WOW 04: Catastrophe

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catastrophe

kə-ˈtas-trə-(ˌ)fē

noun

A disaster or failure.

During the catastrophe, Seo-yun’s family lost their home.

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POW 05: Bow Tie

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Bow Tie

Brown or blue,
Old or new,
Wool or silk – a touch of style and grace.
Tied or not,
In stripe or dot,
Each one puts a smile upon my face.

From: Bow-Tie Pasta; Acrostic Poems
Brian P. Cleary

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POW 04: Acrostic

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Acrostic

All kinds of poems are
Cool, but this type is
Really interesting because if you look
Over at the letters going
Straight down
The left side of the page, the first
Initials spell out a word, or may even
Contain a message.

From: Bow-Tie Pasta; Acrostic Poems
Brian P. Cleary

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WOW 03: Benevolent

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benevolent

bə-ˈnev(-ə)-lənt

adjective

Characterized by doing good.

Xochitl’s benevolent actions made Cassie’s day happier.

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POW 03: In the Pockets of My Cargo Shorts

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In the Pockets of My Cargo Shorts

A photo of my schnauzer, Dave, and one of Richard Nixon,
A cell phone from eight years ago that needs a little fixin’,
Half a double cheeseburger, half a pint of soup,
A soggy, old toupee I found that smells a bit like poop.

A deck of cards, eleven cents, a salamander, dice,
Seashells, a  harmonica that’s old, but pretty nice.
Duct tape, Scotch tape, French tape, and a yo-yo (minus string).
What’s inside my pockets? Well, you might say everything.

From: Underneath My Bed: List Poems
Brian P. Cleary

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WOW 02: Antics

Word of the Week header

antics

an-tiks

noun

Silly or foolish acts. Clowning.

Ms. Williams had seen too much of room 113’s antics.

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POW 02: My Cat Bytes

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My Cat Bytes

Some cats like to prowl,
and some even growl,
while others would rather take naps.
But my Mrs. Mittens –
an internet kitten — is
fonder of laptops than laps.

Unlike other cats,
this one downloads and chats
and is constantly checking her e-mail.
An ad she has posted
has recently boasted
she’s a young single Siamese female.

With paws soft and quick,
she’ll type and she’ll click,
so some research or maybe some shopping.
She bookmarks new sites,
she surfs and she writes,
or she’ll scan in some photos for swapping.

It’s simply absurd,
she’s an internet nerd,
who ignores all the rest of the house.
What cat would admit
it would ever see fit
to enjoy so much time with a mouse?

From: Underneath My Bed: List Poems
Brian P. Cleary

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POW 01: On Brown Road

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On Brown Road

Mrs. Darden loves her garden.
Ms. Matousek teaches music.
Mr. Gattan speaks Pig Latin.
Mrs. Triechel owns a cycle.
Dr. Taylor was a sailor.
Mrs. Durken’s always workin’.
Miss Garcia drives a Kia.
Mr. Austin moved from Boston.
Miss McDuggle likes to juggle.
Mrs. Manak’s a mechanic.
Mr. Pride cooks outside.
Mrs. Miles always smiles.

From: Underneath My Bed: List Poems
Brian P. Cleary

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WOW 01: Accommodate

Word of the Week header

accommodate

ə-käm-ə-dāt

verb

To have enough space for.

The locker was large enough to accommodate Hayley’s cello.

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