Little Red Wagons Get Rolling!

Norman has a little red wagon—that’s how he rolls! Bennett & Jack have one, too. How about you?

Do you remember bumping along the street pulling a little red wagon? Or maybe, as my brother and his friends did, attaching the wagon to your dog’s leash and trying to get him/her to tow you?

If you had a Little Red Wagon who or what would you fill it with? Or, if you’re the passenger, who’d be pulling the wagon? And where would your adventuring take you? Imagine the rhythm of the wheels rolling along. What does it sound like? What does it feel like? 

Create a rhythmic Little Red Wagon poem by first creating a refrain evoking the sound and feel of the ride. See if you can use the refrain three times in your poem.

Set your timer for 7 minutes

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

Start writing!

Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1400 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Mining

Sometimes it’s fun to mine your writing for gems. These gems can become a take-off point for a new poem or story.

Read through some of your older poems. Pick a line or phrase that you like from three different poems. Then put those lines in some sort of order and write a new poem. Add words or lines as needed.

Set your timer for 7 minutes

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

Start writing!

Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1400 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Ode to the Apple

You know the adage: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” Today, in honor of a guy who must have had a phobia about doctors, let’s spread the apple love!

March 11th is Johnny Appleseed Day in  celebration of John Chapman who in 1797 (and maybe before,  but that’s the first recorded mention), traveled around sharing apple seeds, tending ailing orchards—spreading apple (and pear) love. For today’s poem let’s write an ode to the Apple:

Grab an apple, either an actual hold-it-in-your-hand-and-take-a-bite type, or tap into an apple memory to write a poem in praise of apples or Johnny Appleseed.

Choose a nice juicy apple

Set your timer for 7-Minutes

Ready! Set! Bite! . . . WRITE!

Don’t think about it too much—just do it!

Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1400 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

Happy ?$&*#@ Grammar Day!

?$&*#@! No, that’s not swearing. It’s punctuation and symbols that tell us something. Grammar! For today, March 4th, is National Grammar Day!

In celebration of National Grammar Day, write a poem that uses as many kinds of punctuation as possible. Make your poem SHOUT!!  Make it whisper. Make it dance. Make it ask? and tell! and order the reader. Can you use commas, dashes, a semi-colon?

Set your timer for 7 minutes

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

Start writing!

Kelly Bennett and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1400 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.