Poetry Challenge #121-Joy Germs?!
In the midst of cold-flu-ick-crud season everyone’s trying to stay germ free. But, there’s one germ I’m hoping goes viral: The Joy Germ
Celebrated every January 8th, National Joy Germ Day is a holiday created to remind people “that by being positive and treating people with kindness, we can influence those around us and pass that positive attitude on to others.
Joy Germ day was established in 1981 by Joan White of Syracuse, New York, in honor of her mother. Here’s Joan’s prescription for observing Joy Germ Day: “Laugh, smile, be kind, inspire and spread the one type of germ that is good for everyone to catch!”
Joan White, Joy Germ Day’s Founder
Poetry Challenge #121
Joy Germs
What’s your Joy? Imagine you are a scientist in a happy lab concocting your own Joy Germ.
What would those ingredients be?
What’s your Joy?
What does it smell like?
Taste like?
Sound like?
How would you spread your Joy Germ?
Write a poem entitled Joy Germ
“May a giant jar of jaunty joy germs rest gently on you and yours.”
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
Start writing!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 1380-ish days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one is Cindy’s.) 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.
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Poetry Challenge #119-Iridescence of Lights
“Tis the hap-happiest season of all,” the song goes.
converge, we are smack dab in the midst of the festivities. One way these holidays are celebrated is with lights! Lights! Lights! Lights!
Poetry Challenge #119
Iridescence of Lights
In celebration of the holidays, write an acrostic poem about your holiday traditions. An acrostic poem uses the letter of a topic word or words to create a poem.
1. Write the word “Light” (or another holiday-related word) vertically down the length of a page.
2. For each letter, write a related word or idea beginning with that letter extending out horizontally.
3. Take a few moments to refine your poem. Try adding or changing some words to add interest, rhythm or rhyme to your poem.
4. Select your favorite word or image to be the title of your poem.
Below is my effort entitled (predictably) LIGHTS!
“LIGHTS!
Luminous
Iridescent rainbow
Glimmering strands of
Holiday magic
Twinkling
Stars show the way home”
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
Start writing!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1300 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one is Cindy’s.) 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.
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Poetry Challenge #118-It's Getting Darker
Pretend I’m waving a ticking pocket watch before your eyes.
“It’s getting darker . . . darker . . .”
In a few days, Sat. Dec. 21st, it will be the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. That day will have the least amount of daylight. The good news? Days grow longer after that!
Poetry Challenge #119
It’s Getting Darker
In honor of the shortest day, write a short poem. Get your writing implement of choice ready and set your timer. Below is a 4-word prompt. Noodle over it a moment and then write as fast as you can. Ready?
I need a break…
Your poem might become a picture book, too!
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Don’t think about it too much;
just
Start
writing!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1300 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.
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Poetry Challenge #115-Knit Wits
Think “knitting” and an image of the “quiet old lady whispering ‘hush’” springs to many a mind. But that’s bunk. At last week’s VCFA Writing for Children and Young Adults Alumni workshop flashing, clicking needles were everywhere. Co 7-Minute Challenge creator, Cindy, is a big knitter. So am I, in my fashion. And in the same way, so are you.
Knitting is such a useful word. In the same way yarn becomes sweaters, wounds knit back together. Families are closely knit. Brows knit in consternation or contemplation. Thoughts knit together become ideas, just as words knit together can be poetry.
Poetry Challenge #115
Knit Wits
In Merriam-Webster speak, knitting is “a series of connected loops,” so that’s where we’ll begin.
Close your eyes and write down the first word that pops into your mind. One word. That word will be the title of your poem.
Next, quickly list words that you associate with your word. From that list, choose the best five.
Take a moment to reorder those five words into a sort of pattern that makes sense to you.
Classic Knit-One, Purl-Two pattern
Let’s use our wits to knit those words together to create a poem. For our first effort, we’ll use a simple knit one, purl two pattern. Consider those five words to be your “knit” stitches. The “purl” part of our poem will be modifiers. Let’s get knitting!
Write your first “knit” word. Below it “purl” two modifiers. Below that purl, write your next “knit” word, then “purl” two; continue in this knit one-purl two pattern until you come to the end of your word list. Just like that you’ve knitted a 10-line poem.
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
Start writing!
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than Thirteen Hundred (1300, yes I am celebrating) 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.
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Poetry Challenge #113-One Must Ask Children and Birds
“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today . . . “
J. Wellington Whimpy, as any Popeye fan knows, would do just about anything for a hamburger. Parisians rioted over the lack of break, likewise so did Starbuck fans during a recent run on Pumpkin Latte (not really), but, I imagine they would. Cindy’s weakness is lobster. Mine (in case you’re gifting) is salted caramel. What’s your favorite food?
Poetry Challenge #113
One Must Ask Children and Birds
“One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste”— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Pick a food that begins with a consonant (not a, e, i, o, or u). Can you think of other foods that begin with the same letter? List 5-10 foods that begin with the same letter. Next, list 3-10 foods that end with that letter. Then, list 3-10 foods that have that letter in the middle. Finally, list 3 verbs and 3 adjectives that have to do with food and contain your letter.
The repetition of a consonant sound is called alliteration. Many times tongue twisters are made from these repeated sounds. Use words from all your lists to write an alliterative list poem. Read it aloud and see if it trips your tongue.
“I will not eat them here or there. I will not eat them anywhere.
I do not eat green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.”
Set your mind to channel FOOD
Set your timer for 7 minutes
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
Start writing!
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 1280++ 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.
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Poetry Challenge #111-One Dark and Stormy Night…Yikes!
Back in my sleep-over camp-out nights, with the campfire crackling and tossing spooky shadows, the wind howling and tree branches scraping on the tent, we used to make scary spookier still with a game called Yikes!
Things that go bump in the night. . . Scary, right? Scary how a simple bump sound—in the right setting at the right time—sends tingles, quivers, hair-raising heebie-jeebies shivers chasing up our spines.
Oooooohhhhh CREAK
SCRATCH EEK
EEK YOWL
HOWL
Mwahaha
SCREECH SCRITCH
WHAT’S THAT NOISE . . .
Thump THWACK
thwaaaaaaaaaa
It is said that everyone fears the same thing—the Unknown. Thus, the secret to writing scary is not what you write—but what you leave out. “Readers will imagine the rest, filling in the gaps with whatever scares them most,” noted Nocturium in a recent post**. Which takes me right back to those spine-tingling sounds. Let’s give it a Go—ghost!
Poetry Challenge #111
One Dark and Storm . . . YIKES!
iT’S Hallow’s eve, let’s get our Yikes! on. Whoever creates the spookiest poem, wins! First, write a Scary poem. And then . . . make it even scarier still by replacing specifics with sounds words.
See if you can scare yourself silly!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Don’t think about it too much;
Start writing!
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 1280++ 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.
**How to Write a Scary Story post on the Nocturim
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Poetry Challenge #110-Boston Creme Pie...Oh My!
It is said that the Boston Cream Pie was invented in Boston—hence the name. More specifically, “In 1856, at Boston’s Parker House Hotel, French chef Monsieur Augustine Francois Anezin created this pudding and cake combination.” It was declared the official dessert of Massachusetts in 1996. (In case you need cause to celebrate, Oct 23rd is National Boston Creme Pie Day!
Poetry Challenge #110
Boston Creme Pie . . . Oh My!
i don’t live in Boston or in Massachusetts, but I love Boston Cream Pie. Those yellow cake layers, that creamy pudding filling, the smooth chocolate icing. Yum!
What might the official dessert of your town be if YOU got to name it? Write a poem describing your dessert. Make our mouths water just thinking about it!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it!
Afterwards, celebrate with Boston Creme Pie! Here’s a recipe.
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 1260++ 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.
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Poetry Challenge #109-Dictionary Roulette
I love dictionaries! It’s an excellent way to procrastinate . . . and expand one’s vocab—always a good thing. Best, words lead to ideas…and actions! So grab a dictionary and let’s GO!
Here’s mine…show me yours!
If you don’t have a physical dictionary (Borrow a library copy or Go buy one!!! You should have one!!!), you can use a website such as m-w.com or dictionary.com and look for a list of words of the day.
Poetry Challenge #109
Dictionary Roulette
Yes! You can borrow my dictionary.
One of my favorite prompts when I get stuck with any writing is to take a dictionary, open to a random page, and write down the first word I see. Sometimes I roll three dice and open to that page. Sometimes I have someone pick a number between 1 and 948 (the number of pages in my favorite dictionary) and then another number between 1 and 68 (the average number of words on the two pages) and I find my word that way.
Using the Close-Your-Eyes-and-Point method, Roll-the-Dice method, Pick-A-Number method, find 5 words. Write a 5-line poem using all 5 words.
Pick 5 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 1260++ days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one is Cindy’s.) 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.