Poetry Challenge #51-For the Way We Were
“Remember blah-blah-blah..”
“Of course!”
“And blah-blah-blah…”
“How could I forget…”
Maurice and Hermione had much to remember, and at the same time so little when they sang “Oh yes, I remember it well…” in the movie, Gigi
Isn’t that the way of things! And the difference between autobiography and memoire? Memories aren’t reliable. They can be rose-tinted, dangerous, lost, and revised.
For this prompt, our memories can be any/all of those or true. Who will know by me and you?
Poetry Challenge #51
For the Way We Were
Pick one thing you remember. Maybe it’s the first thing that came to mind when you began reading this post. Maybe you need to scroll through your memories until you find one that creates a vivid picture in your mind.
Write a poem beginning with the words “Remember when…”. If you get stuck, write “Remember when…” again and go on with another memory. Extra credit for adding colors, smells, sounds, feelings.
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
For The Way We Were Playlist:
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge at least 3020 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 dang poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!
Want the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge sent to your email? Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl).
Poetry Challenge #50-Ode to the Lone (Ly)
“DON’T USE ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS TO PRETIFY YOUR PROSE!” The warning—BOLD & ALL CAPS—is issued at least once, in ever writing class. So much so, that it’s the title of a Writers’ Digest article expounding the excellence of Raymond Carver via his teacher John Gardner’s leaner-is-neater adverb and adjective-free prose.
If "Ly" were a dog, this is him. Sad.
Following in Carver/Gardner's footsteps has let us to “cast a suspicious eye on these forms of speech because many times they add little to what is already on the page.” As a result those ly-ending adverbs (and adjectives*) we once sprinkled throughout our prose as liberally as we sugared our Lucky Charms have been unnecessarily shunned, ignominiously tossed aside, and relegated extremely disposable.
A sign, at the entrance to the Cooper Hewitt Museum's exhibition “Design Beyond Vision” caused me to wonder: Where have all the adverbs gone? Long time passing . . . What has become of those lowly, loathsome “Ly”s? They are, frankly, lonely.
Here's the juicy sign. What's missing?
Hence today’s battle cry and prompt: Down with Understated. Let’s bravely go where no adverb has gone before…(or at least not for a long, long time.)
Poetry Challenge #50
Ode for Lonely "Ly"
Let’s write an adverb poem. Begin with the simplest sentence: A subject and a verb. For example: Jack ran. Mary ate. Unicorn flew.
Now ask yourself “how?” or “when?” or “Where?” Answer by adding an adverb. Repeat that adverb and ask “how?” Answer with another adverb.
Keep repeating this pattern, asking “how?” or “when?” or “where?” and answering with adverbs, one after the other after the other after the other, until you’ve used all the adverbs you want. Then, bring it to a rousing—or not—finish.
As an example, here’s my effort:
Your turn!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Ode For Lonely "Ly" Playlist:
Link to the article “Don’t Use Adjectives and Adverbs to Prettify Your Prose”
Where Have all the Adverbs Gone by Peter, Paul & Mary
Ode to the Lowly [Ly] by Roy Orbison
**To paraphrase McArthur and Arnold: “Adjectives! We’ll be back!”
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge at least 3000 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 dang poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!
Want the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge sent to your email? Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
Poetry Challenge #49-Poetry Stew
The ground crunches in the morning. My knuckles and knees do too. It’s that time of year. What time? Stew time!
Ingredients for a poem all around you, ready for the plucking.
If people are nearby, ask them for the words the way you’d ask to borrow a cup of sugar for a favorite recipe.
Poetry Challenge #49
Poetry Stew
You will need two nouns (something you can see or touch, not proper nouns), a color, a place (not capitalized if possible), an adjective (a word that describes), a verb (an action), and an abstract noun (a word that you can’t touch that names an idea: beauty, hope, justice, chance).
Here are some ingredients in case your word cupboard is bare:
milkweed * laughter * mulberry * market * delicious * yearn * hope
Stir the words together, let them simmer a bit as you would a stew, then shape them into a poem. “Season” your poem with a smattering of other words, connectors, modifiers, etc.
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
bon appétit!
Poetry Stew Playlist:
A Little Pinch of This & That by Giara
Les Poisson from Littlest Mermaid
Antevka from The Fiddler on the Roof
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge at least 3000 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 dang poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!
Want the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge sent to your email? Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #47-Can I Have a Word?
At a loss for words? Aren't we all sometimes--which can be a total drag if you're trying to scratch down some lines, Daddy-o...
The cool thing about words is. . .
they are free, available, reusable, recyclable . . .
There are many excellent sites for Words of the Day.
Thank you One Squiggly Line—a great website!
One way to collect words is by looking through the Dictionary. (That’s a book.)
Absurd Words by Tara Lazar is a funny-bone tickler of a book listing odd, unusual, ridiculous words.
(Hint: It a great kid-teacher-word nerd gift!)
And the trendy, hip thing to do—the way to stay current Daddy-O, is to use trending words. Here’s a few trendy words ala FluentU Language Learning. (The list was updated in September 24, so there might be even trendier, trendy words.)
Poetry Challenge #47
Can I have a word?
For today's stretch, what say we get hip, with-it, happening dude, by riffing off the trend!
First you need to collect a few words—at least five from any source that amuses you. (Stretch a bit and include at least one trendy word)
Now write a poem/story/something using those words.
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 at least 3000 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 dang poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!
Want the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge sent to your email? Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #45-Practical Magic
Magic! Do you believe in magic? I do.
How else do you explain the unexplainable?
For today’s prompt, let’s explore magic in a poetic form.
Which is infinitely more practical
(no extra ingredients or batteries required.)
Poetry Challenge #45
Pure Magic!
#1 Think a moment about Magic!
#2 Jot down words & images that comes to mind related to Magic!
#3 Use words from your Magic List to create a Pyramid Poem.
What's a Pyramid Poem?
A Pyramid Poem is a type of concrete poem. It starts with one word on the top line. The second line has two words, three words on the third line, four words on the fourth line, and so on.
The lines are centered above each other so they create a pyramid shape on the paper.
Pyramid Poems do not have to rhyme (but they can), nor do the number of syllables matter.
To create the shape, a pyramid poem must have at least 3 lines . . ..
If you are up for a challenge, try using the words "Pure Magic" as the second line of your Pyramid Poem! Abbra-ca-dabra!
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 at least 3000 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 dang poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!
Want the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge sent to your email? Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #44-Here’s a Neat Idea!
We all need ostrich days. Today is one of those.
Or as I like to say, “Poem on!”
Sometimes all you need to write a poem is something to get you started.
A number, a color, a word, a phrase, or a . . .
NEAT IDEA!
Playing in Mud is a Neat Idea!
Here are some neat mud play ideas
from Thimble & Twig
Crafting is another neat idea!
Here are some neat holiday craft ideas
from Best Ideas for Kids
Saying YES! to poetry is always a neat idea!
Poetry Challenge #44
Here’s a Neat Idea!
For this poem, begin with the phrase “Here’s a neat idea:” and write. You could be talking to yourself about something you’ve done or that you want to do. You could be talking to someone else about something you want them to do. You could be talking about something real or imagined. Whenever you get stuck, write the phrase again and see where it takes you.
Make a list of some things you’ve never done.
Try dividing your list into sections: things you’ve never done and never want to do, things you’d like to do but haven’t done yet, and things that seem impossible.
Write a poem using some of these. It could be a list poem or it could be about one of these things. Maybe it’s a wish poem of things you want to do.
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Wait! I have another neat idea! Craft your poem in chalk…catch a wave!!!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge at least 3000 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 dang poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!
Want the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge sent to your email? Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #43-It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s . . .
There are days when I really need a superpower. Today is one of those days. I'm thinking you might wish you were a superhero too, sometimes.
Since Wonder Woman, Cat Boy & Flash are taken,
Superboy, Hulk, and Dracula, too.
And even
Super Clown
has been claimed,
And Hermes . . .
well, he’s too busy making pocketbooks and shoes, to save anything,
we're going to have to create other...better! (Interesting at least) Superhero personas of our own.
Unfurl those capes, don those masks and let's do it!
Poetry Challenge #44
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s . . .
If you could be a Superhero what would your super power be?
Would you be a Spidey who scaled walls and swung from web? Would you be a super jumper or super strong? Could you make yourself invisible, super small or giant or green?
Just as Superman fears Kryptonite, every superhero has a weakness, what would yours be?
Best, how would you use your super powers?
Write a poem about Superhero YOU!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
This image is Tom Triumph's website image. He's an inspirational speaker. Since I borrowed his image, only fair to share his website.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge at least 2900 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 dang poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!
Want the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge sent to your email? Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #42-Let’s Get Physical
There is “something” in the way we move. The way our muscles, tendons, bones, joints, skin . . . work together to create movement.
If you're keen to see muscles in action click over to this video by Muscles in Motion. But not now! First exercise your poetics!
Watching someone move is one thing, describing what that movement looks or feels like is another.
People are sometimes likened to animals, machines, plants, geological formations.
Likewise, machines, animals, plants, etc, are sometimes likened to people in songs, stories, and yes, poetry.
Poetry Challenge #42
Let’s Get Physical
Watch or imagine someone or something in motion. The motion might be a big whole body movement like dancing, jumping, swaying, diving, tumbling, or it might be a movement as tiny as the blink of an eye or twitch of a baby toe.
If you’re game, get physical! Try replicating the motion yourself (nothing too dangerous). While in motion, pay close attention to each minute movement of your body. How do you feel? What do you feel like? Does that movement remind you of something? An eel? A kangaroo? An oil pump?
Now, write a poem in which you describe that movement by likening it to something else.
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Let’s Get Physical Playlist:
Something In The Way She Moves by James Taylor
Something by The Beatles
Let’s Get Physical sung by Olivia Newton John
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge at least 2900 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 dang poem. Scroll down and click on the comments!
Want the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge sent to your email? Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .