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Poetry Friday: Spooktober Continues!

I'm continuing to have fun with my Spooktober project - writing poems for kids based on a series of Inktober illustrator prompts. You can see the prompt list and the first week of poems here, and the second batch of poems here. 

The prompts were aimed at adult illustrators instead of kids, so it's been both challenging and fun to play with them and try to find ways to make words like poison work for a young audience. It's also been fun to play with the various meanings a word can have, and try to subvert preconceived ideas a reader might bring to a poem based on that prompt.

So here are this week's poems - I hope you're having as much spooky fun reading them as I'm having writing them!

 

 
Spooktober Poem 16: Crow Kaw! Kaw! Shouts the crow. Kee! Kee! Hawk replies, flies, glides. Disputed airspace. © 2021, Elisabeth Norton 
 

Spooktober Poem 17: Mouse Quiet as mice we Tiptoe up the walk. Ready? ding-dong. TRICK OR TREAT! © 2021, Elisabeth Norton

Spooktober Poem 18: Poison I read a story About a poisoned apple. Afternoon snack time — Mom offers me an apple. Can I have an orange instead? © 2021, Elisabeth Norton

Spooktober Poem 19: Wings As you go to sleep, We wake and unfurl our wings. For navigation We use echolocation. Now, can you guess who we are? © 2021, Elisabeth Norton
 

Spooktober 20: Eyes Yesterday in class, We got a shocking surprise When the sub turned ‘round. Turns out, it’s true! Teachers do Have an extra set of eyes! © 2021, Elisabeth Norton

Spooktober Poem 21: Cauldron Aroma wafting, Cauldron’s contents simmering. Mmmm! Minestrone! © 2021, Elisabeth Norton
 
Spooktober 22: Which Witch? A costume party Seemed like a great idea Until all my friends Showed up dressed as witches and Now I can’t tell them apart! © 2021, Elisabeth Norton

 

This week our host for Poetry Friday is Jama over at Jama's Alphabet Soup.  Hop on over to the Poetry Friday post for links to a virtual buffet of poetic goodness!


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Comments

  1. Denise KrebsOctober 22, 2021 at 2:58 PM

    Elisabeth, you have given your readers another fun batch of poems from your Octobery word list. My favorite today is the extra set of eyes the substitute has.

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    1. ElisabethOctober 28, 2021 at 2:52 PM

      Thanks Denise! I thought the teachers among us might like that one.

      Delete
  2. jamaOctober 22, 2021 at 8:09 PM

    These are such fun to read. I like the little surprises. They're short but pack a nice wallop. :)

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  3. skanny17October 22, 2021 at 8:59 PM

    I really enjoy reading your clever spooky poems, Elisabeth! The witches you can't tell apart are so much fun. You may find you can create a Halloween Anthology with your poems! Kids will love them.
    Janet Clare F.

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    Replies
    1. ElisabethOctober 28, 2021 at 2:53 PM

      Thanks for your comment Janet Clare! I'm enjoying writing to a theme. It has me thinking about other possible themes to explore.

      Delete
  4. TabathaOctober 22, 2021 at 9:22 PM

    Charming poems!

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  5. Linda Kulp TroutOctober 23, 2021 at 1:15 AM

    Elizabeth, these are such fun! I especially love "Poison." : )

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    1. ElisabethOctober 28, 2021 at 2:55 PM

      Thanks Linda! I was a bit stumped by that prompt until my husband mentioned the poisoned apple in Snow White. My first thought after that was "apples and oranges..."

      Delete
  6. Linda BOctober 23, 2021 at 1:42 AM

    I imagine this entire 'batch' is going to make a wonderful Halloween book for the younger readers, Elisabeth. I love these and you did a 'just-right' one for poison! I also love the surprises you created at each one's end. Well done!

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    1. ElisabethOctober 28, 2021 at 2:55 PM

      Thanks Linda! It's been a fun challenge to pursue.

      Delete
  7. laurasalasOctober 23, 2021 at 12:57 PM

    What a fun batch! I love the wit and humor of these, and I love their brevity, too.

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    1. ElisabethOctober 28, 2021 at 2:56 PM

      Thanks Laura! I'm enjoying the challenge of packing as much story as possible into such brief poems.

      Delete
  8. Mary LeeOctober 24, 2021 at 3:45 PM

    The "disputed airspace" and "Minestrone" were my two favorite surprises!

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    1. ElisabethOctober 28, 2021 at 2:56 PM

      Glad you liked them Mary Lee! Minestrone came out of my own hankering to make soup soon ...

      Delete
  9. CathyOctober 26, 2021 at 4:04 PM

    These are all delightfully SPOOOOKKKKKKYYYYY! Perfect. I have to say I'm a bit partial to the first two with their creepy sounds.

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    Replies
    1. ElisabethOctober 28, 2021 at 2:57 PM

      Thanks Cathy! I've been trying to play with sounds more in my poetry over the past few months. I'm glad you enjoyed them.

      Delete
  10. Linda MitchellOctober 27, 2021 at 2:37 AM

    I'll take an orange and some minestrone, please! Great poems. So much fun. Keep going! Almost there.

    ReplyDelete

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