Name My Species

Matty and I went to the New England Aquarium on Friday. This trip inspired a quick riddle poem. I'll do some riddles from time to time - here's the first one!

Have fun!

Name my species #1

by Becca Brown

I lived with the dinosaurs,
But I survived the meteors!

I have flippers or webbed feet,
I don’t need teeth to eat.

My land name rhymes with porpoise,
In the sea I’m omnivorous.

I’m many colors: brown, black, or green,
I’m the hardest reptile you’ve ever seen!


Who am I? Answer in comments. Becca

Zoo!

I attended my critique group and received very good feedback on my poem Zoo. I really like this critique group - they are quite helpful. I likewise spend time on my critique of their works; mostly they write short stories or chapters or novels, which are fun to read. Here's the next material revision of my original poem, Zoo.

I LOVE this version and am working with Marisol Brown on the illustrations.

Matty and Mommy

Zoo

by Becca Brown

I’m two and a half
and I love the zoo
I’ve been to five zoos
that’s a lot, how about you?

I see new animals
each time that I go
Today I say “Roar”
to the lion, you know

I call “Rawer" to the tiger
as she walks ‘round and ‘round
Her baby cubs wrestle
around on the ground

Mama elephant I see
has a cute baby calf
Together they play
with their trunks and I laugh

I try to crawl over
the wooden blockade
to touch the giraffe
as he runs to the shade

Twin cotton-top tamarins
play tag in the tree
At home my big my sister
chases me - “weee”!

The Flamingo flock dances
in a pink flowy pack
I say “MOMMY, FLAMINGO!”
they honk to me back

The Camel is steadfast
she just will not budge
from behind baby calf
gives her mama a nudge

The butterflies flutter
with colors so bright
I reach out to touch one
up high in the light

I do love the zoo
I don’t want to go
I guess I have to
I’m tired, you know

What is your favorite animal at the zoo?

Toddler Architect

I'm studying meter and revisiting some of my previous poems. Here's the second version of Toddler Architect - the first version was titled The Vertical Architect. Here's my second version.

Thanks for reading! Comments are welcome.


Toddler Architect

by Becca Brown

I pile stuff high in an upward fashion.
Architecture is my true passion.
I use legos, blocks, bowls or cups-
and high as the sky, my structure erupts!

In spite of my truly genius design,
my building tumbles, here’s why, I’ll opine-
My plans are flawed from inception I fear,
because I’m no structural engineer.

Patience

My toddler is two with the terrible twos having set-in months ago....


Patience

by Becca Brown

I tug and pull at mommy’s skirt.
I like to play and roll in dirt.
I throw my food down on the floor.
When are we there? And I want more!

I hide popsicles in the couch.
I have a fit when I’m a grouch.
I wear my sandals all year long.
My blankie always comes along.

I put spaghetti in my hair.
I scream in public; I don’t care.
I squirt dad with the water hose.
Why do I have to blow my nose?

I will not wear my winter coat.
I push all buttons on remotes.
I bang the keys while mommy writes.
What does it mean to be polite?

“You test my patience,” mommy said,
but I just like to see her red.

Germarikin

Our family travels to Germany once or twice a year to visit Matty's Oma and Opa (grandma and grandpa in English). We are flying out soon; and in anticipation of that trip, I've written this short poem about Matty's heritage.

Germarikin

by Becca Brown

America's where mommy's from,

and daddy has von Deutschland come.

That makes me a Germarikin:

half German, half American.

A Day Under the Sun

On Kenn Nesbitt's twitter account, I found Laura Perdie Salas' blog, writing the world for kids. Iwrote this poem in comments - 15 words or less describing the photo she has listed on her post: ENCLOSURE [15 WORDS OR LESS POEMS].

A Day Under the Sun

by Becca Brown

Relaxed

Blue skies, critters

Sedate, surreal, serene

Happy humming in my hammock

Sunset    

The Vertical Architect

Matty is obsessed with stacking. Last week we were at Playdipity in Cohasset, and he was at the play kitchen putting a ketchup bottle on top of a pizza slice, which was sitting atop a soup can. Very cute. This moment and others like it inspired my poem: The Vertical Architect

The Vertical Architect

by Becca Brown

I stack things high, that’s what I do

A vertical masterpiece, I aspire to

build with such craft and creativity

It’s my daily architect activity.

Cups, bowls, building blocks or soup cans

I’m not picky it’s height I command

There's a flaw, a limit, it's all too clear
I'm not a structural engineer.