Monday, March 23, 2015

forward...clutCH!

It's the last week of my Forward...MarCH CHallenge and I can't begin to thank the other folks who are taking the time to meet this CHallenge with me!  So I'll begin the week with two lists--first, our words for this week, and then the names of all those who have contributed poems so far.  I'm pulling together the "StretCHiest MarCHer" prize this week too, to be awarded to the player who contributes the most poems.

Our words this week:
23 clutch
24 crouch
25 snatch
26 perch
27 quench

And our participants so far, in random order--HOORAY for all of you!!!
Charles Waters
Diane Mayr
Mary Lee Hahn
Donna JT Smith
Kate Coombs
Joy Acey
Jone Rush MacCulloch
Matt Forrest Esenwine
Carol Varsalona
Robyn Hood Black
Tegan, Eli and Hania from Mrs. Doele's class
(Hope I didn't leave anyone out!)

And then--no kidding--my kids started talking at dinner Sunday evening about that slogan you see up there.  I was all like, "What a coincidence."

Here's the Urban Dictionary definition:
Performance under pressure
"In the last few seconds of a close game, only a player with clutch can lead the team to victory."
There's also "Exactly what you need, exactly when you need it."

However, neither of those uses is a verb, so I have to work around that somehow.  Here goes:

Clutch
I need them
when I go to bed.
I need them when
I'm sick.
I need them
when it's time to play
zoo, 
fort 
or picnic.

I pull them in
my wagon.
They're with me
day and night.
I hold
those snuggle pets
so close.
I clutch them
good and tight.

I wrap them in
my blanket.
No two are
the same.
I squeeze 
those snuggle pets
so close,
Clutch is my
middle name.

HM 2015
all rights reserved


Let's see what you're clutCHing in your hot little hands this Monday!
*******************
Forgive me, people, for being so late today--I'm a little under the weather and it's the end of the Marking Period, and NO SNOW DAYS!

As usual Charles has done all his homework in advance, and he gets extra credit for this companion poem to his choo-choo poem from last week.

NURSING HOME
When I was little Grandma used to say to me,
“I can’t get over how much you look like my father.”   
Now, clutching Grandma’s checker spotted hand,
Grazing her frail fingers, she asks,
“Could you please read me another story, Daddy?”
“Of course.”  I say.  Opening up another classic
From her childhood.

(c) Charles Waters 2015 all rights reserved.


Next up is Joy with this story from Phoenix: "Right now in our desert the baby quail are hatching and we'll see maybe 25 of these little golf ball sized puffs racing around two adults.  Bridget Magee's husband Joe calls them goofballs.  I call them quaillets."  Here's her poem for today:

Baby Quail

A clutch of small quail
skitter and scatter,
run under the brush.
Mama quail calls,
rush,
        rush,
                rush.


I wonder why Joy didn't use that lovely "quaillets" in the poem?

Carol's poem is about fashion and serves as a PSA for H.E.L.P. International.  Check out her post for more information:


For fashionistas, a clutch
is a must that cannot hold much.
It is dainty and sweet,
compact and petite-
a place for lipstick 
and mirrors to meet.

Glamorous stars clutch 
their Red Carpet clutch
that doesn't hold much.
They stop and they pose
but it is not their clothes
that tiny cameras seek.
What is wanted is a peek
inside the Clutch Cam
that cradles the clutch
where fans look, not touch.

Advice for the stars
on Red Carpet Day
when in a clutch
get a soft mani touch
so your lovely hands
can showcase the clutch.

Advice for everyday shoppers:
Look for the Mothers of Masese clutch
fashionably crafted by women's touch.

Carol Varsalona (c) 2015. All Rights Reserved

 Mary Lee is back with some wisdom that seems also to apply to me today: "sometimes you just have to say, "Good enough. At least I wrote," and move on."  So true, Mary Lee, especially when we're stretching ourselves like this!  But I think this goes somewhere, especially in the larger context.

NEXT READ ALOUD

Book wanted:

Must
grip listeners,
hold interest.

Make them
clutch cliffhangers,
cling to characters.

Encourage
relaxed conversations,
and unloose imaginations.

Culminate
a community of readers
and an elementary school career.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015


Lots of eggs appearing today--this one is from Diane:

Spring Notion

Within a nest
of moss and poplar
fluff stitched together
with glimmering
spiders' webs lays
a clutch of eggs
so diminutive one
cannot avoid fanciful
thoughts of fairies'
market baskets.

This is lovely, lovely hummingbird delight!  In contrast, Donna drives down both lanes: the clutch under the hood and the clutch that's a brood:

A Clutch Situation

I clutch my clutch
march to the car
step on clutch
put it in gear
down the driveway
chick clutch appears
I clutch the wheel
and try to steer
stomp brake and clutch
as I near
car starts to veer
they thought I had
them in my clutches
but I've avoided
them with sheer
luck and clutch
no clucking clutch
need ever fear
as long as this
lucky clucky clutch
    clutch clutching
        car clutching
           champ is here -
I'm done
      hands off
          my story's done
don't clutch my throat,
       I'm done,
           my dear!

©Donna JT Smith

What a cliiffhanger!  Finally, just put yourself in Kate's small moment of anguish here--I've certainly heard this quiet reverberation:

First Day

I’m here.
Does anyone
care?
I clutch
my courage
in my hands
but it slips
and falls
on the floor
with a little
clang.

—Kate Coombs, 2015

I could just clutch you people to my bosom out of appreciation and admiration!  You have definitely got clutch!  Now to get busy crouCHing...

11 comments:

  1. I'm not in love with my poem for today. I set up some patterns that I just couldn't carry through to the end. But sometimes you just have to say, "Good enough. At least I wrote," and move on.

    NEXT READ ALOUD

    Book wanted:

    Must
    grip listeners,
    hold interest.

    Make them
    clutch cliffhangers,
    cling to characters.

    Encourage
    relaxed conversations,
    and unloose imaginations.

    Culminate
    a community of readers
    and an elementary school career.

    ©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015

    http://www.maryleehahn.com/2015/03/next-read-aloud.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary Lee, I do like the alliteration, clutch cliffhangers.

      Delete
  2. My clutch involves eggs! Mary Lee wrote about them (hummingbirds) last week, this week it's my turn!

    Spring Notion

    Within a nest
    of moss and poplar
    fluff stitched together
    with glimmering
    spiders' webs lays
    a clutch of eggs
    so diminutive one
    cannot avoid fanciful
    thoughts of fairies'
    market baskets.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, like Mary Lee said...Good enough. I wasn't in love with mine either. On my site I merely blamed you for the word! That seemed to make me feel better somehow. But here it is:

    A Clutch Situation

    I clutch my clutch
    march to the car
    step on clutch
    put it in gear
    down the driveway
    chick clutch appears
    I clutch the wheel
    and try to steer
    stomp brake and clutch
    as I near
    car starts to veer
    they thought I had
    them in my clutches
    but I've avoided
    them with sheer
    luck and clutch
    no clucking clutch
    need ever fear
    as long as this
    lucky cluck clutch clutch clutching car clutching champ is here -

    I'm done
    hands off
    my story's done
    don't clutch my throat,
    I'm done,
    my dear!

    ©Donna JT Smith, 2015

    http://mainelywrite.blogspot.com/2015/03/clutch.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna, this line is delightful: as long as this
      lucky cluck clutch clutch clutching car clutching champ is here -

      Delete
  4. Hi, everyone. My poem is embedded in my post, Clutches of Hope. It revolves around a service project to raise funds to continue building the school we started in Masese, Uganda (a refugee town of impoverished, illiterate children and mothers).

    http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2015/03/clutches-of-hope.html

    For fashionistas, a clutch
    is a must that cannot hold much.
    It is dainty and sweet,
    compact and petite-
    a place for lipstick
    and mirrors to meet.

    Glamorous stars clutch
    their Red Carpet clutch
    that doesn't hold much.
    They stop and they pose
    but it is not their clothes
    that tiny cameras seek.
    What is wanted is a peek
    inside the Clutch Cam
    that cradles the clutch
    where fans look, not touch.

    Advice for the stars
    on Red Carpet Day
    when in a clutch
    get a soft mani touch
    so your lovely hands
    can showcase the clutch.

    Advice for everyday shoppers:
    Look for the Mothers of Masese clutch
    fashionably crafted by women's touch.

    Carol Varsalona (c) 2015. All Rights Reserved

    PS: Thanks for the remark, Mary Lee. We don't always have to love what we write but we do have to continue writing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. First Day

    I’m here.
    Does anyone
    care?
    I clutch
    my courage
    in my hands
    but it slips
    and falls
    on the floor
    with a little
    clang.

    —Kate Coombs, 2015

    ReplyDelete
  6. Katie, what a great little poem about clutching your courage. I can see children being interested to write about what that means.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for joining in the wild rumpus!