Yesterday I had a wonderful visit with my daughter and 2 ½ year old grandson via Google chat. It was fun to be able to watch him have lunch and play with his little truck. It was fun to hear him say "Hi, Nannie!" and see him smile. I even held the computer so that he could see our new cat play with a cat toy and hear the cat meow...and then hear him meow back!
So I am combining my March Slice of Life at Two Writing Teachers with Poetry Jam today. The Poetry Jam challenge is to write a poem with "Bottle" in it or somehow incorporate the idea of a bottle in your poem. This is what I came up with:
How to Make a Toddler
a gallon of giggles
a vial of smiles
a bottle of boisterous
a jar of wiles
a bucket of laughter
a tank of tears
a jug of hugs
a flagon of fears
a flask of ask
a canteen of can’ts
an ampoule of no
a shaker of shan’ts
a keg of I can
a pitcher of pouts
a carton of pain
a decanter of doubts
a pot of play
a can of care
a vessel of love
a ewer of prayer
a drum of squeals
and two of delight
then add the stars
in a heavenly night
this container of toddler
as full as it seems
needs one more thing -
parent's blanket of dreams.
The part in red, I added this morning, per Andrew's thought that it needed something at the end. I totally agree! It was bugging me, but I decided to post it feeling unfinished. I was up by 4:30 this morning to look at it again, having auto published at midnight.
Oh, and changed "magnum" to "shaker". Magnum kept putting me in mind of Tom Selleck. So he's gone!
Now I can go back to bed for a bit! Aaah!
This is almost my favorite thing you've ever done. But...
ReplyDeleteI think it needs something at the end.
Thank you! I did it. Finished. Phew! Now back to bed for a few minutes.
DeleteHey! Yeah! That's awesome!
DeleteSo charming and sweet. And thoughtful - I don't think I could possibly come up with another bottle/vessel. Smiles.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I still had a cistern... but somehow that just didn't sound right anywhere!
DeleteI love this! So many words for containers and each one matched perfectly to contents. It did need an ending and you came through with a perfect one. The alliteration just added to the fun in this poem.
ReplyDeleteIt started out a whole different poem and evolved into this. And this one was fun to write.
Deleteha. very cute...they are precious at that age...and so much fun...and they will def wear you out as well...but...a shaker of shan'ts ha....yes cover it in that blanket of dreams...
ReplyDeleteI'm preparing to be worn out in the next few weeks as I babysit the toddler grandson. I have a few dreams of my own for him!
DeleteBeautiful, definitely makes me think of a toddler!
ReplyDeletehey..you've got the whole lot...wow
ReplyDeleteI don't think there are many other "bottle-like" containers left...
DeleteA very sweet, and exhaustive, list poem! You have certainly captured the energy and buoyancy of a lot of toddlers. And I like the ending.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess it needed to be exhaustive to mirror the exhaustion of having a toddler around...along with the energy and buoyancy! Yes, the ending was necessary!
DeleteThis is wonderful! I love the photograph, too. The poem made me teary-eyed. The ending definitely added a lot. Such colorful and effective language. Thanks for making my day a little brighter!
ReplyDeleteA bottle of boisterous it seems LOL
ReplyDeleteDelightful! I enjoyed the rhythm and rhyme within each line. Made it fun to read. And you definitely captured the toddler!
ReplyDeleteOh, enjoy that toddler stage. It is over way too soon! I like the idea of a 'flask of ask.' So typical of toddlers!
ReplyDeleteDonna this was So. Much. Fun! Very impressive all the vessels and their contents, that took some thought, and yet it all flowed beautifully. Love the ending too. Wonderful :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sara! I'm glad I added the ending, too.
DeleteLike Andrew said, it's one of the best, Donna. You are just so clever with the word choices, and the ending does wrap it well. I like shaker much better too. So happy you got to have the visit, too. Wonderful technology! I wrote after you commented this am that I was able to listen to a live stream of Carter's band contest performance - & text him after. What a joy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, LInda! It is so great that we can stay in touch nowadays!
DeleteIf you could bottle a toddler it would be a hit, especially is you could re sell it !! Loved the way you convey love and enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteI love it! Sounds just like my two--year old grandson.
ReplyDeleteMy grandson is 2 1/2 and I guess that's where the inspiration came from! Aren't they just wonderful beings?
DeleteYou certainly know what fills the world of a toddler...this is so adorable!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carrie! Nice to meet you! I just dropped by your Poetry Jam post and enjoyed reading your poem today.
DeleteThis is delightful .. and true! After two grown-up grandchildren, I miss those days, will have to wait for my great-grands.
ReplyDelete(nice to know someone else gets up in the middle of the night to do a bit of editing!)
What a great poem! Enjoyed reading it very much!
ReplyDelete