Today's Little Ditty: cinquain

Showing posts with label cinquain. Show all posts

Thursday, April 27, 2017

DMC: "Rainy" by Madison

Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day!
What poem are you carrying in your pocket?

For our final featured ditty of National Poetry Month, I've chosen to share what's in my pocket today. It's a cinquain by a 3rd grade student named Madison. Not only is her poem perfectly pocket-sized, but it also suits Laura Purdie Salas's challenge to a T! (You can read more water-themed cinquains HERE.)

But there's another reason I chose this poem for today. It has nothing to do with what I'm carrying in my pocket, it has to do with what I carry in my heart—the reason I write children's poetry. If all of our children saw the world through poets' eyes and had teachers like Margaret Simon to nurture and help them express their thoughts and feelings in this way; if all of our children were given the opportunity to develop observational skills, foster compassion, and broaden their understanding of life through poetry, how could we not, as a society, be better off for it? Our world and our future are in their hands. Read more poetry by the students of Mrs. Simon's Sea at their blog.

Rainy
Cadet Blue Sky
Thunder Beating on Drums
Lightning Marching Through the Clouds
Pouring…

© 2017 by Madison, 3rd Grade

The DMC challenge for National Poetry Month is to contribute to our Ditty Potluck. Follow the guidelines for any one of the last 28 challenges, choosing from the following recipes:

Click HERE for an alphabetical list of all the DMC challenges.

Click HERE for an alphabetical list of all the Spotlight interviews.

Post your poem on our April 2017 padlet and be sure to indicate which challenge you are responding to. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration tomorrow, Friday, April 28th, and one lucky participant, chosen randomly, will select from the following:

Option 1: A set of 8 copies of The Best of Today's Little Ditty: 2014-2015 to use with a classroom or extracurricular group.

Option 2: One copy of The Best of Today's Little Ditty, plus a $20 gift card to purchase a poetry book(s) of your choice.

Option 3: A $25 gift card if you already have all the copies of The Best of TLD you need.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

May DMC Wrap-Up + Giveaway!

At the beginning of this month, Laura Purdie Salas, our inaugural Spotlight ON author, chose the cinquain as this month's ditty challenge. Besides adhering to the 5-line, 2-4-6-8-2 syllable count, she encouraged us to write about a specific water-related memory.

THANK YOU to everyone who took on this challenge. You guys ROCK... I mean, seriously. What a month it's been– so many outstanding cinquains! So much fun!

Here they are:

Log flume

Straddle the seat

                         Splashing every turn
                      Anticipating the freefall...
                                    Soaked!

Rubber Pod

Blow-up

Killer Whale toy

rolly as the ocean

kids get toppled, dunked, Mom and Dad

whale watch.

Fountain

Splashes shimmer

I wonder if coins

Hide, waiting for a hand to hold

Treasure

HOSTESS OF THE CANAL

Oar-length

Barracuda

Hunkered low in shadows

Considers if she might like me

For lunch.

© 2014 Tamera Will Wissinger

Lake Champlain Summer Storm

                               The rain
                      Crashes and whips.
                Our boat rolls side to side.
       We watch as dad wrestle the waves...
                               saves us.

Drought Life

These times,

our spring, when roots

and ducks cry for darkened

clouds that give showers and puddles,

we pray.

Can't wait

for God, but grab

sprinklers, snaking the hose

to geographic corners of

the lawn.

Washing

the grass and trees

and plants down, down to roots,

They glisten in gratitude, prayers

answered.

Canal

         Drawbridge halts boat.
       Keeper swings fishing pole
   with wooden shoe to collect toll.
                    Fun fare!

                     Pushing
             a boat off the
              canal bank entails a
swift jump or sudden waist-deep plunge.
                     Quick dip!

            © 2014 Sarah Monsma

Peepers,

from vernal pools

with pure ancient voices,

joyously herald the season

with song.

Water

cumulus clouds

forming dark mounds in sky

startled by thunder and lightning

they cry.

Metamorphosis

                          Waiting.
            White snow; gray; black
           Brings unrest to my heart.
Soft rain and breeze, buds turn to leaves --
                       Yea! Spring!

Ducklings

                                                                                                                      paddle webbed feet,
                                                                                                                pitching like fishing floats--
                                                                                                        Mama's quacks reel them to her safe
                                                                                                                                harbor.

Wading

in the small bay,

then suddenly caught up

in a starry silver current -

minnows.

Dear Pop,

Drip drop, drip drop

The faucet will not stop.

The plumber's truck is in the shop.

Please mop.

Icee

Frozen water

Flavored like a cola

Eaten too fast will give you a

Brain freeze

Dewdrops

Prisms glisten

Clinging to wildflowers

Capture morning light, emitting

Rainbows

Ocean

Waves crashing on

Distant shorelines become

Tides of the future, tomorrow's

Daydreams

Lochness

A monster's realm.

Lurking in the shadows

The giant water dragon swims

Beneath

Water

Cool, wet

Pouring, splashing, quenching

From a glass pitcher

H2O

I wish

I were a fish,

Swimming in the ocean

With dolphins and mermaids.

I wish...

great blue

              heron soaring
        and spearing tiny fish
       on the Columbia River
               one glimpse

yellow

crowned night heron

hunches into itself

shy fisherman of the evening

waters

Poodle

On a noodle

Floats around the water.

Don't jump in! Oh, there she goes! We

Poodle

(Bonus points for taking the poodle-noodle challenge!)

Underwater Nests

Fish beds

don't look like mine –

dotting the stream edge, these

circles of small stones nudge in place

hold spawn.

The Politics of Water

As if

endowed, we take

faucet, pipe, disease-free

for granted. All of this, our right.

Not theirs?

And You Thought It Was Just Yucky

                                                                                                                             Drooling--
                      continuous
           stream of protein-laden
                                                                                                            water ensures germ-protected
                         babies.

A Morning Plea

Thirsty

                wilting leaves say
"Drip, drop, pour, splash, soak, spray--
   send me life, sweet blessed wetness
                        my way."

Float. Sink.

The rise and fall

of nations preserved here

though discarded as meaningless

rubbish.

Our creek

coughs up the past:

tricycle, flip phone, cans --

then an arrowhead surfaces.

Progress?

Evening Snow

The field

across the road

once green with grassy hay

now snuggles sound asleep, tucked in

with stars.

Park ride

splishing, splashing

atop large inner tubes

down, down, down, jetty black tunnel

I'm here

Smooth stones . . .

flickicty-flick

skippity-skip-skip-skip

skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip

ker-splash!

Marco.
Polo. Marco.
Polo. Stroke, stoke, stroke, stop.
Reach. Nothing. Marco. Polo. Tag!
Marco.

Water Confinement

                       Droplets
             Trickle down, picks
       Up tempo, cascades through
My water spout screaming, “Please let
                       Me out!”

         © 2014 Charles Waters

Everyone who sent in one or more cinquains this month will automatically be entered to win a personalized copy of WATER CAN BE.... (One entry per participant, not per poem.) You still have until tomorrow, May 31st, to send me your cinquain. For those who may be too bashful or bogged down to send in a cinquain, you may also enter to win Laura's book by leaving a comment below. If you contributed a cinquain and comment below you will earn two entries in total. Comments must be received no later than Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014.

The winner will be determined by Random.org and announced next Friday, June 6th, when we feature our new Spotlight ON interview and ditty challenge.

Good luck!

It's strawberry season over at Random Noodling.

Be sure to sample all the sweet treats Diane has collected in today's Poetry Friday roundup.

DMC: "The Politics of Water" by Mary Lee Hahn

The Politics of Water

As if
endowed, we take
faucet, pipe, disease-free
for granted. All of this, our right.
Not theirs?

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this month's pool of cinquains, inspired by Laura Purdie Salas' challenge! Join us here tomorrow for an end-of-month wrap-up.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

DMC: "Drip Drop" & "Prisms" by Jan Gars

Drip Drop

Dear Pop,
Drip drop, drip drop
The faucet will not stop.
The plumber's truck is in the shop.
Please mop.

***

Prisms

Dewdrops

Prisms glisten

Clinging to wildflowers

Capture morning light, emitting

Rainbows

Laura Purdie Salas has challenged us to come up with a water-themed cinquain this month. (Click HERE for details.) If you would like to be in the running for a copy of Laura's new book, WATER CAN BE..., use the contact form in the sidebar to the right to send me your splashtastic poem!

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

DMC: "Wading" by Monica Gudlewski

Wading
in the small bay,
then suddenly caught up
in a starry silver current -
minnows.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

DMC: "Ducklings" by Buffy Silverman

Ducklings
paddle webbed feet,
pitching like fishing floats–
Mama's quacks reel them to her safe
harbor.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

DMC: "shovels" by Amanda Boyarshinov

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

DMC: "Metamorphosis" by George Heidenrich

Metamorphosis

Waiting.
White snow; gray; black
Brings unrest to my heart.
Soft rain and breeze, buds turn to leaves –
Yea! Spring!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

DMC: "Peepers" by Mayra Donnell

Peepers,

from vernal pools

with pure ancient voices,

joyously herald the season

with song.

A note from Mayra: Peepers are frogs that winter over in vernal pools by the edge of woods. They come to life when temperature rises above 40 degrees in the spring. Man do they peep!!! The peep can be heard over one mile. Not bad for a 1 to 2 inch creature.

Laura Purdie Salas has challenged us to come up with a water-themed cinquain this month. Click HERE for details. If you would like to join in the fun, use the contact form in the sidebar to the right to send me your splashtastic poem!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

DMC: Memories from the Netherlands, by Sarah Monsma

Canal
Drawbridge halts boat.
Keeper swings fishing pole
with wooden shoe to collect toll.
Fun fare!

Pushing
a boat off the
canal bank concludes with
a swift jump or a wet surprise.
Quick dip!

Laura Purdie Salas has challenged us to come up with a water-themed cinquain this month. Click HERE for details. If you would like to join in the fun, use the contact form in the sidebar to the right to send me your splashtastic poem!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

DMC: "Drought Life" by Linda Baie

Drought Life

These times,
our spring, when roots
and ducks cry for darkened
clouds that give showers and puddles,
we pray.

Can't wait
for God, but grab
sprinklers, snaking the hose
to geographic corners of
the lawn.

Washing
the grass and trees
and plants down, down to roots,
They glisten in gratitude, prayers
answered.

Monday, May 12, 2014

DMC: "Lake Champlain Summer Storm" by Janet Fagal

Lake Champlain Summer Storm

The rain
Crashes and whips.
Our boat rolls side to side.
We watch as dad wrestles the waves...
saves us.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

A Cinquain for my Mother

Watering Can, Pierre Auguste Renoir - 1905

"In search of my mother's garden, I found my own."
– Alice Walker

Last week, Laura Purdie Salas challenged Ditty of the Month Club members to write water-themed cinquains. (Click here for more details and to read my interview with Laura.) Since then, the contributions have been steadily flowing in and I can honestly say I've been lapping up each and every one! This week I featured daily ditties by Kristi Veitenheimer, Violet Nesdoly, Margaret Simon, and Tamera Will Wissinger.

Today, it's my turn. Knowing that I would be posting my cinquain the Friday before Mother's Day, I gave myself an additional challenge– to write about a memory that is related to water and my mother as well. Surprise, Mom! Looks like you're getting your present a few days early.

Girl with a Watering Can, Pierre Auguste Renoir - 1876

Green thumb.

I help Mommy

water plants and follow

her from room to room with soggy

kisses.

Thirsty.

Do you want some

too? Cool water trickles

on my head ‘cause I’m her little

flower.

Wishing all of the mothers reading this (especially my own) an abundance of love on Mother's Day.

Watering can flower arrangement, by Martha Stewart

Use the contact form in the sidebar to the right to send me your water-themed cinquains throughout the month. For children under 13 who would like to participate, please read my COPPA compliance statement located below the contact form. Several poems will be published on the blog as daily ditties, but all of them will be collected in one wrap-up post on Friday, May 30th. Participants will also be entered into a random drawing for a personalized copy of WATER CAN BE... by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrations by Violeta Dabija.

If you would like to be notified when new poems are posted, please subscribe to my blog via email or RSS feed, like my writer's page on Facebook (I am not posting them on my personal Facebook page), or follow me via Google+. All of these options are also available in the sidebar to the right.

Wouldn't you know, these water poems are making me crave soup! One would be hard-pressed not to find something to love at Jama's Alphabet Soup. Thank you Jama for hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup!