A to Z Poetry Challenge (F - K)

This is my second week of the A to Z Poetry Challenge hosted by Rena Traxel. The whole month of April I will practice writing poetry. Click here for all the challenge details.

    * * *

Day six- Friday April 6th 2012

F is for free verse

By Bill Boudreau

Challenge

--Write a fable poem, in another words, write a poem with a moral. Or
--Using the illustration of the three little pigs write a free verse poem. Or
--Pick your favourite fable and retell it in free verse.


The Boy Who Cried Sheep

A son of a shepherd,
Tended his sheep.
One day the sheep turned bad.
They teased and taunted,
And pushed him to the brink.

“Go and be gone,” the boy yelled.
But they stayed and they stared,
A mad evil stare.
“SHEEP,” cried the boy.
A wolf then appeared.

“What is the matter?” asked Wolf.
“I’m scared of my sheep,” he replied.
Wolf said, “Do not call sheep and lie."

The next day,
The sheep came back.
They continued to tease and stare.
“SHEEP,” the boy cried,
And Wolf then appeared.

“What is the matter?” Wolf asked.
“I’m scared of my sheep,” he replied.
Wolf was heated,
Then he repeated, “Do not call sheep and lie.”

The day after that,
The sheep were still bad.
They nipped, the bit and they stared.
“SHEEP,” the boy cried,
And Wolf then appeared.

"What is the matter?" Wolf asked.
"I'm telling the truth, they bit and nipped,
I'm scared of my sheep," he cried.

His arm showed signs of what was done.
So, Wolf licked his chops and ate each one.

-- By Jennifer Young


**********************************************************

Day 7 - Saturday April 7th 2012

G is for Glee : Music and Poetry

Illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch

Challenge

--Imagine that you are member of the Glee club who has to write a song for sectionals. Write a poem that can be sung. Or
--Using today's prompt "geek" write a poem. Or
--Write a poem about something that makes you gleeful.

Take my Hand

Take my hand, take my hand.
Now take my heart and hold my hand.
It’s in you.
All up to you,
To take a chance,
And do what's true.

Don’t think it over.
Thoughts cloud the heart,
From opening up,
And letting it start.

Let go of the chains,
That bind you blind.
Now take a chance,
Your heart won't mind.

--Jennifer Young

*****************************************************

Day 8 - Monday April 9th 2012

H is for haiku.

By Bill Boudreau

Challenge

--Write a haiku about your childhood hero. Or
--Write a poem that explains why Spiderman and Wolverine, our waiting outside the principal's office. Or
--Writer three haiku's that link together to tell a story.
 
Thoughts from a Tulip

Soon I'll see the sun
Through the bare budded branches.
Slowly he will rise.

He will warm my stem.
He will relax my pedals.
I will soon open.

I will move and bend.
All day he'll move. I'll follow.
Dusk 'til dawn, I'll wait.

--By Jennifer Young

**********************************************************

Day 9 - Tuesday April 10th 2012

I is for inspiration

Illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch

Challenge


--Mark Twain once said, "don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live." Using today's word "illusion" and Julie's wonderful illustration write a poem about illusions.
--Inspiration can come from many different places. Pick something that inspires you and write a poem about it. Or
--Write a poem about a difficult time in your life.
Feel free to post your poem below, on your blog, or share it with the poetry Facebook group.


Teachers Inspire

Fitting in first grade
Was a bit of a ride.
I went with the flow.
I swam with the tide.

In my teen years
Teachers came and they went.
One stopped time in its tracks
And I learned my intent.

I’m not an outsider.
The inside’s not in.
We are all different.
I learned to hold up my chin.

I look back now
Without a regret.
The past makes me, me
And my future not set.

-- By Jennifer Young

*******************************************************
Day 10 - Wednesday April 11th 2012

J is for Jingle

Challenge

--Write a jingle that promotes your blog, website, or yourself. (You don't need the music).

Just Read

Castles in the sky
I'm not going to lie
Is a blog about writing
kids need to read,
First they need a seed
Visit the li-bra-ry
Gotta read
Find a book when the boredom set in
Re- ad, gotta read
Visit the li-bra-ry
Ahhh ahhhh, go read
Visit the li-bra-ry
Ahh Ahhh

--By Jennifer Young

*********************************************************

Day 11 - Thursday April 12th 2012

K is for Kids 

My kiddos

Challenge


--Please go to the online version of Poetic Magnetic Poetry Kit by clicking here. Use the words displayed to create a poem. You can click on the “more words” button if you need more words for your poem. If you have kids have them help you create a poem.







I decided to ask my eight old son Vincent to help me create a poem using Poetic Magnetic Poetry Kit. We had a lot of fun trying out this challenge. We couldn't fit all the words, but here it is anyway...


The Great Explorer

Remember the dark
There is a boy
Not fat
And never wild
Like a flowery younger sister
Exploring a dying tree.

--By Vincent and Jennifer Young

Don't ask me to interpret but I guarantee you'll have some fun with this website.
 Click here to try it with your kids

The A to Z Poetry Challenge (A - D)

During the week I wrote poetry for the A to Z Poetry Challenge hosted by Rena Traxel. The whole month of April I will be writing poetry. Click here for all the challenge details.

* * *

Day one- Sunday April 1st 2012
A is for Acrostic

Illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch
Click on her birdy to check out her blog

Challenge


--Using the picture above as a prompt write a poem about an animal. Or

--Try writing an acrostic poem.

Alligator

Across the swamp
Low in the grass
Lies a long scaly
Intimidating alligator.
"Gurgle,"goes his tummy
And a head peaks out.
Turtle eyes peer big.
Oddly they disappear
Right before the bite.

--By Jennifer Young

************************************************************
Day 2 - Monday April 2nd 2012
B is for Book

Author Bill Kirk.
Click on his book ot be directed to his blog.

Challenge


--Using the cover from Bill Kirk's book as a prompt write a poem about the brain. Or

--Try writing a rhyming poem. Or

--Try writing a rhyming poem about the body.




The Birthday Suit

His suit was worn without a tie
And it was soft and far from dry.
His mom counted his mouth and nose.
His dad had found his tiny toes.
His suit was washed and weighed.
His parents loved what they made.

--By Jennifer Young

*******************************************************

Day 3 - Tuesday April 3rd 2012
C is for Contest.

Photo by Rena J. Traxel

Challenge

Using the photo of the patchwork castle as a prompt:

--create a patchwork poem, (Pssss - A cento or patchwork poem according to Poets.org is "a poetic form made up of lines from poems by other poets) 
or

--write a poem about a castle, or

--choose one line from a favourite poem and use it to write a poem, or

--use the castle picture to inspire your poem in someway.

Castle Cracks

Just as the cracks in the castles appear
So do the winkles exposing our wear.
Just as the cracks in the sidewalks are made
So are the sunspots that never will fade.

---By Jennifer Young

**********************************************************
Day 4 - Wednesday April 4th 2012 
D is for Doctor

Challenge


Using the Dr. Seuss picture above as a prompt

--Write a poem in trisyllabic meter (Pssss- A trisyllabic meter means that every third syllable of his stories is more stressed than the others. - A Hatful of Suess.  Here is an example from Dr. Seuss' book Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories. The bold bits are the stressed syllables.

“And today the Great Yertle, that Marvelous he

Is King of the Mud. That is all he can see."

or

--Write a rhyming poem or

or
--Write a silly poem


Doctor of Rhyme

Do you know of the Doc that created his rhymes,
For the children to read and remember at times?
He would rhyme with the alphabet, B is for Bat,
He's the Suess! He invented the Cat in the Hat.

 -- By Jennifer Young

**********************************************************

Day 5 - Thursday April 5th 2012
E is for Epigram






Illustration by Julie Rowan-Zoch



Challenge


--Write an epigram poem (Pssss- An epigram dating back to ancient Greece, "is a short, pithy saying, usually in verse, often with a quick, satirical twist at the end" info from Poet's.org)

or
-- Using the illustrations above as a prompt, write a poem about empathy.


Each Leaf

Some people leave a mark
on trunks of trees.
The famous leave their mark
on all the leaves.

-- By Jennifer Young

Join the Fun - A to Z Poetry Challenge

 
    Rena Traxel is hosting a poetry challenge in April and a contest in May on her blog in celebration of National Poetry Month. Write a poem a day that corresponds to the letter of the alphabet. This challenge is open to everyone.

The Challenge During April 

Starting with the letter 'A' on April 1, 2012 write a poem based on that day's lesson and challenge. There are 26 letters in the alphabet so you will create 26 poems in the month of April. Take Sundays off to revise (except for Sunday, April 1). If you have kids get them involved.

Rules

Be a follower of Rena Traxel's site. Click here 

Grab the badge (the teddy above) by saving the picture and adding to your site.

Blog about the contest and link back to Rena's post.This link here www.renajtraxelblog.com/




Sign up by (ends April 1) See Rena's site for more details on how to sign up.

Promise to try your best to write a new poem each day in April except for the 4 revision days.

Optional Share your poem on your blog or in the Facebook group.

The Contest Starts in May 

On May 1 to 7 there will be a poetry contest in which you will submit ONE poem that you have created during the challenge. The winner will get to choose a prize. There will be a separate category for kids (14 and under).

Rena's Cool Prizes

Where the Sidewalk End by Shel Silverstein

2012 Poet's Market

One year subscription to Poets & Writers

On My Walk by Kari-Lynn Winters

More prizes to be announced.

Happy writing and best of luck to all that enter!

Rena's link

www.renajtraxelblog.com/