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| "Wild Platypus 4" by Klaus - Flickr: Wild Platypus 4. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons |
WHY CAN'T YOU ACCEPT ME FOR WHAT I AM?!?!?
I'm an
egg-laying
duck-billed
beaver-tailed
otter-footed
evolution-confounding
naturalist-baffling
real-life
no-joke
Australian-born
coin-featured
MAMMAL!
©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015
The first four hyphenated pairs in my poem today are borrowed straight from the Wikipedia article on the Platypus. Just goes to show that you can find your inspiration just about anywhere!
Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.
Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month.
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!
Kay WAS spittin' mad!
Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems
in the comments at Poetrepository.
Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments here and at Poetrepository for her poems.
Yay! Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.
Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge.
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.
The roundup of 2015 Poetry Month projects throughout the Kidlitosphere can be found at
What fun! I love they way you weave science into your poetry. I'm learning so much.
ReplyDeleteI decided to try my hand at a limerick today: Spittin' Mad
I agree with Kay. I love how you have science in everything. It gives me ideas for helping my students who love math and science. I love your writing so much.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you bury deep inside me
ReplyDeletewith your words last night, burning bright,
even as I sulked off into my own little storm,
leaving you still with a rainbow hidden
in your pocket for the hour when
our blues skies might yet again arrive?
-Kevin
I'm glad there's some hope at the end!
DeleteYou never cease to amaze me! I love the rhythm of this poem, how you capture the platypus in all of those two word lines. And then there's the famous MLH "make that title do little work" trick! Another perfect poem! Here's mine:
Delete"Dear Mr. Activist"
I watch
as you organize protests
speak at workshops
attend meetings meetings
post on social media
about racial profiling
how wrong the police are
how black men are not getting a fair deal
I totally agree with you
I wish it was different
and I want you to keep fighting
but sometimes
I wish you would remember
that the smallest things
matter most
I wish you would come
to my school
and sit next to
that little kindergarten guy
you know, the one with the chocolate skin
and sparkly brown eyes
who has never even met his daddy
you could read him a story
he would love it
if you showed up every week
or even a couple of times a month
I wish you would
hold an after school meeting
and pass out belts
to our fifth graders
the ones whose pants
are just beginning to sag
maybe teach them
how to tie a tie
before graduation
because it's a whole lot easier
to learn those things
from a living breathing
human being
than by watching
a youtube video
I wish you would show
at the neighborhood basketball court
you know, the one across from the post office
where the middle schoolers hang out
from sun-up to sun-down
you could shoot hoops
maybe even organize a team
teach the kids what it means
to work as a team,
to pass instead of shoot
to commit to showing up at practice
to persevere when your team
is losing by a whole lot
help those adolescents understand
that not many black men
are professional athletes
and that most of them who are
got there by a whole lot
of practice and hard work
and they took care of their business
at school too
I wish you would invite
a high school kid
to follow you through a day
or eat a meal at your table
maybe hang out with you on a weekend
those guys need to know
how a real man treats his wife
and that manhood involves
a whole lot more
than hunting down enough coins
to buy your next joint
and acting like a crazed animal
in a pen of females in heat
dear mr. activist
i totally agree with you
that things need to change
but sometimes
I wish you would remember
that the smallest things
matter most
Carol Wilcox, (c) 2015
I hope I get to see a platypus someday, Mary Lee. This is great, that "evolution-confounding". I think I should go read more! Here's a try:
ReplyDeleteAdvice - Maybe?
Animals growl a warning, and they
bristle, stand upright, sometimes turn away.
They want to be sure they’re okay.
Is that why a person’s anger appears,
sometimes it’s shouting , sometimes it’s tears?
Next time, try growling to allay all the fears?
Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved
Good one, Mary!
ReplyDelete