Paint Chip Poetry

 

So I bought a new game. Ella and I have picked up paint chips at several stores over the last couple of months, some of them because we were actually buying paint, and others because we have plans for the paint samples. We have had several discussions of how we love some of the names on these samples. So when I saw this game I knew I needed to buy it. Plus I am sort of a sucker for any 'writing' games.

Well, lucky for me Ella was home this weekend. We decided that we were going to clean and organize our craft room. But first we wanted to try a round or two of this new game. We read the rules and started to play. In the end, we did not get to the craft room at all. We were having way to much fun with this game. 

Round after Round.

Poem after Poem.

We did not want to stop. Funny enough, we ended up with some at least interesting poems and a lot of laughs. Now I have shared a portion of these on our Facebook writer's group. So some of you might have seen these already, sorry about that. But we thought it might be fun to share some of them here as well.

Here is how the game works. You flip over a THEME card. This theme you will use to write your poem. Each player also gets 12 paint clips with those marvelous names. You use these names (words) in your poems.

Here is one example:

I have put our paint chip colors in bold to give you an idea of how it looks.

Theme: Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time

The sunburst melts the ice cap.

Once Upon a Time

Vintage turquoise sold at the cliff dwelling.

Once Upon a Time

The tongue-tied salmon shouts, “Surf’s Up!”

Once Upon a Time

The watermelon grows between the chanterelle and sour grapes.

Once Upon a Time

The amethyst sky beyond the ancient castle glows.

By Lisa Montoya (I was an over achiever on this one, I decided to try and use all 12 of my paint chip colors.)

Once upon a time

I ate

The

Whole

Enchilada

meant to feed the entire village

I don't know why I did it but

It

Tasted

Heavenly.

Till my stomach started feeling like a swamp.

There was

Nothing

I could do

to stop the feeling as

I ran from the

Starving

Angry

Guards.

I was miserable.

by Ella Montoya

Here are some more of my poems:

In your zest for life

Stay away from the thistle

On your quest for the 

Fountain of youth

Relish the rain.

Iron gate creaking

Journey through the deep dark wood

Smoke and ash guiding

A clown nose rolls across the floor

The shrouded figure wearing 

The straw hat reaches out

To retrieve it.

As she bends you glimpse 

The ruby slippers hidden below.

The concrete elephant guards the way

I sat beneath the jacaranda tree

Wild huckleberry

And

Grandma’s hydrangeas

Fill the field between

As mystical characters and places

Only dreamt about

Play in my mind

The pages filled with words.

Pinot noir or matcha tea

Orange you glad it’s you and me

Listen Carefully

A sea anemone whispers under the ocean waves.

Listen Carefully

A panther prowls the forest floor.

Listen Carefully

A gentle breeze sings through the grassland.

Listen Carefully

What do you hear beyond the door?

Ginkgo biloba

Lotus flower into tea

Frees the mind to see

When I was Little

Collecting sand dollars

On my very first beach walk.

Polished stones plucked from 

The middle of the driveway

Priceless treasure to fill my pockets.

Was it good fortune

To find the perfect plum 

As the school bus passed the old barn?

Was it good fortune

As the sun set over the corn maze, the perfect fall?

Was it good fortune

The heart beat faster - the first sight of Niagara Falls?

Twas good fortune one and all.

The sun rays shine

Upon the golden gate.

The steel dragon

Carries the new leaf of spring

On the road through the stars

To the Red Planet.

Apple of my eye

Rose colored glasses see you

Habanero burns

Yes, some of these are just crazy nonsense, or should I say, me trying to get rid of paint clips that would not work for any theme we had. But some of them I like. And many of them made Ella and I laugh.

I should share some of Ella's here as well.

I was watching the

Blue Bird

In the

Clear Skies

Searching for a

Bright Idea

Then, I noticed my

Lost Balloon

Floating away

Toward the

Blue Bird

In the

Clear Skies

I lost my

Bright Idea

A warm glow covers

The Sahara’s sand castle.

Why is there a grass stain?

I look toward the antique rose

displayed among the sun-bleached fake ferns.

I lift my cup of chamomile tea to my mouth

as memories of time spent

whispering secrets at tea parties

Hidden among the rose bushes.

Fill my mind.

It’s bittersweet.

I sigh and set my cup back down.

It ain’t all

Sunshine

and

Rainbows

Being royal

Specially when ya arn’t the

Cream

of the

Crop

Ya got to

Tread

Carefully

Less your parents trick you into

Bitting

the

Pomegranate

Trapping you in the underworld forever.

I look toward the antique rose

displayed among the sunbleached fake ferns.

I lift my cup of chamomile tea to my mouth

as memories of time spent

whispering secrets at tea parties

Hidden among the rose bushes.

Fill my mind.

It’s bittersweet.

I sigh and set my cup back down.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed a bit of our fun from a quiet Saturday afternoon, just Ella and I playing with words.

My JoJo

 So it seems this post has been a long time coming.  When I first thought of writing it, I thought it would be a wonderful thing to do. I could explore all of the feelings seeing these two pictures of my daughter gave me, and I could share them with the world. But the more I thought about it, the more I didn't really want to do it. 

Melinda is a senior. Of course that is why I was out taking senior pictures of her. When I start thinking about this, then I have to think about what this year means for her and for me. I am not sure I would ever be completely ready for my children to graduate and head off to college. Yes, I want them to do these things. But these very things change our whole world. I don't know about any one else, but I like when my world is safe and secure. I like knowing what to expect. I generally like when things do not change.

This could be a very different year for me. Not only is this Melinda's senior year, but Zeb graduated from college and Ella is a junior in college. The paths of my children's lives are heading out into places we have never been. I am looking forward to the adventures that this will bring. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that the mommy in me wants to take all three of their hands and keep them safely inside my house.

So now that I have accepted some of what these pictures bring to my heart, I can look at them. I can write about them.

I see this beautiful little angel that has been given to me to guide and love. I helped to place her tiny feet onto the path. I held her hand as she took her first steps. Even this tiny little girl had come down the path quite a way. We can see it curving off between the trees behind her. Here she is just stepping onto the bridge, at the very beginning of her life.

Now, I have kept this angel girl in my heart for 17 years. This is her somewhere in the middle of that bridge (the bridge of her life). I can still see the path, the steps she has taken to get to this point. I will still be there to hold her hand when she needs it, to watch her become exactly who she is meant to be.

And no, we did not plan the outfits to match or think of putting her on the bridge because we wanted to recreate these pictures. That was a complete accident.