Photo: Laura Purdie Salas
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)!
Randy and I went to the American Idol concert last week, and I took this picture of a lamp in the lobby.?It makes me think of:
1)?butterfly wings
2)’sunrise
3) shuffling a deck of cards
And here’s my?first draft of a cinquain, inspired by memories of insomnia in the dead of winter:
3 A.M.
Blanket.
Still, chilly house.
Hot chocolate. Great book.
Stained-glass lampshade of rising sun.
Cocoon.
–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:>)?
174 Responses
This looked like the windows on a high rise apartment building reflecting the morning sun high on the windows.
New Day Debut Day View
Sun peers into the morning mirror
Its reflection glowing
Growing brighter
As eyes fully open.
Donna JT Smith, all rights reserved
Donna, a high rise was one of my first thoughts. Good job!
Yes, the picture does look like high rise apartments or office buildings.
I like your phrase using the words “morning mirror.”
I can see the sun bouncing off of buildings. Love that first line especially.
I miss the eastern sunrise in my new home, Donna. You’ve pictured it so well. Love the “glowing, growing brighter”.
I love this
What a lovely image, Donna! I especially like “morning mirror.”
This looked like the windows on a high rise apartment building reflecting the morning sun high on the windows.
New Day Debut Day View
Sun peers into the morning mirror
Its reflection glowing
Growing brighter
As eyes fully open.
Donna JT Smith, all rights reserved
Donna, a high rise was one of my first thoughts. Good job!
Yes, the picture does look like high rise apartments or office buildings.
I like your phrase using the words “morning mirror.”
I can see the sun bouncing off of buildings. Love that first line especially.
I miss the eastern sunrise in my new home, Donna. You’ve pictured it so well. Love the “glowing, growing brighter”.
I love this
What a lovely image, Donna! I especially like “morning mirror.”
Rainbow Rays
Alone.
Silence. Reverence.
Atoning, seeking, accepting.
Forgiven, thankful, peaceful lightness.
Meditation.
Laura, thanks for prompting a lesson in cinquains. As usual, there are many forms, as in haiku. This is my first try — I really like your shuffling cards scenario. Would love to see you expand that one! 😉
Alone — Meditation. Nice, Martha.
A very calming path to peace. I especially like the word “accepting” used here.
The picture does evoke a kind of reverence and silence, and your poem shows that.
wonderful
I like how you journey from alone (which some would think has a negative connotation) to meditation.
Rainbow Rays
Alone.
Silence. Reverence.
Atoning, seeking, accepting.
Forgiven, thankful, peaceful lightness.
Meditation.
Laura, thanks for prompting a lesson in cinquains. As usual, there are many forms, as in haiku. This is my first try — I really like your shuffling cards scenario. Would love to see you expand that one! 😉
Alone — Meditation. Nice, Martha.
A very calming path to peace. I especially like the word “accepting” used here.
The picture does evoke a kind of reverence and silence, and your poem shows that.
wonderful
I like how you journey from alone (which some would think has a negative connotation) to meditation.
Church Service
The sun enhanced,
colors dance across
mournful faces.
He would have
enjoyed the irony.
Diane Mayr, all rights reserved
Someone’s funeral?
I like the idea of sun enhanced colors flashing over mournful faces.
Great contrast.
I really like your opposing images and how your last two lines make it okay.
Diane, thought-provoking indeed. Love it.
A lovely story, Diane, in those few words. You make it look easy!
very nice
I love the implied funeral and what we learn about the deceased’s personality!
Nice, Diane!
Church Service
The sun enhanced,
colors dance across
mournful faces.
He would have
enjoyed the irony.
Diane Mayr, all rights reserved
Someone’s funeral?
I like the idea of sun enhanced colors flashing over mournful faces.
Great contrast.
I really like your opposing images and how your last two lines make it okay.
Diane, thought-provoking indeed. Love it.
A lovely story, Diane, in those few words. You make it look easy!
very nice
I love the implied funeral and what we learn about the deceased’s personality!
Nice, Diane!
I love your poem today, Laura. The mood it brings to mind.
Blanket — Cocoon. Perfect.
My first thought on this picture was of “rick-rack,” but I couldn’t get going on that thought.
Then I thought of how sometimes there is rick-rack sewn on a square dance skirt for decoration.
So here goes:
Square Dance
Dancers twirl.
Skirts whirl.
A rainbow of color
on each girl.
Rick-rack — love it, and your fun rhyme.
Thanks, Ellie.
Another fun rhyme Pat. I’ve always loved saying rick-rack.
Great rhyming here, Pat. I like that you included motion!
nice
Fun to see your train of thought! Those last two lines are wonderful:>)
Saw a square dance demonstration just last week. Yep, lots of brightly colored swirling skirts! Nice poem!
I love your poem today, Laura. The mood it brings to mind.
Blanket — Cocoon. Perfect.
My first thought on this picture was of “rick-rack,” but I couldn’t get going on that thought.
Then I thought of how sometimes there is rick-rack sewn on a square dance skirt for decoration.
So here goes:
Square Dance
Dancers twirl.
Skirts whirl.
A rainbow of color
on each girl.
Rick-rack — love it, and your fun rhyme.
Thanks, Ellie.
Another fun rhyme Pat. I’ve always loved saying rick-rack.
Great rhyming here, Pat. I like that you included motion!
nice
Fun to see your train of thought! Those last two lines are wonderful:>)
Saw a square dance demonstration just last week. Yep, lots of brightly colored swirling skirts! Nice poem!
Love stained-glass lampshade of rising sun, Laura. Somehow this reminded me of a feathered headdress.
Now — Aliens, Monsters, Gaming
gone are
cowboys and indians
teepees and cap guns
stick horses
imaginations!
lost to electronics
You have written a very timely poem.
How true it is, and how sad.
Ellie, great childhood images. I can smell the popping caps.
My youngest grandchildren still pretend, mostly about monsters and ghosts, but you’ve shown well what happens later. Nicely done!
The show was at a casino, Ellie:>) Oh, how I miss cap guns. That smell! This took me back.
Love stained-glass lampshade of rising sun, Laura. Somehow this reminded me of a feathered headdress.
Now — Aliens, Monsters, Gaming
gone are
cowboys and indians
teepees and cap guns
stick horses
imaginations!
lost to electronics
You have written a very timely poem.
How true it is, and how sad.
Ellie, great childhood images. I can smell the popping caps.
My youngest grandchildren still pretend, mostly about monsters and ghosts, but you’ve shown well what happens later. Nicely done!
The show was at a casino, Ellie:>) Oh, how I miss cap guns. That smell! This took me back.
Beautiful accordion.
Each color radiating a unique note.
Scaling, reaching, harmonizing.
Glissandos back to earth.
Lovely how you’ve blended music and light.
Love that you’ve shown us the music in the color-terrific!
Jennifer, I can see the keyboard and hear the music. My mother’s favorite instrument.
I like your idea of the accordion, and I loved the way you used those musical words.
I love that you saw an accordion here, Jennifer–and connected music to color.
opps I hadn’t seen this before I wrought a similar poem
Beautiful accordion.
Each color radiating a unique note.
Scaling, reaching, harmonizing.
Glissandos back to earth.
Lovely how you’ve blended music and light.
Love that you’ve shown us the music in the color-terrific!
Jennifer, I can see the keyboard and hear the music. My mother’s favorite instrument.
I like your idea of the accordion, and I loved the way you used those musical words.
I love that you saw an accordion here, Jennifer–and connected music to color.
opps I hadn’t seen this before I wrought a similar poem
Bottles
Colored bottles
on the windowsill,
trying to be
a rainbow and
succeeding.
?Kate Coombs
This brings back a memory of my Grandmother’s house. I loved to watch the sun shine through those little bottles!
Rainbows! It’s a given. Very nice.
I like your idea of colored glass bottles. The sun shining through them would certainly make them glow and possibly would reflect a rainbow on the walls.
Love this image and the final line–success!
I love when the sun shines through a row of colored bottles! I wish we had a window that worked for this. Love that the bottles are trying.
Bottles
Colored bottles
on the windowsill,
trying to be
a rainbow and
succeeding.
?Kate Coombs
This brings back a memory of my Grandmother’s house. I loved to watch the sun shine through those little bottles!
Rainbows! It’s a given. Very nice.
I like your idea of colored glass bottles. The sun shining through them would certainly make them glow and possibly would reflect a rainbow on the walls.
Love this image and the final line–success!
I love when the sun shines through a row of colored bottles! I wish we had a window that worked for this. Love that the bottles are trying.
Monarch
Stained-glass wings
flit, flutter, fly
whisper, Good-bye
into Summer?s
fading sky.
Andria W. Rosenbaum/all rights reserved
Andria, flit, flutter, fly — perfect description. Now I have The Sound of Music in my brain to stay a while! Love it.
I live this makes me think of a humming bird
love
I like your alliteration with flit, flutter, fly.
And using the word “whisper” is nice, too.
Stained glass wings is a wonderful description for monarchs!
Beautiful, Andria. Some of the best summer things are the things that signal the end of it!
Beautiful!
Monarch
Stained-glass wings
flit, flutter, fly
whisper, Good-bye
into Summer?s
fading sky.
Andria W. Rosenbaum/all rights reserved
Andria, flit, flutter, fly — perfect description. Now I have The Sound of Music in my brain to stay a while! Love it.
I live this makes me think of a humming bird
love
I like your alliteration with flit, flutter, fly.
And using the word “whisper” is nice, too.
Stained glass wings is a wonderful description for monarchs!
Beautiful, Andria. Some of the best summer things are the things that signal the end of it!
Beautiful!
I love flit, flutter, fly/whisper — how fitting for the quiet passing of a butterfly.
I love flit, flutter, fly/whisper — how fitting for the quiet passing of a butterfly.
What is it about 3am? It happens more often than I would like. I love that you made the setting so cozy, Laura-“cocoon”!
Rainbow in my window–
Easier now to find
the pot of gold.
Linda Baie ? All Rights Reserved
Linda, I love hanging prisms in my windows to achieve the very image your poem evokes. Thanks.
The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Great connection.
I love all these different ideas people have about the pictures that Laura posts.
Yes! This makes me think of how connecting anything to something natural makes it seem more beautiful… And I hate insomnia–I rarely have it, and when I do, I am never this peaceful about it. But thinking of the middle of the night made me think of when my daughters were infants and the quiet house at 3 a.m. was so peaceful. Made me wonder what would make me feel so at peace now if I were up at that ridiculous hour! I think a book and hot cocoa might do it:>)
What is it about 3am? It happens more often than I would like. I love that you made the setting so cozy, Laura-“cocoon”!
Rainbow in my window–
Easier now to find
the pot of gold.
Linda Baie ? All Rights Reserved
Linda, I love hanging prisms in my windows to achieve the very image your poem evokes. Thanks.
The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Great connection.
I love all these different ideas people have about the pictures that Laura posts.
Yes! This makes me think of how connecting anything to something natural makes it seem more beautiful… And I hate insomnia–I rarely have it, and when I do, I am never this peaceful about it. But thinking of the middle of the night made me think of when my daughters were infants and the quiet house at 3 a.m. was so peaceful. Made me wonder what would make me feel so at peace now if I were up at that ridiculous hour! I think a book and hot cocoa might do it:>)
Our Kindness
waves of colors
flowing from words
rainbows of hope
loving steps of kindness
golden sky dreams
the pic is so beautiful
Pome By Jessica
Beautiful words Jessica.
thank you
I like the way you connected the colors to words.
And rainbows are a great symbol for “hope.”
That last line is delightful, Jessica!
Our Kindness
waves of colors
flowing from words
rainbows of hope
loving steps of kindness
golden sky dreams
the pic is so beautiful
Pome By Jessica
Beautiful words Jessica.
thank you
I like the way you connected the colors to words.
And rainbows are a great symbol for “hope.”
That last line is delightful, Jessica!
Colors rise:
red, gold, blue, purple–
behind the curtain
the wizard refracts,
dispersing light.
Yay for the wizards of science and nature! Our world is so amazing–it feels like magic much of the time.
Now we know it’s the wizard. Thanks Buffy, creativity abounds.
Colors rise:
red, gold, blue, purple–
behind the curtain
the wizard refracts,
dispersing light.
Yay for the wizards of science and nature! Our world is so amazing–it feels like magic much of the time.
Now we know it’s the wizard. Thanks Buffy, creativity abounds.
HOW LONG DID I SLEEP?
I just woke up
and looked outside.
It is morning
or eventide?
Morning in the East, eventide in the West. Winners either way. Thanks Cindy.
Eventide…such a calm, British kind of feeling to that word. Lovely.
HOW LONG DID I SLEEP?
I just woke up
and looked outside.
It is morning
or eventide?
Morning in the East, eventide in the West. Winners either way. Thanks Cindy.
Eventide…such a calm, British kind of feeling to that word. Lovely.
accordions
of colors
unfolding from
every smiling
face
I rely love every ones poems today
Poem by Jessica Bigi
I was just wondering if this poem sounds okay
accordions
of colors
unfolding from
every smiling
face
I rely love every ones poems today
Poem by Jessica Bigi
I was just wondering if this poem sounds okay
Love your poem, Laura — many good ones today! I saw stained glass and prisms…
LUCIDITY
Prism shards,
glassy bloom,
prison guards,
lighted room,
House of Cards,
crystal tomb.
- ? 2014, Matt Forrest Esenwine
Ooh, dark! I especially like glassy bloom… Thanks, Matt!
Love your poem, Laura — many good ones today! I saw stained glass and prisms…
LUCIDITY
Prism shards,
glassy bloom,
prison guards,
lighted room,
House of Cards,
crystal tomb.
- ? 2014, Matt Forrest Esenwine
Ooh, dark! I especially like glassy bloom… Thanks, Matt!
I could just melt right into your poem, Laura. It sounds blissful.
Thanks, Catherine:)
I could just melt right into your poem, Laura. It sounds blissful.
Thanks, Catherine:)
What a lovely lamp! As did many others, I thought of the beauty of rainbows when I saw this. It got me imagining a rainbow on a roadtrip, in a somewhat unsuccessful disguise.
Traveling incognito,
the rainbow lurked in the lobby
as anonymously as brilliance allows.
Debbie, quite clever. I like lurked/lobby and the oxymoron, if you will, of anonymous/brilliance.
What an image–love the humor!
What a lovely lamp! As did many others, I thought of the beauty of rainbows when I saw this. It got me imagining a rainbow on a roadtrip, in a somewhat unsuccessful disguise.
Traveling incognito,
the rainbow lurked in the lobby
as anonymously as brilliance allows.
Debbie, quite clever. I like lurked/lobby and the oxymoron, if you will, of anonymous/brilliance.
What an image–love the humor!
Kaleidoscope
Magic mosaics and
exploding confetti
dancing on mirrors
in the hands of a child.
~~Barbara J. Turner
Exploding confetti–wonderful!
Kaleidoscope
Magic mosaics and
exploding confetti
dancing on mirrors
in the hands of a child.
~~Barbara J. Turner
Exploding confetti–wonderful!
I was thinking of the whole American Idol idea and came up with this:
OZ
Seeking fame
Screened behind technocolored lights
We disguise
But ultimately reveal
Our very commonness.
Ooh, interesting mash-up of pop culture, images, and big ideas!
I was thinking of the whole American Idol idea and came up with this:
OZ
Seeking fame
Screened behind technocolored lights
We disguise
But ultimately reveal
Our very commonness.
Ooh, interesting mash-up of pop culture, images, and big ideas!
Great poem, Laura! Lots of great poems and so much fun to read as my bedtime story tonight.
I thought this looked like a bunch of popsicles laying side-by-side.
Popsicle, popsicle, popsicle, lick!
Flavorful fruitiness down to the stick!
Thanks, Penny–this is so fun! It feels like a jump rope chant.
Great poem, Laura! Lots of great poems and so much fun to read as my bedtime story tonight.
I thought this looked like a bunch of popsicles laying side-by-side.
Popsicle, popsicle, popsicle, lick!
Flavorful fruitiness down to the stick!
Thanks, Penny–this is so fun! It feels like a jump rope chant.
THE STAIN GLASS HEALER
Crescent splashed skylight
Envelopes my weary mood
From prying eyes.
© Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.
THE STAIN GLASS HEALER
Crescent splashed skylight
Envelopes my weary mood
From prying eyes.
© Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.