“Check It Out” is hosting this week’s round-up: https://maclibrary.wordpress.com/
Since some of my elementary students really loved creating squeezed poems in response to Bob Raczka’s Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word, I couldn’t resist squeezing a poem of my own in response to Michelle Barnes’ 5-word Beastie poem challenge.
…Okay. So I couldn’t resist squeezing two poems–one beast from land; one from sea. (Hmm… where’s the beast from air? … I guess that one flew away…)
p.s. In case “Squeezed Poems” are new to you, as they were to me, the quick gist, as I understand it, is this: Write a poem based on as many words as you wish that are derived (anagram, style), solely from one start word, which serves as the poem’s theme or title. Sequence the words, vertically (as if squeezed out of the start word), so that they relate to each other and the starting word (perhaps telling a story).
Concerning my squeezed poems, I might have cheated by adding punctuation. I’m a punctuation freak. Sorry.
cbhanek 
Very cool! Kudos to you for capturing the essence of not one, but TWO beasties using the squeezed form. I love what Bob Raczka does with short form. I don’t think you were around when I featured him on TLD last November– here’s the link if you’re interested: http://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com/2014/11/spotlight-on-bob-raczka-dmc-challenge.html
Thanks so much, Michelle, for reading/affirming! Special thanks for taking time to share the link to your feature with B. Raczka. I really appreciate the way you always go out of your way for your fellow (in my case, fledgling) poets! God bless you!
OK! I have your “air” Beastie! Hope you don’t mind, but he just popped in! Love these!
“bee
bites;
bat
eats
it!”
I had others that were more than five words… Oh, and I like punctuation, too!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Not only for reading/commenting, but especially for giving wings to the punctuated air Beastie! I love it! Thank you!
Or do I have to have Beast in it?
Don’t think so…anyway, if we do, you’ve just created the squeezed poem, modified:)
Difficult form!! You do a great job. I especially like that Sea Beastie!
Thank you so much for reading/commenting. Your affirmation means so very much! Am glad you liked the Sea Beastie. If I could have had a sixth line, I would have had it beaten: bait, beat, baste, eat! Maybe it’s merciful for the poor sea beast I was constrained to just 5 lines.:) God bless you!
Long live the Sea Beast! Great poem.
Thank you so very much for taking time to read/comment. I appreciate your lively affirmation. God bless you!
Ooo, a new form for me. Love your anagram poems!
Thanks so much for reading/commenting. Thanks to Michelle Barnes, I can share w/you a link she shared with me this morning: http://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com/2014/11/spotlight-on-bob-raczka-dmc-challenge.html
Seems she interviewed the innovator of “squeezed poems” last year. I love the anagram challenge put into poem form. Glad you do, too! Would love to read any you do. Thanks again; God bless you!
Thanks so much for reading/commenting. Thanks to Michelle Barnes, I can share w/you a link she shared with me this morning: http://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com/2014/11/spotlight-on-bob-raczka-dmc-challenge.html
Seems she interviewed the innovator of “squeezed poems” last year. I love the anagram challenge put into poem form. Glad you do, too! Would love to read any you do. Thanks again; God bless you!
I love that book, thought it was so clever when it came out. It does teach us that definite things can be said just from a single word. I especially like that ‘bait & baste”.
Thank you so much, Linda, for reading & affirming! I love word play; it is amazing, as you pointed out, how much can be said from one not-too-long word! If I could have used 6 words instead of just 5, that sea beastie would have been beaten, too, before being eaten! “bait, beat, baste..” Alas the poor creature was spared:) Thanks again. God bless you!
I love Bob Raczka’s Lemonade book and this form. It’s hard, isn’t it?!? I love your sea beastie!
Thanks so much for taking time to read and to comment. So glad you enjoyed the sea beastie; I appreciate your affirmations!…Truthfully, with the help of online anagrams, it’s not that hard at all!:)…Now, creating the kinds of poetry everyone else does, that’s hard! God bless you. Thanks!
I love your beasties, with their elemental emergings.
Thank you so very much for reading/commenting/affirming! They really were fun challenges to write. So glad you enjoyed them. Thanks again! God bless you.
Made me want to write one, too. I’m so wordy, I’d probably have to start with supercalifragilisticexpialidotious. LOL
See now, I’d have the opposite problem…too many letters… too many choices…You’re the pro. truthfully, I’d love to see what you would create from super….You know what I mean. Makes me nervous even contemplating its length… Peace! And thanks so much for the professional conversation. I’m smiling, and that’s a nice way to end Poetry Friday. Thank you!
Yes, happy to chat with another writer of the wild, frivolous and vital. 🙂
🙂
Your sea beastie is squeezed to perfection! I need to try this form, looks like a challenge, but fun. =)
Thank you so very much for reading/affirming. I’m so glad you like the form; I look forward to enjoying some of what I know will be your own squeezed-to-perfection poems…p.s. Online anagram finders are a great help!!! God bless you. Enjoy!
What fun and a creative approach to the challenge! I thoroughly enjoyed your two poems and I’m excited to try squeezing my own poems. Thanks!
Thank you so very much for reading/affirming! There’s nothing more edifying than having someone like what you’ve done enough to want to do it themselves. Your enthusiasm is very gratifying. Hope you enjoy squeezing; would love to see your creations. God bless you!