POEM #30- ZIPPER

Zipper, by DemonDeLuxe , from Wikimedia Commons, selected by Mary Lee Hahn

 On April 1st, I joined Mary Lee Hahn's Poetry Challenge, Common Inspiration, Uncommon Creations.  I wasn't really sure I could write thirty poems in a row, but now, here we are, and I did it.  Most of the other poets wrote wonderful ending poems with terrific metaphors today.  I tried to do that, but I just couldn't pull off. Here, then, is my final offering…

 "Zipper"

 I crouch down
take your down jacket
in my hands
fumble with the frayed
late winter zipper
until it catches
I draw the zipper
to just below your chin
tie your hood and
stuff your hands
into mismatched mittens
hoping this little bit of love
will be enough
to protect you from
a frigid unloving world.

(C) Carol Wilcox, 2013

POEM #29- LIFE IN A KAT EAT KAT WORLD

Photo by Sara and Joachim, Selected by Mary Lee Hahn on Wikipedia

I'm participating in Mary Lee Hahn's Common Inspiration, Uncommon Creations Poetry Challenge this month. This morning's prompt was a picture of three meerkats, standing sentry, I think, at their burrow. I did a quick, five minute poem, and thought I was done, which was good, since I had a bunch of schoolwork I needed to do this morning.

"it's a kat eat kat world"

The important thing
is that we have
each other's backs.

you look to the left
I say to Fred,

and you look to the right
I say to Herb

And me, George,
I'll look straight ahead.

The important thing
is that we have
each other's backs.

(c) Carol Wilcox

But then my curiosity got the better of me. I started wondering about those meerkats. They are pretty funny looking. What about those circular eyes. And why were they together? Do they really live in groups. And what were they really doing? I looked them up meerkats on wikipedia. And started pulling out interesting facts. Then this poem came about.

"Meerkat"

Me?
Meerkat.
You think I'm kinda funny looking?

Those stripes
on my back?
unique.
none of the other
fifty fellows
in my large mob
(or some people call it a gang or clan)
look exactly like me.

That hairless patch on my belly?
The place
where my black skin shows through?
That absorbs heat  while I'm standing
on my rear legs,
early in the morning
after cold Kalahari desert nights.

And those big  eyes
on the front of my face?
For watching.
African tribesmen
trust me to
protect their villages
from werewolves
that attack stray cattle

And I gotta take my turn at sentry duty
while others are foraging.
We forage for food
every day
Meerkats don't carry around
any stored body fat. 

That long curved claw?
That little hummer
can dig my weight
in sand in only seconds. 
Mostly, I'm foraging for insects
but if I'm really hungry
I might dig up a scorpion.
Not to brag,
but did I mention
that unlike you humans
I'm immune to
the venom of scorpions.

And those black  crescent-shaped ears?
they close.
keep out soil
when I'm digging
pretty handy
a fella's gotta be able to hear
to protect himself
from brothers
who might want to kill him
to up their status
in our meerkat mob.

My long tapering tail?
Yeah, it's different
from my bushy-tailed
mongoose relatives.
That tail helps me balance when I stand upright,
And I use it
for signaling.
The Dutch didn't call me
stick tail
for nothing.

Me?
Sun angel.
You still think I'm kinda funny looking?

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2013

POEM #28- ABC'S OF HONEYBEES

Photos by Gideon Pisanty (Gidip), selected by Mary Lee Hahn from Wikimedia Commons

I'm participating in a poetry challenge, Common Inspiration- Uncommon Creations, over at Year of Reading. Today's prompt was a series of five pictures of a bee gathering nectar. As always, Mary Lee and friends have produced some really terrific poems, so be sure to go and check them out.

As for me, I'm pretty much feeling like I've worn out my poetry brain. I did a little research about honey bees then wrote an abecedarian.

"ABC's of Honeybees"

Apian adventurers

busily buzzing

ceaselessly collecting

diving and delving

ever exploring

fragrant flowers
grubbing in gardens

hoping honey's

ingredients are inside.

joyfully journeying

keenly kavorting

looking leads to

miraculous meadow of

neverending nectar

obviously the only option is to

pull from petals make

ready for recycling

suck into second stomach

through tubular tongue

unload and use

working wings to dehydrate

extract any extras

zweeeeeet!

POEM #27- PRECARIOUS

Breakfast Break of the Scaffolders, via Mary Lee Hahn, Year of Reading
Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-09409 / CC-BY-SA

I am participating in Mary Lee Hahn's Common Inspiration - Uncommon Creations Poetry Torture Challenge  this month. Today's picture is two German construction workers, taking a break. I spent the day in Kremmling at a track meet, then came home and tried to write a poem. When my poem brain simply wouldn't work, I went back to the arun, a form I tried earlier this month. 

Sunday morning update: I went back and messed around with this a little more. Still think it's pretty weak, but think the changes make it a little better. 

"Precarious"

Look
the view
from up here
Incredible!
I can see my house 
Touching puffy grey clouds
Fingers brush steel
head brushes gray clouds
head brushing clouds
fingertips cold steel

please
be still
don't lean much
because my perch
is precarious

your
courage
is making
me a little
uncomfortable.

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2013

POETRY FRIDAY- POEM #26, SOAP BUBBLE

Reflection in a Soap Bubble, Brockeninaglory, from Wikimedia Commons, via Mary Lee Hahn, Year of Reading

So for almost a month now (actually 26 days, but who's counting) I've been participating in Common Inspiration, Uncommon Creations,  a poetry challenge sponsored by Mary Lee Hahn, over at Year of Reading. Every day, Mary Lee posts an image from Wikimedia Commons, along with an original poem. She invites other people to post poems too. There have been some remarkable offerings. Today's image is a soap bubble.

"Soap Bubble"

A gentle puff

rainbow carriage

appears

dancing

shimmering

glimmering

inviting me

to journey

to a magical

far away

fairy world. 

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2013 

POETRY FRIDAY today is hosted by Laura Purdie Salas, at Writing the World for Kids. Laura also has a terrific Poetry Challenge at her website. Every day, she reads a poem, some of her own, and some by other poets, and then invites people to write poems, either using the same technique or about the same subject. I'm looking forward to sharing Laura's videos next month when several of our grade levels engage in units of study around that genre.

POEM #25- ONCE UPON A TIME

Broadway Tower, Cotswolds, England, by Newton 2 from Wikimedia Commons

 I'm participating in Mary Lee Hahn's Common Inspiration- Uncommon Creations Poetry Challenge over at Year of Reading. This is poem #25.

“Once Upon a Time”

the day is all about blue sky

and green grass and

a few wispy clouds and

after crossing the moat

filled with hungry alligators

 i will march right up

to the smallish stone castle
lift the lions head knocker

bang on the heavy wooden door

and proclaim authoritatively

i am a long lost princess

here to meet my prince

please let me into 

they lived happily ever after…

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2013

POEM #24 SUSHI TRAIN

Picture from Wikimedia Commons, via Mary Lee Hahn at Year of Reading

I'm participating in Mary Lee Hahn's Common Inspiration- Uncommon Creations.  This morning I left for work this morning at 5:45, got home at 7:50 tonight, and then tried to write a poem about a sushi train, which I have never ever heard of (that was actually after I read all of the other poets' work, which is very funny and wonderful, and well worth a trip to the Year of Reading blog. I wrote a crappy limerick, then tried to channel my inner Douglas Florian, playing with the sounds in the names of different kinds of sushi. Finally wrote about the day last summer when a sushi bar opened in my very diverse neighborhood grocery store.

"Sushi Train"

The sushi bar
in the neighborhood
grocery store
opened to great fanfare.
Chefs banging gongs,
free samples
shouted invitations,
to come try this fishy delight.

And I watched
my neighbors-
carts loaded with
pepsi, hot dogs, white bread,
tortillas, enchiladas, frijoles,
chitlings, collard greens, mac and cheese,
crowd around
to partake
in a whole new world
of sashimi, wasabi, and squid.

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2013



*******

There once was a fishy named Sushi

His flesh was so firm and not mushy

To a roll he did go

With some rice just for show

And now there’s no fishy named Sushi.