Monday Short & Sweet AND The In Just Spring Contest Announcement!

Happy Monday of the last week of February, everyone!

I admit it.  With March only days away, I've got spring on the brain... even though it's currently snowing :)  I know it's a little nuts because around here we don't really get anything like spring 'til about the third week of April, but March is so hopeful, teasing you into thinking that spring is just around the corner, that I can't seem to help myself :)

And in the spirit of turning the house upside down with spring cleaning... or something... I'm going to do everything backwards today.  I'm going to announce the contest first and put the Short & Sweet second.  I know.  The mind reels at this crazy rule-bending rearranging of the norm.  I'm such a rebel :)

First, as inspiration for both the contest and today's Short & Sweet, I will share one of my favorite poems.

in Just-
by: e.e. cummings (1894-1962)

N Just-

spring when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame balloonman

 

whistles far and wee

 

and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring

 

when the world is puddle-wonderful

 

the queer

old balloonman whistles

far and wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing

 

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

 

it's

spring

and

the

 

goat-footed

 

balloonMan whistles

far

and

wee

"in just" was originally published in The Dial Volume LXVIII, Number 5 (May 1920). New York: The Dial Publishing Company, Inc.

Isn't that wonderful?  I love the idea of "eddieandbill... running from marbles and piracies", "bettyandisabel...dancing from hopscotch and jump-rope" and who can resist words like "mud-luscious" and "puddle-wonderful"?

So now that you're in the mood...

 Announcing The In Just Spring Contest!

The Contest:  Write a children's story, in poetry or prose, maximum 350 words (see how nice I'm being giving you two long word counts in a row for contests?! :))


The story must be about something that really says "SPRING" to you - something that really makes you feel that spring is here!  It can be nature oriented - the robins or geese returning, eggs hatching, flowers blooming, baby animals being born, bears waking up, sunshine or rain, etc.  It can be holiday oriented - St. Patrick's Day, Easter, April Fools' Day etc.  It can be school oriented - the spring pageant, spring vacation, the spring talent show.  It can be activity oriented - picnics, bike riding, baseball - anything at all that makes you think spring.

The only other requirement is that the last line must be "[Character Name] knew Spring was really here!" or "[Character Name] knew Spring was here at last!"  (You can also write in first person if you want - e.g. I knew Spring was really here.... and present tense is fine too.)  I've given the rhymers amongst you a choice... but if you can't make either option work with your rhyme scheme you have permission to tweak it slightly as long as the essential meaning stays the same.

Post:  Your entry should be posted on your blog between Friday March 15 at 12:01 AM EST and Monday March 18 at 11:59 PM EST, and your post-specific link should be added to the link list on the official In Just Spring Contest post which will go up on my blog on Friday March 15 (no PPBF that day!) and remain up through Tuesday March 19 (no new post on Monday March 18).  If you don't have a blog but would like to enter, please copy and paste your entry into the comments on my March 15th post.  (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, please email me and I'll post your entry for you!)

The Judge:  My lovely assistant and I will narrow down the entrants to five (or possibly a couple more :)) finalists which will be posted here on Wednesday March 20 (no WYRI that day) for you to vote on for a winner.  The vote will be closed at midnight March 23 and the winner will be announced on Monday March 25.

The Prizes!:  I'm still working on the prize(s).  I'm hoping to have something knock-your-socks-off great to offer... but we'll see.  Stay tuned :)

badge created by the talented Loni Edwards

Now, after all that excitement, for our Short & Sweet today, let's close our eyes and roll back the years until we're 5 (or 3 or 7 or 9 - anything under 10 :)).

Now let's remember that feeling, that first inkling, that Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter has arrived.  What are the tiny details, the little moments, you think of?  The things that are representative of that season to you?

Now, let's turn those tiny details and little moments into lines - things kids can do - in the style of "eddieandbill come running from marbles and piracies".  You can share just one for the season of your choosing, or you can share for 2, 3, or all of the seasons if you really want to stretch those writing muscles!  (Or if you're in a spring-obsessed mood, you can post 4 or 12 or 20 all about spring :))

Here are my examples:

Spring:  annieandjane come soaring, hair streaming, higher and higher into the greengold air

Summer: maddieandmike run laughing from the white-foamed waves that tickle their bare feet

Autumn: harryandgrant come creeping under skeleton trees toward the warm jack-o-lantern light

Winter: johnnyandjade come stomping in snowy boots and wooly mittens for a carrot nose and a licorice smile

This exercise may actually help you get started on your contest story idea!  Who knows?! :)

Have a great day, everyone, writing, reading, parenting, teaching, and otherwise! :)