DMC: "Ode to a Dewdrop" by LeeAnn Blankenship

ODE TO A DEWDROP

A crystal gem on fragile web,
You speak to early dawn
With misty hope, a fragrance clean,
And sparkles on my lawn.
You taste of freshness, cool to touch –
I wonder – must you go?
“Oh, yes! The sun is calling me –
I’ll be back tomorrow though!”

© 2017 LeeAnn Blankenship. All rights reserved.


Helen Frost has challenged us to write an ode poem this month, following these instructions:

Choose an object (a seashell, a hairbrush, a bird nest, a rolling pin). It should not be anything symbolic (such as a doll, a wedding ring, or a flag). Write five lines about the object, using a different sense in each line (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell). Then ask the object a question, listen for its answer, and write the question, the answer, or both.

Click HERE to read her sample poem, "Ode to a River."

Post your poem on our March 2017 padlet. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, March 31st, and one lucky participant will win a personalized copy of her latest novel-in-poems from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux/Macmillan:

DMC: "First Love at Sixteen" by LeeAnn Blankenship

First Love at Sixteen

Despite those times you held me tight
Within your firm embrace,
Despite the kisses you bestowed,
You put me in my place.
“I’m just a loner, can’t you see?”
You asked one fateful day,
And though I tried to change your mind,
You turned and walked away.
To me, the love I felt was real -
I grieved and missed you so,
I wrote sad poems, wept a lot,
And couldn’t let it go.
But slowly, hours became a day,
And days became a week;
Then months passed by and, suddenly,
It didn’t seem so bleak.
I met a sweet and handsome man
And thought not once of you;
Ere long, I fell in love again
And found he loved me too!
And now for over fifty years,
We’ve stayed in love – it’s true.
But I found out you told my friend
I should have married you!

© 2015 LeeAnn Blankenship. All rights reserved.


Marcus Ewert has challenged us to write love poems this month– about relationships that seem unrequited, but which end up being requited after all. Click HERE for more 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, October 30th, and one lucky participant will win an autographed copy of his fabulous new picture book:

DMC: "Treetop Dream" by LeeAnn Blankenship

TREETOP DREAM

I wish I’d somehow soon acquire
The tree house of my heart’s desire:
A sturdy, wooden home replete
With fellow poets on retreat.

We’d leave distractions down below,
Escaping to our high chateau
Where each could have his private nooks
For writing verses, songs, or books.

© 2015 LeeAnn Blankenship. All rights reserved.


Corey Rosen Schwartz has challenged us to write a stanza or two about building a treehouse, using unpredictable rhymes of more than one syllable. Click HERE for all the details.

There are only two more days to join in the fun! Send your stanzas to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com, or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right. Visit our wrap-up celebration to read all of this month's contributions. One lucky participant will win a personalized copy of Corey's delightful new picture book:

DMC: "The Perfect Wife and Mother" by LeeAnn Blankenship

THE PERFECT WIFE AND MOTHER

In the 50's we learned the ideal was June Cleaver,
But she was a fake, an over-achiever;
I'll bet she has changed, put her past on the shelf,
Now saying at mealtime, "Just fix it yourself!"

© 2015 LeeAnn Blankenship. All rights reserved.


Kwame Alexander has challenged us to write a clerihew this month. What's a clerihew, you ask? Click HERE for details.

Send your funny four-liner 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 on Friday, April 24th. One lucky participant will win an autographed copy of THE CROSSOVER, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.