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Wednesday Writing Prompt: Write a Weather Forecast Poem by JoAnn Early Macken

Write_a_Poem_front_coverREV-330Today I’m delighted to welcome JoAnn Early Macken to the blog. She’s the amazing author of several beautiful picture books and a well-known and appreciated writing teacher. Her brand new book, Write a Poem Step by Stepoffers a no-nonsense guide to writing a poem. JoAnn will be my guest speaker at the April Write Now! Mastermind class on Wednesday, April 24 at 12:00 PM CDT. I’ll be talking with JoAnn about writing poetry and picture book. The class is free but you need to sign up for the group at the Write Now! Mastermind page. Check out JoAnn’s fun writing prompt below and then enter to win a copy of her brand new book.  -Rochelle, the Write Now! Coach

Write a Weather Forecast Poem! by JoAnn Early Macken

In my neighborhood in southeastern Wisconsin, the prevailing topic of conversation is the weather. And for good reason. This spring’s temperatures have been consistently below average, and the rainfall—more than 4 inches so far this month—is several times what we used to think of as normal. But I am not complaining, for two reasons:

1. If our temperatures had been just a bit lower, we might be looking at 40 inches of snow. At least we’ve warmed up above freezing!

2. Poetry! Any observation is an opportunity to write a poem, right? Look at the actual Milwaukee forecast from a few days ago:

weather forecast

I tried using that forecast in a sort of stream-of-consciousness free verse poem:

 

Today, showers.

Tonight, showers.

Tomorrow and tomorrow night,

rain likely.

And after that, a chance of

—guess what—

rain, rain, rain.

This soggy forecast soaks into

my waterlogged brain.

 

All I could come up with after that was a bunch of images of waterfalls, water flowing over a dam, rivers overflowing their banks, and the urge to go back to bed. I’ll keep thinking.

 

The repetitive forecast gave me another idea, though. I’ve wanted to try a triolet for awhile now. The triolet form itself is repetitive, so I thought it might fit this rather monotonous topic. A triolet has eight lines, two of which repeat (with some variation allowed) to form five of the lines. The pattern is ABaAabAB with A and B the repeating lines and a and b rhyming with their counterparts. Here’s my triolet:

 

I don’t believe it. Not again! More showers?

This soggy spring, the sun is overdue.

They say we’ll be okay when we see flowers.

I don’t believe it. Once again, more showers

pour down outside. We’re stuck inside for hours,

staring at the same gray, dreary view.

I can’t believe it—yet again, more showers.

Oh, where is spring? The sun is overdue!

 

While I had fun playing with the form, I found the result a little dismal. I wanted to try something more fun, so I thought about who might enjoy rainy weather. Here’s my third attempt, a haiku:

 

Raincoats, umbrellas,

waterproof boots, spring puddles.

Hold my hand. Now jump!

 

So give it a try. At www.weather.gov/forecastmaps, enter your city, state, or ZIP Code, check your local weather forecast, and see what ideas soak into your brain and pour forth!

 

Your turn: Share the poem this prompt inspired or a question for our guest author, JoAnn Early Macken.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

8_18_12_back_yard-330-expAbout the author. JoAnn Early Macken is the author of Write a Poem Step by Step (Earlybird Press, 2012). Her newest picture books are Baby Says “Moo!” (Disney-Hyperion Books, 2011),Waiting Out the Storm (Candlewick Press, 2010), and Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move (Holiday House, 2008). Her poems appear in a number of magazines and anthologies, and she has also written more than 125 nonfiction books for young readers. JoAnn earned her M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She teaches at Mount Mary College, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education, and UW-Madison’s summer Write by the Lake program, and she speaks about poetry and writing to children and adults at schools, libraries, and conferences. Visit her web site at www.joannmacken.com.

 

11 Responses

  1. Siiri, I like the wistful tone of your poem, Alas, I know the feeling!

    Carol, I envy the Colorado sunshine!

    Our total rainfall for the month so far is 5.32 inches, more than 3 inches above the normal amount but not yet up to the record of 7.31 inches set in 1973. At this rate, we could beat it!

    Today’s Milwaukee forecast calls for more of the same. The good news is that we’re seeing (and hearing) the return of migrating birds, and the earliest spring flowers are popping up in spite of the cold. Spring is seeping in, one drop at a time!

  2. Irene Latham

    This book is in my TBR pile, and these weather poems remind me of how everything EVERYTHING is inspiration. Thank you!

  3. It’s even unseasonably cold in the deep south.
    Here’s my poem gleaned from the weather report:

    Clear skies
    Cool breeze
    Can you believe, 42 degrees?
    Mid-April, past Easter,
    time to wear white,
    but I’m putting on my jacket tonight.

  4. Semi-limerick
    Weather it seems
    determines
    whether or not I leave the house
    Cold and gray
    means inside I stay
    Only with do I go out!

    Have been writing more poetry — would love to win the book. Sorry I can’t tune in tomorrow to the talk

  5. Irene, yes, everything certainly can be inspiration–we just need to remember to slow down and pay attention!

    Margaret, I enjoyed the specific details in your poem and the contrast between the calendar (“time to wear white”) and the need to wear a jacket anyway.

    Joan, I completely understand the desire to stay indoors–curled up in a blanket with a good book–on those gray, cloudy days.

    Preliminary data show that last night’s rainfall has broken the record for the rainiest Milwaukee April on record, and we still have a week to go! Sounds like a topic for another poem!

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