30 Poems in 30 Days with 30 Forms
Making this up…
I don’t know if there is a poetic form called Yarn. I found lots of poems ABOUT yarn – odes and elegies, sonnets and haikus. But I love a good yarn — a rambling story or tall-tale. So I chose a multi-stanza, lyrical (read: non-rhyming or slant-rhyme) structure with an informal, tongue-in-cheek tone. Hope you like it!
(And for those of you paying attention: Yes, I did skip “X” – Come back tomorrow for a peek inside the heart of a desert cicada – because X is for X-ray!).
Huck and Gila
Huck the Chuckwalla, a pot-bellied fella, perched on a rocky outcrop.
Dreamin’ of eatin’ creosote leaves, a bit shy; not much for talk.
He was doing his yoga, when a monster called Gila crawled from beneath the ground.
“I gotta get huntin’! I’m hungry for somethin’!” Slowly he looked around.
Huck’s head got to bobbin’. He started his puffin’, went from flat to fat and wide-bodied.
He jammed his shoulders between two large boulders. I don’t wanna fight! I won’t win!
Good thing that Gila is rather slow-moving and doesn’t see very far.
Even though both are considered lizards, one of them’s a carnivore.
So, Huck blended in like an iguana. Gila left Huck alone.
But once the beady body moved passed, Huck snapped a pic with his phone.
©draft, Patricia J. Franz
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Ruth is rounding us up this week at there is no such thing as a God-forsaken town.
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. 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. 
Oh, I love your new poetry form–the yarn! It definitely has vibes of Paul Bunyan and other tall tales. I love Huck’s photo of “the beady body” (such a good description).
Love the colloquial language!
So creative, Patricia! Love this tall tale with its humor.
Ha! I was worried for Huck. Glad he made it out alive. FABulous voice in this!
I had to stop and laugh at Huck doing his yoga!
Love the beat for your ‘yarn’, Patricia. Glad Huck was able to use his talents to escape! Catching up with those I’ve missed makes a fun Sunday!
Wonderful yarn! Your creativity shines in this poem.