Cindy Faughnan

Happy Youth Confidence Day! Are you sure? Are you sure? YES!! YES!! What does it mean to be confident? Write an acrostic poem with a recipe for being or becoming confident. Use the word Confidence or Confident and put one letter on each line ...

It’s Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day! Summer and ice cream go together. What kind of ice cream is your favorite? Vanilla? Chocolate? Razzle Dazzle? Tutti-Frutti? Moose Tracks? Peanut Butter and Jelly? What do you choose if you go to an ice crea...

Too Darn Hot! Some days it’s just too darn hot. So hot you stick to every chair. So hot you can’t move. So hot it feels like you’re melting. Some days it’s just too darn hot. So hot you stick to every chair. So hot you can’t move. So hot it feel...

Global Garbage Man Day Boy howdy , where would we be without those garbage trucks to roll down the street gobbling up trash! Buried under piles, heaps, mounds of smelly yuck is where. Pee-yew! Boy howdy , where would we be without those garbage...

National Ballpoint Pen Day There’s a saying that “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Before ballpoint pens, people used fountain pens—pens that needed to be dipped or refilled with ink and whose sharp points worked only on paper. If you wante...

Repeat That! Repetition can be used in poetry in many ways. You can repeat a sound like a long o sound or an l or t sound. You can repeat a word several times in the poem like the word “bells” in a famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe. You can repeat a...

Popsicle Daze National Grape Popsicle Day: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-grape-popsicle-day-may-27/ National Grape Popsicle Day: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-grape-popsicle-day-may-27/ It rarely freezes in ...

Rescue Dogs Have you ever rescued a dog or do you know a rescue dog? The ones I know are wonderful—and lucky. They have nice homes after starting out in less than perfect situations. They’re smart and happy and full of love. Have you ever rescue...

National Frog Jumping Day Three Ribbits for National Frog Jumping Day! Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit! Three Ribbits for National Frog Jumping Day! Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit! As long as toads have been croaking, frogs (and kids) have been jump-jump-jumpin...

Revision One of the best things to do to make a poem better is to read your poem aloud. Find a poem that you’d like to make better and do the following: One of the best things to do to make a poem better is to read your poem aloud. Find a poem t...

Earth Day The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970—fifty years ago! It is now celebrated by millions of people all over the world who care about our planet. The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970—fifty years ago! It is now celebrated by millions o...

Bird Song Therapy Stop! Listen! What’s that Sound?Everybody look what’s flitting round! * Birds! Hear them? See them? Now, in this time of CoVid-19 mandated Lockdown, with most human-made noises stilled and human activity slowed, Birds are every...

XYZ: Xamine Your ZZZipppppper! Two Part Question: 1. Did you wear a coat or pants today? 2. How did you clasp the front closed? Two Part Question: 1. Did you wear a coat or pants today? 2. How did you clasp the front closed? If your answer to t...

Zoo Lover’s Day It’s National Zoo Lover’s Day. Imagine you’re an animal at the zoo. How would you describe the people looking at you? What would you think they love based on the people they’re with or what they’re wearing or eating? How would you...

Dear April Fools Because it’s what one does on April Fool’s day, let’s be epistolary pranksters!  An epistolary poem, also called a verse letter, is simply a poem in the form of an epistle or letter. Think up a prank to play on some good sport in...

Little Red Wagons Get Rolling! Norman has a little red wagon—that’s how he rolls! Bennett & Jack have one, too. How about you? Norman has a little red wagon—that’s how he rolls! Bennett & Jack have one, too. How about you? Do you rememb...

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. 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 thro...

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! You know the adage: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” Today, in ho...

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 ! ?$&*#@! No, that’s not swearing. It’s punctuation and symbols t...

Bippity-Boopity POEM! Take out your wand! Your pixie dust! Magic beans! Spinning wheel! Dust off that big ole pumpkin! Hurrah! It’s National Tell a Fairy Tale Day! Take out your wand! Your pixie dust! Magic beans! Spinning wheel! Dust off that...

Tell Me How it Feels, How it Really Really Feels? Poetry often deals with emotions: how we feel, what emotions an incident evokes, and too, how words—the placement of words, word choices/combinations—make us feel. But now, today, let’s go beyond ...

Happy Valen-Tendi! Happy Valentine’s Day! Ever since St. Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II of Rome’s orders by secretly marrying couples, we’ve been celebrating Feb. 14th with hearts, flowers, romance and poetic gestures—including names plucke...

Cloudy with a Chance of . . . Cloudy with a Chance of . . . Hold onto your hat! Your umbrella! Your snazzy two-button blazer! and grab your microphone! It’s National Weatherperson Day! Hold onto your hat! Your umbrella! Your snazzy two-button b...

Alphabet Puzzles Many forms of poetry are like puzzles—you try to fit the right words into a certain order or have the right number of beats/syllables on each line. Here are four poetry puzzles. Choose one to solve today and come back to this whe...

Library Shelfie Day Hooray! It’s Library Shelfie Day! Hooray! It’s Library Shelfie Day! Observed every 4 th Wednesday in January, Library Shelfie Day was founded by the NYPL (New York Public Library) as a way to celebrate and share our books by...

National Hat or National Bagel Day Think of words that have to do with either hat or bagel. Come up with words to describe your pick, words you think of when you have one or the other, or words that those objects remind you of. Now use those word...

Joy Germ Day In the midst of cold-flu-ick-crud season, everyone’s trying to stay germ free. But, there’s one germ I’m hoping goes viral:  The Joy Germ! In the midst of cold-flu-ick-crud season, everyone’s trying to stay germ free. But, there’s o...

New Year’s Day!! At the beginning of the new year, everyone seems to have the best intentions. The most common resolutions people make are: exercise more, eat less, spend more time with family, get organized, save money, learn a new skill. At th...

Holiday Acrostic—Lights Iridescence of Lights Iridescence of Lights “Tis the hap happiest season of all,” the song goes. And so it is this year as Christmas (Dec. 25), Hanukkah (Dec 22-30) and Kwanzaa (Dec 26-Jan 1) converge, we are smack dab i...

It’s Getting Darker In a few days, it will be the shortest day of the year. That day will have the least amount of daylight. The good news? Days grow longer after that! In a few days, it will be the shortest day of the year. That day will have t...

A Month of Holidays Every day is a special day. My friend and co-contributor, Kelly Bennett , finds all kinds of calendars that tell you what each day is. Today December 11, according to nationaldaycalendar.com , is National App Day and National ...

Prompt Time Writing from a prompt pushes you to write fast and helps you free your mind. You can use the prompt as your first line, your last line, or a line in the middle. Writing from a prompt pushes you to write fast and helps you free your m...

Knit Wits Think “knitting” and an image of the “quiet old lady whispering ‘hush’” springs to many a mind. But that’s bunk. At last week’s VCFA Writing for Children and Young Adults Alumni workshop flashing, clicking needles were everywhere. Co ...

User Error User Error is such a useful term. At one and the same time it blames and forgives: “Yes, I did it, but it wasn’t my fault.” User Error is such a useful term. At one and the same time it blames and forgives: “Yes, I did it, but it ...

One Must Ask Children and Birds “One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste”—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Pick a food that begins with a consonant (not a, e, i, o, or u). Can you think of other foods that begin with the s...

Bend it like Adolphe . . . Sax that is! When we were about twelve, my friend Theresa and I closed ourselves in a music room at CSULB and played over and over and over and …the opening phrases of the song Windy . We only stopped when the guy in t...

One Dark and Stormy Night . . . YIKES! Back in my sleep-over camp-out nights, with the campfire crackling and tossing spooky shadows, the wind howling and tree branches scraping on the tent, we used to make scary spookier still with a game call...

Boston Creme Pie . . . Oh My! It is said that the Boston Cream Pie was invented in Boston—hence the name. More specifically, “In 1856, at Boston’s Parker House Hotel, French chef Monsieur Augustine Francois Anezin created this pudding and cake co...

Dictionary Roulette I love dictionaries! It’s an excellent way to procrastinate . . . and expand one’s vocabulary—always a good thing. Best, words lead to ideas…and actions! So grab a dictionary and let’s GO! I love dictionaries! It’s an excelle...

“Wait! Where’s my Noy-Noy?” Is it a coincidence that National Bring Your Teddy to School/Work Day and National Stop Bullying Day fall on the same day? (The Second Wednesday in October (Oct 9, 2019) I don’t think so. How many of us had a favorite T...

Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Every day is somebody’s birthday! Who do you know who has a birthday coming up soon? Write a poem to that person telling them why they’re special or what they mean to you. Work on it until every word is exactly th...

Historic Events Historic Events Today marks the 18th Anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States. “The attacks killed 2,996 people, inj...

Back to school School bells are ringing, schedules are made, new pens and pencils and notebooks full of blank pages fill bright, new backpacks. School bells are ringing, schedules are made, new pens and pencils and notebooks full of blank pages ...

Worker’s Holiday Worker’s Holiday Labor Day, called by some the “Worker’s Holiday,” is celebrated the first Monday in September and was signed into law on June 28, 1894, by President Grover Cleveland. Up until that time workers (including childr...

End of Summer End of Summer It’s hard to believe summer is coming to an end. Long, sunny days are growing shorter. Nights are cooler. Trips to the beach or pool are less frequent. It’s hard to believe summer is coming to an end. Long, sunny day...

One Hundred Reasons Why . . . One Hundred Reasons Why . . . Today marks the 100th 7-Minute Poetry Challenge! A 100-hand round of applause to those of you who’ve tried any—all—of the prompts. (All the prompts are posted & waiting if you’d lik...

Berries! Berries! It’s berry season! The Kingston Trio sang a song called “Raspberries, Strawberries” that you can watch here: It’s berry season! The Kingston Trio sang a song called “Raspberries, Strawberries” that you can watch here: Which...

Beach Time Beach Time Summer is in full swing! For some this means hiding in the AC, for others it means bugs or vacation, and for still others it means hot Hot HOT! When it’s just “Too Darn Hot” there’s one surefire way I know to beat the heat:...

Cousins Cousins Cousins appear in lots of books. In some versions of City Mouse/Country Mouse , the mice are cousins. Cousins appear in lots of books. In some versions of City Mouse/Country Mouse , the mice are cousins. In The Secret Garden ...

National Hot Dog Day! Concrete poems are words arranged in a shape to give extra meaning to the subject of the poem. Maybe the words form the branches of a tree or letters drip down the page to show rain. Sometimes there’s a surprise hidden in rep...

Cuckoo for Coconuts!! Hooray! Hooray! It’s National Pina Colada Day! Hooray! Hooray! It’s National Pina Colada Day! So, whether you do or do not like getting caught in the rain . . . So, whether you do or do not like getting caught in the ra...

Fireworks!!! In the book Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, Max and Freak attend the Fourth of July celebration and Max is amazed at what Freak knows. In the book Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, Max and Freak attend the Fourth of Ju...

Pretty in Pink Close your eyes and repeat after me ten times: Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink What images came to mind? Did you imagine cotton candy clouds? Flamingos? Or maybe a Florida Belle . . . Ballerinas? . . . A Pop Star? ...

Who’s Sorry Now? Each of us is sorry for or about something. (If you’re not, then lucky you!) Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones drew on this uniquely human need* to apologize in a song about two neighbors who are great friends until they tear down a w...

Words, Words, Words Do you have favorite words? If you do, pause right now and jot them down. Do you have favorite words? If you do, pause right now and jot them down. I love to collect words I hear or read that are unfamiliar or that have an i...

Like a Yo-Yo, Yo! “I used to be a swinger/Til you wrapped me round your finger . . .” Who can forget inspired lyrics like those by Joe South—or the singer who sang them to Hit status in 1971? (BTW: It was not Yo-Yo Ma.) “I used to be a swinger...

Ending Prompts Sometimes you use prompts as your first line. Sometimes it’s fun to use them as your last line. Try using one of these prompts as your last line. You can add words in place of the ellipses. Sometimes you use prompts as your first ...

What They Said . . . I am a shameless eavesdropper. So bad in fact, that I’ll often shush Curtis (who does not talk much anyway) so I can focus on other diner’s conversations. Yes, I’m that bad… New Haven Train Sign Which may be why an old sing-...

Pick a Prompt Sometimes it’s fun to write a poem from a prompt. Choose one of the prompts below as your first line and write as fast as you can. If you get stuck, try another line. Or try writing a 4 line poem with each line beginning with one of...

Riffing Chicago Style Chicago Style Blues started as musical improv, performers creating on the fly, riffing off each other, daring each other, challenging each other and themselves to come up with song verses that fit the pattern. A performer st...

“Yes, You May!” It’s May! It’s May! Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, grass is growing, trees are branching out—and so are we! Hooray! Hooray! It’s May! It’s May! Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, grass is growing, trees are bran...

To Be or Not to Bee I’m no Hamlet—never played one, don’t live in one—But . . . I do know the beginning of Prince Hamlet’s Act 3, Scene 1 Soliloquy: “To Be or Not to Be…”  And now, if you didn’t, you do too. Thus primed, prompt on fair Prince/ess...

Pets Which animals make the best pets? List 5 or 10 or as many as you can in one minute. Which animals make the worst pets? List for another minute. What other animals can you think of? Time yourself one more minute. Which animals make the best ...

Diamond in the Rough A Diamante is a diamond-shaped poem, simple as that. In the same way diamonds/gems/rocks/stones—come in many shapes, colors, and sizes, diamante poems can be about anything, and they can be as long as you want to make them. A ...

Make a List In a list poem, you can list things you like (animals, colors, makes of cars, playground games), signs of a season, tasks you have to do, items in a category, or what you’re going to do today. Once you have your list, play with the or...

Scribble In honor of National Scribble Day* celebrated every March 27th, scratch around for something colorful to write with: crayons, markers, colored pencils . . . lipstick—whatever you can find—and a piece of paper. Hold the writing implement ...

Fibonacci!! Number sequences are fun ways to create a form for a poem. You could write a poem with your phone number or your birthdate indicating the number of words or syllables on each line. You could write a poem based on the first six digits ...

Little Bit of Bloomin’ Luck “With a little bit of Bloomin’ Luck!” Alfred P. Doolittle sings in My Fair Lady . I know exactly how he feels! Who doesn’t wish for a little bit more luck—bloomin’ or otherwise. That’s what makes Saint Patrick’s Day on...

Chant Poem A chant poem has a repeated refrain. 1) Find a headline in a newspaper or magazine that you like the sound of. That will be your chant. 2) Write a four line rhyming poem where the first 2 lines rhyme and the last 2. AABB 3) Put the cha...

Thirsty Thursday Draw inspiration from the title, Thirsty Thursday, and write a poem about thirst using as many “th” words as you can throw into it. Draw inspiration from the title, Thirsty Thursday, and write a poem about thirst using as many “...

Anagrams! Have you played a game where you’re given some letters and you have to see how many words you can make out of them? For today’s poem, you can only use words that you can find in the title of the poem. You might want to spend a few minut...

The Stuff of Me Write a poem describing where you are from, your ancestors, roots, family, and or your own personal journey. Scroll down for one shining example by and the link to #iamfromproject. Begin with the words: Where I’m From . . . Write...

Contrapuntal Poems Contrapuntal is defined as two or more independent melodic lines in music. You can write a contrapuntal poem by combining two independent poems—one line of one and then one line of another. Try it! Contrapuntal is defined as t...

World Read Aloud Day Let’s celebrate in style. For today’s prompt, instead of taking 7 minutes to write a poem, let’s read poems aloud. Grab a collection of poems, click over to one of the poetry links below, or if you’re feeling truly brave, fli...

Lists January is a month of lists: resolutions, goals, projects, groceries. January is a month of lists: resolutions, goals, projects, groceries. You can write list poems over and over with different results every time. Take any prompt and list...

Noises On! Visualize an event, a moment, an incident—either real or imagined. Now, close your eyes and listen to the sound of significant movements and/or actions happening in that moment. What sounds do you hear? Heart beats, water dripping, foo...

The Sound of Silence I’m writing this from the middle of a snowstorm. Heavy snow blankets the ground, outlines the trees, and continues to fall. Schools and businesses are closed. There’s no traffic. The world is silent. I’m writing this from th...

For Old Time’s Sake Did you sing Auld Lang Syne on New Year’s Eve?  The words for the song were written in 1788 by Robert Burns. “Auld Lang Syne” literally means “old long since,” and is commonly translated as “days gone by” or “old time’s sake.”...

Are You Blue? or Green? or Purple? Pick a color: Red? Yellow? Blue? Pick a color: Red? Yellow? Blue? Look around the room. List as many things as you can see that are that color. Look again. Find one more. Look around the room. List as many th...

Blank in a Box! Imagine a mysterious box on your doorstep. What’s inside? Imagine a mysterious box on your doorstep. What’s inside? For today’s prompt, begin by filling in the blank: I found a _______ box . . . For today’s prompt, begin by fil...

Shakespeare! Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets in iambic pentameter. Each one was fourteen lines long with a specific rhyme pattern. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets in iambic pentameter. Each one was fourteen lines long with a specific rhyme pattern. ...

Got Bubbles? Dec. 5th is a Red Letter Day on my calendar. It’s National Bathtub Party Day! In honor of that, write a poem about a Bathtub Party which incorporates some or all of the following words: Dec. 5th is a Red Letter Day on my calendar. I...

Do you have a pile of books? I always have a stack that I want to read. Sometimes it grows so large I’m afraid it will fall on me and hurt! Do you have a pile of books? I always have a stack that I want to read. Sometimes it grows so large I’m af...

Please Pass the PieCaken! One layer of pumpkin, one spice cake, one pecan pie, frosted together with buttercream and topped with apple pie filling. Yum! One layer of pumpkin, one spice cake, one pecan pie, frosted together with buttercream and t...

Riffing off Queen If you were of listening age in the seventies go directly to the theater to see Bohemian Rhapsody , the new biopic about Freddy Mercury and Quee n . Not to give anything away (we all know Queen was a success) a high point in the ...

A Puzzle Choose a long vowel sound (sounds like its name). Now write a poem where the last word in every line ends with that sound but none of the lines can end with the same letter. Good luck! I hope you discover new things that are true ! Choo...

Sometimes You Feel Like a Form… Forms are like puzzles. You need to fit the right number of syllables or a pattern of rhyme or some other word trick into your poem and still come up with a subject. They are fun to play with. Today’s form is the T...

IN THE DEEP DARK WOODS: A BOO-OLOGISM Pumpkins, Scarecrows, Black Cats—and things that go bump in the night . . . Halloween’s almost here! Let’s get our BOO on! Let’s create a BOO-OLOGY (a spooky poem.) Pumpkins, Scarecrows, Black Cats—and thi...

One, Two, Three, Go! For today’s prompt, write a poem with three words on each line. Try to write ten or more lines and see where your poem goes. If you need a starter, use: I collect… For today’s prompt, write a poem with three words on each li...

Kid’s Stuff To say “I’m writing poetry!” can feel pretentious or intimidating. At least it does to me. First thought is, I need to don a beret and feathered quill. Second thought: Who the heck do I think I am trying to write poems? To say “I’m w...

More Poem Stew Time for another poem stew! Remember, you need two nouns (something you can see or touch, not capitalized if possible), a color, a place (not capitalized), an adjective (a word that describes), a verb (an action), and an abstract n...

Alphabet Jam Sometimes—often—the most interesting things begin with “I Can’t…” That’s exactly what I said when author/teacher/mentor/friend Tim Wynne-Jones shared this prompt at a VCFA session a few years back. But, once I committed to giving it ...

Shadorma Sometimes when you want to write a poem, it helps to use a poetic form. The Shadorma is a six-line poem with a certain number of syllables on each line: 3/5/3/3/7/5. It’s said to have originated in Spain. It can be written about any subj...

Hurricane Florence As I type Hurricane Florence* rages. Although I am far from the storm, it’s the only thing on my mind. With each update on the storm’s path and efforts those in the storms projected path are making to prepare, worry mounts. If ...

Remember When… What’s the first thing you think of when you say that phrase? What’s the first thing you think of when you say that phrase? Do you remember when you were seven? You had some money? You saw a movie? You ate a new food? So many mem...

Ode for Lonely -LY “DON’T USE ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS TO PRETTIFY YOUR PROSE!” The warning—BOLD & ALL CAPS—is issued at least once, in every writing class. So much so, that it’s the title of a Writers’ Digest article expounding the excellence ...

Poem Stew Back when I taught at teen writing camp, one of our favorite activities was Story Stew. We would call out an “ingredient” and one of the campers would supply it. When we had our seven words, we’d write a story or poem, trying to use eac...

Hump Day! Lots of things have humps. Quickly list as many as you can. Here’s a few to set you thinking: Lots of things have humps. Quickly list as many as you can. Here’s a few to set you thinking: Hills have humps, whales have humps, camels, t...

Trending Poetry There are many excellent sites for Words of the Day. Some of them include trending words as well—words that are the most looked up at that moment in time. For this poem, you need to collect five words and see what you can do with ...

Mining Poems Every now and then, it’s a good idea to read over the poems you’ve been writing. I like to do that with a couple different colored highlighters. I mark words or phrases or lines that I especially like or that surprise me. Then I pick...

Pure Magic Magic! Do you believe in magic? I do. How else do you explain the unexplainable? Magic! Do you believe in magic? I do. How else do you explain the unexplainable? #1 Think a moment about Magic! #2 Jot down words & images that come...

Here’s a Neat Idea: Sometimes all you need to write a poem is something to get you started. A number, a color, a word, or a phrase. Sometimes all you need to write a poem is something to get you started. A number, a color, a word, or a phrase. ...

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s… There are days when I really need a superpower. Today is one of those days. I’m thinking you might wish you were a superhero too, sometimes. There are days when I really need a superpower. Today is one of those d...

BOOM! BWEEEE! BANG! BANG! BANG! It’s the Fourth of July! Make some noise! It’s the Fourth of July! Make some noise! For today’s poem, listen to the sounds around you and try to describe them with onomatopoeia (sound words like BOOM!) or simile ...

Let’s Get Physical There is “something” in the way we move. The way our muscles, tendons, bones, joints, skin . . . work together to create movement. Watching someone move is one thing, describing what that movement looks or feels like is another...

Phone Home I don’t know as many phone numbers as I used to now that I only have to click on someone’s name. But I do know my own number. For this challenge, write your phone number (including the area code) down the page, one number on each line....

Kodachrome When I think back on all the @#$! I learned in college, a disturbing experiment I learned about in PR 101 floats up: Subliminal Advertising. (Okay, yes, maybe it came to mind because I’m feeling a tad guilty and extremely bloated after...

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words How about a picture is worth seven minutes of words? Or a picture is worth a poem? How about a picture is worth seven minutes of words? Or a picture is worth a poem? Find a picture. It can be of anything. Loo...

Put Me In, Coach… The “Kansas Comet,” Gayle Sayers, considered “one of the greatest players in NFL history,” was born on May 30, 1943. The “Kansas Comet,” Gayle Sayers, considered “one of the greatest players in NFL history,” was born on May 30,...

Memories of…Bees Today as I was walking through the field, I noticed bees drunk with happiness, rolling on the golden yellow dandelions. So many flowers! So much nectar! So many bees! Today as I was walking through the field, I noticed bees drun...

Riffing Rhyming it So! Let’s begin with the old nursery rhyme “Rain, rain, go away”: Here’s the 1st stanza—it can continue . . . as long as the rain falls. Let’s begin with the old nursery rhyme “Rain, rain, go away”: Here’s the 1st stanza—it ca...

I Have Never… There are many things I’ve never done. I’ve never pet a tiger although I had a stuffed one growing up. I’ve never eaten snails or octopus. I’ve never run a marathon or climbed a mountain over 3000 feet tall. There are many things I...

“Yes, You May!” It’s May! It’s May! Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, grass is growing, trees are branching out—and so are we! Hooray! Hooray! It’s May! It’s May! Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, grass is growing, trees are bran...

Pick a Number… Do you have a favorite number? Mine is 5. You can pick your own number for this challenge or use a deck of cards or a pair of dice to come up with a random one. Same with the letter. Pick your own or draw a letter from a word game....

Hello Earth! It’s Me _______ the Tree Since 1970, when Earth Day, a bigger, more expansive world-wide environmental “Movement” came into creation (take that J. Sterling Morton), Arbor Day has lost its popularity—but trees haven’t. Since 1970, wh...

Loop Poem Loop Poem Round and round and round we go! Round and round and round we go! In a loop poem, the last word of a line becomes the first word of the next line and so on until the last word of the poem which should be the first word of t...

Name-Name Bo-Bame Game Name-Name Bo-Bame Game Start with your name, ala The Name Game. Start with your name, ala The Name Game. Repeat your name twice, stick a “bo” in the mix, finish by changing the first letter of your name with a B. Like th...

Balliol Balliol Another fun form of poetry is the balliol. The balliol is a four-line poem that has two pairs of rhyming couplets (a couplet is two lines). Each line contains four beats (which you can get by writing eight syllables). Balliols ar...

Here Comes the Sun! Here Comes the Sun! Move to a brighter spot, somewhere you are either in the sun, or where you can witness the effects of sunshine. Don your sunglasses and shade hat to get you in a springy mood. There, now your ready! Move ...

I’m a wordy bird! Are you? I’m a wordy bird! Are you? Quite often we use too many words to get our point across. We’re going to do some math today and take away 25% of the words used in a poem. But don’t worry…it will be simple. Just do one step...

Double Dog Dare You to Delete the E Double Dog Dare You to Delete the E A lipogram consists of writing paragraphs or longer works in which a particular letter or group of letters is avoided. In its easiest form, a writer avoids using uncommon le...

The Ballad The Ballad Sometimes it’s fun to write a poem on a topic; sometimes it’s fun to try to use a form. I often use a form when I feel like my poem is wandering around or getting wordy. Forms force you to pay attention to the number of syl...

Where In The World? Where In The World? An Acrostic Poem is one of the simplest forms of poetry and yet it’s sooo confusing to describe in words. It can also be one of the most fun to write (and thus it’s one of the first forms of poetry childre...

Surprise! Look around you. What do you see that surprises you? The house plants that have added new leaves and height? Dust covering a surface you just cleaned? The red flash of a cardinal in the winter landscape? List as many things as you can a...

INSIDE OUT, UPSIDE DOWN & BACKWARDS! INSIDE OUT, UPSIDE DOWN & BACKWARDS! Begin by taking a minute to read through the poems you’ve already written and select one you think is HORRIBLE! or one you are excited to revise. Begin by taking ...

Memorize a Poem Day! Memorize a Poem Day! Did you ever have to memorize a poem for school? Have you memorized a poem just for the fun of it? Did you ever have to memorize a poem for school? Have you memorized a poem just for the fun of it? Mem...

It’s a Zippity-Doodle Kind of Day! It’s a Zippity-Doodle Kind of Day! Play Time! Before words came letters, before letters came doodles. According to those in the know, doodling, scribbling, and drawing taps into your creative brain–the play fil...

Moody Blues Moody Blues Pick two vowel sounds. Make a list of words that use each sound. Write two verses of a poem—use one vowel sound in one verse and the other in the second. Try to use it in as many words as you can. What mood does each soun...

Dream a Dream . . . Dream a Dream . . . Dare to share one of your dreams in the form of a poem. It can be a personal dream, or a dream you have for a friend, humankind, the world, the universe, or beyond! As an homage to MLK, begin your poem wit...

Brr!!! It’s a cold time of year! The sun sparkles off the ice-covered branches, the deck makes loud cracking noises, and I can breathe big clouds into the cold air. Write a poem about the cold. Begin with the line, “You know it’s cold when…” and t...

This challenge is from Kelly’s blog . Be sure to check it out. This challenge is from Kelly’s blog . Be sure to check it out. “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” Does that line ring a bell? It’s little Zuzu enlightening her par...

Remember First! Remember First! Do you remember the first of something in your life? Maybe you remember the first time you rode a bike, the first time you visited someone by yourself, or the first time you went somewhere by yourself. Maybe you h...

Smell That Smell . . . Take a moment to recall a smell. Now write a poem describing it—without comparing it to another smell. Smell That Smell . . . Take a moment to recall a smell. Now write a poem describing it—without comparing it to another ...

I like…I love… I like…I love… List five small things that make you really happy. It could be a thrush singing, hot fudge, a puppy, anything. Add specific details to each thing. Make yourself smile. Try to use alliteration (same beginning sounds)...

Thanksgiving has happened…Gobble Gobble! And this post is courtesy of Kelly’s blog . Click over for the original! Thanksgiving has happened…Gobble Gobble! And this post is courtesy of Kelly’s blog . Click over for the original! The way I learn...

Dear Santa Baby . . . Write a letter to Santa. If you’ve been “nice” tell Santa why you deserve to be treated especially nice this holiday season. If you’ve been “naughty”… well, you’ve got some explaining to do. For extra credit, try writing your...

And to Think that I Saw It… And to Think that I Saw It… List 10 or more things you saw on the bus or in the car this morning on your way to work or school. Or take a walk and list things you see. Pick 5 of the things and put one on each line. Ad...

How Many Haiku? Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry made up of 3 lines with 5/7/5 syllables on each line. Traditional haiku has something to do with nature, but you can write them about anything. How Many Haiku? Haiku is a traditional...

Mixing it UP Mixing it UP For today’s challenge, look around your space and pick out two completely different objects (or people). Write a poem that begins with the differences between the two, and end by exploring how they are the same. For to...

This one is easy! It’s all about YOU!! This one is easy! It’s all about YOU!! I am the one who… Write a list poem. What is it you do? What makes you you? Think about the things you do in your spare time. Think about the things you have to do. Th...

What’s That Noise? Take a walk—around your house, a store, the school, or your neighborhood. Write a poem about it. But, rather than focusing on what you see, focus on what you hear. Extra points for using an onomatopoeia—or a few. In case you for...

Counting by Words Line 1 can have only 1 word today. Line 2 can have 2 words. Keep going in that pattern up to line 10. Extra credit if you can work back down from 10. If you’re stuck for a topic, write about something you can see right now or y...

Grab your pen or pencil and your notebook. Set the timer for 7 minutes and WRITE!!! In honor of poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, screenwriter, and children’s author Shel Silverstein’s birthday (Sept 25, 1930) write a silly-funny poem about a ...

Back to School—ABC’s I remember the excitement of going back to school every year, both as a student and a teacher. Friends to see, things to learn, books to read! I barely slept the night before. Always, I loved getting back to the schedule of f...

Five hundred and forty three days ago, my friend Kelly and I challenged each other to write a poem every day. 543 days!!! We promised each other we would spend at least seven minutes each day and have gone through two books of prompts. Now we’re ...