Today on Ethical ELA’s Open Write, my friend Margaret Simon invites fellow teacher-poets to compose elfchen, also known as “elevenies,” poems of eleven words. Margaret says that the basic elfchen rules can be found on Wikipedia; she shares these guidelines:

Line 1: One word
Line 2: Two words about what the word does.
Line 3: Location or place-based description in 3 words.
Line 4: Metaphor or deeper meaning in 4 words.
Line 5: A new word that somehow summarizes or transforms from the original word.

This is a first for me, never having attempted an elevenie before. Although I love forms with word and syllable counts, the seemingly-simple, enchanting elfchen proved deceptively difficult!

February Elfchen Chain

February
gray desolation
brightened by bluebirds
and sudden pink blossoms
overcoming

winter
gusting winds
squeak naked branches
against each other, awakening
desire

greenness
seeps imperceptibly
to the edges
Nature revels in pre-season
preparation

One of my bluebirds, February 10, 2024.