Twitter poetry 2021: Week 29

My blogger-poet-friend Ingrid inspired me to create a Twitter account and start writing #APoemADay, which I began on January 1, 2021.

This week, I posted a series of naanis, which are only 4 lines and no more than 25 syllables long. For reasons I cannot identify, I was inspired to write this week’s series about my six-year-old daughter… maybe because she’s also small! (although she insists that I refer to her as “medium-sized”!)

I hope you enjoy this week’s naanis!

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem,
David

A #naani:

my hand
wraps around hers down to her thin wrist
subtly, I press finger against vein
to feel my child's pulse

–@Experimentsinfc #APoemADay #poem #4lines #poetry #creativewriting #parenthood #fatherhood pic.twitter.com/fPrXUpjWxi
— Skeptic's Kaddish (@kaddish_s) July 17, 2021

A #naani:

took my little girl to a birthday party
knew
she would be excited
about the makeup booth

–@Experimentsinfc #APoemADay #poem #poetry #4lines #micropoetry #parenthood #fatherhood #childhood #love pic.twitter.com/iXUrkdg3uR
— Skeptic's Kaddish (@kaddish_s) July 18, 2021

A #naani:

I loved her ponytail
it annoyed her
she had it cut off
donated to cancer patients

–@Experimentsinfc #poem #poetry #4lines #micropoetry #parenthood #childhood #fatherhood #creativewriting #APoemADay pic.twitter.com/WWpMxg43Wu
— Skeptic's Kaddish (@kaddish_s) July 19, 2021

A #naani:

everything takes a LONG time
if you're only six
and you need an hour
just to babble about nothing

–@Experimentsinfc #poem #poetry #4lines #micropoetry #parenthood #childhood #fatherhood #creativewriting #APoemADay pic.twitter.com/IexMiJPjLe
— Skeptic's Kaddish (@kaddish_s) July 20, 2021

A #naani:

Daddy? Yes? I love you!
Love you too! Daddy? Yes? I
want to hug you! Daddy?
Yes? Love you three!

–@Experimentsinfc #APoemADay #poetry #poem #micropoetry #4lines #childhood #parenthood #fatherhood #love #creativewriting pic.twitter.com/oMWeghPJgM
— Skeptic's Kaddish (@kaddish_s) July 21, 2021

A #naani:

let's pull back your hair. NO!
why? it's TOO SHORT! it isn't. IT IS!
why always argue? … … FINE!
oh… comfy… THANKS!

–@Experimentsinfc #APoemADay #poem #poetry #4lines #micropoetry #love #fatherhood #parenthood #childhood #humor #creativewriting pic.twitter.com/TzWe5No4En
— Skeptic's Kaddish (@kaddish_s) July 22, 2021

A #naani:

At six, she needs
a mountain of pillows to fall asleep
how many more
will she need when she's older?

–@Experimentsinfc #APoemADay #poem #poetry #micropoetry #4lines #childhood #parenthood #love #sleep #sleeping #pillows #pillow #creativewriting pic.twitter.com/lSYO9Z6rsX
— Skeptic's Kaddish (@kaddish_s) July 23, 2021

21 thoughts on “Twitter poetry 2021: Week 29”

Even though I don’t use ( or particularly like) twitter, I can see how the word limit on that platform could force a poet into a new approach; thoughts have to be condensed into such a small space. Well done! I honestly hadn’t heard of a ‘naani’ until now. Thanks for teaching me something new!

ben Alexander July 25, 202110:23 Reply

I only created a Twitter acct for that reason! I’d never had one before 😉

Wonderful celebration of words!

ben Alexander July 25, 202100:25 Reply

💙 Thanks so much, Robert 💙

-David

So pretty daughter 👍🏻❤️🌷and Handsome Dad 👌🙏🌷
Beautiful photography 👍🏻🌹😊🙏🌺

ben Alexander July 25, 202100:16 Reply

💜 Thattamma 💜
1. Thattamma C.G Menon July 25, 202103:14 Reply
  
  🌷🙏🌷❤️😊

Beautiful ones. 🙂

ben Alexander July 25, 202100:14 Reply

💚 Thanks, Terveen 💚

Great poems about your daughter. Did she donate her hair to Locks of Love? Here in my neck of the woods, biker dudes grow their hair long. They then have it cute and shaved off to donate to cancer patients.

ben Alexander July 23, 202118:46 Reply

Molly,

We live in Israel so Locks of Love isn’t a thing here – but we also have an NGO that creates wigs for cancer patients.

That’s an awesome anecdote about the bikers! Thanks for telling me – it makes me smile 🙂

Shabbat shalom,
David
1. henhouselady July 23, 202118:49 Reply
  
  I wondered if they were international. Cutting off your hair and giving it to someone is an amazing act of kindness. you are raising your daughter right as they would say around here.
  1. ben Alexander July 23, 202118:50 Reply
    
    it was entirely her decision – and she didn’t hesitate.

‘Medium sized’ that’s adorable 🥰

ben Alexander July 23, 202118:45 Reply

Yes, and it’s useful for me when she misbehaves because then I can challenge her to act medium sized instead of like a little child!
1. Ingrid July 23, 202118:56 Reply
  
  🤣👌