Get Your Silly On!
Anyone in need of some silly?
I missed the live workshop, hosted by Georgia Heard’s The Poet Studio. But I was able to access the recording of How to Write a Funny Poem with the wonderfully mischievous Chris Harris.
Chris is a poet, humorist, and New York Times–bestselling author of I’m Just No Good at Rhyming,. It was a fast-paced hour-plus about the playful writing of funny poems — through wordplay and looking at the ordinary with new eyes.
One of the generative exercises was to create something silly out of a perfectly normal object. Well I took the liberty of mashing this up with last week’s Nevermore’s prompt:
[verb] me a [noun]ful of [noun] .
Using Chris’ process, I came up with a list of words associated with ‘soup.’
Then, channeling my 3 ½ year old grandson and our frequent pretend meals that we make, I converted this list to toddler toys and crafted this silly poem:
Sing Me A Soupful of Silly
Harvest the crayons.
Chop all the blocks.
Dice up the Legos.
Stir in some rocks.
Drizzle with glitter.
Garnish with grass.
Serve on a bed of confetti…
Get ready…
Slurp, burp… dessert
is next!
images courtesy of Pixaby
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Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
I certainly need silly soup these days.
I do need silly and I love this poem! It’s absolutely true for the 3.5 year old set…and their grandmothers. I got your beautiful CNY postcard this week. Is that your original artwork? I love it.
Okay, THIS??? is brilliant. HOW many imaginary ice cream shops did I create with little sister? This speaks to the imaginative child. I’d love to see you publish this.
Thanks for the silly, Patricia! I love how the time you spent with your grandson inspired this.
Love this, Patricia! As well as the great accompanying photo. I agree, you need to submit it!
So relatable! One of my kids used to make “yucky pie.” Thanks for the fun, Patricia 🙂
Thank you for sharing your ‘silly’ process, Patricia. It provided essential insights. I love how you used action verbs to launch each line, reminding readers of a recipe’s structure. Your silly poem really hit the mark with me as a poet who frequently delves into such matters. Great stuff. Here’s to silly!
ha ha ha — yes, what a delight!!
Pure delight, Patricia, and brilliant too!
And you brought back a memory of something I used to do with my girls. “Glitter Soup” kept them busy and happy for surprisingly long periods. 😀
I made many meals like this with my son when he was little. Pass me some silly soup, too. What a fun poem!
This poem absolutely needs to be published! It is pitch-perfect for the toddler set!
Haha!!!!! LOVE your poem! It gave me the first bellylaugh in weeks!!!! Also, thank you for sharing the prompt! I can’t wait to try it, Patricia!!!!
Thanks so much for the full dose of silly! I did attend the Zoom session and it was such fun to dive into silliness and word fun. I need to go back to my notes and play a bit more. Your poem– and your mash up with the Nevermores prompt–is an inspiration!
What a fun child-joyous poem! I am reminded of making foods out of mud and rocks and grass. Your words are truly fun to read aloud too. Ready for dessert over here! Thank you for the lightness. xo for the week ahead.
Boy, do we need silly right now! Love it! 🙂