A to G: Poetry Challenge Recap

Congrats, you have completed week one of the poetry challenge! Today there will be no new challenge instead here is a couple of tips from “Writing the Life Poetic” to help you with revision.   

•    Is the punctuation consistent?  Or what would your poem be like without punctuation?
•    Is the title adding or taking away from your poem?

Next Sunday I will be posting couple more tips to help you with your revision.  I'm off to Grandma's house for Easter turkey. Have a wonderful Easter. Join me Monday, poet and writer Cindy Pereira will be joining us to talk about Haikus. 

A to G Recap 

April 1: A is for Acrostic 

Guest illustrator: Julie Rowan-Zoch

By Julie Rowan-Zoch

Animal

A birdy, a worm

Nature took its course.

It ate it up,

Munched it down—

A slurp, a crunch—

Lunch is done! 

April 2: B is for Book: Writing in Rhyme 

Guest: Author Bill Kirk talked about writing poetry and his latest book “A Brainy Refrain.” 

Author Bill Kirk. Illustrator Eugene Ruble

Bill Kirk

I'll Never Refrain from Eating Your Brain! 



 Don’t call me a banshee.

Don’t call me a beast,


Don’t call me a Yeti,

Don’t call me these things,





My skin is clammy.

My hair is falling out.

I dig through the dirt,

And walk real slow. 



Can you tell me,

P-l-e-e-e-a-s-e.

What sort of monster


Am I?

Don’t call me a wolf.


Don’t call me a vamp.

Don’t call me an ogre. 


Don’t call me these things.


My teeth are rotten.


My clothes are dirty.


I smell real bad


And my eyes are yellow. 



Can you tell me,

P-l-e-e-e-a-s-e.

What sort of monster


Am I?



Don’t call me a creature.

Don’t call me a troll.


Don’t call me the devil.

Don’t call me these things.



My breath is stinky.


My cheeks are hallow.


And I’ll never refrain 


From eating you brain.

Can you tell me,


P-l-e-e-e-a-s-e.

What sort of monster


Am I?

April 3: C is for Contest and Cento or Patchwork poems

Guest: Writer and poet Lissa Clouser

By Rena J. Traxel

Lissa Clouser

Bad Sheep


(A patchwork poem of Tiffany Stone’s poem “Baad Animals”)



1, 2, 3…

You count us sheep,


But we won’t come.


We don’t want you to sleep.



Cuz we’re baad sheep.

Baad sheep.



Itching and scratching


At the wool on your back.


It’s out last stance


Against your brutal attack.



Cuz we’re baad sheep.


Baad sheep.

We’ll stomp down the fence


And steal your newspaper.


We’ll eat all the food


And bother your neighbours.



Cuz we’re baad sheep.

Baad sheep.

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!


Mustn’ts Monster 


(A patchwork poem of Shel Silverstein’s poem “Listen to the Mustn’ts”)



Have you ever met a MUSTN’TS?

Did you listen to their DON’TS,


SHOULDN’TS,

IMPOSSIBLES,


WON’TS,


NEVER HAVES?

Let me tell you a little secret. 


DON’T listen to the MUSTN’TS.


You SHOULDN’T pay attention.


The IMPOSSIBLES are POSSIBLE.


The WON’TS are in your head.


You’ll NEVER be a NEVER HAVE


When you listen to your dreams.


A place where ANYTHING can happen,


ANYTHING can be.

April 4: D is for Dr Seuss

Guest: Author Sandi Hershenson

Sandi Hershenson

Inspired by my favourite Dr. Seuss story "Green Eggs and Ham." 

I cannot rhyme

Sam, I am

I cannot rhyme.

I cannot rhyme

Here, nor there.

I cannot rhyme

Anywhere!

Sam, I am

You will see

I cannot rhyme

Just let me be!

I cannot rhyme

In my house.

I will not rhyme

With a mouse .

I can’t

I won’t

In a box.

I can’t

I won’t

With a fox.

Sam, I am

Can’t you see?

I cannot rhyme

Just let me be!

I cannot rhyme

in a car.

I will not rhyme

In a bar.

I can’t

I won’t

On a train.

I can’t

I won’t

On a plane.

Sam, I am

I am a lark.

I cannot rhyme

In the dark.

I cannot rhyme

You will see.

I cannot rhyme

In a tree.

I can’t

I won’t

In the rain

And put you through

That awful pain.

Sam, I am

I would not gloat.

I cannot rhyme

With a goat.

I cannot rhyme

On a boat.

I will not rhyme

While I float.

I can’t

I won’t

Make awful rhymes.

I can’t

I won’t

It is a crime.

I cannot rhyme

Here, nor there.

I cannot rhyme

Anywhere!

April 5: E is for Epigram

Guest illustrator: Julie Rowan-Zoch

      

By Julie Rowan-Zoch

Juxtaposition – a writer's life.

April 6: F is for Free Verse and Fractured Poems

Blog Illustrator: Bill Boudreau 

By Bill Boudreau

Three Little Pigs. One Naughty Wolf.

Three little pigs

built a house:

one of straw

one of sticks

and one of bricks.

One naughty wolf

blew two down.

Two little pigs

had no home.

One little pig

took them in.

One naughty wolf

paid them a visit.

Three little pigs

locked the door

and stoked the fire.

One naughty wolf

blew and blew

to no avail.

Three little pigs

cried out in delight.

One naughty wolf

threatened to come in,

"let me in

so that I can eat you all up."

Two little pigs

hid in fright.

One little pig

boiled a pot of water.

One naughty wolf

came down the chimney shoot. 

One naughty wolf dropped

into a pot of boiling water.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch,”

cried the wolf.

“Out, out, out,”

yelled the pigs.

One naughty wolf

flew out in a rage.

Three little pigs

lived together,

happily,

there after.

April 7: G is for Glee: Music and Poetry

Guest: Writer Beth Stillborn talked about writing hymns.

Guest Illustrator: Julie Rowan-Zoch

By Julie Rowan-Zoch

Beth Stillborn

Pretty girl. Pretty girl.

Where is my pretty girl?

Here you are. Here you are.

Rocking in my arms. 

© Poems Rena J. Traxel 2012