Poetry Sisters Write Poems to Unanswerable Questions

This month the Poetry Sisters' challenge was to dream up an unanswerable question and answer it in a poem. For example, in the poem "How Many How Much," Shel Silverstein asked, "How many slams in an old screen door?" 

On our Zoom call Sunday, we spent 5 minutes generating questions on our own, and then we shared them. It gave us a lot of ideas to work with! I tried writing to a couple of different prompts but found that every poem I started wound its way to an answer, which was not the point. Ultimately, I ended up with lots of questions and no answers. 

Ode to Wonder

How many ticks in a grandfather clock?
How many rings in a bell?
How many days in a rotating Earth?
How many pails from a well?

How many songs in 88 keys?
How many drops in the rain?
How many spins on a merry-go-round
How many thoughts in a brain?

Who made the stars?
What makes them shine?
Is there life beyond Earth in space?
Where are lost souls?
When are they found?
Why have they fallen from grace?

The why of the world
is a curious thing
with so many questions to ponder.
Sit down for a bit
and think big things
there's so much for us to wonder.

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2024. All rights reserved.

You can find the poems shared by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. 

• Tanita Davis
• Mary Lee Hahn
• Sara Lewis Holmes
• Kelly Ramsdell
• Laura Purdie Salas
• Liz Garton Scanlon

Would you like to try the next challenge? In May we’re writing in the style of Lucille Clifton and are writing poem about body parts ala "Homage to My Hips." Are you in? Good! You have a month to craft your creation and share it on May 31st in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems!  

In addition to this poem, I have been building a book spine poem each day to celebrate National Poetry Month. I hope you'll pop over to my April 26 post to check it out and explore some of the other poems I've written. If you've been following the Progressive Poem, you might like my April 25 poem, which was inspired by the unfolding plight of the poem's characters.

This week, Poetry Friday is hosted by Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town. I hope you'll take some time to check out all the poetic things being shared today. Happy poetry Friday, friends!

NPM 2024 - Book Spine Poem 26

Happy Poetry Friday! For National Poetry Month this year, I am perusing my bookshelves and building book spine poems.

Up in the garden and down in the dirt

a seed is the start

When green becomes tomatoes

my father’s hands

Pick! Pull! Snap!

Tops and bottoms

first, peas to the table

corn

rah, rah, radishes

fresh, delicious

Let’s eat!

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2024. All rights reserved.

Sources

• Up In the Garden and Down In the Dirt by Kate Messner, art by Christopher Silas Neal
• A Seed Is the Start by Melissa Stewart
• When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano, pictures by Julie Morstad
• My Father's Hands by Joanne Ryder, illustrations by Mark Graham
• Pick, Pull, Snap!: Where Once a Flower Bloomed by Lola Schaefer, illustrations by Lindsay Barrett George
• Tops & Bottoms, adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens
• First Peas to the Table by Susan Grigsby, illustrations by Nicole Tadgell
• Corn by Gail Gibbons
• Rah, Rah, Radishes!: A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre
• Fresh Delicious: Poems From the Farmer's Market by Irene Latham, illustrations by Mique Moriuchi
• Let's Eat!: What Children Eat Around the World by Beatrice Hollyer

I hope you'll come back again to see what new poem I've cobbled together. You can find other poems I've written this month at the links below.

April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 5
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 9

April 10
April 11 

April 12
April 13
April 14
April 15 
April 16
April 17
April 18

April 19

April 20

April 21
April 22
April 23

April 24

April 25

This week, Poetry Friday is hosted by Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town. I hope you'll take some time to check out all the poetic things being shared today.

NPM 2024 - Book Spine Poem 25

**If you are looking for the Poetry Friday post or the 26th book spine poem, see the links below.**

Poetry Sisters Write Poems to Unanserable Questions
NPM 2024 - Book Spine Poem 26

For National Poetry Month this year, I am perusing my bookshelves and building book spine poems. Today's poem was inspired by this year's Progressive Poem. (See the list of participants to follow the poem. It began with Patricia Franze at Reverie.)

The journey

out of the dust

dreamers

the undefeated

illegal

chasing freedom

unspoken

unsettling truths

This child, every child

now and then

an American story

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2024. All rights reserved.

Sources

• The Journey by Sarah Stewart, illustrations by David Small
• Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
• Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
• The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illustrations by Kadir Nelson
• Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrations by Giovanni Rigano
• Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony, Inspired by Historical Facts by Nikki Grimes, illustrations by Michele Wood
• Unspoken: A Story From the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole
• Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah
• This Child, Every Child: A Book About the World's Children by David J. Smith, illustrations by Shelagh Armstrong
• Now and Then by Claire Philip, illustrations by Greg Paprocki
• An American Story by Kwame Alexander, art by Dare Coulter

I hope you'll come back again to see what new poem I've cobbled together. You can find other poems I've written this month at the links below.

April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 5
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 9

April 10
April 11 

April 12
April 13
April 14
April 15 
April 16
April 17
April 18

April 19

April 20

April 21
April 22
April 23

April 24

NPM 2024 - Book Spine Poem 24

For National Poetry Month this year, I am perusing my bookshelves and building book spine poems.

We 

wonder

the shape of the world

gravity

spiders and their webs

dinosaur bones

bubble homes and fish farts

how the sea came to be

the stunning science of everything

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2024. All rights reserved.

Sources

• We by Alice Schertle, illustrations by Kenneth Addison
• Wonder by R.J. Palacio
• The Shape of the World by K.L. Going, illustrated Lauren Stringer
• Gravity by Jason Chin
• Spiders and Their Webs by Darlyne A. Murawski
• Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner
• Bubble Homes and Fish Farts by Fiona Bayrock, illustrations by Carolyn Conahan
• How the Sea Came to Be: And All the Creatures In It by Jennifer Berne, illustrations by Amanda Hall
• The Stunning Science of Everything: Science With the Squishy Bits Left In! by Nick Arnold, illustrations by Tony De Saulles

I hope you'll come back again to see what new poem I've cobbled together. You can find other poems I've written this month at the links below.

April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 5
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 9

April 10
April 11 

April 12
April 13
April 14
April 15 
April 16
April 17
April 18

April 19
April 20

April 21
April 22
April 23

NPM 2024 - Book Spine Poem 23

For National Poetry Month this year, I am perusing my bookshelves and building book spine poems.

Poem-Making

Look to the stars

listen to the wind

How do you feel?

Reflect and write

a river of words

Fearless writing

the arrow finds its mark

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2024. All rights reserved.

Sources

• Poem-Making: Ways to Begin Writing Poetry by Myra Cohn Livingston
• Look to the Stars by Buzz Aldrin, paintings by Wendell Minor
• Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth, collages by Susan L. Roth
• How Do You Feel? by Anthony Browne
• Reflect and Write: 300 Poems and Photographs to Inspire Writing, compiled by Elizabeth Guy and Hank Kellner
• A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, illustrations by Melissa Sweet
• Fearless Writing: Multigenre to Motivate and Inspire by Tom Romano
• The Arrow Finds Its Mark: A Book of Found Poems, edited by Georgia Heard, illustrations by Antoine Guilloppé

I hope you'll come back again to see what new poem I've cobbled together. You can find other poems I've written this month at the links below.

April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 5
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 9

April 10
April 11 

April 12
April 13
April 14
April 15 
April 16
April 17
April 18

April 19
April 20

April 21
April 22

NPM 2024 - Book Spine Poem 22

For National Poetry Month this year, I am perusing my bookshelves and building book spine poems.

Ten flashing fireflies

light up the night

counting the stars

dark on light

Small wonders

flip, float, fly

a sky full of poems

signals in the sky

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2024. All rights reserved.

Sources

• Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges, illustrations by Anna Vojtech
• Light Up the Night by Jean Reidy, illustrations by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
• Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrations by Raúl Colón
• Dark on Light by Dianne White, illustrations by Felicita Sala
• Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre & His World of Insects by Matthew Clark Smith, illustrations by Giuliano Ferri
• Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move by JoAnn Early Macken, illustrations by Pam Paparone
• A Sky Full of Poems by Eve Merriam, illustrations by Walter Gaffney-Kessell
• Signals in the Sky by Candice Ransom

I hope you'll come back again to see what new poem I've cobbled together. You can find other poems I've written this month at the links below.

April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 5
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 9

April 10
April 11 

April 12
April 13
April 14
April 15 
April 16
April 17
April 18

April 19
April 20

April 21

NPM 2024 - Book Spine Poem 21

For National Poetry Month this year, I am perusing my bookshelves and building book spine poems.

Firefly July

Marshmallow clouds

enchanted air

Yellow umbrella

one white sail

Ice cream summer

lemonade sun

Summer beat

see me run!

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2024. All rights reserved.

Sources

• Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems, selected by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
• Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at Play Among Figures of Speech by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, illustrations by Richard Jones
• Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle
• Yellow Umbrella by Jae Soo Liu
• One White Sail by S.T. Garne, pictures by Lisa Etre
• Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sís
• Lemonade Sun and Other Poems by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
• Summer Beat by Besty Franco, illustrations by Charlotte Middleton
• See Me Run by Paul Meisel

I hope you'll come back again to see what new poem I've cobbled together. You can find other poems I've written this month at the links below.

April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 5
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 9

April 10
April 11 

April 12
April 13
April 14
April 15 
April 16
April 17
April 18

April 19
April 20

NPM 2024 - Book Spine Poem 20

For National Poetry Month this year, I am perusing my bookshelves and building book spine poems.

A Writing Kind of Day

When rain falls

Splish! Splash!

The sky stirs up trouble

Tap, tap! Boom, boom!

When thunder comes

Flash! Crash! Rumble and Roll!

This is the rain

Drip! Drop!

What’s the weather inside?

Cloudy, with a chance of meatballs.

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2024. All rights reserved.

Sources

• A Writing Kind of Day: Poems For Young Poets by Ralph Fletcher, illustrations by April Ward
• When Rain Falls by Melissa Stewart, illustrations by Constance Rummel Bergum
• Splish Splash by Joan Bransfield Graham, illustrations by Steve Scott
• The Sky Stirs Up Trouble: Tornadoes by Belinda Jensen, illustrations by Renée Kurilla 
• Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle, illustrations by G. Brian Karas
• When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrations by Jim Burke, R. Gregory Christie, Tonya Engel, John Parra, Meilo So
• Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll by Franklyn Branley, illustrations by True Kelley
• This Is the Rain by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrations by Jane Wattenberg 
• Drip! Drop!: How Water Gets to Your Tap by Barbara Seuling, illustrations by Nancy Tobin 
• What's the Weather Inside?: Poems by Karma Wilson, illustrations by Barry Blitt 
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, drawn by Ron Barrett

I hope you'll come back again to see what new poem I've cobbled together. You can find other poems I've written this month at the links below.

April 1
April 2
April 3
April 4
April 5
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 9

April 10
April 11 

April 12
April 13
April 14
April 15 
April 16
April 17 
April 18
April 19

Progressive Poem is Here!

Have you been following the progressive poem progress? I hope so! I'm happy to be number 20 in line for this growing tale. My couplet is at the boom and in bold.

cradled in stars, our planet sleeps,

clinging to tender dreams of peace

sister moon watches from afar,

singing lunar lullabies of hope.

almost dawn, I walk with others,

keeping close, my little brother.

hand in hand, we carry courage

escaping closer to the border

My feet are lightning;

My heart is thunder.

Our pace draws us closer

to a new land of wonder.

I bristle against rough brush—

poppies ahead brighten the browns.

Morning light won’t stay away—

hearts jump at every sound.

I hum my own little song

like ripples in a stream

Humming Mami’s lullaby

reminds me I have her letter

My fingers linger on well-worn creases,

shielding an address, a name, a promise–

Sister Moon will find always us

surrounding us with beams of kindness

But last night as we rested in the dusty field,

worries crept in about matters back home.

I huddled close to my brother. Tears revealed

the no-choice need to escape. I feel grown.

Leaving all I’ve ever known

the tender, heavy, harsh of home.

On to maybes, on to dreams,

on to whispers we hope could be.

But I don't want to whisper! I squeeze Manu's hand.

"¡Más cerca ahora!" Our feet pound the sand.

We race, we pant, we lean on each other

I open my canteen and drink gratefully

Thirst is slaked, but I know we’ll need

more than water to achieve our dreams.

Nights pass slowly, but days call for speed

through the highs and the lows, we live with extremes

Janet, hosted at Reflections on the Teche has the next couplet!

For the full schedule of participants, see the list below.

April 1 Patricia Franz at Reverie
April 2 Jone MacCulloch
April 3 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
April 4 Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
April 5 Irene at Live Your Poem
April 6 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
April 7 Marcie Atkins
April 8 Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town
April 9 Karen Eastlund
April 10 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
April 11 Buffy Silverman
April 12 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
April 13 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
April 14 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
April 15 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
April 16 Sarah Grace Tuttle
April 17 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe
April 18 Tabatha at Opposite of Indifference
April 19 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
April 20 Tricia Stohr-Hunt at The Miss Rumphius Effect
April 21 Janet, hosted here at Reflections on the Teche
April 22 Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading
April 23 Tanita Davis at (fiction, instead of lies)
April 24 Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone
April 25 Joanne Emery at Word Dancer
April 26 Karin Fisher-Golton at Still in Awe
April 27 Donna Smith at Mainely Write
April 28 Dave at Leap of Dave
April 29 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
April 30 Michelle Kogan at More Art for All