So even though I knew A MONTH AGO that I wanted to join in with a word play poem on the last Friday in October, I didn’t start working on it until this week. But it was a lot of fun and got me thinking outside the box. I’m not sure why I picked “wave.” Maybe because we’ve had to do a bit of distant waving during the pandemic. Wave is also a word that holds several meanings. I explored a couple – a hand wave and an ocean wave, but it always came back to movement.
WAVE
Wave is a moving word,
a to-and-fro,
ebb-and-flow word.
It can be a happy hello,
or a sad, slow-to-let-go word.
WAVE smells of the salty sea.
Sometimes it tastes of tears.
It can shout or be silent,
ripple or flutter,
but it is never still.
A wave waits at the bottom of the ocean,
or hides in the hand of a baby,
a mother,
a friend.
Wave is a moving word—
come join in its dance.
Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Check it out here. If you want to learn more about Word Play poems, check out today’s post from Laura Purdie Salas.
Linda has the roundup at Teacher Dance, so head on over for some Halloween and word play fun.
Imagine the Possibilities 
Wonderful! It’s hard to choose a favorite line. They all work together so well in the shape of a waving hand. But, this line was just delicious for me: a to-and-fro,
ebb-and-flow word.
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Thanks for reading, Linda!
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Wonderful! I love your opening lines, especially the “ebb and flow”. Perfect match with the word itself! Thanks for playing with us!
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Rose,
I love your poem. I will see if you’re on fb and send a friend request. My word for Pomelo’s latest anthology is WAVE.
The poems are for pre-K and K. But so interesting the way my brainstorm list includes so much you have artfully included in your wonderful poem. Wish I’d written it. It’s terrific!
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Thanks so much for your kind words, Janet! I am on Facebook but don’t post much, just in the groups I belong to.
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I love the range of emotions in your varied examples. The alliteration and internal rhyme are delightful!
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Thank you so much, Jo Ann!
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Oh, see, you’ve GOT it Rose. Yours is perfectly right. I’m imagining the waves of to-and-fro, ebb-and-flow, love and let go…
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Thanks so much!
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It’s a loving look at this word, Rose, connecting with that other ‘wave’ we all love from the ocean, but with the emotion, I imagine from waving goodbye. Yet, you’ve started with “a to-and-fro,
ebb-and-flow word”, ocean-y & with an emotional pull too. It’s wonderfully complex, what words are when examined so closely! Thanks!
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Thanks, Linda!
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Rose, I love all the alliteration and the shape of your poem. It is just lovely!
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Thank you!
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Your wave is utterly delightful. And relatable. Challenge well met!
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Thank you!
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LOVE this! It seems like it’s the ordinary words that can reveal the most depth. Well played!
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Wonderful, Rose! So many lovely connections in this one word. Wave “tastes of tears.” Also love:
A wave waits at the bottom of the ocean,
or hides in the hand of a baby,
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I love how a wave “hides in the hand of a baby.” Nicely done!
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Rose, your word play poem is full of movement just like the word you chose. I like how you began your poem with this thought and then, closed with the same idea. “Come join in its dance,” is a wonderful ending with a great invitation.
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Your poem makes me want to dance,. Full of playfulness.
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This is wonderful, Rose! Those opening 5 (so breezy and flow-y) lines and then “A wave waits at the bottom of the ocean, or hides in the hand of a baby” are my favorite parts.
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Thanks, Laura!
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You picked the perfect word. Wave has so many ways it can be considered. I suppose I loved wave’s to-and-fro side:
It can be a happy hello,
or a sad, slow-to-let-go word.
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