Today’s hostess is Laura at “Writing the World for Kids.”
In response to Michelle Barnes’Â DMC for April/Poetry Month, I’ve created two “echo-based” acrostic poems.
The first echo photo-poem (a combo Haiku-acrostic), I do believe, was inspired by last week’s PF host, Amy VanDerwater’s reference to Wonderopolis and their posting of owl wonders.
It no doubt also helped the creative process that I am an inductive-approach teacher, whose family limits her to eight questions per day. Thus, by putting two questions in the mouth of my owl-subject, I rejoice in surreptitiously asking two extra questions every time I see this post!
Sorry to say, since the difference in color or feathers between male and female Barred Owls is nonexistent, and there was no other owl with whom to judge if the one pictured below is “fatter/heavier, fuller faced,” and ergo a female (sorry, ladies:), I couldn’t tell for sure if the Barred Owl featured in the photo is male or female.
Exercising poetic license, I opted to assume the owl was female rather male or neuter for these two reasons. In line two, “her” sounded much smoother than “its,” and the owl is vicariously me–though I’m more apt to ask what, where, when, why, how, and really, in keeping with my favorite inquiry words.
The second echo photo-acrostic poem will be the focus of next week’s PF post.
BTW, what is your favorite inquiry word?
cbhanek 
Clever poem. I feel like a bit of an owl myself, always asking questions. I guess it’s what makes us writers! My favourite inquiry word is probably why.
Thanks so much for taking time to read and to comment. I think you are exactly right; it’s our curiosity that motivates us to write. Thank you, too, for sharing your favorite inquiry word. I wonder if that’s the word that predominates in the minds of writers. (On a personal note, your choice of that word made me realize the liberating gift it was a number of years ago when a spiritual teacher encouraged me to stop asking pitifully “why me?,” and to start asking “why not me?”) You’ve inspired me to pay more attention to the inquiry ones I actually use. Being overly time conscious, I suspect, I (unnecessarily) ask a lot of “when?” God bless you! Thanks so much for your kind appraisal.
Twice curious! Cute. And I think maybe Sally’s why is mine, too. Although, all the W’s (and H) follow v.close behind!
Hmm…”kats whiskers”– no wonder you picked up on the “twice curious.” :)…Thank you so very much for reading and voicing your fav curiosity question. God bless you!
I loved your post, both poem and prose. Fun to see a little bit of your reasoning. My favorite inquiry word is why. Btw, I think it’s hysterical that your family limits you to 8 questions per day. Happy Poetry Month!
Thank you, amidst your PF hostessing responsibilities, for taking time to read, reflect, and share your fav inquiry word. …And, yes, it became quite a challenge to find our information without asking a question…:) God bless you! Happy Poetry Month to you, too!
“I rejoice in surreptitiously asking two extra questions every time I see this post!” Ha! That’s awesome, cb. I love the lightness and humor of this echo poem. Thanks for making me smile.
I never really thought about it before, but I’d have to say my favorite inquiry word is “which” (as in “which one?”) because it implies that we always have a choice.
Thank you for taking time to read, to affirm, and to share your philosophically powerful inquiry word! I love that “which one?,” as you said “implies that we always have a choice.” Ongoing thanks for the DMC which always inspires such joy in me to try to meet the new challenges you issue each month. God bless you, and thanks!
Delightful post. Delightful poem. I have a pair of barred owls in my trees. I can’t tell them apart either.
Thank you for reading and affirming; I appreciate your vote of confidence. I appreciate, too, that you can’t tell the barred owls apart:)..The public domain photo is so beautiful; I can only imagine the joy you have seeing them in person. Lucky you! God bless you.
When? When? As in when is my next cup of hot chocolate? 🙂 When are we on vacation? When do we have a party next?
Thank you for sharing your fav inquiry question, fleshed out with examples. I’m trying to get myself to metacognate on which questions predominate for me; without any lived evidence, I suspect I’m with you on “when-ing,” but with more cynicism–when is this going to start? When is this going to end? 🙂 God bless you!
I like to metacognate (great word) on when dinner is going to happen and when will my pad thai arrive? More food… LOL
🙂 You are too funny!…Hope the when has happened!
Yes, but quite late. I was starving and ordered too much food. Now I have leftovers for tomorrow. 🙂
🙂
Do you save up your questions or do you spend them with wild abandon? I am not sure what my favorite word of inquiry is, but I probably use “what” the most.
Thank you so much for taking time to read the post. Good question! I definitely save up my questions, using the daily allotment very judiciously. (Speaking of judiciously, my husband wishes I had pursued a law degree so I could exercise my question proclivity–questioning clients and witnesses all day long–and getting paid for it!) Since I never can be sure what I will most want to know in the unavoidable form of a question, I try to outsmart my family into revealing information in response to non-questions. To do that, I question myself on how I can make a statement to which they will willingly reply with the sought-after information; when I can’t think of how to do that, I use one of my “chips”–one of my short stock of questions. …Like you, I’m not sure what my fav inquiry word is…I need to listen to myself. Would be interesting, too, to compare spoken and unspoken questions. Oh, the joy–and sometimes unnecessarily complication–of having inquisitive minds! God bless you!
Fun poem–I especially like the phrase and idea of owl being “twice curious.”
Thank you for reading and commenting; so glad you found it fun. Thank you, too, for commenting on the phrase “twice curious.” What I find so amazing is that whenever I write in response to a prompt (as in Michelle’s DMC “echo” challenge), I “see” things that I’ve never seen before, and doubt that I ever would have seen otherwise! Thanks again! God bless you.
Wow. Echo, photo, acrostic, haiku…all in one! I like (sorry to break the rule and use two words) WHY NOT?
Thank you for taking time to read and to comment. The quick-witted humor in your comment (as always) makes me smile, happy that I gave the poem a try. Speaking of trying as it relates to this poem: echo, photo, acrostic: intentional; haiku: surprise. However, once I “saw” the haiku, when I revised, I made sure to follow the pattern. (I’m a good rule follower.) Thank YOU for breaking the rule. Love your “why not?” It’s so you, with your succinct creative wit. Reminds, me, too, of the multifaceted challenging… George B. Show/Robert Kennedy quote (paraphrased) some ask “why?” undesirable things are the way they are; others dream of alternatives–of making things better, and say, “Why not?” …You always make me think! Thank you; God bless!
I love the pairs in the poem! And that you made her a her. 🙂 As for my favorite inquiry word, have you any experience with the Private Eye method of inquiry? Great for poets. What does it look like? What else? What else? So I would choose WHAT as my favorite inquiry. Great question. Keep going with your echo poems! xo
Thank you for your generosity in taking time to read and to share your expert feedback. I very much appreciate your vote of confidence. As soon as I send this reply, I gratefully will research the Private Eye method of inquiry. Thank you so much for suggesting/introducing it. What a treat! (comment, not question; I do appreciate your identifying “what” is your favorite inquiry word.) Thank you, too, for the encouragement to keep going with the echo poems.
p.s. If you ever have time to check out last week’s PF post, I would appreciate it if you would: it ends with a big thank you to you! https://cbhanek.com/2016/04/01/lovely-lady-parasoled/
Very timely, cb, as I lead a presentation this week on questioning and wonder. My favorite inquiry word is why with a because attached to the response.
Thank you for taking time to read. Every blessing as you lead a presentation on questioning and wonder (tw0 of my most favorite activities:). “Why?” with a “because” attached to the response, suggests to me that you are, instinctively, a wonderer:). I see that now in your digital poems, even when the question is implied. God bless you! Happy inquiring!