Every path hath a puddle.
-George Herbert
Rainy days are puddle days for me. Days to stop and ponder my imagination. Wouldn’t it be grand to jump in and slide into another world like Alice through the looking glass? I would so love for that to be possible. Just to stare down into its spring reflection and float away into a peaceful dream. When I think of rainy play days, I think of e.e.cummings and his poem [in just-]. I especially love the line: “when the world is puddle-wonderful; the queer old balloonman whistles far and wee; and betty and isbel come dancing.” I have always admired cummings’s poetic playfulness, his ability to break the rules and jump into a creative space. I endeavor to play with poetry this month and free my hand and mind so that the words will form into something new and curious.
My inspiration for Puddle-Wonderful comes from NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month: 30 Poems in 30 Days, which was created by Maureen Thorson. NaPoWriMo. Today, they suggest writing a poem contradicting a chosen saying or proverb. I chose a quote by George Herbert.
My inspiration for There’s a Puddle in my Shoe comes from Verse-Love, Ethical ELA, which was created by Sarah J. Donovan.Chris Goering supplied the inspiration for writing a poem as a song. There’s a Puddle in my Shoe came into my head as a children’s rhyme.
Puddle-Wonderful There it is - Up ahead. Not an obstacle, Not a problem. Just a small pool Reflecting golden forsythia and pink azalea. A puddle so cordial It invites you in. Jump, Stomp, Splash! Explore its water-filled wonder. Slickers and boots are water-proof, Skin and hair are not. Immerse yourself its wet world, Listen to the laughter, Return to childhood again, All is puddle-wonderful. There are Puddles in my Shoes There is rain upon the rooftops, Lightning strikes out from the blue, I hear thunder all around me, There are puddles in my shoes! Pitter-patter on the sidewalk, Slish-slosh and splashing too! It feels like I am floating, There are puddles in my shoes! My hair is wet, my jeans are drenched, I am soggy through and through, Dripping-dropping off my elbows, There are puddles in my shoes! The water’s rising rapidly, My skin is soaked; it’s true. Someone get me an umbrella, There are puddles in my shoes!
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 