Day One

Elena had been excited to start Kindergarten so I was surprised when I picked her up that she was frowning.

“How was it?”

She looked at me worriedly “I didn’t learn how to read!”

I attempted not to laugh; only Elena would expect this.

“Well, very few children learn how to read their first day of school.”

“Linda can read.”

“She didn’t learn today. She has an older sister who probably taught her. My sister taught me but it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

“Why?”

“She punched me when I didn’t get a word right.”

“Ouch.”

“Give it a few months.”

Challenge

Write a free verse poem: When you said ...

Write a 12 to 21 line free verse poem about something a parent, sibling, or significant other said to you that was surprising to you. Begin the poem with the line, "When you said ...." Remember, free verse poetry doesn't follow strict patterns or conventions such as meter or rhyme scheme.

SPam in Poetry & Free Verse

7 reads

When You Said

When you said,

“You really hate her don’t you?’’

I guess I was surprised.

I was only eight but

I had said something nasty to mother,

Behind her back of course.

I don’t remember what it was

I just remember your reaction,

That look on your face.

“You really hate her don’t you?’’

I hadn’t thought about it before,

But I realized you were right

And I said, “Yes, don’t you?”

You shook your head, and said no.

And I wondered then, and still do now,

How could you not hate her?

Challenge

May the Fourth

Personify the four seasons.

SPam

30 reads

To everything...

Welcome, welcome to the best time of the year. I bring you lots of celebrating and fun. You have all been moaning because the nights are getting longer and now I bring you the joy of more sunshine every day. I bring you snow so you can ski and sled. And frozen water for ice skating. And if you folks never have cold weather, well then I give you a reprieve from the extreme heat of other seasons.

Oh yeah, right, you are so full of yourself. All you do is bring bad weather. It’s so cold plants can’t grow and people are huddled in their houses trying to keep warm. Do you ever think of them? Most animals have to hide away for months to survive. I bring the best weather; warm days and cool nights. The flowers start to bloom and everyone can enjoy the outdoors. They don’t have to artificially warm their houses. Everyone is happy when I arrive. And of course I have the best celebrations!!!

Oh brother, you are so unstable. One day it is nice and warm and then suddenly BAM it’s freezing and all the plants and tree buds that were fooled into popping out die. You confuse everyone. No one knows what to wear; they are either too hot or too cold. And with you arrives the pollen and so many bugs. I of course am the best. I make all the vegetables and fruits grow and ripen. There is so much for everyone to do that we don’t need a lot of made up celebrations; every day is a celebration.

Some fun! What about your weather!? Hurricanes and thunderstorms and tornadoes. So much destruction. Heat and droughts in some areas and floods in others. You make living in some places next to impossible. People hiding in their houses waiting for ME! I bring beautiful colors to the trees and the weather is magnificent. Festivals and celebrations of all kinds; giving thanks to me for bountiful harvests.

Heh heh heh – did you forget about the encroaching darkness and your “unstable” weather? Remember the year you gave some folks a hurricane followed two day later by a huge snowstorm? Hmmm, well I guess we all have our good points and our bad. I hope everyone can find something to look forward to in any season.