BLANKET
Blanket is a rectangular word
with hard corners
anchored by flip-flops
Its "B" longs for the beach
Blanket is a blank slate,
ready to fill in the ______
and B a tablecloth/game board/
doormat/towel
Its flat, low center holds "an"
old blue cooler with winter inside
We lift the lid, not for the
roast beef, Doritos, and soda,
but for the chill breath
it exhales on our hot,
gritty skin
It gets crowded and wrinkled,
but everyone fits in the
b-l-a-n-k-e-t
sunscreened k-n-e-e presses against
orange-powdered a-n-k-l-e
Keeping us safe
from the sand
from the sea
from time
© 2015 Laura Purdie Salas. All rights reserved.
Nikki Grimes has challenged us to try a wordplay exercise this month and create our own free verse poems. Click HERE for all the details.
Send your poem to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com, or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration this Friday, May 29th, and one lucky participant will win a personalized copy of Nikki's brand new picture book:
I'll remember this at the beach this summer, Laura. Beautiful memories evoked here, that "but everyone fits in the/b-l-a-n-k-e-t". It's true! I also love that line, the "B" that longs for the beach.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda--I appreciate that. This poem starter brought out surprising things in my poem:>)
DeleteBeautiful images, Laura. Great poem.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Catherine!
DeleteThis is some serious wordplay, Laura – you don't mess around! Then again, I guess you do. ;) I love how you interwove your exploration of the word with your exploration of the poem's setting, tucked between your wonderful opening and closing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michelle--and for sharing my poem, too. I was in Florida a couple of weeks ago, and when we went to the beach, I was sad we had no beach blanket nor cooler in sight (we just went for a few hours). I love so many of the poems that have been shared. What an excellent challenge Nikki gave us!
DeleteI not only love the word play here, but also the play with form. Great mentor text, Laura.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Margaret--this was really the most fun I've had writing a poem in several months:>)
DeleteWow, Laura...you really sent your words out to play! Fun!
ReplyDeleteThey kind of took off on their own--unusual for me! Thanks, Penny:>)
DeleteYou covered it all, Laura. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHehehe--covered it--I see what you did there, Lana:>) Thanks for reading!
DeleteThis is so clever, Laura! Your poem makes me want to head to the beach and read on a blanket all day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Catherine--it was a blast to write!
DeleteFloor’s Song
ReplyDeletePoem By Jessica Bigi
Violet strings
Stretch across
Floor violins
Keyes notes
Scribbling shapes
Into shadows
A symphony of
Light and dark
Mirror across stage
Seas of music
Thanks for this, Jessica. I will include the version you left on Nikki Grimes' interview post in Friday's wrap-up celebration.
Delete