DC Trees [15 Words or Less]

Hello, and welcome! This is 15 Words or Less Poems, a low-pressure way to wake up your poetry brain (guidelines here), and I’m very glad you’re here. 

My regulars, I’ve missed you the past two weeks! I was on a weeklong school visit one week, a mini writing retreat last week, and now I’ve just returned home from the Texas Library Association conference in Austin. Whew! It’s good to be back:>)

autumn tress in washington dc
Photo: Laura P. Salas

I know I post a lot of tree images, and I’m REALLY trying to offer more variety here. But…I adore trees. I took this photo in the monuments area of Washington, DC.

This image makes me think of several things:

  1.  showing up in completely the wrong clothes for something
  2.  hall of mirrors
  3.  holding on

And here’s my first draft.

relecting on trees

 

It’s your turn! Have fun and stick to 15 WORDS OR LESS! (Title doesn’t count toward word count.)

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

21 Responses

  1. Welcome home, Laura! I can only imagine the tremendous excitement of travel to poetry, taking part in poetry and then coming down from such encounters. How do you do that?! How do you pace yourself?

    I was caught by the idea of the glass held by the trees for us to see ourselves. What a striking image. Trees are my friends. I have been delighted to see my friends leafing out here and coming back from their long winters. We have so much to catch up on!

    My draft

    Riddle poem

    By land
    riverplain
    or sea
    I stretch
    I wave
    stand tall
    what am I?

    Answer: A Tree

    1. PS It was awesome! But this has been a full-tilt spring, and there is no pacing. Only survival–ha!

  2. Your travels sound inspiring and tiring, Laura.
    What an interesting perspective on trees, having them reveal us. Here’s my poem:

    you wear yellow
    I’ll wear purple
    hope we can find each other
    in the crowd

  3. I’m working with paint chip poetry this month, so for today, I pulled out three chips (mustard seed, slow, and nest)

    A mustard seed–
    tiniest of all–
    grows slow
    enough, though
    for every nest
    to rest.

    (based on the parable of the mustard seed)

    1. I love your challenges to yourself, Margaret! Three chosen words–20 PERCENT of this poem–and you still created this little gem of a poem. Sigh…

  4. Missed you Laura. Wifi problems last week. Same this week. Composing on my phone. Hope it works. I never cease to be amazed at those last remaining trees in Fall who refuse to follow the crowd.

    All That Glitters …

    Illumination
    courage
    for winter’s
    stark
    vulnerability
    one last thread
    on which to cling.

    1. Wow, such powerful and vivid words, Martha. Really gorgeous! (And happy to be back!)

  5. Welcome back, Laura! I love trees, too, and this photo is wonderful! And the poems so far are just lovely! Here’s mine;

    Big and Small

    But these aren’t trees–
    They’re shafts of hair
    on giant’s scalp
    I’m tiny there!

  6. The Big Push

    Come on, get ready,
    start leafing; let’s go!
    Springtime’s arriving!
    Why are you so slow?

    1. Haha–the impatience in your narrative voice here echoes what I’m hearing from my neighbors daily!

  7. I love the contrast between dark trees and sky in this photo–very cool! Congrats on all your good busyness, Laura.

    trunk, limbs, twigs
    branching as they rise
    holding up the sky

    1. Love the juxtaposition of brand new growth on an old, graceful tree, Dianne.

  8. sory it took so long had to think
    on this one for abift
    sory it so long
    poem by Jessica Bigi

    Freedoms Proms

    Beneath braches of History
    I carried our people
    too freedom lands
    upon my own life’s branches
    broken and lamed
    building stronger furthers
    Branches of life’s of peace

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."