Recently, Irene Latham posted a poem challenge in a post titled Free Verbs! Pick 5. She shared a picture of verbs she’d seen in a Kindermusik room. The challenge was to choose five words and write a poem containing those words. I chose the words: poke, creep, punch, spin and press. Here’s my effort:
Fall’s shadow
infiltrates summer
poking chilly fingers
into early mornings
creeping into shivering trees
punching color onto leaves
spinning birds into southward flight
pressing closer, closer, closer.
M. Hogan ©2018
The Poetry Friday Round-up this week is hosted by the gallery hostess-with-the-mostest, Carol Varsalona, at her blog, Beyond Literacy Link. She’s sharing a sneak peek at her upcoming summer gallery, The Art of Summering. (Pssst–you can still send her a submission if you get it in today!)
Nix the comfort zone 
With the heat we’ve had this week, I am SO excited about Fall’s chilly fingers!! I hope it’s pressing closer, closer, closer.
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I’m torn! I love the chilly temps of fall but hate the heating bills. On the other hand, this summer, weather-wise, ranks as MISERABLE in my books–heat, humidity, YUCK! For now, I’ve appreciated the chilly mornings as well.
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I love what you’ve done with your five verbs. I want to try this with kids. I do wish fall would poke chilly fingers our way. We’re just getting rain, rain, rain.
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I agree–this would be fun prompt to use with kids.There’s frost forecast for the mountains up north tonight! Yikes! Here’s hoping we have a seasonal fall, unlike our crazy summer.
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Molly, I love this! Isn’t “poke” such a great word? And unexpected in this context, which makes it superawesome! I do love fall’s punching colors and spinning birds… thank you! (Also, with your permission, I’ll add your link to that post?? You’ll have to email me to let me know: irene (at) irenelatham (dot) com. xo
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Thanks, Irene. It was a fun prompt and I suspect I’ll revisit it. Thanks for adding the link to your original post 🙂
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I agree with Irene, poke is a great word. Today is the first day when I felt the autumn chill, outdoors and in your poem. 😉
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Until the past few days, the heat and humidity have been pretty unrelenting. The humidity and an issue with our air circulation system at school resulted in super slippery floors the first few days–students and teachers were wiping out! Crazy!
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Yikes! I hope no one was hurt.
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They say verbs are the muscles of writing- the heavy lifters. Your vivid verbs have been used in vital ways to deliver a scene so clear for the reader. Thanks for the verb words Molly!
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Thanks, Alan. It was a great prompt with a dynamic selection of verbs. I think I’ll go back and play some more soon!
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What a great challenge, and what an excellent response.Like the others, I love the surprising way you have used ‘poke’.
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Thanks, Sally!
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I love the way you chose the verbs for this season changing, Molly. You show it so well. It’s hot in the day, but we’ve had that “poking chilly fingers/into early mornings” for a while now. Beautiful!
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The humidity has broken here and I’m hoping that will last. Mainers aren’t made for 102˚F heat indexes!!!
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Oh, how delightful….boy, those seasons could be siblings! Poke. Poke
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Your comment reminded me of Lynn Plourde’s picture books about each season. Do you know them? Fall’s is called “Wild Child” and is my favorite of all of them.
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Seasonal changes are happening on Long Island too, Molly. What a great little poem you created from 5 verbs. I would like to use your poem in one of my advertisement post for my fall gallery, Abundant Autumn, if that is fine with you. I have a photo all ready for a future post and your poem fits the bill. Of course, if you send me a soon-to-be photo of fall in Maine. I will use that too as a travel photo.
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Thanks, Carol! I sent you an e-mail.
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100* heat index here this week, Molly, so in one way this poem is incomprehensible to me…but I looooove what you did with your free verbs!
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It was 42˚F this morning when I woke up. Yikes! I wasn’t ready for that swift of a change. Sorry for your continuing heat…hope it breaks soon.
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You’ve created a lot of imagery with these 5 verbs, Molly – and with the chilly night we had last night (coldest it’s been in at least 4 months), it feels very personal.
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This morning was a bit of a shock! I actually wore a down vest when I ran–and I didn’t regret it! I’m looking forward to fall, but hoping for some lingering summer warmth…
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I guess I missed Irene’s post, but oh my, it brings back memories from when my kids were in Kindermusik! I love how you incorporated those verbs into an unexpected setting, Molly (especially those chilly poking fingers)!
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Michelle, I missed the original post, but Irene linked to it last week. I was glad I checked it out. There are all sorts of verbs still waiting to play!
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I love it! Those verbs give fall quite the punch. And I am relishing those chilly fingers today despite the clouds and rain that brought it. I’m looking forward to snuggly sweaters, warm bowls of soup, and fuzzy blankets.
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Thanks, Kay! It was a great challenge and a reminder of the power of verbs! Our weather pattern seems to have shifted–the geese are heading south and the leaves are just starting to change. Soup was on the menu here tonight 🙂
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This is wonderful, Molly! I love (and can’t wait for) autumn to poke “chilly fingers/into early mornings.” I agree this is a great challenge to share with kids. Hope your school year is off to a great start!
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Off and running here, Catherine! Wishing you a wonderful start as well!
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Great play with your five verbs Molly, I like how you closed your poem, though I wish we could hold back a bit,
“spinning birds into southward flight
pressing closer, closer, closer.”
Thanks!
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Thanks, Michelle. It was such fun to play with this list of verbs. We’re due to head back into summer over the next few days. It’s quite a see-saw effect we’ve got going this year!
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