Poetry Challenge #61-Riffing off Queen
If you were of listening age in the seventies go directly to the theatre to see Bohemian Rhapsody, the new biopic about Freddy Mercury and Queen. Not to give anything away (we all know Queen was a success) a high point in the movie comes when the band is plays its first stadium concert. They look out over the crowd and realize everyone in the stadium is playing-singing-performing with them!
Freddy baby totally rocking it!
According to the movie, this prompts Brian Mays to create songs for the audience to perform. And thus, the blockbuster anthem We Will Rock You came to be. Regardless of whether we know (or can/could ever understand) the lyrics, everyone knows the rhythm:
stomp-stomp clap/
stomp-stomp clap/
baam-baam boom!
Poetry Challenge #61
Riffing off Queen
Write a rhythmic poem about something that rocks you. Or, about a rock… or a rolling stone (if you like Dylan or the Stones better).
First, set that classic We Will Rock You rhythm in your head by actually, physically, pounding out the beat: stomp-stomp clap/stomp-stomp clap/baam-baam boom. Continue pounding out the beat as you compose each line of the poem.
Who knows, you may create another Mega-hit! At best, have fun trying. Rock on!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
*Cindy Faughnan (cookie baker extraordinaire) and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 900 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 poem in the comments.
Join the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge. . . If YOU dare. Click on the Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl)!
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Poetry Challenge #60: Aaaaay! I. O. U.
B-A-Bay, B-E-Bee, B-I-Bitty-Bye, B-O-Bow . . . In case you’re wondering, that’s the beginning of the Vowel Song. My mom, a retired teacher, used to teach it to her students. (If you ask in person, I’ll be happy to sing it to you.) But for this post, channel your loooong vowel sounds:
Poetry Challenge #60
Aaaaaaa! I. O. U.
Choose a long vowel sound (sounds like its name). Now write a poem where the last word in every line ends with that sound but none of the lines can end with the same letter. Good luck! I hope you discover new things that are true!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
*Cindy Faughnan (cookie baker extraordinaire) and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 900 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 poem in the comments.
Join the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge. . . If YOU dare. Click on the Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl)!
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Poetry Challenge #59: Terza Rima
Sometimes You Feel Like a Form…
Forms are like puzzles. You need to fit the right number of syllables or a pattern of rhyme or some other word trick into your poem and still come up with a subject. They are fun to play with—and the results can be surprising!
Poetry Challenge #59
Terza Rima
Today’s form is the Terza Rima which means third rhyme. This form creates three line stanzas with lines of any length where the first and third line rhyme. The second line becomes the rhyme for the next stanza. Keep writing stanzas until you’re done with your poem. The last stanza should be two lines that rhyme.
If you’re better at reading rhyme scheme, it goes like this: ABA BCB CDC DED EE
Here’s an example Cindy created :
I have a hole in my left shoe
it’s growing big and wide
and now and then my toe peeks through.
It’s damp and cold when I’m outside
I cannot wear a sock
I need new shoes; these ones have died.
Rain, snow, and cold air are a shock;
they make me dance, you see.
I cannot ever take a walk.
A shopping trip with Mom would be
the best. I need a guarantee.
Your turn!
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 over 900 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 poem in the comments.
Poetry Challenge #58- IN THE DEEP DARK WOODS: A BOO-OLOGISM
Pumpkins, Scarecrows, Black Cats—and things that go bump in the night . . . Halloween’s almost here! Let’s get our BOO on!
Poetry Challenge #58
IN THE DEEP DARK WOODS: A BOO-OLOGISM
Let’s create a BOO-OLOGY (a spooky poem.)
Below is the first line, a Halloween sound list, and just for grins, a joke. Combine them to create your own BOO-OLOGISM.
First Line: IN THE DEEP DARK WOODS . . .
The Joke: Why did the vampires cancel their baseball game?
They couldn't find their bats.
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Happy BOO-OLOGIZING!
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 900 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 poem in the comments.
For your reading pleasure!
Join the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge. . . If YOU dare. Click on the Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl)!
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Poetry Challenge #57-One, Two, Three, GO!
Notice how sometimes the hardest part of a task—any task—(dessert aside) is starting? Like jumping off a high dive—eventually you’ve just got to take a breath and go for it!
Poetry Challenge #57
One, Two, Three, GO!
For today’s prompt, write a poem with three words on each line. Try to write ten or more lines and see where your poem goes. If you need a starter, use: I collect…
Count those words! One, two, three, GO!
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 more than 900 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 poem in the comments.
Join the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge. . . If YOU dare. Click on the Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl)!
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Poetry Challenge #56-Kid's Stuff
To say “I’m writing poetry!” can feel pretentious or intimidating. At least it does to me. First thought is, I need to don a beret and feathered quill. Second thought: Who the heck do I think I am trying to write poems?
But after more than 900 days of trying, I’ve learned that my best poems come when I tell myself: “Nobody’s ever going to read it anyway,” and just have fun. Give it a try:
…Max made mischief of one kind or another.
Poetry Challenge #56
Kid’s Stuff
Grab the nearest picture book, turn to the last page, the last words. Use the last line of text as the first line of your poem. And if you’d like, use the accompanying illustration as inspiration. Let the child in you run with it and PLAY!
If you’re at a loss, here’s one of the most famous last picture book line of all, from Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are:
. . . and it was still hot
Kid’s Stuff Playlist:
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 900 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 poem in the comments.
Join the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge. . . If YOU dare. Click on the Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl)!
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#55 STEW AGAIN???
What do you call a guy who spends too much time in the hot tub?
You guessed it! Which leads me to:
Seinfeld Friends, remember this?
Poetry Challenge #55
More Poem Stew
Time for another poem stew! Remember, you need two nouns (something you can see or touch, not capitalized if possible), a color, a place (not capitalized), 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).
Come up with your own words or use the following:
negligee, mannequin, pink, garage sale, awkward, refrain, subterfuge
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
More Poetry Stew Playlist:
Starting All Over Again by Hall & Oats
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 898 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one is Cindy’s recipe.) 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 poem in the comments.
Join the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge. . . If YOU dare. Click on the Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl)!
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Poetry Challenge #54-Alphabet Jam
Sometimes—often—the most interesting things begin with “I Can’t…” That’s exactly what I said when author/teacher/mentor/friend Tim Wynne Jones shared this prompt at a VCFA session a few years back. But, once I committed to giving it a try, it turned out I Could! And best, had fun! And the results were interesting. With hopes you’ll find it the same, here goes:
Poetry Challenge #54
Alphabet Jam
Plant a subject you’d like to explore in your mind. It can be as broad as “Sports” or “Weather;” it can be specific as “My tenth birthday” or “Daisy,” your choice.
Now, beginning with the letter A, work your way through the alphabet assigning one word to each letter in order: A-B-C-D…end with Z. (X is wild, or if you can use a word that begins with the “ex” sound.)
There are 2 rules:
While the sequence you create might be outlandish, it must make sense—i.e. work as a sentence or series of sentences.
You can not insert or delete letters.
Consider the 26 word sequence you created: Did you stick with your initial subject? Did you veer off in a different direction? Did you surprise yourself?
Now for the magic! Keeping the words in alphabetical order, use line breaks and punctuation to shape your Alphabet Jam into a 26 word poem.
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Tim’s newest book…a must read!