one came to me after reading Martha’s sea sponge…So I HAD to write it down quickly:

    Jellyfish
    Makes wish
    Becomes cupcake
    How delish!
    Sorry, belly-
    pleasing-jelly,
    Couldn’t leave you
    In the deli.

    1. Oh, dear. This could possibly make me lose my cupcake appetite. That is a hard thing to accomplish!

    2. Love your last four lines. Perfect rhythm and rhyme.
      Now for a jelly-fish cupcake? Uh, I may pass on that one. Ha!

  16. Oh, goodness! In the middle of writing comments, this one came to me after reading Martha’s sea sponge…So I HAD to write it down quickly:

    Jellyfish
    Makes wish
    Becomes cupcake
    How delish!
    Sorry, belly-
    pleasing-jelly,
    Couldn’t leave you
    In the deli.

    1. Oh, dear. This could possibly make me lose my cupcake appetite. That is a hard thing to accomplish!

    2. Love your last four lines. Perfect rhythm and rhyme.
      Now for a jelly-fish cupcake? Uh, I may pass on that one. Ha!

  17. Paper daisy
    Tempting ants
    With crumbs
    Their so tinny
    Carrying you away
    marching-munching-yum

    Poem by Jessica Bigi

  18. Paper daisy
    Tempting ants
    With crumbs
    Their so tinny
    Carrying you away
    marching-munching-yum

    Poem by Jessica Bigi

    1. Hahaha–oh, dear. I stopped and had a Skor bar on my way home from my Barbell Strength class. I suppose I should be feeling guiltier. Especially as the cashier at Wendy’s (oops, more to feel guilty about) asked if I get the senior discount. Um, no, but thanks for making me feel like crap! (The Skor bar was then to make me feel better:>)

    2. Perfect for the partial eclipse today too! P.S. Don’t feel guilty?it’s only a little cake.

    1. Hahaha–oh, dear. I stopped and had a Skor bar on my way home from my Barbell Strength class. I suppose I should be feeling guiltier. Especially as the cashier at Wendy’s (oops, more to feel guilty about) asked if I get the senior discount. Um, no, but thanks for making me feel like crap! (The Skor bar was then to make me feel better:>)

    2. Perfect for the partial eclipse today too! P.S. Don’t feel guilty?it’s only a little cake.

  19. Had a tough time shaving this down to 15 words!

    Empty Liner

    Sadness, pure sadness.
    I do think it?s the worst
    to find a yummy cupcake
    that someone got to first.

    ? Matt Forrest Esenwine

      1. Oh, you’re right, Linda! My apologies for such an egregious error. That was “my” version; I wrote the 15-word version, but copied the wrong one! Here’s my “legal” one:

        Empty Liner (15-word version)

        Sadness, sadness.
        Really, it?s the worst
        to find a yummy cupcake
        someone got to first.

        ? Matt Forrest Esenwine

  20. Had a tough time shaving this down to 15 words!

    Empty Liner

    Sadness, pure sadness.
    I do think it?s the worst
    to find a yummy cupcake
    that someone got to first.

    ? Matt Forrest Esenwine

      1. Oh, you’re right, Linda! My apologies for such an egregious error. That was “my” version; I wrote the 15-word version, but copied the wrong one! Here’s my “legal” one:

        Empty Liner (15-word version)

        Sadness, sadness.
        Really, it?s the worst
        to find a yummy cupcake
        someone got to first.

        ? Matt Forrest Esenwine

  21. THE GIVING CUPCAKE

    Cakey morsels
    I devour?
    All is not lost-
    I still have
    a paper flower!

    Ellen Vojnovic

    1. Love the title! Never thought of a cupcake as quite that selfless and sacrificing before!

  22. THE GIVING CUPCAKE

    Cakey morsels
    I devour?
    All is not lost-
    I still have
    a paper flower!

    Ellen Vojnovic

    1. Love the title! Never thought of a cupcake as quite that selfless and sacrificing before!

  23. THE GIVING CAKE

    Cakey morsels
    I devour?
    All is not lost-
    I still have
    a paper flower!

    Ellen Vojnovic

  24. THE GIVING CAKE

    Cakey morsels
    I devour?
    All is not lost-
    I still have
    a paper flower!

    Ellen Vojnovic

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,499 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be...Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be...art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be... bookscan be... poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter bookschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura's board booksLaura's booksLaura's poemsLaura's readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar's VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be...Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be...wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat's InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."