Last month, I shared an example of a poetry prompt I was given at the recent Highlights Foundation poetry workshop I had attended. A few words were written on a Popsicle stick, and I had to come up with a poem using those words. After posting the poem both here and on Instagram, I decided to keep doing it as a way to practice thinking creatively.
So today, I thought I’d share a couple of the short poems I’ve written in response to this prompt – to give you an idea of what one can do with just a couple of words and a few minutes. (all poems © 2018 Matt Forrest Esenwine, all rights reserved)

Keep in mind, these are not highly-polished, award-winning pieces of literary genius; I rarely spend more than 15-20 minutes on any of them, because they are simply a means to fire up the brain cells and get those synapses closing. Perhaps, if I discover something useful within these poems, I might decide to buff and polish – but I’m worrying about any of that at this point.

Many folks ask me why I share poems that aren’t perfect here, and I always explain that I feel that it’s worth showing that we all have to start somewhere, with some sort of germ of an idea, with mistakes and errors, before we can begin striving for perfection…which rarely comes. (By the way, I do not write the words – that defeats the purpose of being spontaneous – so I ask my wife, son, or whoever might be around to jot down a short phrase on the stick, and then I jump to it!)

I must admit, I did spend a little more time on that last one than I usually do – perhaps 25-30 minutes – because the reverso form, popularized by the incredible Marilyn Singer, is so difficult and I was having too much fun. By the way, if you’re wondering how much my wife is loving winter, just look at the first and third prompts she gave me, as a hint to turn up the thermostat! Thanks also to my 8-year-old, who gave me prompt #2. What would I do without my family?
For more poetry – far more polished and publishable! – head on over to Live Your Poem, where Irene Latham is hosting today’s Poetry Friday roundup with a review AND GIVEAWAY of Laura Purdie Salas’ beautiful new book, Lion of the Sky (Millbrook, April 2019).
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Ordering personalized signed copies online?
Oh, yes, you can!
You can purchase personalized signed copies of Flashlight Night, (Boyds Mills Press, 2017), Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, 2018), and nearly ALL of the books or anthologies I’ve been part of!
Just click the cover of whichever book you want and send the good folks at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH a note requesting the signature and to whom I should make it out to. (alternatively, you can log onto my website and do the same thing) They’ll contact me, I’ll stop by and sign it for you, and then they’ll ship it. Try doing that with those big online booksellers! (Plus, you’ll be helping to support local book-selling – and wouldn’t that make you feel good?)
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Thank you to everyone for your support!
- NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
- KIRKUS Starred review!
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- “Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers
- Amazon “Best Books of the Month,” Sept. 2017
- Positive reviews from Horn Book, School Library Connection, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and Shelf-Awareness
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.- “Rollicking rhyme!” – Booklist
- “A wild romp!” – Parenting NH Magazine
- “Cute…intriguing…4 out of 5 stars” – Tulsa Book Review
- “Rhythmic…funny and informative” – Unleashing Readers
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These are fun! Thanks for sharing them! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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Thanks, Ruth!
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I’m digging the popsicle poetry… cool! Thank you for sharing. And yes, we all start somewhere… the key is… TO START. 🙂
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Exactly! That’s why I’m always telling people to #WriteLikeNoOneIsReading!
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These really are clever and when I’ve done some poems with a word prompt, I’m often surprised, as you probably are, too, Matt. The mind swerves in mysterious ways! Have a great weekend!
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Thanks, Linda – have a nice weekend, as well!
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Woo! That middle poem is sassy! So much fun, Matt.
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Ha, thanks, Laura – hope you’re enjoying your holiday weekend!
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I do love how you share firing up the brain. Poetry exercises are so fun and so good for the neurons! In between projects I love to have fun with these exercises. You really just never know where the words are going to go–so fun! That first poem gives me a giggle. Not sure why. I think its just the sheer fun of the words and your urge to rhyme. Keep going. This is fun!
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Thank you, Linda – it’s fun AND it helps us improve our writing!
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You can bet we’re going to make some popsicle sticks for poem prompts in my classroom! These are fun! (Love the hints to turn up the thermostat! I live beside my space heaters!!)
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They are a lot of fun, Mary Lee – thanks for stopping by!
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Poetry seeds…I love that. And I am wishing I didn’t leave all my popsicle sticks at school. This could be a great thing to do when I sub.
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You can buy a pack pretty cheaply at most craft stores for that very occasion!
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Love these all Matt, how you came to them, your families collaboration–and the testiness in your son’s prompt.
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Thanks, Michelle,…yes I wasn’t sure how to take his prompt. but he was happy to provide it, so I thanked him and just moved on. 😉
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Still loving these!
Things can never be perfect, so we just keep writing and striving for closer.
I can see the popsicle poetry being a fun thing to do with my grandkids one of these days!
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They’re fun to write, but also fun to see how they come about. Thanks, Donna!
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I definitely liked this exercise in creative writing and your take on the upcoming winter cold (that we are experiencing on Long Island). This would be a great activity for my professional development workshop on quick writing activities.
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