Welcome to October’s Open Write!
Seana Hurd Wright is an Elementary Educator in Los Angeles and has been teaching 34 years. Retirement in the next few years is definitely on her horizon. She enjoys spending time with her adventurous young adult daughters, husband, Sister-friends, doing puzzles, reading, writing, traveling, and walking at the beach.
Inspiration
I enjoy writing narratives using descriptive words and was excited to learn about Paint Chip Poetry. A teacher author here in Open Write, introduced us to it and its been a powerful teaching technique. I’ve used it with my 5th graders and many of them have embraced it with enthusiasm.
Below is Ms.Brandon, a librarian, explaining the process of how to create enjoyable poems using paint chips.
Process
Choose 2 -5 colors and brainstorm names of the many synonyms and color shades that are similar to the ones you chose. Write a poem or short story, in any form, using colors and as much figurative language as you’d like. I decided to choose two main colors, red and blue. Then I selected various shades and hues that compliment them. Then I selected a topic and enjoyed playing with words.
Enjoy yourself today with paint chips, or write whatever you’d like to.
Seana’s Poem
There are days when I awaken crimson and feeling sassy. My face lights up,
my thoughts dance out clearly and I’m feeling the spicy, ultraviolet beauty within.
In my mind, Earth, Wind, and Fire are serenading me and I’m at the top of a clear skies rollercoaster ready to teach them EVERYTHING, especially non-curriculum standards.
A swift look at their faces on the playground can determine what the day may bring
I see tangerine, canary, coal, and sooty demeanors.
The sweetness of my royal chocolate can often sense their moods.
If Mommy fussed and took their phone away, they’re whale song gray in dark blue choppy waters.
If Daddy gave them their allowance, the euphoria highlights their love potion and mahogany cheeks.
Lately, their chatter and angst about Middle School is filled with disco-fever pinkish red
and gleeful blue wonderings.
For some, the anticipation is equivalent to flying into the wild blue yonder of fear
because they will go from being bougainvillea red Seniors, on top of the world
to being frightened first-time Kindergarteners again, in Middle school.
The dreadful anticipation of the NEW gives many of them the dark alley shadowy blues.
They know the magenta in me is going to provide love potion red encouragement.
On the days, when they’re melancholy blue, I give them soothing space to feel themselves.
The reserved sapphire in me remembers when I was struggling, when geometry meant
embarrassment, confusion, and fire truck fear surrounded me. I share my memories
and reassure them as I watch the colorless or color-filled terror dissipate.
I hear the smooth soothing saxophone music and confidently remember that I’m here to
teach, mold, and disburse my wisdom and pizzazz.
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human, and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe. For suggestions on how to comment with care. See this graphic.
Seana, I absolutely loved your mentor poem. You take us through all of the colors of teaching. This is a super fun prompt–I can see this getting a LOT of use in the classroom. I had trouble getting my thoughts together tonight, but, anyway, here’s something!
STUCK!
I mean, I got nothing,
I’m green with envy reading
these amazing poems–
“the sweetness of my royal chocolate”
CMON, that’s just not fair!
These lines are too good!
And I’m all red in the face,
tryna think of something, anything.
And I’m well red,
so where’s that bright orange flame of inspiration???
Fine, I guess I’ll wave the white flag,
give in to this blue feeling–
tomorrow’s a bright new day-
a morning glory–yellows to greens to magentas,
burning off the gray haze of a slumber.
And maybe my mind will escape the inky
pitch that I am sinking in tonight.
What a fun poem to read, Dave.
Love the hope of these lines:
Dave, I enjoyed reading your colorfully stuck poem. So many images of metaphorical colors have found their sweet way here. I love the way you used a line from Seana’s poem with “CMON, that’s just not fair!” Fun poem!
Dave, your poem was awesome and believe me, I’ve had those days regarding lessons and inspiration. Guess what? You rose to the occasion expertly. Thanks for your words.
And even when you think you’ve got nothing, look at this awesomeness! Honesty is a perfect vibe to roll with! I need to sink into the “inky pitch” now.
😍
Dave, I, too, share the feeling you expressed in the first stanza, especially today. Yet, look how skillfully you crafted your poem, and each color worked effectively to support your message, whether you are “well red,” “wave the white flag,” or wait for tomorrow’s “yellows to greens.” Thank you!
Hi, Seana, thank you for hosting and your mentor poem today. Your poem is so rich with messages and plays on color images that It is possible to write an essay on it. My favorite lines full of imagery are these: “The reserved sapphire in me remembers when I was struggling, when geometry meant / embarrassment, confusion, and fire truck fear surrounded me.”
My favorite color is green. To me, it is about hope, new beginnings and life. So here is my poem:
Shades of Green
Bright green blades reach for the sky,
Lime leaves shimmer, fresh and spry,
Dark jade hides in quiet shade,
Faded fronds may seem decayed.
Emerald vines twist and climb,
Minty shoots awake in time,
In every corner, green prevails,
This vital color life presents.
Love the vitality in this poem, Leilya. Especially those minty shoots. You’ve also reminded me I need to work on rhyming!
I love your poem and thanks for all of the lovely images. I enjoyed “Dark jade hides in quiet shade,” and “Minty shoots awake in time,”. It was “royally” awesome.
Dreamweaver Green
By Mo Daley 10/22/24
Amid a midnight mirage
I found a saffron surprise
beneath a cerulean sky.
Should I sample the fuzzy peach
or sniff the whimsical wisteria,
or would that threaten the seafoam serenity?
The dusty rosewood of the cactus bloom
beckoned me like a bee to grape fizz,
but the raven’s wing
called me back to the apricot glow of morning
before I could sink into obsidian oblivion.
Oh, Mo, this is such a beautiful play with green in various images! Your first two and the final two lines are my favorites. “A saffron surprise” sounds magical. I, too, wrote about green, but took a walk in my garden.
Mo, the sounds in this poem are a delight! I love the fist 3 lines, beautiful imagery, but the alliteration is really something. I keep reading this over and over!
I had two short poems I tried with this challenge:
1) His smile was Burly Wood
The way his eyes softened to hold mine
Loving me Silently the way dark slate gray does
2) I long for gardens
Of Olive Drab and Fuchsia
Those days of Slumber
(Haiku)
Love the second one’s comparison of olive drab and fuchsia. I can see that so clearly in the garden.
“Loving me Silently the way dark slate gray does” is really wonderful, MD! Thanks for crafting and sharing today!
M D, I like both of your poems. In the first one “His smile was Burly Wood” made me feel that warm smile, and int eh second, I could “see” that “Olive Drab and Fuchsia.” Thank you!
A pulped sage leaf within my grasp,
herbal aroma rising from the plants,
brings me back into being.
Phthalo shadows sway
in the underbrush-
I’ve been lost in the digital.
I clutch foxglove and
return to Nature’s gift.
My phone is a will-o-th’-wisp
a bright ghostly light
dimming my own
and leading me from the jade shade
of safety and sanity.
Pools filled with dark moss
lend a calm I’ve forgotten,
fields of white lavender bring
a peace long-absent.
But now, the soaring sky is sovereign
as I hike back to my home.
And tonight,
I will play solitaire in the fresh air,
revel in the night music of birds and frogs,
Drink hot tea with sugar and cream,
and shun the sickly glow of addiction.
Oh my gosh! This is beautiful! The colors enhance so much. Love the phthalo shadows, the ghostly light form the cell phone, the cool pools of dark moss. I want to be there too but then you would not be playing solitaire.
Rachel,
Wow, I am in awe that you’ve summed up my constant need for screen and showed me something better, more beautiful, more serene. I hope your hike was rejuvenating and you were able to enjoy the night without the dreaded phone.
Raw truth and I need to think about the power of that ghostly light!
Outstanding!
Surprise, Surprise!
After the ultrasound . . .
Me: “Should we paint the nursery
a bright Quartz Pink
or a more subtle
Impatiens Petal?”
My husband: “Would it help Baby Girl
sleep better if it was painted
Moss Phlox or
would she rest better in a room of
Audrey’s Blush?”
Me: “Actually, I think I like
In the Pink the best.”
After delivery . . .
The doctor: “One more push”
My husband: “Come on, Hon . . . one more
and we can meet our precious Baby Girl!’
Me: “ARGRGRGRHHHHHH”
The doctor: “ She’s here!”
My husband through his tears: “Oh, my, Sweetie!
She’s here!”
Looooonnnnngggg silence
The doctor: “Wait!
Where did that penis come from?”
Guess it’s back to Sherwin Williams for
a couple of gallons of
Moon Mist or Iceberg.
~Susan Ahlbrand
22 October 2024
Oh, Susan, I also wrote about SW today, but your story shows a whole other side of life I’ve never known. Moon Mist or Iceberg. I think Moon Mist is the color of poets.
Sarah
Wow Susan, what a blessed yet shocking surprise! I could never understand how they really read those machines. I completely enjoyed your poem and love the dialogue and your storytelling. It made me chuckle.
Oh, what a spellbinding narrative poem! I love all the anticipation – and the surprise ending (no pun intended)!
Susan! “Where did that penis come from?” LOLOL
What a surprise, indeed, Susan! You got me laughing at the end, but I am sure it didn’t seem that funny to you, but “Moon Mist or Iceberg” is also exciting. Thank you for this one! 🙂
Btw, this is completely fictional!
You’ve got some imagination, Susan 😀
Oh, my goodness! What an amazing story. I love all those sweet pinks you included and the doctor’s exclamation is just too funny!
😂😂
So much to giggle at, but nothing is funnier than the surprise questioning of the penis, especially coming from the doctor! Thank you for this delightful journey and I hope the Moon Mist or Iceberg worked out.
Loved this so much!
I am combining prompts today. One is from #WriteOut which is in full swing over at the National Writing Project. My students and I are looking through jewel loupes at artifacts in nature. One of my students created a form for this poem:
Name of object
is/is like (metaphor or simile)
describe the metaphor
end with a connection to life.
I wrote this poem while also picking a paint chip.
A milkweed seed
is a great white egret
showing off its lacy wings
to the mirrored pool in the sky.
Margaret,
“A milkweed seed” is such a beautiful phrase and image leading into that performative “lacy wings” flaunt to the “mirrored pool.” Stunning.
Sarah
Margaret, I like the idea of combining prompts and as we know, anything goes with poetry writing. Thanks for your entry today. I liked the vocabulary you used. Thank you.
Margaret, what a sweet new poetry form created by your student. I’m going to try that. I love the milkweed seed “showing off its lacy wings…” Beautiful!
Seana, thank you for the challenge. I had been struck by her pretty pink, so I wrote a paint chip poem in August when my granddaughter was a week old. This morning about five weeks after her death, I revisited the same paint chips I used then.
Phoebe-Colored Tears In My Life
The precious pink of her
charming countenance,
the newborn innocence,
the nursery pink lace.
Gentle paradise holds me
in an alternative wild pink.
I love you, Pink Blossom.
Pink tears for you, Denise. I love how the “gentle paradise” holds you.
Oh, Denise, I wonder if this poem brought you comfort in remembering. We are witnessing Phoebe and you, a too brief relationship that lives in these lines and white spaces. Hug. hugs in the “Gentle paradise” for “Pink Blossom.”
Sarah
Denise, I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. The amazing words you used evoked images of a pretty soul. These words touched my heart, “precious pink, newborn innocence, and I love you Pink Blossom.” Thank you
This is very touching and beautiful. I am so sorry to hear about your loss of the precious pink blossom.
Denise, I am continuing to pray you. You have a “gentle paradise” in your heart forever. 💕🩷
Denise, I think of you and your family often, as well as your beautiful Pink Blossom, Phoebe. I cannot even imagine the ache – “the nursery pink lace” hits me especially hard. I imagine the Gentle Paradise holding you close, as it holds her, too. The pink cards are so lovely and sweet on the table in your photo, like a celebration of “newborn innocence” and so incongruous with its sudden loss. I continue to pray for you all.
Denise,
I had no idea of your loss. I cannot even imagine. I will hold you in prayer. This poem is beautiful. I love “Phoebe-Colored Tears.”
“Phoebe-Colored Tears,” “The precious pink of her / charming countenance,” “Gentle paradise holds me / in an alternative wild pink“: so lovely and tender. Thank you.
Denise,
Thank you for sharing.
Sending love and light to you and your family.
These lines are a beautiful tribute to your relationship.
Peacock Stone
Golden hawk deliver
your feather,
Of coffee- stained oils,
Swirled together.
Drips of pale,
from the blue- you soar,
rest upon olive leaves,
on emerald floors.
I will use it,
To blend,
ocher,
Into a zaffre wind.
Shape it into,
a peacock
of vibrant bliss,
Upon stonewalls,
With a blackened kiss.
To create a color
that does not exist,
elephant hide,
dipped in
a mauve mist.
Sparkles of jade
In vermilion dust,
Chrome shined,
Under
decadent rust.
An enchanted feather
from above,
Tainted with purple pelican blood,
Designing dyes,
mixing sweet oats,
Humming hues to
amber-ember strokes.
Moccasin sheen,
with hellish fire,
Cumulus white,
with silver sapphire.
Infuse indigo
Dilute black to gray,
Shave chartreuse
Into a smokey spray.
Fused in fresh pine,
Completed with
sweet tart lime,
melted mango,
aged azure,
through peached time.
Combinations
all together,
Brushed,
With my golden feather.
The peacock- vivid,
with bone- chill,
where non-existent colors,
become real.
_ Boxer
Boxer, oh, “where non-existent colors,/become real” wow. And then the image offers another way of seeing the colors for sure. Exist is a word I am holding onto today.
Sarah
Wow, Boxer, I love this journey with color and texture. Where is that artwork from?
These lines allured me because I love the word indigo:
You ran with this prompt and offered a gorgeous creation!
The artwork is crayons then I added prompts on Snapchat – then took screenshot. Haha 😆
Clayton, WOW, so many gorgeous images came to my mind as I read your poem. Thank you for this.
Ooh! Seana what fun! Thank you. Today I did a twisted version from the Beatles song “Here Comes the Sun.”
Here comes the golden sun,
Bright yellow comes the sun, and I say
It’s alright
It’s been a blue and icy winter
It feels like gloom since orange left us
Now, here comes the sun, here comes the glimmering sun, and I say
It’s alright
Little darlin’, the warming smiles return to faces
Little darlin’, it seems pitch black since colored skies left us
Here comes the crimson sun
Here comes the dazzling sun, and I say
It’s alright
Orange, yellow, red, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Crimson, verillion, bronze, here it comes
Pink, tangerine, peach, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Little darlin’, I feel dark blue is slowly melting
Little darlin’, it seems pitch black since orangeness left us
Here comes the golden sun,
Bright yellow comes the sun, and I say
It’s alright
It’s alright
It’s alright
Oh Susan, what a phenomenal poem! I’m in awe of your spectacular idea. I will do this with my class, give lyrics and have them work in teams to change them and add color. Thank you for your offering. I love this song too.
Ohhh, fun idea, Susan! I instantly started humming the tune as I read. I am curious to know what inspired you to work the prompt with lyrics?? That’s an idea I want to play around with. Thank you, Susan!
Susan, what a fun poem. It was fun to sing along too and see those beautiful words you added to the lyrics of a great song.
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who are you?
I was with the
company when they
were Binney & Smith.
Who am I?
I brought this
organization to Hallmark.
I’m the built-in sharpener
on the box of 64:
that’s who I am.
And you?
It doesn’t matter.
You’re fired.
And put
that coffee
down,
coffee’s for
Crayola
employees
only.
The rest of you
sorry excuses
wouldn’t know
the difference
between a Lisa
Frank coloring
book and a Hello
Kitty one. And, no,
Ted, put your hand
down, we know
she is not, actually,
a cat. Everybody knows
that: she’s a British girl
with a cat of her own,
named Charmmy Kitty.
Now, I’m here because you
people are idiots; you’re
successfully ruining this
company. Just take a look
at the latest product prototype
in our scented line from Sally’s
Team – you’re all fired too
by the way – called “Fetid Calf.”
Somebody couldn’t have
proofed that? Is there
no quality control anymore?
Are they still working from home?
Well, the good news is that they
can stay there. They don’t need
to return to work because we’ve
already cleaned out their desks.
I think they were going for some
religious allusion to the “Prodigal
Son,” but that doesn’t explain
why we have a warehouse full
of putrid smelling brown crayons.
And what does Roger have for
us? Azurine? which is, indeed,
a rather striking blue color and
would be great except it has
the word URINE in it and is
named after a blue European
cockroach, so, maybe not so great,
but, it’s far better than Jack’s idea,
trying to capitalize on the
new film Harold and the Purple
Crayon by marketing an Aubergine
Crayon, again, which wouldn’t be terrible,
except he, apparently never having been
on any of the social medias, put an
eggplant emoji on the side of the label.
No worries, we’ll be sending him his pink slip,
via snail mail.
So remember, team, buck up! Let’s
make this new quarter the best ever,
and remember your A-B-Cs.
Always
Be
Coloring.
____________________________________________________
Seana, thank you for your prompt and your mentor poem! I loved “and I’m at the top of a clear skies rollercoaster ready to teach / them EVERYTHING, especially non-curriculum standards.” Lol, I’ve had those days, too! They’re the best! For my offering, I started thinking about “who names the new colors” and that led me to crayons and their sales / R & D team (undoubtedly thanks to Shaun’s poem from the Questionable Products prompt the other day 🙂 ) and then I mashed that idea up with the Alec Baldwin’s character from Glengarry Glen Ross because…I mean, why not, lol.
You are killing me with this hilarity, Scott – the typo “Fetid Calf” – ack!! I can believe it – truth is stranger than poetry! This is hysterical fun to read, start to finish.
Scott,
How much research went into this??? LOL! The eggplant emoji to the snail mail pink slip put me over the top. Too funny. Too good!
Scott, so funny! “who names the new colors” was a great thing to think this morning. And I too am wondering about Dave’s question about how much research you needed to do. I had so many “oh, yeah!” as I read of Hello Kitty and Lisa Frank and more from when my girls were small.
Scott, my mind is BLOWN in the most amazing way!! I loved the journey you took me on with your poem. It reminded me of my brief work in business prior to becoming a teacher. Those Monday AM meetings were awful and full of rah, rah, rah. I admire your use of color and use of language. Thank you.
Hi Seana,
Thank you for today’s engaging prompt with paint chips! I love using colors as inspirations. Your poem is filled with all the emotions we get to enjoy with our darling 5th graders. You capture them all with expertise.
I chose a haiku using three Behr shades of orange: Nairobi dusk, balcony sunset, and dazzle and delight.
🥰
Very intriguing!! The image with the writing puts me, somewhere I’ve never been! Dazzling 😀!!
Stacey.
Aaaah, this sounds amazing. You definitely put me in a place!
Wow, Stacey, those are some beautiful names for orange you found. And they flow together perfectly. I love the thought of you sitting on the balcony, enjoying hors d’oeuvres and that gorgeous sunset.
Stacey Joy, first of all, thank you, for turning me onto this awesomely perfect writing group, ETHICAL ELA. Second of all, your poem is perfect and I’m totally intrigued by the paint chip paper you found. Wow! It is making a statement all on its own. I love it.
I can’t ignore those crazy visions
After Chappell Roan
The peach flush of my cheeks
as I walk from math to geography
through the halls of seventh grade
knowing that it’s true
there’s nothing I can do
The cloud that deepens into fog
as I pretend I made it up
that I was too young to know
Things don’t have to be like this
I’ll never have to look if I leave it obscured
The jagged true yellow of the tape
as I slide underneath the
to find a nice place to sit
I’m the kind of person who crosses “do not enter” tape now
I can’t go back from that
Can I bear the consequences?
The magenta of her eyeshadow
as I confess that I think I might have been hiding something my whole life
My lungs are tight
until she tilts her head, a knowing smile on her face
and all the air rushes out in massive relief
The atomic vomit green of the walls
as I tell my mother half of the truth
and she goes as stiff as a board
The only thing I’m grateful for is that I didn’t give it all away
The lilac shadow that dampens my mood
as I enter the last half hour before a counseling session
thinking of everything terrible
the pit of it sinking in
but then
she takes one string at a time
setting things straight
and I think of wisteria
Lighter at last
I love the opacity in the poem. There seems to be a lot happening just beneath the surface of this really compelling narrative. You sent me down the rabbit hole, looking into references. I’m still pondering the wisteria. Poison? If so, for whom? Great poem, unsettling, and I think that’s at least part of the point.
Woah! This is powerful. I love how you take is just to the edge, but never tell us exactly what is going on. I think I know, but I’m not sure. I think it might have taken some courage to write this. Thanks for sharing.
This is brilliant and mysterious and so intriguing. I’m still considering everything. Thank you for this awesome entry. And I’m enjoying the colors used here too.
A New Home
Waving goodbye to the cobalt of my hometown
My friends and I feel the ocean coming down
From our eyes onto the ground
The azure feeling, I wish I could drown
Out all the sound
Of the deep blue silence around
And now the uneasy feelings that do lay
In the canary uncertainties of today
Where I thought the gold would turn to hay
It was the beige that left when the sun came to stay
While I am here
I am still okay
-Cece
I love the subversion of “Where I thought the gold would turn to hay / it was the beige that left when the sun came to stay”
It adds a level of vibrance and hope that makes me grateful and happy.
Thank you for your words, Cece
I like the uneasiness you capture using colors for the mood. The turn of events are nice as you settle after thinking the gold would turn to hay but the the sun comes to stay. Nice!
Seana, thank you for the challenge. I meshed the paint chip words with an ekphrastic poem about one of my favorite paintings, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. What fun!
Paint chip words an ekphrastic poem
Birth of Venus
afternoon’s warm glow filters in
where a single painting hangs
one large space
one grand painting
shared with fewer than 20 visitors
I stand breath held, my eyes
cross the canvas before me
heavenly figures surround the earth bound Venus
she emerges from the sea
stands on a half-shell
(I coined the painting Venus on a Half Shell)
I’m sure those words don’t belong to me exclusively
a bit of sarcasm intended
succulent from birth
light graces her figure
soft sway to her hips
as she modestly covers herself
with her hands and red hair
beauty is born
Wow, Jamie! I love that you took this in an intertextual direction. I think we find so much when we use one medium to examine another.
“succulent from birth
light graces her figure
soft sway to her hips”
Love this quote for its lush imagery.
Jamie, what a great approach to the prompt! Your experience is so vivid. I especially like the sounds in the last stanza.
Jamie,
This poem is very you, my friend.
From your appreciation of art
to your humor and humility
Love the ending;
Also love the photo on your blog.
Sean, thanks for sharing the story of your students. We who taught or teach middle school appreciate the kind of work you do, encouraging them and showing them they, too, can learn.
Mellow Yellow and Sparkling Gold
Don’t mean we’re old
Just ‘cause false teeth sparkle
When we jubilantly smile with glee
It’s because we now can afford ‘em.
She said with a slap on the knee.
Yellow used to mean one was chicken
Too weak to hold up in the storm
Clucking away when tensions thicken
And opposition gangs start to form.
Soft yellow gold could mean
That the sun is covered with cloud
Covered don’t mean escaping from the scene
Covered may just mean protected
Protected from a storming crowd.
May we continue to brightly shine
When sparkly gold teeth is our thing
Providing and accepting the cloud of protection
Not clucking because we are chicken.
No need to run when things get tough and thicken.
Those who are not feeling mellow yellow
May need to be softly told they won’t always be cold.
Let’s stand bold like gold and with loving arms enfold.
I love your message, Anna. The repetition throughout really sends your message home!
Anna, how awesome this is. I had to read it twice to understand the beauty of gorgeous pearly whites. Thank you for this. It reminded me of my former neighbor who had the most amazing dentures that he proudly displayed and discussed often. Your rhymes are always on point too.
While I waited for my ride,
I wandered the mall
finding my way to
the Alabaster Pottery Barn scene
settling into the caramel leather chair
imagining a cozy holiday
in this room
some day.
When a customer broke my trance,
I moved to the next scene,
perched on a Realist Beige
upholstered chair, raised a
crystal stemmed flute in
a toast to some family
I never met
imagining a dinner party
in this Modern White room
some day.
And then my gaze caught a
figure in the reflection of
a framed painted sky.
In the Gauntlet Gray library,
rocked a man with a book,
looking right at home with
a prop pipe on the Mateo
Rectangular End Table.
I wandered toward the bookshelf,
pulled Old Man and the Sea,
then sat on the Turner Roll Arm
and asked him if he was ready
to go home. Not yet. He said.
So we stayed a while.
And we imagined together
some day.
Sarah, I really love this. First of all, your Pottery Barn description was spot on. I could easily see you move from scene to scene. Your word choice makes me question if these perfect scenarios are attainable, or all just there “for show.” Your use of color here is seemless, not forced at all.
I am always in awe of your brain, Sarah. You typically take the prompt and add such a an incentive spin. You weave these colors in the Pottery Barn scene so perfectly into a story.
It’s amazing how those colors make scenes come to life, e.g., the caramel leather chair. I also like that we don’t know which are the color words you used, but the word choice is so interesting. I love the repetition of “some day” which seems so comfortable here.
Sarah,
your poem made me smile.
Love the ending which gives me a sense of two like minded and whimsical readers subverting corporate America’s intentions.
I think your next book should be “Mic Drops” because your poems ALWAYS give mic drop vibes. Okay how about “Snaps” for finger snaps?? I mean, my goodness, how easily you transport readers into your spaces and time just keeps me wanting more.
These lines pulled me and made me want the same dinner party experience:
So darn amazing!
Oh Sarah, you are speaking my love language. I’m slightly obsessed with Pottery Barn and enjoy sitting in there too. Your poem clearly painted the room perfectly and evoked so many images and scenes. I felt like I was sitting in there too. Thank you.
Thanks for the prompt Seana. “they’re whale song gray in dark blue choppy waters”!! That’s too good of a description! I bought a paint chip poetry box last year and finally played it with my classes this year. The older ones liked it more!
A little bit of inspiration from Jennifer’s title below and a lot of inspiration from some lovelies in one of my classes. This expresses a little about the relationship I have with them 🙂 If you play NYT strands especially today, you’ll understand.
The Blues 🩵💙💎📘💠🌀🧊🥏🫐🪼🦋
I taught them the word cerulean
in hangman the other day.
And because they know
I’m super obsessed with all things blue,
they taught me how to play strands today,
on a breath of fresh air kinda Tuesday.
Angie, what a clever way to expand student vocabulary. I love the way you use prior knowledge of music to link them to multisyllabic ways to describe the blues. It would interesting to see which songs or singers the students would pair with the colors and graphics you posted here today. Hmm.that’s another prompt to offer to the music lovers.
Could be done with CW, the classics and the hymns. Hmmm. Let me stop. You’ve got e going!
Thanks, I guess.
Hi Angie! I love your take on the prompt! It was like I could feel the blue color throughout your poem.
Love this, Angie!! I was going to go blue shades after playing Strands today, and I did—a little. I love all your Bitmoji colors!
Angie, so cute! I love this poem from the blue emojis to the “breath of fresh air kinda Tuesday” Just so sweet! I read your poem earlier and then went off to play Strands for the first time ever. Thanks for the hint!
Hi Angie,Yes I play strands daily and enjoy all shades of blue. Thank you for your poem ! it was perfect and I love the images too.
Sunset
I sit on my coral-blue beach towel and dig my feet into the canary-yellow sand. In the distance, I see where the sea blue and the sky blue meet. The smell of the ocean fills my nose as I take a deep breath in. As I sit on the beach I notice the perfect pinks and the spring purples take over against the blue sky. Slowly I watch the Bisque Orange sun set below the ocean line. I leave with a smile on my face reminiscing in the sunset I just witnessed.
Lovely poem and setting. I’m reminded of many sunsets and beaches like this. So relaxing! I especially love “canary-yellow sand”
Mara, were you sitting next to us? You describe so beautiful our experience a couple of weeks ago. Isn’t amazing how many different shades of the same colors are visible on the shorelines! You’ve captured the visuals and emotional experience so well here!
Hi Mara! I love the imagery in this! I felt like I was there watching the sunset myself.
Mara, I love a prose poem. This is just a perfect scene for the feeling of being on the beach and watching the horizon as the sun sets, where sky meets water. Oh, I long to be there!
Thank you, Seana, for a wonderful style of poetry! Your descriptive poem is wonder-filled! I love how it makes me feel! I’ve used this style of Poetry and students seem to enjoy the investigation of different paint chip names, then weaving them into a meaningful poem. This is my attempt:
PAINT CHIP POEM
Philosophically Speaking,
you must go past the Chicago Skyline,
past the Metalflake
that makes up the Moonscape of the big city,
and head out where the
Plume Grass grows around the Dark River.
Leaving behind the Sizzling Hot Sun’s Rage,
and November Storms that
swallow up Peace of Mind.
There, just beyond Autumn’s Hill,
where Silence is Golden,
you will see the Stairway to Heaven,
leading to the Hidden Cove.
Cliffswallows beckon you
to the cozy Thatched Cottage,
where Morning Dew
glistens upon the Perennial Garden.
Sitting under the Yellow Umbrella,
amidst the Wildwood,
you accept Kingdom’s Keys,
Dreaming of the Day of Simple Serenity
and you realize you are there.
Judi Opager
This flows so well, Judi. I especially love this stanza:
“There, just beyond Autumn’s Hill,
where Silence is Golden,
you will see the Stairway to Heaven,
leading to the Hidden Cove.”
Those common phrases in the middle lines fit perfectly!
Hi Judi. If you hadn’t highlighted the colors, I might not have known them, which I think is a testament to your ability to weave a story perfectly. I love “Dreaming of the day of simple serenity.” So well done!
Seana,
Thank you for hosting and for your beautiful poem. I love how you express so much joy about teaching and so much knowledge of, love of, and care for your students.
This lines especially made me smile:
Thanks for starting our day off with such joy and love.
I turned to the interwebs for examples of paint names and found just what I needed in this gem:
An AI invented a bunch of new paint colors that are hilariously wrong
This morning
struggling
in the clardic fug
of my grief
Changing my title…
Fresh Paint
struggling
in the clardic fug
of my grief
I googled clardic and discovered clardic fug is a song title. Maybe you know that. The sounds of the words share a feeling. Wishing you a stream of sunshine.
Thanks, Jamie.
Sharon, I had fun reading the article you linked to. I almost wrote a whole poem using those AI paint chips. Jabberwocky style. Thanks for the smile. I am so sorry for the loss that is giving you feelings of clardic fug.
Hello Teacher Authors of Ethical ELA. Here is the tutorial from the librarian, Ms. Brandon, explaining Paint Chip Poetry. I forgot to include the live link.
https://youtu.be/zIQsG1nzTG0?si=0uoaVIZ1su91igvi
Seana, your poem celebrates the colors and the kids with their love potions and mahogany cheeks. Disco-fever pinkish red is the perfect tone for middle school chaos. Thanks for the fun in this prompt today.
The Blues
Keep talking
’til you’re Overcast in the face.
It’s only going to happen
once in a Midsummer’s Dream moon.
Our present day circumstance
didn’t just happen
out of the Starry Night.
These black and Snow Shadow bruises
between America’s Cup bloods
and Sailer’s Coat collar workers
prove who is true Heavenly
and who is talking a Sorcerer streak,
but only one person can keep
the Walden Pond ribbon
So if you’re feeling Stormy
on a Seaglass Monday,
you know what to do –
Vote American Anthem.
Jennifer, I enjoyed the journey your poem took me on. I had a hint as to the topic and I love the slow meandering way you took us to the end. I’m loving your color choices and how your writing stressed the sense of urgency. My ballot is here on my table and has been for 2 weeks. I’m completing it today! Thank you!!
“Our present day circumstance
didn’t just happen
out of the Starry Night.”
wow, strong words, so true. It’s cool how the title of a painting can be used in such a different way!
Reading your poem makes me wish to discover the shades of blue. i opened my phone with the picture of me outside Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul to find the right blue. It wasn’t Casa Azul. Starry Night and Walden Pond are ones I’ll check out.
Oh, yes – – the place we are didn’t happen overnight for sure. This is a great reminder to get out and do our civic duty – – to vote for our country! I like your use of colors with this artistic flair!
Jennifer, I am awed by Snow Shadow bruises and Seaglass Monday…as if I had fallen through the looking-glass. Not to mention talking a Sorcerer streak. Your way with words is utter enchantment – speaking of which, I’m all in for you, Kim and I to do our nails in Lincoln Park After Dark and don our capes for the Witches’ Paddle – would it not be utterly magical and the wildest fun? We could create our own color: We Three Poets Come From Afar…I don’t know exactly…but it would be a time to remember forever, for sure!
Hi Sean! I woke up an hour early and found your prompt. What fun to play with colors early in the morning. Thank you! I got my inspiration from Behr ColorSmart paint chips.
Colorful Creations
They come eager-faced
and vibrating enthusiasm –
Fifteen girls who want
to join our recess crafting
in the Wonder Studio.
I do not have the heart
to turn them away.
So, they come in a rush –
In a parade of colors:
Jennifer Rose, Princess Pink
Rosalee, Sassy Pink,
Sleep Eyes, Miss Bo Peep,
Angelica with Sweet Smile,
And Becca Boo is not far behind.
They fill the room brightly
with laughter and glue,
a colorful creation
of little girl imagination.
Joanne, this is a PARTY of colors and fun! I want to come to the Wonder Studio too (tell me more about this). I can see it all – the rushing in, the parade of colors, the laughter and glue. Imagination indeed!
I created Wonder Studio about 12 years ago. It’s a space for kids to come and create and not have teachers tell them what to make. They get to decide. I just remind them to clean up which happens only about 1/2 the time. BUT it is necessary for kids to play and feel ownership. They keep telling me it has to become a real subject. And, as usual, they are right! I’m working on it.
Wow, Joanne, I wish I could look in at the “Recess Crafting” studio activity. The descriptions of the names paint lovely images. I especially loved, ” They fill the room brightly with laughter and glue, a colorful creation of little girl imagination.”
Thank you for this!
Joanne- This is a great use of the colors for this topic. I loved that you used the paint colors as students’ names that was so creative! It gives the students’ a personality based on the colors that you chose.
Omg this poem made me so happy, Joanne. Love the last two lines especially but also “Angelica with Sweet Smile” because that’s my real name and how people used to describe me, back when I guess I used to smile more…
I love how you use the paint names to name the students joining you in the Wonder Studio. Wonder how they’d feel about their new designations. Creativity abounds!
Hi Joanne! I love your take on the prompt! This poem was so beautiful to me! I love all the colors and brightness that come with the girls!
Magical, Joanne – I feel like these names belong to a collection of dolls or maybe fairies! Your poem is brimming with joy.
What a gift to the students you and the Wonder Studio are! Imagining all the students who just want a creative outlet and they get to have it without the attachment to a teacher/grade. I adore the way you used the colors for the 15 girls! Marvelous and keep doing what you’re doing. They need you.
❤️
Seana, Your poem is just right mix of color words and teen moods. My favorite is “The sweetness of my royal chocolate can often sense their moods.” I have a pack of these paint chips in my classroom. I’ll be back later today with my poem (and maybe some student work.)
Seana, thank you for hosting us today! The fun of paint chip poetry is the equivalent of that new box of crayons as a kid. Super fun, and I love the way that colors are used as feelings in the poems you shared. My poem was inspired by a friend’s Facebook post of a long-held tradition in the town where I grew up. At sunset the first weekend of October, women of the town gather dressed as witches with their paddle boards and kayaks and take to the river, paddling around for people to admire. It’s quite the sight to see. This year, a passing boat with a throng of people started up the music: oooooh, hooooo, Witchy Woman, she’s got the moon in her eyes……
Witches’ Paddle
On October Sunset they ride
Onyx-caped waterproof witches
paddle out on Supermoon tide
admiring autumn’s swell riches
Kim, this poem is perfection. Just the right touch of color and mood, along with an unexpected event. Do you participate in this? We need to make a plan to do this together! I can only imagine the fun.
Kim- I love that you took a memory that is close to you and found paint colors that tied the story together. It was a great use of today’s poem theme!
Kim, I can see this magical spectacle so clearly in my mind – the onyx-caped witches paddling out on Supermoon tide (love that) against the October sunset…I am with Jennifer…we three should do our nails in Lincoln Park After Dark and do this together! It couldn’t get more magical than that, right?? Or fun!
Seana, what a fun, artistic prompt! Paint chip colors have the most amazing names, as do nail polishes; I wonder how much people get paid to come up with these? I see this prompt going in infinite directions. Of all your color-contemplations, the sapphire draws me most, especially as an antidote to fire-truck fear surrounding geometry – believe me, I can relate. I hope you don’t mind that I am going with a nail polish color. First of all, when I read the name on the little bottle last week, I knew it was meant to be in a poem. Now you’ve opened the door…plus, I think yesterday’s rhythms are still with me. Here goes:
Lincoln Park After Dark
Told the nail technician I’d like dark red
for fall you, know. Here’s what she said:
“No no no. Try this instead.”
Lincoln Park After Dark
Wait a second – whoa, is it black?
Will folks think I’m goth? Or cracked?
Too old for Halloweenish whack?
Lincoln Park After Dark
—turns out to be deep purple, friends
a bit Beaujolais or raisin; it depends
on the light and where perception ends.
Lincoln Park After Dark
As the tech painted these nails of mine
she offered a bit of art one time:
a spiderweb, but I drew the line.
Lincoln Park After Dark
is enough on its own, you see.
Already I am cloaked in mystery
my mind off on a midnight spree
(with autumnal specters watching me
a-walkin’)
Lincoln Park After Dark
I love how you played with the nail color. My toes are a deep purple, too. I wish I could remember the nail polish color name.
Fran, I’m going to check out that color. I like either Hazelnut or Melting Violet – – both kind of purple-gray colors. You are right: Lincoln Park After Dark sounds “cloaked in mystery.” I can’t wait to see!
Fran, this “Lincoln Park After Dark” will stay with me all day today. I like your nail technician already 🙂 and your narrative style of telling this story.
In your poem, the rhyme adds dynamics and a sound drive: depends/ends, time/line, mystery/spree. And did my mention how much I love the refrain?
Oh! Fran! The rhythm of this is going to stay with me today. That refrain fits seamlessly into the narrative of the poem. My fave is the ending – my mind off on a midnight spree (with autumnal specters watching me a-walkin). I think you need to join Kim and me (we can all go with Lincoln Park After Dark) as part of our garb) on the Witches’ Paddle! Good things come in three’s!
Fran- I loved that you used nail colors as your paint chips. I also thought it was brilliant that you tied in the poem theme from yesterday into this poem. Great Job!
I love that you tied this to a nail polish color. I often smile at the names of polish. Maybe it’s to help us remember the name of the color. You’ve done a great job helping us recognize the shade of red – deep purple, a bit Beaujolais or raisin. I loved that you held the line when it came to a spiderweb. There are limits! Lincoln Park After Dark. Who comes up with these names!
This is so great, Fran!! I love how you worked the rhyme in so expertly. That nail color sure has a fun name!
Fran, what fun you had with “Lincoln Park After Dark” And your accompanying rhymes are perfect. Your poem tells a sweet story!