This poetry idea is part of VerseLove, our celebration of poetry for National Poetry Month. Learn more here.
Our Host: Stefani Boutelier
Stefani is an Associate Professor of Education at Aquinas College in Michigan. She teaches courses for pre-service and in-service teachers in instructional design, literacy, ed tech, and research methods. Her K-12 teaching was in California prior to moving into teacher preparation. She is also the co-author (with Sarah) of Teaching Poetry in a Digital World; Inspiring Poetry Writing through Technology in Grades 6–12.
Last year, I wrote about ways to gamify poetry on Ethical ELA. I am a huge fan of gamification and poetry–maybe I need a half-time from this obsession. We play games in so many places–tables, fields, airports, devices, at home and away. Games bring us all together, building community and connections in ways that cross all intersections of our lived experiences.
One game I love is the daily NYT Connections Game (find four groups of 4). I used Flippity to create one for us today. ➡️PLAY here to warm up for today’s prompt.
➡️Stefani’s 4×4 Rally
strategize, dink
foodless kitchen
volley, ace, lob
don’t get pickled
➡️Your Turn
I invite you to have fun without any competition today. Write about games (board games, puzzles, role-playing games, game shows, sporting events, riddles, etc.). A few forms to consider:
- A 4×4 similar to the Connections game or Denise’s writing; this could be four words, four syllables, up to four stanzas, or just four lines.
- Word play with a Wordle-inspired poem (use the Wordle word of the day or play with variations of 5-letter words).
- A double nonet (1-9+9-1) where your first word is Start and your last word is Finish (or similar binaries related to games (e.g., first/last, go/stop).
- Or, as always, play away with your own style and theme.
➡️BONUS Round: I know many of you love the metaphor dice and might not know the digital version is gone. You can use Flippity’s Randomizer to create your own for your age group, content, etc. It always makes me think of the original Price is Right! Here is one metaphor randomizer my grad student made for their fifth graders (shared with permission by Chiara Hemsley).
Balls, bases, bats, balks
Bats swinging, stealing bases
home runs, big leagues
Blue, bag, bullpen, bunt
K- thank you for joining and writing about the playful game of baseball. All the “b”s flow well and make me think of the noises on the diamond!
Stefani, I’m totally addicted to all the word games–connections and strands and the mini and the OG digital word game, Wordle. I’m all in on pickleball too, so I dug your dink! in your poem, lol!
SPOILER ALERT: I gave away the wordle word of the day today at the end, so if you haven’t played yet, please skip this poem!
Wordle, we need to talk…
We go back for a while now,
I feel like I’ve practically known you
since print, and, yes, I know that’s silly,
and we’ve had our laughs–I remember “savvy” and “snafu”
but you’ve had quite the week, this week,
way more snafu than savvy, and, I know you see other people,
but I couldn’t help but feel that Thursday was somewhat personal…
I’m not one to get hung up on silly milestones,
but Thursday would’ve been 100 days in a row
of completing, well, you. No matter where I am,
what time it is, I always check in–so 100 days
felt kinda special, so keeping that in mind,
WHAT the &#@! is a CUBIT?!?!?
And why, on day 100, is that the word???
What did I do to you to deserve that nonsense?
I mean, I know words, it’s kinda my thing,
and never in my ever-word-loving life
have I come across CUBIT, which,
by the way, you sprinkled in
with “ELFIN”, “BELLE”, and “TOADY”
this week, which almost made me stop
playing. But I didn’t. And I won’t.
I just had to let you know where I STAND.
(which was the wordle word today and
I got it in 2!)
Dave, that is right! There were some doozies in this week’s words! As a Wordle player, I love your poem. It’s so relatable! Your riff on snafu and savvy is great.
Haha. I was thinking Cubit was the word and I was like that’s not the word I got. The first word I put in today was stain, so I got stand on the second try also. Woop! Love this poem addressed to the game!
Dave, this is a fun personification and play with Wordle and your verse. I feel the frustration too! Thank you for sharing.
Dave! You capture the frustration that comes with Wordle’s sometimes ridiculous words! This was great at making us feel what you are feeling and even letting us recognize how we feel sometimes!
Hi Stefani, after hosting yesterday I thought I had nothing left in me but I LOVE GAMES. I’m surprised I’ve never gotten around to gamifying my classroom. You have offered so much for us today. I used words from Strands to create a 4×4. The hint was “gloriously glaring” the rest of the g words were strands. And “catch the light” was the spangram.
Have you been told
How much you glow?
In just a way
Only you can
The stars glittered
Tonight because
They wanted to
Appear like you
Up in the sky
Gloriously
Glaring at you
And your glimmer
I’d tell you to
Catch the light
But already
You shine so bright
🌟
Angie, thank you for hosting yesterday! I’m glad that you were able to write today too. I really love that last stanza! I have to give the 4×4 a shot because your poem sounds so good!
Angie, clever poem. Lots of fun! I love the sweet message of celebrating the shine of the poet’s audience.
Angie, this was fun, particularly because I just did the Strands this morning before returning back here. Sometimes it amazes me by the potential connections we have across the world–you in Mauritius, nearly a day ahead and completing the same puzzle:) I’d never really put it together, just how many “g” words truly shine. Thank you for your glowing poem today.
Awww. This is a wonderfully sweet poem. I love how you gleaned the g words, all while lifting up your subject and shining a light on their light.
Angie! I love your descriptive language in this! you do a good job of showing and not telling!
Stefani, wow! You are always thinking out of the box in your prompts. Fascinating! I enjoyed playing the Flippity Connections. (It was easier than the real one today!) And the metaphor randomizer is a great resource. Thanks to Chiara. Thanks for the shout out too. I had some thoughts today–not very digested yet…
Is the World Gamifying our Systems?
On this day when we celebrate my hubby’s birthday
(and this community writes poems about games),
on this day, as it draws to a close,
it seems to be a game with no winners.
I have four hours left in a 48-hour contest—
a game of writing a poem in two days
with ten impossible words chosen for me.
It’s been a busy weekend, and I forgot all about my
2-Day Contest until I read the 12-hour reminder
this afternoon. So I came back after a busy day
to bring my ten words
(and an apology to Glenda)
to gamify this poem,
to consider the gamification of the whole of society.
Is this world maneuvering us into a zugzwang,
where we each risk losing our way?
Alicia, drunk and grieving in the Kroger parking lot,
deals with her partner’s recent death by shouting–
with pizzazz and passion–her progressive values.
If she’d have had a megaphone at a No Kings rally,
everyone would have responded with cheers
and nodded approval at the way she was able to express herself–
“Hooray, she’s ringing out our values too.” But, this Sunday,
the sniffishness of the shoppers just seems cruel,
a vigil of indifference for her and her dead partner.
Even those of us who tried to comfort her
were each reduced to a clam of meekness.
I could go on about a day of eggshells and
changing genders halfway through life,
medication and therapy that seem
to keep one fixed in the original state,
the ululation of a three-year-old that keeps all on edge,
and conjures up future Lord of the Flies vibes,
and mutes the familiar deipnosophist.
It seems today that we are in a funk of broken rules.
Like each of us is a doomed solivagant
in a lawsuit against humanity.
Losing to the depth of us,
to the heart, to the core,
to the bone of us,
the moan of us,
a lost hope of us.
Geez Denise, you sent me down a rabbit hole with many new words. And those last five lines. Those will stay with me for a long time or forever. Thanks for sharing the story.
Denise, wow, you have a lot here and hope you made it on time. My favorite lines are “clam of meekness” and “lawsuit against humanity.”
Stefani, thanks for this prompt. I love how your lines alternated between verbs and objects, creating a picture of movement and description. I enjoyed thinking about a family tradition around a game today. I went a little off of the double nonet syllable count, but this is a draft I might return to.
Grandma’s Rules
She
would not
teach children
under eight, so
on birthdays when she
shuffled magically,
gleam in her eye, you knew it
was time to learn the difference
between pegging cards, hand cards, crib cards,
each serving their own purpose. It
must have frustrated her to
watch us struggle with concepts
so basic to her
they were like breathing
but she loved us
and she loved
cribbage
Brenna, I love your moving from the two perspectives–your grandma’s seriousness about cribbage vs. the young children not quite understanding. This long line illustrates visually the complexity of the game…”between pegging cards, hand cards, crib cards”
I’ve still never played cribbage but I love the fact that your grandma chose the cut off age of 8 and I love the image of “shuffles magically / gleam in her eye”. Thanks for sharing this!
Brenna, thank you for dealing this out for us:) I love that your grandmother had a set age for teaching these games. Thank you for sharing.
Brenna! I loved the way you captured your family traditions! These family moments are so important and you created told us about it beautifully!
After shaking,
They’d settle down—
Sixteen white cubs
Arranged in rows.
Looking across,
Down and around,
Letters linking,
Jotting down words.
When time was up,
We’d read our lists,
Assigning points
By letter count.
I was always
Amazed at him—
His word savvy.
Boggle with Dad
What a fun memory you’ve shared with us, Julie. The firm works so well here.
Julie, your stanzas build a narrative of how to play and also of a connection and admiration for your father. Thank you for sharing today.
So much here. I love the personification in the boggle cubes in the opening stanza, and then the way it creeps toward your dad at the end—such a satisfying reveal.
Julia, Boggle was our family game, too, and this brought back so many great memories!
Fun memory of playing Boggle. I liked being kept until the end to know what game it was.
I love this memory poem of Boggle with your dad. I need to write one for any of the games I played with family. My dad is like that with Scrabble. Thanks for sharing.
Is there a way to edit? I love that all of you know that I meant cubes, not cubs. LOL!
This flooded me with memories! My dad was dyslexic and Boggle was difficult at first, but he persisted for years and through lots of being made fun of for his words. But before his life was over he could beat us all, even my Mom, who I would call a wordist. She knows millions of words and their meanings. Thank you for this trip down memory lane in the very best way!
Playing the Game
Start.
Play nice.
Don’t make waves.
Don’t get too close
or open your heart
too wide. Don’t get over-
involved with their problems, their
lives. You’re just a teacher, not their
friend. Keep a professional distance.
Friend, bridge that distance with love and care.
You’re not just a teacher: you’re a
mom, a dad, away from home
(they’ll call you that, sometimes).
Get involved, a lot.
Open your heart.
And your mouth.
Make waves.
Finish.
Preach it!! So much truth and heart in this poem ! Written in the true nature of teaching! We need to yell this from the rooftops!
thank you
Love this! Thank you for opening your heart!
Wendy,
I feel the tension immediately in “Play nice. Don’t make waves.” a familiar script that begins to tighten as it goes. The turning point in “Friend, bridge that distance with love and care” feels powerful, like a voice that interrupts the rules and offers something more human. You hold that push and pull so honestly, especially in “You’re just a teacher… You’re not just a teacher,” where identity keeps expanding beyond expectation. Oh, I carry this phrase with me all the time. That word “just.” Whew.
Sarah
Wendy, I enjoyed reading this backward as well as from the top. Your middle line of bridging the distance works well to bring this all together. Thank you for sharing here today.
Oh, I really love the turning point in this one: “friend, bridge that distance with love and care” is such a gentle and true sentiment about the meeting in the middle we must do. Loved this piece.
Wendy, this is such a great poem and exploration of what it is to be a teacher. That line, “Friend, bridge that distance with love and care” is such a keystone to this poem and really to how we live our lives as teachers.
Stefanie,
This was the perfect prompt for me. We saw a water puppet show last night in Hanoi. It inspired my poem.
Lotus Water Puppet Theater
Chen folk tunes
play for poor Tue,
farmer puppet,
humorous guy.
King Le Loi
caught a holy
sword on water
lake. While boating
giant turtle
stole glowing sword
and dove into
Green Water Lake.
Xa Thuonig song
plays for farmer
harvesting crops
working rice fields.
Old man chases
foxes, grazes
ducks, lives his life—
optimistic
Vietnamese
people praising
nature hoping
for a good life.
Glenda Funk
April 19, 2026
*We are on our way to the airport for our flight home after wonderful travels in Cambodia and Vietnam. I’ll be commenting ASAP.
Sorry about the e, Stefani. I forgot to double check spelling before posting.
Oh, how lovely. The title feels good to utter aloud. I’m gently carried into the scene with “Chen folk tunes / play for poor Tue,” such a musical opening that feels like the curtain rising on something both cultural and intimate. I know you know your theatre. I bet you loved this dearly.
The storytelling through moments like “giant turtle / stole glowing sword” brings legend and history into motion, almost like the puppets themselves are moving across the water in our minds. I am thinking of the audience as a kind of puppet participant. A sense of tradition flows through each stanza, honoring both myth and daily life. You did good here.
Sarah
Glenda, wow, I love how well this poetry form works for sharing the puppet show and take. The rhythm is engaging and the details vivid to retell the narrative. Your final stanza is poignant. Your Canva is truly gorgeous. Love the images and rich colors. Safe travels!
I just love how you are sharing such a special trip with us via your poetry, Glenda. Your poem could be a postcard with such vivid imagery.
Glenda, safe travels back. I am enjoying your visual and also just got sidetracked with other imagery and history of Vietnamese water puppetry. Thank you for bringing this to our space today and sharing this playful experience.
What a moment you’ve shared. I love how you capture the scenes of the story and end in synthesis of that human experience. Really lovely.
Glenda, I’m so impressed that you guys take the time to go to shows and tours and sightseeing extraordinaire. I hope the final leg of your travel goes well. The details of the puppet show are interesting, and I especially love the closing, which summarizes beautifully.
thank you for a wonderful prompt!
Moment
I love to play,
what lies awake,
in a day,
for I cannot take.
Yet,
this game I make it
Through,
From the past,
small peek a boos.
In the future,
I also fret,
still I am here,
On ya’ mark,
Ready, set?
and
the present,
A wonderful spin,
merry go round,
again to begin.
but,
the pause,
Like this spot,
…….
In the air,
…..
Hopscotch.
oh,
How the game comes
for my eyes,
Only when they’re,
shut,
do I realize.
This game,
Is not only mine,
it’s being watched by,
Spirits divine.
How I play,
will be my closure.
Will He call me,
In Red Rover?
-Boxer
Boxer,
What really stays with me in your poem is the pause, “….. / In the air.” A suspended moment where everything slows, almost asking the reader to feel time rather than rush through it. And then “Only when they’re, / shut, / do I realize” carries a quiet awareness, as if insight comes in stillness. Nice.
Sarah
Boxer, your flow provides a story of so many stories and feelings of emotions that are brought forth with games we play. The short lines also provide a feel for quick-paced gaming. Thank you for sharing today.
Rita’s poem about Bananagrams got me thinking about games with my mom, and that led to this . . .
Never play card games with my mother.
She will wollop you. Kindly, of course.
I seriously think she generates extra Draw 4 cards in Uno,
Then hands them to me three turns in a row,
To the point where my ten-year-old-kid-sized hands can’t hold cards without dropping them.
Don’t get me started on Monopoly,
Where she ALWAYS owns Boardwalk,
And I ALWAYS land on it after she’s built a hotel.
She just laughs and says, “Aren’t games fun?”
At Christmas I joined my mom at Bingo at her assisted living place,
Finding amusement in how each woman had at least two Bingo cards going at once.
I don’t think there’s really any strategy for Bingo,
But boy, those ladies wanted the little tickets they could save up for end-of-month prizes.
Mom always wins lots of tickets.
I taught Mom how to play Garbage that Christmas visit,
And soon she’d mastered beating me at that game, too.
Maybe we should give up on games and do a jigsaw puzzle instead.
I can’t get beaten at that.
Sheila,
I’m laughing at “She will wollop you. Kindly, of course,” such a perfect blend of affection and warning. The phrase in “my ten-year-old-kid-sized hands can’t hold cards” captures that playful frustration so well, where losing becomes part of the story you tell together.
Sarah
The second stanza . . . I love the repetition of ALWAYS. I can picture her ALWAYS winning, smiling, and asking, “Aren’t games fun?”
Sheila, I am enjoying everyone’s take on gaming today. I love the twist of “playing” a jigsaw at the end so you can’t be beaten! Nothing like quiet bonding over puzzling. Thank you for sharing.
Hues and Cues
Together we gather
All thoughts and opinions
As we start to describe such a color
Clever the clues others use to guess
Helping us all to connect
A common ground
Altogether
Ivy, the title of your poem is inviting, and I want to know how hues and cues are connected. “Clever the clues others use to guess” also sounds like a puzzle to solve–love the inverted sentence order!
Ivy,
Welcome! Glad you joined us today.
I’m really drawn to “Clever the clues others use to guess,” such a playful way to capture how language stretches and bends to meet one another.
The gathering in “Together we gather / All thoughts and opinions” feels warm and collaborative, like meaning is being built in real time rather than handed over. A sense of shared discovery runs through the poem, where each voice adds another shade.
What stays with me is “A common ground / Altogether.” A quiet harmony lives in those closing words, where difference becomes connection, and understanding grows not from certainty, but from trying together.
Peace,
Sarah
Ivy, the starting line with “we gather,” complements your ending line of “altogether.” This is a fun game to play!
The yellow bag has a special place.
On our kitchen table it owns a space.
When dinner is done and the dishes are stacked,
My husband or I grabs the lettered pack.
We spread out the squares and then begin
to choose twenty-one tiles and hope to win.
We found this game four years ago.
The perfect way to prevent brain-slow.
Bananagrams breaks the monotony
when two retirees have no place to be.
Oh, Rita. We were just talking about retirement. My husband retired this year to travel with me on my sabbatical. He can’t wait to get back home to really retire. What stays with me is “when two retirees have no place to be.” A gentle ease lives there, where time opens up and is filled with small, shared joys. The game becomes more than a pastime, a way of keeping minds active and hearts connected, one tile at a time.
Sarah
Rita,
I too imagine what life will be like as empty nesters and in retirement. You’ve done such a sweet and endearing job of capturing the intimate moments — one-on-one time with a loved one. Bananagrams is so much fun. Our game of choice these days is Yahtzee.
Rita, thank you for sharing this intimate kitchen activity with us:) Do you keep an ongoing tally of scores? Have you tried Quirkle? That’s another fun tiles in a bag game we enjoy.
I have such a love for Bannagrams! I love the beautiful picture reading this created in my mind!
I love Bananagrams! Except that when I play it with my mom, she doesn’t realize she made up words and we have to start over . . .
Rita, what a beautiful after-dinner tradition for the two of you. I need to look up the game. Maybe, we will play too, occasionally. I am still working, but my hubby retired two years ago. I like how you wrote your poem in rhymed couplets; it allows the poem to flow freely without a rush.
Thanks for hosting and sharing this clever idea. I’m putting on my thinking cap and hope to write a “winning” poem.
Hi Stefani,
What a delightful way of orchestrating fun for a Sunday! Thanks for your playful poem.
I tried my hand at the metaphor randomizer.
My words were Donuts, frightening, and path. I have to say — it was not something that clicked right away. Happy to report that I was able to concoct a poem using the metaphors. The irony is I have a sweet spot for donuts. So here’s my poem that lets you in on my secret. Can’t say it’s a helpful tip.
Time to make the donuts
The color of love
deepened with each donut
forgetting the diet plan
every path opens now
Darshna, that last word, path, is a challenge with the others for sure! Your line, coloring each donut with love reminds me of the years my daughter worked for making batch after batch of donuts at an apple farm. They were supposedly made with love, but she now hates donuts and even the smell!
Darshna, you’ve verbalized in a crisp, poetic style the tendency many of us have… to make excuses for eating delicious food with lots of calories and little nutrition. We love it, so we should have what we love, even though it frightens us to think of the negative health consequences. For me, it’s falling off the wagon again, too soon!
What fun to see how you used the three words so effectively. Good for you! Treat yourself to a donut!
I’m delighted by “The color of love / deepened with each donut,” such a rich, unexpected way to connect sweetness and feeling. The shift into “forgetting the diet plan” carries a kind of joyful permission, a moment where rules soften and pleasure takes the lead. It feels light, a little rebellious, and warmly human.
Sarah
I’m feeling the color of love in this poem and am always thankful when such temptation is around me (of course, I have pomegranate lemon cheesecake in the fridge). It never ends! I laughed at your tile and four lines.
Darshna, thank you for your vulnerability and sharing this secret with us today:) I am a maple bar fan when I get to a real donut shop (not the trendy, over-flancy fancy ones).
Oh, boy, I feel the love deepening and path opening. Yes, those diet plans can go! Very fun poem!
Ooh, after this example, I might try the metaphor randomizer!
I agree it’s time to make some donuts, Darshna! You’ve faced the challenge so gracefully – “The color of love deepened with each donut” — priceless.
First Game
When the cavemama
Paused from scratching
Existence from wild berries
And fat grubs–
She placed her hands
Over her weary eyes
Then glanced down to where
Her fleshy cavebaby lay
On the deerhide, softened by
Her own stained teeth.
He squealed when his
Mama’s eyes appeared from
Behind those amazing fingers
And opposable thumbs.
Peek-a-boo.
Allison,
The playfulness and mischief really comes through in the best poetic way. I love the peek-a-boo at the end. Perfect!
Allison,
I’m immediately taken by “scratching / Existence from wild berries,” such a vivid way to imagine survival, where every moment feels earned and physical. The tenderness in “her fleshy cavebaby lay / On the deerhide” brings a softness into that rugged world, grounding the poem in care and connection.
Sarah
Allison, this is so heartwarming and clever! Fleshy cavebaby and deerhide are my favorite images. Thank you for sharing the first “game” this way.
Allison, what the hey! Your poem is brilliant! I love the visceral images in this one especially the stained teeth and how your poem lands on peek-a-boo. What a fun shift!
I enjoyed all the connections in your poem. It’s so easy to feel like we have left our instincts behind. You prove here that the simplest is still among us.
thank you
I love this poem so much. I love the idea of creating time to play in the midst of survival– also the connection between tired, overwhelmed cave mama and that fleshy cavebaby.
Allison, I love this depiction of the “First Game”! Your vivid details are so good — “scratching / Existence from wild berries,” “fleshy cavebaby,” and “deerhide, softened by / Her own stained teeth.” So good!
Hi Stefani, and hello everyone. I’m usually so serious in my attempt at poetic endeavors, I don’t often have “fun” with it. These are great prompts to bring the fun. I’m sure my students would enjoy these more than my usual poetry fare.
Hey Chat GPT? Give me 16 random words
Lantern
Gravel
Whisper
Orbit
Rust
Meadow
Flicker
Anchor
Velvet
Drift
Ember
Hollow
Tangle
Ripple
Summit
Glimmer
OK Here we have
Lantern, flicker, ember, glimmer
summit, tangle, orbit,
gravel, whisper, velvet,
anchor, hollow, rust,
“Nice set—there’s a really strong mood here. Want something you can use with students or your own writing? Here are a few directions using your words:
1. Quick 4-line poem (model for students):
Lantern light begins to flicker,
An ember hums, a quiet glimmer.
At the summit, thoughts still orbit,
Through gravel whispers, soft as velvet.
2. Creative writing prompt:
Write a short scene where a character finds an anchor in a hollow place. Include at least five of your words. Try to show a feeling of being “stuck” or “tangled,” and let rust symbolize something from the past.
3. Sentence challenge (good for your class):
Have students write:
4. Expanded imagery line (more advanced model):
The rusted anchor lay in the hollow, half-buried in gravel, while a lantern’s flicker cast a velvet glimmer that seemed to orbit the tangled edges of memory.
If you want, I can turn this into a full short story or a structured classroom activity sheet.”
these are my connections. How did you know I wanted to write some poetry?
“Fair question—I didn’t know, I just made a pretty safe guess based on what you gave me.
The words you chose lean heavily toward imagery and mood (lantern, flicker, ember, glimmer, velvet, whisper, hollow). That kind of vocabulary shows up way more often in poetry or descriptive writing than in, say, argumentative or informational writing. On top of that, you grouped them in a loose, almost stanza-like way instead of a straight list, which feels intentional.
Also, from earlier in our conversation history, you’ve asked for writing prompts and creative structures before, so I leaned in that direction.
That said, your set actually works just as well for other kinds of connections:
So if you weren’t going for poetry, I’m curious—what kind of connections were you building?”
oh, just trying to play connections like from the New York Times
“Ahh got it—that makes perfect sense. I went full English-teacher mode when you were actually in puzzle mode
This is very Connections-coded though. Your groupings feel close to how the game works—some are tight, some are a little trickier/looser:
If you wanted to tighten it to a more “official puzzle” feel, usually each group has a very specific, shared rule, like:
Right now yours are more thematic, which is actually harder in some ways.
If you want, I can:
No, I can’t now, I gotta go
“All good—catch you later”
Wow! This makes me wish I had a classroom again so I could try these out.
Luke, your extended response shows the versatility of working with words and giving students a choice of which words, as long as they.
Both are important pedagogical strategies: “guided choice” for a “specific purpose”.
When we, the teachers, know what students know and are learning, having options like the ones you describe will help us present choices that students love and tend to respond to better than a single way to do everything!
Thanks for taking the time to think this through, then write it out and share it with us. You’re demonstrating the value of the group …. one more time!
Luke,
Thanks for sharing your poetry and gaming fun filled with so many creative possibilities. You’ve got me thinking… I will need to try my hand at some of these prompts.
Luke, thank you for playing with AI and sharing out possible outputs and directions this can take us. Let us know how it goes if you use any of this is practice.
Stefani, this is a great prompt! I love Connections (and Wordle, and Strands, and…) I also love games of all kinds. My family always played tons of games together, and I bring them into my classroom to share with my students. This is about one game we play.
Taboo Joy
Taking a break
from class routine–
“Let’s play a game!”
reluctantly
(at least at first),
but, the break sounds
good, so students
tentatively
join in. Before long,
breathless laughter–
a welcome break–
fills the classroom.
Taboo, a game,
all can join in
and together
enjoy the break.
Julie, I love how you identify games as a break and yet often times do so much to build needed relationships in the classroom. Taboo is a great one. Thank you for sharing today.
I love how a quick game can be just the ticket when a class needs a unifying moment of laughter. Better yet when the games challenge kids to use their words. I have not tried Taboo, but I will now!
Julie, What stays with me is “all can join in.” A quiet inclusivity lives there, where play becomes a way of bringing everyone together. A sense of permission grows through the poem, reminding us that learning spaces can hold laughter, connection, and a kind of joyful release right alongside everything else.
Sarah
Julie, I was just reading Susan’s poem about games being bonding, and I see that same connection reflected in your poem. “All can join in…together…” with the laughter – that’s bonding, and it’s so valuable. Heaven knows the break is valuable! You’re an intuitive teacher, perceiving what the kids need. And your title is so wonderful and fun.
Julie,
Our family loves games, and your poem reminded me of the good old days. We would have game marathons anyhwere from card games to board games. Taboo is so much fun! Perfect way to bond and laugh. Nice job capturing the essence of fun!
Julie, the break to play is a welcome sigh of relief – – a game, a time to let the brain take a breath from all the thinking. I like that class routines can take a pause.
Julie, I really enjoyed how you show the positive effect the game Taboo has with the class. I think this game challenges kids to think, and I love the poetry form you’ve chosen to capture the classroom joy.
I like the way you used a game as a break from the normal classroom routine! I also like how you described Taboo as a game where everyone can join!
Such an inventive prompt, Stefanie! So many applications, especially in the classroom.
Bonding Games
games build a bond
across the miles
across the years
they help tether
screen hours add up
games build a bond
New York Times app
Crossplay with friends
family game night
‘round the table
games build a bond
fighting, laughing
one versus one
four versus four
any set-up
games build a bond
~Susan Ahlbrand
19 April 2026
Susan, I keep eyeing Crossplay and might try it now. I love this bonding weave you build throughout this poem around games. Thank you for sharing today.
Susan, I remember so many board games from childhood – and Yahtzee, and jacks. My mother played with us kids, laughing, and it is a wonderful memory, considering how things fell apart later in life. Games are bonding. The shared experience does transcend time and space. That’s what it’s all about – the shared experience. Your poem encapsulates and conveys this so well.
Susan,
I love how “games build a bond” becomes a kind of refrain, steady and reassuring as it echoes through each stanza. The reach of connection feels especially strong in “across the miles / across the years,” where play stretches beyond distance and time. Even “screen hours add up” is gently reframed into something meaningful, a way of staying linked rather than drifting apart.
Sarah
I remember how I used to always play games with my family! Those times were the best and you captured the feeling very well!
Stefani – I am utterly enthralled – so many fabulous options today! I love playing Connections even more than Wordle. I am hoping this keeps my brain supple and dementia-free in years to come. But then… poetry-writing should surely do so as well, should it not? It is, after all, creative, triumphant puzzle-solving at its best-? Although I am not so sure about “triumph” with the form I chose today. I adore metaphor, but I am not great (at all) with metaphor dice. I was only going to take a quick peek – out of curiosity – at the metaphor randomizer – wasn’t going to actually try it – when I found myself giving the first column a whirl and it landed on… “birds.” – BIRDS. (All y’all who know me will recognize this extreme significance; what are the odds??). No choice after that. I rolled birds, pillowy, and table. Ummm…I considered re-rolling those last two words and decided, No, this is what I’ve been given; let me see what I can make of it. I can say with complete confidence that this is not the weirdest poem I ever wrote, nor my best…but I am gonna let it fly, ha. Thanks so much for the truly delightful invitation.
Carried from a Realm Beyond
(meta: beyond, over + phora: carried
=metaphor, carried over from one realm to another)
Birds are a pillowy table
where my thoughts land to rest
daily soul-sustenance
the divine offers its guest
Birds are a pillowy table
cushions o’er splintered wood
softening the broken places
feathering the cracks with good
Birds are a pillowy table
and have been, all my life,
winging hope and awe
into every season of strife
Birds are a pillowy table
—dinosaurs, says science,
sole remnant of mass extinction
—the Lord smiles: Reliance
Birds are a pillowy table
I see them in my dreams:
eagles, crows, peacocks, hens…
constant presence, it seems
I wouldn’t have thought
to put it this way
one roll of metaphor dice
compels me thus to say:
Birds are a pillowy table
(sense it if you’re able)
Oh, wow! I love the idea of birds as a pillowy table! It’s amazing to see the flights of fancy metaphor dice can take us on, and you committed fully to the journey! My favorite stanza is the one about dinosaurs, rhyming science and reliance–genius!
Fran, I am glad you took the randomizer challenger and produced a draft of such a fun, pillowy poem. Yes, birds was meant for you today. Thank you for sharing your thought process and your verse.
You’re amazing! The third stanza is especially lovely and gives us a glimpse into your love of birds.
Fran, that line, birds are a pillow table, is just perfect to carry you through the realms. This took a lot of thinking and certainly was a great exercise for your brain – and mine as well!
Fran,
I’m so taken by “Birds are a pillowy table,” such a generous metaphor that keeps opening the more it’s repeated.
Each return to that line feels like a soft landing, especially in “where my thoughts land to rest.” A sense of refuge grows there, where the natural world becomes a place of nourishment and quiet restoration. The phrase “feathering the cracks with good” is especially beautiful, too, holding care and healing in such a gentle image.
Sarah
Fran, the universe has spoken. I suppose those dice are so much like the sorting hat…..you got birds! Even the dice know. And such wonders unfold with each stanza, the rhyme scheme, the metaphor that carries a new thought each time and continues delivering right to the end….in a way that “I wouldn’t have thought to put it this way….” puts a new spin on your words, your thoughts, and you gave it wings. And it flies high!
Fran, what a compelling line you’ve chosen to draw us into your poem and to create a metaphor. I really enjoyed the birds you see in your dreams. This is one of my favorite times of the year as we begin to see orioles return and a wealth of gold finches at the feeders. They do wing hope and awe.
Fran, I don’t know how, but you did it–accepted the challenge and crafted a poem full of wonder, wisdom, warmth, and reflection. The second stanza is my favorite. It turns birds into protectors softening the pain and “feathering the cracks with good.” The word choices, the rhythm, the rhymes create such a pleasant cadence. Just amazing!
Stefani, Thanks for hosting and sharing the links. I do love playing games, especially word games and cards, but I’ve always had a distaste for some. Maybe because of the way they had to end which inspired my poem and that sort of feels like a reflection of today’s world.
It’s a Billionaire’s World
be the first to pass go
avoid jail time
buy prime properties
especially Park Place and Boardwalk
buy, buy, buy
hotels, motels, railroads
drain everyone’s funds
feed the greed
‘cuz there’s never enough
isn’t winning fun?
Barb Edler
19 April 2026
“
.
Barb, I never liked Monopoly. It’s truly “a Billionaire’s World” as you named it in the title. Beyond the joke, the truth is it’s about “feed the greed / ‘cuz there’s never enough.” Great take on this propmt!
Wow, Barb, you were able to draft a gamified social commentary here today. Ugh, your last line/question is dark and critical for the dissection of our current state of affairs. Thank you for sharing today.
Barb, your message is clear and loud here, and I am feeling my One Little Word for last year creep back up and flash a smile: enough. What a lesson on the Monopoly board – – a lesson I’ve never really considered as much as your last line has made me think. Wow!
Barb, I so loved playing Monopoly as a kid, always had to buy Boardwalk and Park Place, tried to buy as many railroads as possible…my kids loved it and the youngest thought every time the power went out it was time to play Monopoly because we did it during one extended outage, to pass the time. Now my granddaughters love it and I can’t recall why I ever did. “Feed the greed/’cuz there’s never enough/ isn’t winning fun” – yes, it’s a reflection of the world where people care most for lining their pockets over the well-being of fellow humans. You nailed it in so few lines.
Oh, goodness…I toyed with the idea of writing about Monopoly–the marathon games my brother and I played which always, ALWAYS ended with him owning everything and me owning nothing and me throwing the board at him. Oddly (ironically?), he’s now a bigwig in finance and I’m a…teacher (I honestly think I got the better end of the deal, albeit the one with less money). I love your title paired with your last line. It IS a billionaire’s world.
Ooooh. Your last line nailed it. I sometimes wonder how the billionaires feel, with all the money, as realize their wealth gives then no free pass through life’s essential questions: how to love / how to face death. No amount of money can answer those lonely questions for any of us.
Barb,
Well! You’ve done it again, this is so on point! The need to consume and monoploize all the premiums within society. The use of the monopoly game pieces is perfect.
Barb, this is a great image of the game designed to encourage greed and buying up properties to build bigger hotels than you neighbors. I really enjoyed playing it with my own cousins as a child and my children spent many summer evenings engaged in lengthy days with the neighbors; yet, it really has a dark side of greed that right now, I don’t like so much!
Barb,
Love how a poem is commentary, is argument in the cleverest of ways. The references to “Park Place and Boardwalk” ground the poem in something familiar, yet the tone shifts quickly into critique with “drain everyone’s funds.” A sharp awareness runs through the lines, exposing how winning can come at someone else’s expense.
Sarah
Barb,
The biting tone of your poem is perfect. There’s so much insider trading going on in this evil regime and among the billionaire class. Love the application of Monopoly to this gilded age. Perfect poem for our time.
Oh, Barb, after hearing a woman at the grocery store today, this is the poem I wanted to write. The connection between Monopoly and today’s economic situation is perfect.
Hi, Stefani! Thank you for a fun prompt. I liked your spunky poem for today.
I went with the Connections NYT today. I don’t know if we all have the same puzzle for the day. There was an analog interference group of words today, so I thought young people like I am may remember “dances” around TV.
Gymnastics with Analog TV
Noise, snow,
fuzz, static…arrrgh!
“Throw it out,
this useless box!”
“Wait…come here!
Hold. Don’t move!”
Mid-twist of the dial,
I lock in place.
Antenna ears tilt,
I stretch, extend
one leg lifted high,
a proud flamingo pose,
wobbling but brave.
The picture clears—
a miracle, brief.
“Stay like that!”
…gold medal earned.
Leilya, the description of “snow” brings back a lot of memories. I also enjoy imagining your “brave” pose in the dance around the tv:) Thank you for sharing today.
Oh, Leilya, yes, your poem brings back a flood of memories. Once my father got so mad at the static on the tv, he put his foot through the console. Yikes! The actions in your poem and the dialogue perfectly capture the frustration of trying to get a good picture on a television set from long ago. Brilliant!
Leilya, I remember these days and the fun of your verse brings it all back. Yes, a brief moment is what we had…..and maybe a little longer if we brought out the aluminum foil. Love your stanzas!
I remember the dances, Leilya! Rabbit ears, snow, static, and all. Gosh how you bring it all back! Love your comparison of analog TV gyrations to gymnastics.
So many great lines that bring me to a different time. I haven’t thought of “snow” for years and I love the stanza about antenna ears. The ending is so satisfying, as was that experience when I was young.
Leilya, this is a great reminder of the old antennae world that has gone to the recycle metal world. Your line of a “proud flamingo pose” makes me smile.
Leilya,
This poem is a blast from the past! I liked going down memory lane with you– the static, the snow, the antenna. I love the proud flamingo pose — gold medal earned so much.
Leilya,
You aptly capture the fuzz and snow of old tv days. I love the dance imagery, and the dances, the one to American Bandstand music your poem evokes, and the one fixing the static and fuzz on the screen!
Leilya, what a delightful poem. Imaging you watching and emulating gymnasts on your old “useless box” TV is priceless.
I went in a different direction about play today. I feel like I’m writing a lot about my dogs lately, but they deserve it. Sorry not sorry.
Dog Days
By Mo Daley 4/19/26
My new dogs, Jimmy and Lizzie, are so smart
They know their names
They know all about life in a cage
They know about ear mites and tapeworms
They know how to sit in my lap and paw gently at my face for attention
But
They don’t know how to walk on a leash
They don’t know what a shadow is
They don’t know how to squeak a toy without freaking out
They don’t know how to tug on a sock
They don’t know how to chase a ball
They don’t know how to play
Yet
My new dogs, Jimmy and Lizzie, are so loved
Mo, your little friends know a lot, and I love this one: “how to sit in my lap and paw gently at my face for attention.” Of course, you gotta give them some lovin’ 🙂
What they don’t know isn’t their fault, and you are a teacher…hint, hint.
Keep bringing up Jimmy and Lizzie. I love dogs…and cats.
Mo, I don’t blame you for writing about your dogs. I love your use of anaphora in this won and all the ways in which they love to play. I had to laugh at “They don’t know how to squeak a toy without freaking out”. They’re lucky to have a dog-loving owner like you.
Mo, I was laughing at the line about being scared of shadows but then felt sad (vibing Sarah Maclachlan) on the line about not knowing how to play. Enjoy your dogs and thank you for sharing.
Awww, Mo! I love your Dog Days. I now feel I should write one about my Jesse (age 15 months). I know that Jimmy and Lizzie know how much they are loved. Dogs know so much – they are so much. I never want to be dogless.
Mo, that one word…..yet – – I love seeing their pictures! They are cute as can be, and I’m so glad they ended up in a lap of love where they can learn how to be spoiled dogs – – as they were meant to be!
Verselove Day 19: Press Play: Connections
NYT, WTF?
NYT Connections Be
Making me <squint>
Four groups of four?
Each group will con–
nect & fit, I guess…
Yellow, Green, Blue
Purple the most
elusive. One
away! Nice Try!
Connections Be
Making my scalp
itch, my left
eyeball twitch.
Because NYT, WTF is
Pepsinogen?
Tracei Willis
April 19, 2026
This made me smile, Tracei.I haven’t done Connections in a while, but you’ve described that feeling of frustration wonderfully. Excuse me while I go try today’s Connections.
I haven’t read the poem yet, just the title, but am already laughing out loud.This is hilarious:
Making my scalp
itch, my left
eyeball twitch.
You made my day, Tracei! Thank you for a good laugh 🙂
Tracei, ha ha, this poem is very relatable. Those purple ones can be so frustrating and too often have a nuanced connection only from elimination. Thank you for sharing today.
Tracei!!! Right??? I hate when the words are the starting or ending words of other words, like “dud, cap, kid, mint.” So silly. Love the voice of your writing. I can totally relate!
An Incomplete Inventory of the Games We Play
I played Yahtzee and Bridge
with Grandma June.
I think one can be skilled
at Bridge, and at bridge building,
but Yahtzee is dice tossing
and in dice,
random always rules, as Malkmus sings.
We played Uno with friends
and siblings, always never quite
certain of the wild card draw four
Uno reverse chaos
but confidence in these matters
is key.
We played Parcheesi and Sorry
as a family and I’m sorry
for all the ways I let them down.
Mike Tyson Knock Out often ended
in shouts, frustration tears,
knocked over lamps.
I recall a three foot tall vase
that met its end at the end
of Madden Football.
And Adrian’s mom did not like
that Mortal Kombat had a cheat code
to bring back the blood
but we always played 007
in Paintball mode.
MarioKart tournaments, drunk and high,
passing bottles,
controllers
kisses,
hands under skirts,
until the sun came back.
Sonic, Dr. Worm, UltimaUnderworld,
D&D, DukeNukum, War, 21, Speed,
LoadRunner, Jacks, POG wars,
Marbles battles
in the dirt at Saint Catherine School,
the nuns always on us, just the skin
of their beautiful and horrible
faces scolding us, their tongues
always deep pink between their teeth
and lips.
And now Yahtzee with the kids,
MarioKart too,
and the game of describing colors
without using words for colors…the hues
of the words we choose cluing the girls,
who love to tease and yell,
“Don’t say lemon!”
But,
what if it is?
Friend, this was so much fun to read and reminisce. Thank you for the memories of my kids and their childhood.
Jonathon, thank you for sharing part of your history through games. I like the use of “incomplete inventory.” That color hue game is fun–so many to choose from these days.
This is a lot of fun memories playing games, Jon! Thank you for sharing. Some of these I don’t even know, but would like to try. The most competitive ones are intimidating cause as you describe they: “often ended / in shouts, frustration tears, / knocked over lamps.”
I like the game with colors– “Don’t say lemon!” ))
Jonathan, clearly there are a lot of games here and a clear autobiography in your life with games! I skipped the video game era, although me kids played at the babysitters and with friends to git their cultural fix! These days, I am trying to tolerate the Mindcraft and Mario bash worlds of my grandsons who really have masted wiping me out!
not before 4
[pm that is]
set the timer –
computer games!
no Connections
not before 4
no Spelling Bee
not that Wordle
time is precious
limits needed
play after 4
evenings only
my daily goal
exercise, write,
work on projects
and after 4
succumb!
——
Stefani – I love this playful game approach to poetry; I have no doubt it engages students immensely. Thank you for the prompt – and the Connections fun!
Haha!!! I need to heed your advice! I play before work and I really don’t need to. 🤣😂
Maureen, I love hearing everyone’s different “rules” for online games. I usually do it right after my first coffee–thinking it will stimulate my brain for the day. Thank you for sharing and I hope you made it to 4 today!
I like your self-discipline, Maureen, – “not before 4.” 🙂 I usually play my two word games early in the morning while walking.
Maureen, I love the control you are enjoying over the “game” chapter of your life. I started doing Wordle as a wake-up game and continue it most days, but like you I do have a time limit of 15-20 minutes in bed, in the mornings really early when I wake up!
Maureen,
Wow! Such discipline and such fun at the same time. Love your poem with so much poetic play!
Stefani, thank you for embracing games and encouraging their use in learning and reinforcement. I am a NYTimes games fan dedicating 15-20 minutes a day to Sudoku, Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee… It is a gift in my semi retirement years and I am amazed at how many of my grad students who do not read much still do Wordle!
Below is my Wordle Gift. a thank you for a game I started as week two of the Pandemic began. It has 4 stanzas, with 4 lines because most of the time, I solve my Wordle in 4!
On day seven,
Hesitantly,
Solved my very first
Game in four tries
In six around
The sun, perhaps
Three not solved in
Five or less, once
One, never two,
Once late and she
Called to check if
Alive, forgot?
We compare our
Scores, frustrations,
Thank you Wardle
Daily, Wordle!
“ she
Called to check if
Alive, forgot?”
I love this, Anita! Yes, Wordle with pals is great fun.
I enjoy Wordle, too. I usually get it in four, reasonably often in 3, in 2 a few times, and one- just once (I use the same starting word, learn, every time). I don’t check scores with anyone… but I know my sister-in-law’s starting word. I happened to do the puzzle early in the morning when her word appeared- I texted her “Today’s your lucky day on Wordle!” Your poem is fun!
I love the way you use numbers here to keep me counting with you.
Anita, your use of “hesistantly” in the early days of Covid and now a hobby still six years later shows the power of trying something new. Or is it simply the power of a quick, addictive game with memories of solitude? Either way, we often are hesitant to try anything new and many times this leads to a joy we weren’t planning.
Anita, sometimes I literally go look for a clue after my 3rd attempt seems to be getting me nowhere. I simply do not want to lose. Love your use of numbers in this one and the nod at the end to the word games.
Anita, this is a fun poem sharing your Wordle experience. “On day seven,” sounds like some mythology or biblical story. I started post-Pandemic, and my students actually made me try. I like that you have someone to check the scores and compare results.
Anita,
There’s so much fun and play in your poem! The sequencing of numbers and tries is really effective along with all the action. Thanks for sharing this delight!
Thanks for the playful ideas! I think I hit the jackpot on the randomizer with swimming, floating and garden.
in the garden pond
lily pads float, goldfish swim
sitting still, I watch
I love the contrast with the movement in the pond and your stillness. Beautiful.
You hit the jackpot, Diane, but you also built a powerful image that moves and yet watches the pond in stillness.
There is such serenity here. Thank you for the haiku.
A soothing experience for a Sunday!
Diane, the act of sitting still is a rarity these days. I appreciate calling it out in your last line. Thank you for sharing.
Yay, I love Connections and I also create them for my students. I never ever considered using it to spark a poem. Stef, you are a genius! I must say, if we didn’t have unlimited chances on yours, I would’ve lost. I need to brush up on my meters! I chose the game words: goal, tie, home, score. I have a 4 x 4 (I think).
Games for Gain
What is the goal
Educate or
Testing mandates
What is the goal
Tie learning to
Success and joy
Tie learning to
Relevant texts
School is like home
If we choose to
Put children first
If we choose to
Not make test scores
More important
Than connecting
To our students
©Stacey L. Joy, 4/19/26
Stacey, yes the scores-learning-enjoyment dilemma is a real issue that has persisted in spite of limited if any value to anyone. There was a year, the year I achieved National Certification, that I was deemed ineffective and not worthy of a raise based on one set of scores and yet every one of my students increased significantly in reading proficiency measures and my students were clearly making progress according to their classroom teachers! SIgh
“Put children first” – this is the essential element, absolutely.
Stacey, your repetition provokes strong emotions. The third stanza, questioning/reminding us of school and home, with putting children first, is one we should continue to center in systems. Your image and text are fun as well. Thank you for sharing today.
Stacey, I couldn’t agree more with your poem’s message. I’ve bemoaned all the testing for years. Surely, this has to start getting turned around. The relationships and the connections are what really matter. Stunning Canva, too!
Stacey, I didn’t want to solve Stefani’s connections until later today, but you made me go there 🙂 I am not much ahead of you — I solved red and orange categories right away, but struggled with the yellow one – what?
Oh, and your poem reflects hopes of all teachers and educators now–it touches my heart deeply. When? When will we prioritize children more than the test scores? Love the ending:
“Not make test scores
More important
Than connecting
To our students”
Stefani–I must have been channeling this morning’s invitation when I wrote my blog post yesterday about the playing my students (first grade) and I have been doing in the classroom. Rolling dice (and making them first), creating comics, and connecting three different images make poetry fun for first graders (and for me). Anyway, here is my blog post from yesterday–with my poem inspired by three photo cards in it. (I haven’t yet figured out how to make my photos small enough to upload as a comment. Thanks for the play and the fun! (And for sharing that metaphor randomizer!)
https://thinkingthroughmylens.com/2026/04/18/playing-with-poetry-npm26-18/
Kim, thank you for sharing your blog post. The photo cards are a fun, tactile way to play with poetry as well.
Ooh! These nature cards look fascinating. When I went to Kenya and taught some poetry lessons, I was told the kids had all written poetry, as it’s in the national curriculum. Well, they hadn’t. Some just wanted to copy the mentor texts. These cards might be a better way in for my next trip. Thanks!
Stefani, thanks for such a fun prompt! I tried a double nonet starting with hi and ending with bye. I retired last June after 31 years of teaching middle school language arts, and now I have the privilege and joy of babysitting my granddaughter Blair (8 months old) three days a week. In honor of my long teaching career, my “grandmother name” is Grammar. My double nonet attempts to trace the mornings and afternoons that Blair and I spend together.
Baby Days
“Hi!
Grammar’s
here!” Big smile
Three pearly teeth
arms up cuddle hold
sing play clap giggle roll
baba blankie board book yawn
lullaby nap time teddy bear
stretch kick reach hug Grammar’s snuggle bug
stroller walk dogs bark flowers park swing
back home baby spoon peek a boo
sippy cup teething ring chew
scoot wriggle giggle crawl
blocks build tower fall
Dad’s home! “Love you!”
My sweet Blair
waves bye
bye.
As an ELA teacher, I had to recalibrate my reading of Grammar’s and love those snuggle bug visit.
Your poetry takes me back in time to my granddaughters’ infant and toddler days – how we loved to take care of them, and see so much profound growth and learning in their every
Lori, so precious to bring the baby games into the gaming poem! Love this little glimpse into the snuggle fun of grandbabies!! Peek a boo – oh, how I wish I lived closer to my little ones. #8 is due in July and I keep hoping he will arrive on my birthday, but mama tends to go early. Happy Sunday!
Lori,
Grammar’s are the best and so are the little babies who get to be with them. I visualized the whole fun day. 💜 💜
Lori, what a sweet grandmother name. I appreciate the way you’ve provided lines of activities that show the non-stop actions of hanging with an 8-month-old all day. Thank you for sharing.
I love your grandmother name, and your poem made miss, miss, miss my days with baby Harlem, who will turn five in a few days.
Staphani, what fun! I used your student’s randomizer. See the graphic below of words that inspired or influenced this poem.
Swimming School Birds
Swimming in the stream near the deserted mountain
I longed for Gramma’s dessert
But she said we had to finish schoolwork
Tiresome though it may be
Learning at school and doing homework
Was just like tending a garden.
The teacher planted the seeds
But we had to tend to the weeds.
Thankfully the birds in leafy trees
Kept frightening thoughts away.
Those skittering swallows were not frightening me
I’d make it back to the path, take my bath
Do homework and get me some sticky dessert.
Then maybe what I learned
Swimming around the text will stick in my brain.
Oh! Good grief. What’s that? It’s starting to rain
What’ll I do for this poem’s refrain?
This poem is as sweet as Gramma’s dessert! It amazes me to see random words come together to form an image-rich story.
Insightful words –
“The teacher planted the seeds
But we had to tend to the weeds.”
Hi Anna, this is a lovely rhythmic narrative. I also enjoy the ending that reminds us of your poetic writing. Thank you for sharing and using the randomizer today.
I’m a firm believer in gamifying everything as a teacher. I was unable to do that with my poetry this morning. I had to purge my brain. If you want the full purge you can go to my blog. https://randomthoughtsofagratefuladdict.blogspot.com/2026/04/crazy-squirrel-train-of-thoughts.html
But once I got the majority spit out, I was able to write a poem. Its very adhd, so I named it Random City.
Random City
I woke today with chaos
in my brain and
my body as well.
Aches and pains and regrets
doggedly pester my body.
my arms, my hands and wrists;
my back, my legs, my joints.
Please dear God,
give me some relief.
I woke today with randomness
running amuck in my brain.
No discipline
it drives me wild with
thoughts, emotions memories.
I lament that fact that I have Noassatall.
And then I giggle as this is
from my dad.
He also suffered from
this disease.
Ha. not a disease at all.
Right?
Just a flat backside,
where other people
have an ass to work
and overwork.
I never have to worry if I say
I worked my ass off.
If you want proof,
just look.
It ain’t there.
And again I laugh
but now I also shrug
because where did that come from?
That is the chaos of my life.
my brain doing as it will.
interupting the working part
to interject the random part.
I must confess
it’s never boring in here.
-Carrie Horn
4-19-26
Carrie, so much of the work and play of poetry springs from the random thoughts that flood our minds. You always do such a great job of capturing meaningful bits of thoughts and ideas and showcasing them in your poetry.
I almost looked up the disease “Noassatall” and then burst out laughing as I read it more slowly. Such humor magnified with,
Loved this!
Carrie, ha, thank you for this joyful lament and celebration of your “disease”! You have many lines that made me smile. Thank you for sharing today.
Hi Carrie,
Your humor amidst your frustration is admirable!
Thank you for the giggles. The random releases from your mind are appreciated too. You’re not alone.
Hasbro’s Game of Life
I didn’t notice
the smallish square on the board
that read, You’re all wet.
___________________________________________
Thank you, Stefani, for the links, your prompt, your Flippity connection game (so cool!), and your fun 4×4 Rally today! For my offering, let me apologize first, lol, I’m still “working through” the failed sump pump and flooded finished basement situation, so I fear this will not be the last poem that will leak out of me regarding this.
Omg the agony of homeowning! Hang in there, Scott. And thank you for this concise & all to timely poem. It really got me thinking of the small message we don’t notice in our lives, the spots we hope to sidestep. You condense so much into this tight form!
Oh, Scott. The commentary alongside the poem is everything, and I am so sorry for the flood. Ugh. Sending serenity.
Scott, thank you for taking the time through this flood event to still play along with us today. Michigan’s water table is nothing to play around with this week. Your reference to the game of life is perfect!
Ooh! The challenges of water (instead of the joys). So sorry about the basement. Not fun.
That you are laughing and writing in the midst of this horrid basement situation is truly a gift, Scott. Best of luck!
Scott, what a wonderful economy here. I laughed out loud
Sorry to hear, Scott! hope it all be fixed sometime soon. Even in this stressful situation, you find a minute to write and do it so well.
Thank you, Stefani, for the image of a “foodless kitchen” — which arrested my attention. I really appreciate how you got me thinking through language & play there, and throughout your work. As always, I post what I write here. Today’s offering is inspired by a student from years ago; I include a photograph he made, and I’d recommend looking around on his site.
Recesses
I mourn the loss of children
persuaded to leave behind
play. These ex-children find
themselves curating CVs.
The life of the mind includes
stretched limbs, taxed lungs, and laughter —
and skinned knees, and loss, after
games they were told were pointless.
Smart kids smart, right? We all do.
And at some age, we remove
recess & add time to prove
they listened to what was said
room to room, seated hours
of focused planned course content.
To be a prepared student
is to daily reconcile
oneself to a health hazard:
“Sitting is the new smoking”.
Learning kills – I’m not joking.
It doesn’t kill what it should.
I hope students gain closed minds:
Closed to lazy ideas,
to bad faith logorrhea.
I hope we take them outside.
Years ago, I did. One kid
said, “I … I don’t remember
how to play.” But an ember
was fanned by his closest friends
goofing on the monkey bars.
He joined them. Nobody fell.
Not once did I think to tell
them to be careful. They were
in some kind of awakened
flow. And then the block ended,
they dusted off, grinning, said
thanks for a great day of class.
He’s a photographer now.
Out in the world, wide open
eyes, no thought of that day when
he swung bar to bar. The sun
kaleidoscoped on us all.
Joel, I love this! You’ve crafted so many smart and true lines: “[W]e remove / recess & add time to prove / they listened to what was said” and “‘Sitting is the new smoking.'” And I love the build of the end stanzas from the “ember / [that] was fanned” to the “awakened / flow” to “the sun / kaleidoscop[ing] on [you] all.” Beautiful! (And thank you for adding your student’s picture!)
Joel, the heartbreak of that admission – “I…I don’t remember how to play.” What in the world are we doing to our children…rushing them through their childhoods?! Thank you for this beautiful reminder, in poem, that play (including word play) is the best kind of learning.
Joel, your phrase, “ex-children,” hit hard–so true but hard to accept sometimes. Your solo line with kaleidoscope is also a strong ending. Thank you for sharing his site as well, I’ll follow him on IG.
One word for this poem…”Incredible!”
This is so wonderful, Joel. It needs to hang in every school. I especially love
So many fun games and ways to explore today. Thank you for all these ideas and resources! I decided to use the metaphor generator AND the 4×4 technique.
Movin’ On Soon by Erica Johnson
The wind is a
bright sign on the
horizon. Means
it flags us down.
We drift as leaves
the wind is a
Callin’ to us.
Gentle nudges
And playful hair
pulls that say, “Come
the wind is a
waitin’ but not
Forever.” We
can dance along
but we can’t stop
the wind is a
movin’ on soon.
“playful hair / pulls” — an elite image & so physically accurate. Such a metaphor-rich work, truly stunning. And the sound of the title & the last line soothes. Thank you!
Erica, I always enjoy pictures with hair blowing in the wind–a deeper connection to the place. Thank you for putting that in words here and for sharing today.
Stefani, thank you for your resources & your playful encouragement. I haven’t pickleballed myself, but I love the conciseness of your poem. Especially the image of “foodless kitchen” which I will be taking out of context in something I write soon, I hope : )
This whole month has been about playing with form — today quatrains & some rhyming. I thought about how playless some school can be … and about one playful moment with a student (who years after graduating took the photograph I’m attaching). As always, I post what I write here. Today’s offering is:
Recesses
I mourn the loss of children
persuaded to leave behind
play. These ex-children find
themselves curating CVs.
The life of the mind includes
stretched limbs, taxed lungs, and laughter —
and skinned knees, and loss, after
games they were told were pointless.
Smart kids smart, right? We all do.
And at some age, we remove
recess & add time to prove
they listened to what was said
room to room, seated hours
of focused planned course content.
To be a prepared student
is to daily reconcile
oneself to a health hazard:
“Sitting is the new smoking”.
Learning kills – I’m not joking.
It doesn’t kill what it should.
I hope students gain closed minds:
Closed to lazy ideas,
to bad faith logorrhea.
I hope we take them outside.
Years ago, I did. One kid
said, “I … I don’t remember
how to play.” But an ember
was fanned by his closest friends
goofing on the monkey bars.
He joined them. Nobody fell.
Not once did I think to tell
them to be careful. They were
in some kind of awakened
flow. And then the block ended,
they dusted off, grinning, said
thanks for a great day of class.
He’s a photographer now.
Out in the world, wide open
eyes, no thought of that day when
he swung bar to bar. The sun
kaleidoscoped on us all.
Questions they want, answers already
There. You know it, but someone has
Faster fingers and they press
The button first. Double
Jeopardy you bet
All. Risky. Life
Take chances
Grateful
Win!
Very cool how you were able to include / play with the names of so many games in that last few lines! And I noticed especially on the reread how you create / imitate the urgency of a game with that narrowing line & the exclamation point. A perfect union of form & subject! Play on!
Cayetana, thank you for sharing this playful verse. We have the newer version of Life now and it’s just not the same I grew up with:)
Great lesson in the last few lines…Life/Take chances/Grateful/Win!
I particularly enjoy the way your poem physically whittles down to those last words, especially the word “grateful.”
Game-play is a sure to keep me from the kitchen for another cup of coffee, Stefani. Love the challenge. I tried to stay with the 4 stanza goal and found an online random word generator to get 4 words (I chose weird words) to play with. Imagine that. Great way to get my noggin’ a’goin’ on a Sunday morning.
That’s All Folks
b.r.crandall
if i danced
above the dead
you could call me
bob fossarian.
look it up in
your hysteroid books
right after English class.
it’s wild.
bring the strings
& your plectrum.
pluck away.
pick pick pick.
Offer a yike.
it’s one exodus
from this
poem
The Looney Tunes theme started playing in my head as soon as I read the title – another form of play! As is the if, then entrance (what an intriguing first two lines that could have gone so many ways). I love that you played with weird words (my students love this too) while giving us just enough to solve their meanings in such a clever way. Bowing down to you here.
Bryan, the use of weird words often seems normalized these days with digital autocorrects, acronyms, generational riz. I might try hysteroid with my teenagers’ dramatic responses this week–I am sure to get eye rolls. Thank you for playing today.
Bryan, I did look up Bob Fosse–had no idea who he was. I might offer yikes at the end of my classes, lol. Thank you for entertainment.
Stefani,
Thanks so much for putting me in the game today. Thanks to Denise and Chiara for the assists. I had fun playing and advocating.
Love the quick fun of your poem, Stephanie.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
public service
cats versus birds
please keep cats in
so they don’t kill
all our song birds
cats dominate
cats versus birds
stealthy and quick
they crush poor birds
Franzen’s team birds
Freedom preaches
cats versus birds
cats kill billions
build catio
keep cat happy
protect song birds
cats versus birds
———————————————————————————
Links to research to check the score on cats versus birds in your country, info on catios if cats are your home team and a paragraph about my process at my blog, Pedaling Poet.
How fun! Yes, let’s all build catios. I know my cats want one.
THIS is fun and really so true. This morning as the rain fell gently and I sipped the first coffee, the local stray chased away several birds trying to find those tidbits moved to the surface as the grounds weakened from the rain.
Sharon, I remember watching an HGTV show where the home purchasers were making the decision almost entirely on catio capability. Your poem makes their intention that much more appreciated. The movement of your repeated lines feels like gameplay, such a good form choice for the prompt.
Sharon, I enjoyed your title and also the repetition of the first/last lines. I couldn’t help but think of some old cartoons. Thank you for sharing today.
Sharon, I love your poem as public service announcements for all our beautiful bird friends. Your lines are so clever! Fortunately, my feeders are outside my upstairs kitchen window; so those neighborhood cats are out of luck at my house.
Sharon, we had a cat that ate my songbirds and when it died we did not replace it for that reason/ on a farm we worry with all the field mice but alas, I couldn’t take the loss of birds. I’d rather have the mice. Thanks for standing up for the birds.
Stefani, I love this prompt and enjoyed playing your Verselove Connections. When I was teaching we played a game with metaphor dice. We’d roll them, set the timer and write. Then we’d do a read around and vote out loud for the best poem. No prizes. Just fun with words. I don’t have my metaphor dice handy, so I wrote a quick poem about the play of it.
Metaphors Fall down the Page
With the roll of dice,
set of timer,
one minute: Go
pens scratched on lined paper
metaphors a jump start
Our only goal to finish, tie the score.
Roll again,
”Let’s write more!”
Margaret,
I can feel the joy in your classroom. You’ve captured the energy of students and teacher in the grove of creativity.
Hooray! rhyme for the win.
Margaret, I felt the pressure building as I read your poem and frankly, was relieved as you rolled again, I needed more time!
Ahhh! The energy that comes from a bit of competition and the rush of a timer cannot be matched. Another fun way to play with metaphor dice to add to my classes. Sharing the process and the joy in a poem about play was a clever way to write the prompt.
Margaret, I love the idea of the, “only goal is to finish”…a life lesson we could all play with. Thank you for sharing today.
You might love Taylor’s game, Metaphor Dice. He was at StoryFest in Connecticut and was debuting his new game. You definitely can role and write, Margaret.
Love this playfulness, Margaret! There’s something about a timer in the classroom that also makes magic happen.
Margaret, those metaphor dice really get the engines thrumming as we think about all the combinations. I know your students loved this for getting them jumpstarted on their writing. And I like the way you gave it its own poem.
Stefani, Good Morning! Thank you for teaching preservice teachers. They are so needed and it’s really tough to retain them in this current climate. Whatever you do to help them find their grit and stamina is much appreciated!
I love metaphor dice. That digital one is super cool! And, I will definitely use it with my students. Thanks!
I just spun: cats. delicious library. I couldn’t fit them into one poem…but I did play with the words in a fun way in two little poems. What a great start to my day!
1.
cats know delicious
moonlight in a blue saucer
is best at midnight
2.
library is a delicious word
a cat’s pajama’s
bees knees
star of the show
masterpiece of a word.
It’s my favorite,
finest hour place
to be
any time
any day
any book space
Linda, unfollowing the exact prompt rules always feels a bit devious and playful (much like the cats and their delicious moonlight). I’m so glad you went in two directions. The first so closely captures the feel of WCW’s wheelbarrow poem, its essence, right down to the minimalism of imagery. The second shows true play with words, especially in those first few lines.
Linda, these are both fun and they would be hard to merge! Your depiction of the library as “a cat’s pajama’s bees knees” brings a smile to my face as the happiest of images of singing some song with those same words (I think) on my grandmother’s porch as a very young child,
I absolutely adore the parallels on “delicious” in both poems — they seem connected that way. I love the one about the blue saucer and the cat — that kind of hyper specific imagery is my favorite.
Linda, I feel you have still made a cat connection to these two–like a game of word tag! Thank you for sharing today.
I absolutely can’t get over the gorgeous image of cats lapping up the moonlight! I agree, “library” is a delicious word!
Linda, love the connections between the two poems. I do love 1–the “moonlight in a blue saucer” is such a perfect image.
Linda, I love the way your metaphor dice roll. Make us think of unlikely combinations and how they connect. The library cat drinking milk at midnight is a calming image and mysterious like the books onthe shelves. I see glimmer of pale moon on milk. Soothing!
Linda, your “delicious moonlight in a blue saucer” sounds so wonderful, even for humans 🙂
Stefani, I had some fun thinking about the games we play in moving from place to place.
finish
we pack
eat what’s left
coffee rationed
peanut butter sandwiches
laundry dries between rounds in borrowed air
socks thin, shirts stretched, still we fold and choose
we weigh our lives to fit the airline kilos
strip beds, clean rooms, lockbox shut—next level, hail taxi
checkpoint reached: taxi over stones toward departures
laptops, snacks, scarves packed for cabin level shifts
ginger chews, oils, earbuds, breath
puzzle waits in carry-on
pause now at the gates
one more look back
then forward
we
start
“weigh our lives” is beautifully multi-layered in meaning as well as “cabin level shifts.” What a great capture of what you are living these days. Can’t wait to say, Welcome home!
Sarah, you have made moving from place to place an art! I love the senses in the line “ginger chews, oils, earbuds, breath.” I really want to travel more, but it all gives me anxiety. I need to take lessons from you.
Sarah,
What a delightful souvenir of your travels.
Great use of the nonet to create a sense of momentum, rush and constraint.
Love all the familiar details of packing and reading and then the final savoring.
Sarah, I’m imagining this game of luggage tetris (having played several times myself), along with eat the fridge out, and how much more challenging it must be to repeat it so often. I tend to accumulate while traveling, picking up little reminders of the places I’ve been, which makes the packing an extra challenge. (Wasn’t it Carl Sandburg who jumped trains and lived as a hobo in order to see the true country?)
Sarah, I am increasingly in awe of your travels and your ability to “pack” so much into this amazing sabbatical year of exploration as well as your poems, like this one. There is an amazing lot of “stuff” that happens in travel as you depict so well. Yet, you have near you at all times, a book, a puzzle, as you more forward. Well done, happy travels.
I feel the hurry-ness in your poem when I leave a vacation. I don’t want to be late for that flight and then I find myself waiting at the gate. Still, there’s the time to pause and of looking back.
Sarah, starting your poem with “finish” has a powerful “start.” I like this idea of borrowed air and wonder, have you packed air from one place and transferred it into your new spaces? Thank you for sharing today.
Loving all the travel poems this #VerseLove season. Makes me think of my 20s when I romped around the world with loaves of bread and peanut butter, hoping I’d get a shower somewhere…somehow. And the puzzle waits for carry-ons…always a jigsaw, indeed.
Sarah, you are so accurate in your poetic comparison of gaming and travel. Packing for a trip is so much like completing a puzzle! My husband always prides himself on accepting the challenge of making all our luggage fit in the back of our SUV. The following line was my favorite: “socks thin, shirts stretched, still we fold and choose.”
Sarah, I read your poem early this morning, but didn’t have time to respond right away. I had to stop and reread “we weigh our lives to fit the airline kilos” not because I didn’t understand it, but because it means and “weighs” so much. Every time you move from one place to another, you carry your lives in those carry-on bags–just blows my mind. As I reread your poem now, I notice how my speed goes up until the end of the first nonet (as if I am there, quickly packing, cleaning the place, and rushing to the airport). Then the poem seems to slow down to go through the mental checklist, realizing that even if something is forgotten, there is no time to return and get it. Your ending with “one more look back” and then “forward” is offering a new beginning. So well crafted!
Your poetry about your travels will make great sidebars to your journaling when you write a book about your experiences. I love
borrowed air. hmmm.
Sarah, your poem is vivid with the necessary actions of moving onto the next destination. I like the focus on the real, gritty details of life like packing and weighing and dealing with food, but I love how you frame this one from finish to start. The end is compelling and offers the hope and promise the next destination has to offer.
Sarah,
The shape, the shifts, and the stylishness with how you designed this poem is magnificient. I love the pauses, the ginger chews, the scarves, the peanut butter sandwiches amidst all the puzzles that need solving… traveling is so much fun. But, boy it’s nice to be home after a long trip!
Stefani, what fun! Thank you for hosting us with a game that gets us warmed up and ready to write.
God and Emily Having a Garden Chat
take a stand for hope
Hebrews Eleven, Verse One
the thing with feathers
Oh, my goodness…this is fabulous. Of COURSE these two converse. I think I must use this as a mentor text. Super clever and beautiful.
Kim, your title is so fabulous! Image that!
Oooh Kim,
Love your concise connection of these two texts.
I’m so impressed with how much you pack into your haiku.
Hope for the win!
Oh, perfection! Love a good nod. It would also make a fun game to give to students and have them figure out who Emily is and the meaning of the last line.
Kim, this is fabulous and leaves me, as I hope to be this Sunday morn, smiling and encouraged that we take a stand for hope!
Kim, the middle line with the numbers spelled out seems to play to a different meaning and connection than if simply listed with numbers. Thank you for sharing today.
I read this poem and then headed off to church; so I felt as if I had two great messages this morning! Your title is perfection.
Kim, did you use the metaphor cubes? I’m intrigued by your haiku, and I especially love your last lines as it’s immediately understood that hope is the thing with feathers. Great title, too!
You got me with the title, Kim! every time “the thing with feathers” is mentioned brings me light and hope.
Haiku in heaven – no doubt, Kim! Your title is perfection. Faith…things hoped for…hope, the thing with feathers…a divine blending, my friend. Yes, let us take a stand for hope (and grace and our better angels).
Anddd…inherently…birds. Yep, they’re in my poem, but not because I chose them. I am really, really bad with metaphor dice, but, tempting Fate, I tried the randomizer and what word do you think it gave me? Birds! I had no choice!
Kim,
That’s one of my favorite bible verses. Love the juxtaposition with Emily Dickinson. We cannot lose hope. They win if we do.
This is brilliant, Kim! I love the idea of “God and Emily Having a Garden Chat”! We must, indeed, “take a stand for hope.” I agree!
Stefani, what a fun challenge! Kids love to play wordle and connections. This would be the perfect prompt to get them going. I had a hard time deciding which choice of form and began to play with all of them before landing on the nonet.
The Game of Life
Start
With birth
Take first steps
Travel forward
Avoid looking back
Make it worth the journey
Find friends, gather love, listen
The world will often speak softly
Truly love the life you’ve been given
OR
The game ends when all players retire
With the goal to gain the most cash
Each choice is money focused
Triggered financial acts
Slowly separate
People from one
another
A lone
End
ha! Yes, the game of life ….begin at start with birth. Love that. Find friends, gather love all so beautiful. I think of all this I’ve done in my life. But then, the OR….oooooh, ouch. I hope not to be that person. What a great contrast between the two stanzas.
Oof, your end hits hard. I am determined to keep the financial worries at bay and enjoy my retirement while I can. I choose “Truly love the life you’ve been given.”
Jennifer,
Love the lesson in the two parts of your nonet. Such starkly different paths. Great use of the nonet form with your first half building towards connection, community, and abundance fueled by acceptance and gratitude vs. the diminishment of happiness and the loneliness of
Your matching of form and function is exquisite.
Jennifer, I usually write before reading, but today I knew I only had time for one or the other this morning and decided to start here with this wonderful and yet powerful statement about how our focus on money separates people from a meaningful life. Yikes, you have peeked into my own life’s story with this one that really is true and not just for the ultra rich!
Thank you for this morning’s inspiration. “The world will often speak softly”.
Jennifer, thank you for starting us off today! I like the “OR” that is added it. What a journey you’ve taken us on. Thank you for sharing.
Jennifer, The way you separated the word a lone is very cleverly done here because the connotation is so different. Alone and a lone (and a loan) I also like the triggered act (a loan) at the end which are necessary for retiring and being able to continue on without “playing the game”. Well done!
Jennifer, now I wish I had written this type of nonet. It’s perfect and I love all the joyful part and the way it shifts. Truly, that’s what it does feel like to be retired.
The game of life, indeed, Jennifer. How I love your advice in the first part–finding friends, gathering love, listening with intention are so vital. Then the brilliant wisdom: “The world will often speak softly.” The second part paints quite a different game with “OR” hinting on a drastic change in tone and message with a grim ending “a lone / end.” Masterful piece!
Jennifer,
I can’t believe your creativity with this poem. I love the depth and playfulness you’ve embodied with each line. The shape of our lives hopefully are filled with laughter and loved ones.