I once again have my friend and fellow blogger/poet Michelle H. Barnes to thank for a Poetry Friday post. It was her blog’s “Ditty of the Month Challenge” that spurred me to write the following little piece of light verse.
Earlier this month, she interviewed another mutual friend, Liz Steinglass, about her upcoming debut children’s poetry collection, Soccerverse: Poems about Soccer (Wordsong, 2019), which arrives in stores next week. Following the lead of her poem, “Instructions for the Field,” Liz thought it might be fun to invite readers to write poems that speak to an inanimate object about how to do its job.
And so, ever the one to find the angle or subject no one else has, I decided to write instructions…for instructions!
Instructions for Instructions
Don’t give me cords in tangled knots.
Don’t show me tabs where there are slots.
Don’t leave out pieces I will need.
Don’t make your text too hard to read.
Your diagrams are convoluted.
“Some assembly,” quite disputed.
Don’t pretend there’s nothing to it
and please – don’t say a child can do it.
– © 2019 Matt F. Esenwine, all rights reserved
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I dare say, I doubt there is anyone who can’t relate! Hope you like it – and if you’d care to read all of the poems submitted to Michelle’s blog, you can check out her Padlet HERE. Still looking for more poetry? Then head over to A Year of Reading, where Mary Lee Hahn is hosting today’s complete Poetry Friday roundup with a cool new book about writing prompts!
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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!
- Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Books!
- “Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers
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.- “Rollicking rhyme!” – Booklist
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- “Rhythmic…funny and informative” – Unleashing Readers
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Fun! I can definitely relate! Happy Poetry Friday! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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Thanks, Ruth! Happy Poetry Friday to you, as well!
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Oh, this is terrific, Matt! It’s the diagrams I struggle with. Some can “see” & some cannot! Well done!
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Me, too! Thanks, Linda.
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HA! I love the convolution of instructions for instructions. You should get extra ditty points!!
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Thanks, Mary Lee. As I said, I’m always looking for the angle no one has tackled!
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So great to discover your poem on the padlet, Matt! As usual, you’ve put your own clever spin on the challenge. Was it satisfying to write? Seems like maybe it was! (I know I’d have a thing or two to say to any number of bad instruction sheets.) Always a pleasure to have you participate, even if it isn’t as often as you used to. 🙂
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It was very fun to write, Michelle, although the second stanza really stuck me – I had the hardest time figuring out how to use the word ‘diagram’!
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Oh my, can I ever relate! What a fun poem.
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Ha, thanks, Kay!
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Perfect after putting together an IKEA click-clack bed on Wednesday! Especially the diagrams.
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Funny how they never quite match the actual object, isn’t it?? Thanks, Jone!
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Love this, Matt, and I plan to save it and show to my husband the next time we bring something home from IKEA 🙂
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Ha, thanks, Kimberly!
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I can absolutely relate. These days, as I get older, it’s the making the print on the instructions too small to read!
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That, too – yes!
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Love your “Instructions for Instructions” poem Matt, and it’s moving beat throughout, thanks for sharing it with us!
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Thanks so much, Michelle!
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I love the “Instructions” poem. After recently putting together a new piece of IKEA furniture, I can completely relate!
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Ha, thanks, Angela. I see we are kindred spirits in our instruction-frustration!
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