July 20, 2012

Summer Short And Sweets - Week 3

Hurray!  Hurray!  It's a Summer Short & Sweet day! :)
badge created by Loni Edwards
First off, help yourself to some of these delicious cookies
and a glass of refreshing iced tea
because we can be more creative after a little snack :)

Now then, are you ready for today's Short & Sweet?

I totally wrestled with this one and I hope it's going to be fun and also work right... I guess we'll see :)

So we have to go on the honor system again - no peeking! :) - and I need you to get a piece of paper and a writing implement of your choice.  Then write down the following things in a list bearing in mind that everything below is supposed to be related so it can hang together:

1.  A noun (you know, a good old person place or thing)
2.  A color that describes that noun or some part of that noun you'd like to highlight (e.g. red, or, lavender, or, cerulean)
3.  A comparison to that color (in the manner of simile or metaphor e.g. summer sunset, or, shadowed snow on a January evening)
4.  Something that belongs to your noun written as adjective, adjective noun (e.g. wide, feathered tail, or, slim, brown limbs, or brass ratcheted gears)
5.  A verb ending in -ing that is something your noun could do (e.g. soaring, or, stretching, or, grappling)
6. Another verb ending in -ing that is something else your noun could do (e.g. sailing, or, reaching, or, frowning)
7. A place written as: preposition [a/an/the] adjective adjective noun (e.g. over [a] broad green valley, or, across [the] shimmering shining stream)
8. A description of something your noun could do in relation to something else, written as:  verb ending in -ing preposition adjective noun (e.g. scouting for silver salmon, or, basking on sun-baked sand, or, digging up acorn jewels) - (yes, I realize "for" is a conjunction, not a preposition, but you can use it if you want.  The reason I didn't put conjunction is because the others - and, or, nor, but, yet - won't work.  But use "for" if you want :))
9. Repeat #8 with another description (e.g. plunging toward immovable earth)
10. Repeat #8 with a final description (e.g. hoping for sweet success, or, diving for delicious dinner)
11. A simile for the action in #10 (e.g. like a rocket ship, or, like a bow drawn across singing strings)
12.  Your original noun from #1.

Okay!  Got your list?  What we are accomplishing here is part Madlib, part poetry, and will hopefully result in lots of descriptive poems (haha - like how I tricked you into writing a poem? :)) that will also serve as story sparkers by giving all the devoted readers specific, detailed, poetic descriptions of characters, settings, or objects that they could use in a story!  For those of you who write picture books, there are a lot of similarities between picture books and poetry, so this is good practice :)

Wasn't that totally awesome how I snuck that up on you?

So now, all you have to do is type your poem into the comments using this template and your list:

I am [a/an/the] noun from #1
Color from #2 as [a/an/the] comparison from #3
With [a/an/the] adjective adjective noun from #4
Verb from #5, verb from #6
Prepostition [a/an/the] adjective adjective noun from #7
Description from #8
Description from #9
Description from #10
Like [a/an/the] simile from #11
I am [a/an/the] noun from #1


Here's my example:

I am a falcon
Gray as a stormy sky
With powerful, peregrine wings
Soaring, sailing
Across the shimmering, shining stream
Scouting for silver salmon
Plummeting toward wavering water
Diving for delicious dinner
Like an arrow sprung from a huntsman's bow
I am a falcon.

Here's another one because I think this is fun :)

I am a birch
Silver as starlight on snow
With strong, slim limbs
Reaching, stretching
For the faraway, fickle moon
Gazing at kaleidoscope constellations
Soaking in the dewdrop dawn
Standing among my slender sisters
Like a dancer waiting for the music to begin
I am a birch.

And one more:

I am Sarah
Gold and brown like honey on toast
With hidden, heartfelt hopes
Uncurling, unfurling
From their secret silent space
Running with quiet concentration
Leaving behind even the fastest few
Flying on winged feet to finish first
Like fleet Atalanta
I am Sarah.

Ok, I'll stop now because I'm really not very good at this even though I think it's tons of fun :)

So do you get the idea?  You may of course tweak a bit.  If you need a different verb form or fewer adjectives or an extra word or one less line or two colors, etc. feel free to change it up.  The word prompts and template were just to make the job easier and less intimidating :)

I hope you'll all have fun with this!  I can't wait to see what you write!  And after my humble examples, I hope everyone will feel very brave about putting theirs up - I know without a doubt you can all do better than I did! :)

Have a great weekend, and please join me Monday to welcome Tiffany Haber as she talks about her debut picture book, The Monster Who Lost His Mean (which I just had the pleasure of reading and it is REALLY TERRIFIC and you should all get a copy for the littles in your life, or for yourself as an example of a well-done picture book in verse!!!)

Happy weekend :)





145 comments:

  1. I am an inuit
    as blue as an arctic glacier
    a timid, tiny boy
    fumbling, hiding
    under the upturned boat
    fishing for seal
    slipping into the icy hole
    clambering to safety
    like a haunted polar bear
    I am an inuit


    This was very different... you are full of great ideas, Susanna!

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  2. Another keeper, Susanna - copied and pasted! I think yours are great, especially the falcon poem -- though I do really like the dancer line in the birch poem, too. All good stuff! Here's my five-minute masterpiece. :)

    I am the dragonfly
    cerulean as sky
    with delicate mesh wings
    dizzying, flittering
    amid sunbathing water lilies
    dipping into rich nectar
    resting on wispy breeze
    dancing on golden sunbeams
    like a flicker of fire
    I am the dragonfly

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  3. I am the paint
    as grey as fog
    with wet and wondrous sheen
    gliding, smoothing
    the age speckled, time beaten wall,
    washing away the ages,
    hiding imperfections,
    brightening the room
    like a shaft of energizing sunlight.
    I am the paint.

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  4. Susanna, I'm LOVING your Summer Short & Sweets! It's worth stopping my work on Lunadar to switch things up...;~)

    Here is my entry:

    I am a witch
    red as the setting sun
    with flowing black cape
    frowning, cackling
    preparing for a party
    baking spider shaped cookies
    hoping everything turs out right
    like a picture perfect story
    I am a witch

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  5. Dog gone it! That's what I get for going too fast! I meant to write "hoping everything TURNS out right"...lol...

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  6. This is great, Joanna! A wonderful character sketch that fills me with ideas for stories! Thanks so much for joining in - I'm glad you liked the idea :)

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  7. Gorgeous, Renee! So beautiful! After I read Joanna's I wanted to write a story about a little Inuit boy, but now I want to write a story about a dragonfly :) Thanks for joining in the fun!

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  8. WOW! Cool! So creative. I love how different these all are so far - everyone is so talented! Thanks for joining in, Delores! :)

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  9. Ooh, another great character that could star in a story! Love this! So glad you're enjoying the series, Donna! And an exercise like this is helpful to all writing, I think, in that it encourages you to focus on the specific details and describe them as succinctly but also engagingly as possible!

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  10. That's OK - I knew what you meant :)






























    Donna L Martin (unregistered) wrote, in response to Donna L Martin:

    Dog gone it! That's what I get for going too fast! I meant to write "hoping everything TURNS out right"...lol...

    User's website
    Link to comment
    IP address: 74.248.199.51

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  11. Very nice, Joanna! Love the haunted polar bear...

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  12. Mine aren't as fancy, but here goes:

    I am a pig
    pink as a rose
    with a slinky, curly tail
    wallowing, basking
    in a cool, muddy pigpen
    eating colossal trash
    grunting a huge thank you
    napping with my friends
    like a newborn piglet
    I am a pig.

    I am a writer
    tan like a horse
    With exciting, lively characters
    brainstorming, creating
    at a large kitchen table
    writing picture book stories
    revising picture book stories
    editing picture book stories
    like an author gone mad
    I am a writer.

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  13. I scrolled down quickly...and I promise I didn't peek...late for work but just wanted you to know I will be back later tonight to read through and participate. :) :)

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  14. These are great, Tina! I hope you found them fun and not too hard, and that they helped get the creativity flowing this morning (or middle of the night - whatever time it is on your side of the world :))

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  15. I wrote up a blogpost and did two, but then got inspired by my breakfast to write another! Here they are from the post:

    Friend
    I am a friend
    green as the first leaves of spring
    With loving, all encompassing hugs
    listening, caring,
    behind the mundane, everyday existence.
    High-fiving over every single success,
    laughing on multiple occasions,
    loving with enthusiastic warmth.
    Like a lighthouse shining through the fog of life,
    I am a friend.

    Artist
    I am an artist.
    Multi-colored as an old paint palette.
    With fluid, imaginative ideas
    creating, scribbling,
    through the flashing nonsensical mind.
    drawing out inconspicuous inklings,
    experimenting with endless possibilities
    creating for the entire world and myself,
    like a quick stroke of the paintbrush,
    I am an artist.

    ok, and then I was SOOO in love with my croissant as I ate it that I decided to do a poem about that too! And share it with my roommate. She agreed that she feels the exact same way about croissants.

    Croissant
    I am a croissant.
    Golden brown as the fist tan of summer
    with a sweet, flaky crust.
    baking, enticing,
    beyond the mundane breakfast fare.
    sitting in powdered sugar,
    dreaming of noisy Paris,
    inspiring up better days,
    like a delicious encouragement sent from God himself,
    I am a croissant.

    Thanks for the fun!!!

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  16. When the post starts with food photos, I have food on the brain! Should have chosen a more active noun but stuck with the one that popped into my brain first!

    I am strawberry
    Red as a fire engine
    With shiny, juicy skin
    Sweetening, ripening
    In the field
    Waiting for the mouth
    Warming in the sun
    Holding in the promise
    Like the New Year's Ball in Times Square
    I am a strawberry

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  17. Ooh, I love it! So summery and strawberry-y :) Now I want to write a story with strawberries :)

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  18. These are wonderful, Kathy! Thanks so much for joining in the fun, and I will have to see if i can find your post! :) You and Cathy (funny that your names are so similar) are apparently on the same wavelength with breakfast-inspired poetry - put her strawberries with your croissant and you have perfection :)

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  19. Here goes:
    I am a pug.
    Tan as the sand.
    With a cute, black face.
    Drooling, licking, running,
    Into the big house.
    Chewing a pink and blue toy
    To get to the nice treat in the middle
    While walking through the house,
    Wishing for the treat
    Like a mad man.
    I am a pug.
    Wheww! Now I need a cookie! ;)

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  20. Luckily there's a whole plateful - help yourself :) Loved your poem - do you have a pug? Thanks for joining in the fun! :)

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  21. I am a jug
    Amber as iced tea
    With a cold, round belly
    Contain, pour,
    Into a tall clear glass
    Filling to the brim
    Refreshing parched throats
    Spilling on a round belly
    Like rain gushing down the gutter
    I am a jug

    Fun, fun, fun! And guess what I was doing as I started this? I was on hold w/American Airlines - but they were helping me identify an email as spam, or as he called it 'a fishing email'.

    Thanks again Susanna!

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  22. Oh my...yours are just lovely. Really. So much so, I almost didn't try, but here goes:

    I am a sunflower.
    Yellow and gold as the wheat nearby.
    With soft, velvet petals,
    Swaying and smiling
    in a cool morning breeze.
    Leaning into dawn,
    Breathing in the softness of the day.
    Waiting, waiting with hope
    for my heart, the sun.
    I am a sunflower.

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  23. Fantastic! Such fun! Now I'm thirsty :) Thanks for joining in!

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  24. OMG! Sharon this is beautiful! WAY better than mine - you shouldn't have worried at all! Thanks so much for joining in!!! I would have hated to miss this one :)

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  25. I am a banana slug
    Yellow as a sunflower
    With long muscular body
    Crawling, stretching
    Under a dark damp stump
    Feeding on delectable mushrooms
    Slithering on moist leaves
    Climbing over knotted roots
    Leaving a silver trail
    Like an artist's paintbrush
    I am a banana slug.

    Yes, you tricked me. How dare you make me a poet! LOL! Who knew? It reminds me of a time I used an airplane-shaped spoon try to make my toddler eat his food: "Swoosh....hear comes the airplane...open wide..." (then airplane drops bombs of peas into mouth)

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  26. I am a banana slug
    Yellow as a sunflower
    With long muscular body
    Crawling, stretching
    Under a dark damp stump
    Feeding on delectable mushrooms
    Slithering on moist leaves
    Climbing over knotted roots
    Leaving a silver trail
    Like an artist's paintbrush
    I am a banana slug.

    Yes, you tricked me. How dare you make me a poet! LOL! Who knew? It reminds me of a time I used an airplane-shaped spoon try to make my toddler eat his food: "Swoosh....hear comes the airplane...open wide..." (then airplane drops bombs of peas into mouth)

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  27. Okay, now that I know it's a poem. I'm going to go practice with a more poetic subject than a slug :o)

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  28. I am just getting to Short and Sweets!!! I did have my words on a blue sticky note along with my grocery list. I read the post from my phone while waiting for a friend to eat lunch...so, of course, I started jotting my words as instructed!!! I love this idea. And I love your examples, Susanna! I'm just fulla love, arent' I? I really had to think about all the parts of speech :-) Are you going to make us diagram sentences next week????

    I am an alien
    Chartreuse as a lime on steroids
    With bushy, blooming hair
    Shuttling and blasting
    Through sparkling, shimmering space
    Ripping between roaring rockets
    Pausing on pleasing planets
    Searching for the yoda hairdresser
    Like a diver delving through dusky darkness
    I am an alien.

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  29. You know, Susanna, I love the way your comment feed works...it invites the new comment before you have to read through all the others. :) It is 11pm and I still have hours of computer work...but Summer Short and Sweets comes first!

    I am Castle.
    Gray as weathered stone in a cloud-filled twilight.
    With tall turreted towers.
    Decaying.
    Crumbling.
    Adjacent to an ancient herb garden where quartz paving stones glisten in the moonlight.
    Guarding a hidden secret.
    Protecting a forgotten treasure.
    Waiting for eventual discovery.
    Like a tightrope walker holding his breath.
    I am Castle.

    Well, this was like nothing I have ever done before. What fun! Quite mind-blowing to say the least. :)

    I'll be back to read the other entries later...or tomorrow, after work. Right now I have to go and write some tips on strengthening parent-child bonds by having a family slumber party...got a request from a journalist who is doing an article for a major parenting magazine...and she queried me!!!! Guys, I can't say enough about using HARO if you want to get free high quality publicity and exposure...but it does take time and patience. :)

    Also, I hope everyone takes a look at Erik's amazing review of Show Me How! He even did some of the activities with his sister and took great photos!

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  30. Banana slug. AWESOME!

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  31. Slugs can be poetic too, Romelle :) Have you read Slugs In Love? If you haven't, you must! They're so cute, and they write poetry to each other in the garden :)

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  32. So glad you like the arrangement, Vivian :) LOVE your castle poem - so evocative that now I want to write a story with a castle... and an Inuit boy, and a dragonfly, and strawberries, etc.... :) I have not looked into HARO as much as I should - I find it a little confusing, but maybe because I haven't examined it carefully enough. Congrats on the article - fantastic! - and I read and commented on Erik's post yesterday - it was terrific :)

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  33. UGH! No sentence diagramming! It brings back unpleasant memories of 6th grade :) So glad you're full of love and enjoyed this little exercise! I love your alien poem. I love how different everyone's ideas are, and how the shape of the poem really makes you able to visualize the subject so you can imagine writing a story about it. I love that everyone is so enthusiastic and willing to join in the fun. I guess I'm fulla love too :)

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  34. You know, Romelle, a slug might not be the first thing you'd think of for poetry, but it's amazing how beautifully this poem came out about what could have been a difficult subject. Even though slugs are not my favorite critters, I love your poem. The mushrooms, moist leaves, knotted roots and silver trail - wonderful!!! Excellent job! Glad you enjoyed my sneakiness :)

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  35. I am going to give this a try:
    I am a boy
    Black t-shirt blending with the shadows on the fence
    As I pass
    Narrow fingers stretching to the sky
    Jumping over cracks in the sidewalk so as not to "break my mother's back"
    Beneath the setting sun
    Racing home with a wish for mac n cheese
    Sniffing in the kitchen as I enter
    Discovering wishes can come true
    A smile spreads wide and happy like an orange wedge
    I am a boy

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  36. Fantastic, Angela! What a vivid picture you have drawn - I feel like I can totally see your boy hopscotching along to miss those cracks :) I hope you had fun with it :) Thanks so much for joining in!

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  37. Penny, I LOVE Chartreuse as a lime on steroids - hysterical!!

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  38. This is beautiful, Sharon!!

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  39. I'm reading this in my hot backyard - now I'm dying for a glass of iced tea!!

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  40. This really cute, Erik! We both wrote about dogs :-)

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  41. Now I want a strawberry to go with my iced tea :-) (see Julie's post)

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  42. Wow, Kathy, you're an overachiever!!

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  43. Love yours, Tina - especially the second half of your writer poem :-) Too funny!

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  44. Nice one, Donna!

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  45. You make painting sound awesome!!

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  46. This is beautiful, Renee! It's funny - while I was sitting in the backyard writing mine, there was a dragonfly sitting on a blade of pond grass above a water lily!

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  47. This is great, Angela! You managed to tell a complete, engaging story!

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  48. This is great, Romelle! I love "like an artist's paintbrush"!

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  49. This is terrific, Joanna! Like Angela's, you've told a compelling story - awesome!

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  50. Susanna, I love this week's SS&S!! Here's mine:


    I am Tucker
    Black and white as a double-six domino
    With a loud, big mouth
    Howling, barking
    In my peaceful, relaxing backyard
    Barking at innocent passersby
    Howling at phantom winds
    Wagging my furry white tail
    Like a windshield wiper in a hurricane
    I am Tucker

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  51. Susanna, I love this week's SS&S!! Here's mine:

    I am Tucker
    Black and white as a double-six domino
    With a loud, big mouth
    Howling, barking
    In my peaceful, relaxing backyard
    Barking at innocent passersby
    Howling at phantom winds
    Wagging my furry white tail
    Like a windshield wiper in a hurricane
    I am Tucker

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  52. Ha-ha. No. I'll go look for it. It does sound so cute!

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  53. I must have met Tucker before. :o) Phantom winds...tail like a windshield wiper... Love it!

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  54. Beautiful! I'll never look at a dragonfly the same way again.

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  55. No, Lori, that was me...for I AM the dragonfly...

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  56. Romelle wins the prize for most interesting subject matter!

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  57. The phantom winds that issue from my dogs' tail ends are best endured in the back yard :)

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  58. A great exercise, Susanna. Bruce Smith, author of Devotions, his latest book of poetry, & professor in the MFA program at Syracuse, shared a similar prompt in our poetry workshop at the Colgate Writers Conference. I've been adapting it to help with character development for my stories, and have been finding it extremely helpful.

    The Pup

    I am a Pup
    Orange as a clementine
    With a white-tipped tail
    Swimming, fetching
    Through the frigid, azure water
    Searching for an enormous frog,
    Diving for a slithering snake,
    Hoping not to find it
    Like a twisted rope wound round my paw,
    I am a Pup.

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  59. It's always a little hard to guess what will appeal to folks - I was worried this one might be too complicated because of all the parts of speech and the way the template was write (hence my many examples!) but it's turned out to be SO MUCH FUN! - maybe my favorite so far! I'm really enjoying reading everyone's poems - all so different and creative and amazing! Thanks for joining in, Lori :)

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  60. What a great one, Patricia! Of course I'm immediately envisioning your two orange pups :) I think it would be better to find a frog than a snake in the water!!! Thanks for joining in the fun! :)

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  61. Sorry, I thought the first comment didn't go through so I submitted it again! I think I've done that before here - duh!

    I think you did an excellent job of walking us through the process and all the lines fit seamlessly into the format - well done!

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  62. I really like this, Patricia!

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  63. Love the imagery, Lori. Tucker seems like an energetic pup!

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  64. Jennifer RumbergerJuly 21, 2012 at 7:52 PM

    Okay, here goes! :)

    I am tree
    Green as a field of grass
    With a brown sturdy trunk
    Swaying, stretching
    Along the sunny, friendly street
    Covering on warm days
    Standing against heavy winds
    Harboring for mother squirrels
    Like a port in a storm
    I am a tree.

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  65. Not sure if I am doing this right, but here goes.....

    I am a rose,
    deep, dark red of bood.
    Perfumed rich, alluring.
    Standing tall, slender, elegance in movement.
    Tilting my head in the early evening,
    anticipating love is in the air.
    Weaving magic in the closing darkness,
    shimmering, dancing with flickering candles,
    oozing romance from satin petals.
    I am a rose.

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  66. Why, thank you! :)






























    Lori Degman wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:

    Sorry, I thought the first comment didn't go through so I submitted it again! I think I've done that before here - duh!
    I think you did an excellent job of walking us through the process and all the lines fit seamlessly into the format - well done!

    Link to comment
    IP address: 76.245.198.181

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  67. Ooh! Lovely Jennifer! What a friendly-sounding tree - perfect to picnic under or have a tree house in... lots of story fodder here :)

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  68. Excellent, Diane! I love it! I think you're a romantic :)

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  69. Thank you Ms. Hill! Sadly, we haven't gotten another dog since our yellow lab Bart died. Plus, we just moved. BUT if I have any say in a type of dog that we are getting next, it will be a pug (so, so, so cute dogs!)!

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  70. They ARE cute! and snuffly with their little squashed up noses :) My neighbor has a pekinese and he is all sass! (The Peke, not the neighbor :))





























    This Kid Reviews Bks wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:


    Thank you Ms. Hill! Sadly, we haven't gotten another dog since our yellow lab Bart died. Plus, we just moved. BUT if I have any say in a type of dog that we are getting next, it will be a pug (so, so, so cute dogs!)!

    User's website
    Link to comment
    IP address: 173.86.25.33

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  71. :)































    Diane Tulloch wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:


    *blushing*...lol.


    User's website
    Link to comment
    IP address: 27.252.206.152

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  72. I've been following your summer short and sweets but have been a little shy about sharing. But here is goes.

    I am a butterfly
    Purple as a grape
    With paper wings
    Floating, resting
    On a lily pad
    Tasting the air
    Breathing in rhythm
    Enjoying the moment
    Like the still water below me
    I am a butterfly

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  73. That is so cool! I'm totally doing this with my kids tonight!

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  74. Oh, Rena! That's lovely! I can feel the slow beat of butterfly wings in the cadence of your words - really wonderful! Thanks so much for overcoming your shyness and joining in!

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  75. Oh, goody! Please share - yours and theirs! :)

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  76. Romelle, This reminds me of the big slug I found on my stalk of celery that I pulled out from the fridge, store-bought! The kids got an instant pet. Yikes!

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  77. Thanks, Lori, for commenting, too! BTW, I love the imagery of your dog's tail as a windshield wiper!

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  78. I'm at the bottom of the pile. Better late than never. Here's goes:

    I am a gymnast

    Brighter than a twinkling, yellow star

    With muscular, lean limbs

    Leaping, lunging

    Before cheering, crazed fans

    Striving for the elusive, glimmering gold medal

    Tumbling toward the Olympic dream

    Nailing tough, bare soles

    Like a hammer driving in a stake

    I am a gymnast

    I'm glad I didn't read the above outstanding entries, I'd never have entered.

    Amazing stuff!

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  79. So creative, Tina!
    I love them both.

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  80. Ah the scent - tickles my nose. Love it

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  81. I can envision the frolicking pup. Great stuff

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  82. Brought back memories of stepping on cracks. Wonderful

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  83. You made your slug sound beautiful. Hard to do.

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  84. Hi Vivian:
    I definitely like your description of the castle. Woot!
    I'll pop by your site.

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  85. Hi Penny:
    I forgot to comment on your poem. I can picture your wacky alien. Love it!

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  86. I'd love a drink from your enticing jug. Lovely!

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  87. I love your poems, Susanna! This is another excellent writing exercise. I shared it with my family and even my husband was intrigued. :) I can see many variations of this happening on the next rainy, quiet day here. (When the sun is out, so are the boys!) Thank you!

    I am a tree
    Sepia as the river mud
    With broad-leaved, rustling, stretching branches
    In the dark, wild woods
    Sheltering the vulnerable animals
    Holding the tiny eggs
    Waiting for the cool rain
    As a baby bird waits for it's dinner
    I am a tree.

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  88. This was a fun one, too! I'm going to go back and do it again with a person rather than an object. It seems like a good way to start working on a character.


    I am a kite
    Orange as goldfish
    With a fluttering, swirling tail
    Soaring, floating
    In the endless blue sky
    Tugging my string
    Longing to dive into the blue
    Like a koi into it’s pond
    I am a kite

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  89. "leaning into dawn...breathing in the softness of the day"
    Oh my...what amazing poetry...I love it, Sharon...well done. :)

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  90. Erik...I anyone would love to have this pug. :) Great work!

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  91. Hi Tina...thanks for commenting on Diane Kress Hower's blog re the Summer Reading Spotlight Series she did this morning on TV!
    Two creative writing exercises...and both wonderful. :) "like an author gone made" love it!

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  92. Can I have one of the spider shaped cookies, Donna?

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  93. Thank you so much, Susanna! This creative writing brings me back to college days...but I love it so much now because I truly understand how helpful it can be. :) And yes, Erik's post was fantastic!

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  94. Penny, this is great! "searching for the yoda hairdresser"...your mind reaches and stretches to the great wordsmith in the sky. :)

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  95. And we love you, Susanna. :) Thank you for putting together another winning challenge!

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  96. Hope you made lots of that iced tea, Julie..."like rain gushing down the gutter"...love it. :)

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  97. What a wonderful picture I have in my mind's eye after reading this, Cathy..."waiting for the mouth"...perfect. :)

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  98. Kathy...I wanted to click on "like" 3x. :) Especially loved the "like a lighthouse shining through the fog of life"...that is a perfect description of what a friend really is...thank you!

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  99. This is beautiful, Delores...love the "age speckled, time beaten wall"...I feel like that sometimes. :) :) :)

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  100. I'd like to be able to be "dancing on golden sunbeams" also...I could see the dragonfly in your words, Renee. :)

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  101. Love this, Carrie (that's my daughter's name)..."longing to dive into the blue"...yes, I think that is just what a kite would be thinking. :)

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  102. Yes, Heather, I think the tree is "waiting for the cool rain as a baby bird waits for it's dinner"...everyone is doing such a fantastic job!

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  103. "breathing in rhythm" I can see the butterfly, wings pulsing back and forth...thank you, Rena...this is lovely!

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  104. So beautiful, Diane..."anticipating love is in the air...oozing romance from satin petals"...they should use these words on the Bachelor TV show. ;)

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  105. What a wonderful tree you pictured for us here...a save haven for all. :)

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  106. You portrayed the pup to a tee..."diving for a slithering snake, hoping not to find it"...love the humor. :)

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  107. These are some really great exercises. I'm learning LOTS!

    I am a door
    Gray as the emotions of ashes
    With an boastful, glass knob
    Opening, closing on an empty front porch
    Beckoning to passersby
    Creaking__slamming with abandon
    Jerking from the rusty hinges
    Like an undisciplined child
    I am a door.

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  108. Oops, I had both ostentatious & boasful after "an" forgot to delete the "n"

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  109. Wow! After reading some of the others' posts, I feel silly posting mine. But, I worked hard on it, so I'm posting it anyway! :)

    I am a zebra.
    Striped like the sun broken by fence posts
    With a muscular body
    Quivering, grazing
    Through lush green meadows
    Munching on sweet grass
    Wandering in quiet readiness
    Listening for hidden dangers
    Like a child woken up by a dream
    I am a zebra.

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  110. Here we go (it took me two weeks!):

    I am a giraffe,
    as yellow as tanned hide,
    With long lanky legs,
    Loping, galloping,
    Across the grassy veld
    Grazing from the leafy green branches
    Nudging forward her wobbly calf,
    Basking under the African Sun
    Like other creatures of the Savanna
    I am a giraffe.

    That's it!

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  111. Lynn, I'm glad you posted yours. I really enjoyed reading it!! How amazing was this activity?!

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  112. This is beautiful, Jarm! Thanks for sharing it with us! :)

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  113. I love this, Lynn! It's beautiful! I can just see that lovely zebra - grazing, but alert - his striped hide blending him into the grass! Thanks for sharing - and you shouldn't feel silly! :)

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  114. Susanna, your birch poem is just beautiful. I just love "standing among my slender sisters/like a dancer waiting for the music to begin." Here's mine... about socks!

    I am a pair of socks
    Turquoise as clear Caribbean waters
    With frilly, bunched elastic
    Stretching, arching
    Into the round, silver tub
    Sloshing in soapy suds
    Bumping into greasy overalls
    Trying for sweet scent
    Like a floral shop on Valentine’s Day
    I am a pair of socks

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  115. I love this, Laura! So different and original. I love the setting you chose, too - not someone's feet, but the washing machine! Very creative! (And thanks for your kind words - I'm glad you enjoyed the birches :))

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  116. Wonderful, Pam! I love this! Well done! Thanks for joining in :)

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  117. This is lovely, Carrie! Thanks for sharing! Feel greet o put up your person one too if you want! :)

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  118. Oh, I love this, Heather! So beautiful and so evocative! I'm glad you enjoyed the activity, and hope your boys get some fun mileage out of it too! Thanks for joining in!

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  119. This is fun! Here's another:

    I am a poem
    Chartreuse as spring buds birthing
    With clipped, free-verse lines
    Observing, comparing
    Above the austere, practical nest
    Snatching up wriggling worms
    Swooping after scheming crows
    Sitting on robin eggs
    Like a Buddhist sand mandala
    I am a poem

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  120. So glad you're having fun, Laura! And you are some kind of poet! This is beautiful! Thanks for sharing another :)

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  121. You always sell yourself short, Tracy! Your entries are terrific - always excellent! Keep up the good work and thanks for playing along :)




























    Tracy Campbell wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:


    I'm at the bottom of the pile. Better late than never. Here's goes:

    I am a gymnast

    Brighter than a twinkling, yellow star

    With muscular, lean limbs

    Leaping, lunging

    Before cheering, crazed fans

    Striving for the elusive, glimmering gold medal

    Tumbling toward the Olympic dream

    Nailing tough, bare soles

    Like a hammer driving in a stake

    I am a gymnast

    I'm glad I didn't read the above outstanding entries, I'd never have entered.
    Amazing stuff!





    User's website
    Link to comment
    IP address: 24.138.105.219

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  122. Boy
    Red as red roses
    With a second-hand bike
    Running, jumping
    Bouncing a blue-stitched ball
    Picking a bunch of flowers
    Wrapping a pretty gift
    Offering his cheek for a kiss
    Like a loving child
    Boy

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  123. Wonderful, Sue! Thanks for sharing! I love that he has a second-hand bike, and that he plays ball and picks flowers. So glad you joined in :)

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  124. I am stallion
    as golden as a king's crown (ugh, awful I know)
    long mane graceful
    blowing, flowing
    from his little piece of earth
    racing for the prize
    panting whooshing
    pushing past the herd
    like a shadow never to be overtaken
    I am stallion.

    I really don't blame you from blocking me from access to S & S. No really, I don't. I did this in five minutes. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? Or can we plan it out all day long? Mine smells like stinking garbage. *sigh* I told you. I ain't no good at instantaneous stuff. Did I get caught up before being banned?? *deep sigh*

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  125. First of all, this is great. Second, I would never ban you :) Third, yes, you are supposed to do it spontaneously, to get those creative juices flowing and not censor yourself. And fourth, yes, you are caught up! :) Now go take your golden boy for a ride :)

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  126. WOW this was new for me and not easy...Here it is off the top of my head...not too deep...haha...

    I am the sun...
    red smoldering anger...
    with shining firing hot glowing arms...
    heating the earth...
    burning the sand...
    tingling the feet...
    like a tinging flame on the skin...
    I am the sun...

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  127. Beautiful, Karen! Very evocative! I can feel the heat :)

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  128. WOW this was new for me and not easy…Here it is off the top of my head…not too deep…haha…
    I am the sun…
    red smoldering anger…
    with shining firing hot glowing arms…
    heating the earth…
    burning the sand…
    tingling the feet…
    like a tinging flame on the skin…
    I am the sun…

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  129. I can't believe I skipped this one...it was daunting, but really fun! Here goes...

    I am a Kite
    Orange as the yolk of a fresh egg
    With a shimmering, multicolored tail
    Gliding, soaring
    Over a vast, flowery meadow
    Diving under the creamy, white clouds
    Whipping around the darting dragonflies
    Careening toward the green grass
    Like an absentminded bird
    I am a Kite

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  130. This is beautiful, Kim, I love it! See what a poet you are? I find this exercise amazing, because I am not a poet and yet, by following the rules here I can pretend I am! :)

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  131. I didn't think I was a poet either, but it looks like we ALL are thanks to your wonderful prompts. I will do this again and again. I'm seriously saving all of your Short & Sweets prompts for future ideas! Thanks so much!

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  132. Now the challenge is on for me to keep it up past summer! It was one thing to come up with 8, but to keep going? I'm going to have to expand my bag of tricks :)





























    Kim Murray wrote, in response to Susanna Leonard Hill:

    I didn't think I was a poet either, but it looks like we ALL are thanks to your wonderful prompts. I will do this again and again. I'm seriously saving all of your Short & Sweets prompts for future ideas! Thanks so much!

    Link to comment
    IP address: 71.227.3.30

    ReplyDelete

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