THE GOLDEN RUNG OF LIQUIFIED ENLIGHTENMENT: Sadje’s #WhatDoYouSee #WDYS Poetry Image Prompt

For this week’s #WDYS #WHATDOYOUSEE Poetry Image Prompt, Sadje has provided us & the visually challenged reader with this image above which shows a multicolored metallic hand which is encircled by a golden ring. This probably is a computer generated image. Below lies my contribution, hope you enjoy the read! 🤞🙏😁📖

THE GOLDEN RUNG OF LIQUIFIED ENLIGHTENMENT

Reaching for the golden rung
(In the blackness of outer space)
The highest level on the ladder
Of social status to be climbed
Of infinite knowledge to be attained
It’s out of this world!
But it’s grip proves elusive
Passing through his hands
As he seeks to grab a hold of it
They promised I could do the same things
With my new robotic hands
As I did with my normal ones
But space seemed to liquify the metal
And my hopes for enlightenment
In the process.

Should you wish to participate in the prompt then you can access it through the following link below: 👇👇😁😁

https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2023/03/27/what-do-you-see-179-march-27-2024/

DECEPTIVELY EFFORTLESS; PAINFULLY BRIGHT: Ragtag Daily Prompt Friday (Vivid) & Saturday (Placid)

For Saturday’s Ragtag Daily Prompt, the lovely & eloquent Punam has provided us with the word: PLACID as today’s source of creative inspiration! 👍😁 I’ve also responded to Martha’s Friday Ragtag Daily Prompt which is VIVID Below lies my contribution to the prompts, hope ye enjoy the read! 🙏🤞😁📖

Elegant & graceful
Like a swan gliding across a lake
Effortless & placid…
Seemingly unfrazzled
She made life look so easy
Taking everything in her stride
Every bump in the road
Or inclement weather
Without being phased
Or breaking a sweat
At least,
That’s what it looks like from the outside

Take a dive underneath the surface
See what’s happening in the hidden depths
Of her life
She’s really paddling furiously just to stay afloat
“Paddling like f%$k”, as my Social Studies tutor once explained to us,
Just to keep it together
Her struggle becomes apparent
The anguish real
Painfully vivid
Her bright spirit
On the verge of breaking

Should you wish to participate in the prompts then you can access them through the following links below: 👇👇😁😁

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/03/24/rdp-friday-vivid/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/03/25/rdp-saturday-placid/

PLAYFUL CONNECTION WITH OTHER PEOPLE: Reena’s Xploration Challenge (Happiness/Present Moment Video)

For this week’s Xploration Challenge, Reena has provided us with a video on the theme of happiness & being in the present moment. She encouraged us to watch it; reflect on it & write a Stream of Consciousness piece on it. Below lies my contribution, hope you all enjoy the read! 👇👇🙏🤞😁📖

PLAYFUL CONNECTION WITH OTHER PEOPLE

Staying in the present moment has always been a challenge for me with my mind constantly racing forward & back between the next day’s or next week’s activities/schedule or rehashing the previous day’s mistakes; stupid things I’ve said or jobs left undone. It’s a never ending cycle of could have done’s; should’ve done’s; what will I do & what if it doesn’t work out. It can be pretty exhausting! Over thinking and over analysis have always stole away any possibility of real happiness & contentment or of actually enjoying the moment I’m in. Always seeming so serious; quiet and intense rather than relaxed & happy. My father, God rest him, was constantly trying to make me laugh; to get me to smile with his joking around; mischievous grin and playful smile, all in the effort to help me not to take life so, seriously as it were. Now that mantle has fallen to my patient wife and playful daughters who have been blessed with a great sense of humour and are always trying to make me laugh. 😁😂 Grace, in particular, takes great pride in being able to make me laugh, to make anyone laugh for that matter. Grace and Ava remind me, when I forget (which I do often) what’s really important and that’s to laugh; smile; play & connect with other people there and then in the moment. Running, my play time, does this for me too. This is what brings true happiness & contentment! 👍👍😁😁

Should you wish to participate in the prompt then you can access it & the accompanying video over at the prompt link below: 👇👇😁😁

https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2023/03/23/reenas-xploration-challenge-273/

UNPURPOSELY OLD-FASHIONED Moonwashed Weekly Prompt; Ragtag Daily Prompt

In today’s poem, I’ve combined 2 different prompts from Moonwashed Weekly Prompt which this week features the excellent word: “Willy Nilly” & today’s Ragtag Daily Prompt: ANACHRONISM. Below lies my contribution:👇👇😁😁

UNPURPOSELY OLD-FASHIONED

He was a throwback to another time
Hoodie pulled up over his head
With his C. D. player tucked into his outside jacket pocket;
Headphones wrapped around his neck
Notepad & pen in his shoulder bag
Hanging off his left shoulder
And sitting by his right hip
For easy access
Walking willy nilly around the town
Without any direction or purpose
A source of bemusement to his wife
And gentle mocking amongst his friends
An anachronism in a tech savvy & look cool world

Should you wish to participate in the prompts then you can access them through the following links below: 👇👇😁😁

https://amanpan.blog/2023/03/21/moonwashed-weekly-prompt-135-3-21-23-willy-nilly/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/03/23/ragtag-daily-prompt-thursday-anachronism/

THE CHILDLIKE SPIRIT OF AN IMPERFECT MAN: d’Verse Poetics Prompt (In father’s name)

1. Dance with my father: Luther Vandross

2. Song for dad: Keith Urban

3. My father’s eyes: Eric Clapton

4. Papa don’t preach: Madonna

5. Daddy lessons: Beyonce and Dixie Chicks

6. Color him father: The Winstons

7. Daddy could swear, I declare: Gladys Knight and the Pips

8. Baby father: Sade

9. My old man: Mac Demarco

10. Father to son: Queen

11. Papa, can you hear me?: Barbara Streisand

12. Daddy’s hands: Holly Dunn

13. My father’s house: Bruce Springsteen

14. Papa don’t take no mess: James Brown

15. Your daddy loves you: Gil Scot-Heron

This week, over at d’Verse Poetics, Punam from @paeansunplugged has encouraged us to reflect upon our fathers using some of the song tiltes above as guidelines. Below lies my contribution to the prompt, hope ye enjoy the read! 🙏🤞😁📖

THE CHILDLIKE SPIRIT OF AN IMPERFECT MAN

My father’s eyes,
They glinted,
With a type of mischief
And inate curiosity
That belied his years
Broad; wide-eyed smile
Stretched across his face.
The spirit of a young man
Inhabiting the body of an old

Father to son
He spoke to me,
Atop a barstool,
(It was where i got to know
My Old Man)
Of times gone by
When he was a lad
Reminiscing
About losing his mum
In childbirth,
Of walking to school
In bare; muddied feet.
Of running away from home
And cycling miles to work.

Colour him father
Of two families under the sun
Amalgamated;
Together into one
Beautiful; blended
Imperfect clan
With whom
He found no greater joy
Than having them around
At my father’s house
Delighting in the chat;
Laughter & sounds
Of children & grandchildren
Gathered together

For this is a…
Song for dad
A lyrical pause
For a good man
With some flaws
About the long life
That he had
Packing more in there
Than most
Now all I have left
Is a photographed ghost
A kind one at that

Should you wish to participate in the prompt then you can access it through the following link below: 👇👇😁😁

https://dversepoets.com/2023/03/21/poetics-in-fathers-name/

SHIFT IN EXPECTATIONS: d’Verse Quadrille Prompt (Shift)

For this week’s d’Verse Quadrille Prompt, Mish has encouraged us to reflect on the word: SHIFT and compose a Quadrille (44 word poem) using it or any of it’s variations. Below lies my contribution to the prompt, hope ye enjoy the read! 👇👇😁😁🙏🙏📖📖

SHIFT IN EXPECTATIONS

Seismic shift in expectations
Since she’d had her operation
A cesarean section to deliver the baby
Had shifted him out of his complacency
Might have to take on some dayshifts at work
To help Deborah with the night feeds
Prevent her from going berserk

Should you wish to participate in the prompt then you can access it through the following link below: 👇👇😁😁

https://dversepoets.com/2023/03/20/quadrille-172/

TRANQUIL REFLECTION OF ANGER: Sadje’s #WhatDoYouSee #WDYS Poetry Image Prompt

Image credit; Johannes Plenio @ Unsplas

For this week’s prompt, Sadje has provided the visually challenged reader with the image above which shows a bank of nimbostratus clouds refracting the setting sun, which gives it a grayish-red hue. This is reflected in the water below it. Below lies my response to it, hope ye enjoy the read! 🙏🤞😁📖

TRANQUIL REFLECTION OF ANGER

Something’s rumbling up there in the sky,
Hidden behind the clouds,
As if the Gods had lit a fire
Or set off a volcanic eruption
In the heat of the moment
Hovering dangerously close
To the water
Weighing poor old “Nimbo” down
Barely containing
The heaven’s anger
Reflected in the tranquil sea

Should you wish to participate in the prompt then you can access it through the following link below: 👇👇😁😁

https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2023/03/20/what-do-you-see-178-march-20-2023/

ON A DIFFERENT WAVELENGTH: Reena’s Xploration Challenge #272

For this week’s Xploration Challenge Reena has encouraged us to: “choose to do any of the following.”:

1. Choose at least two words from the above in your piece.

• Guess the theme and use it.

• Use synonyms of two words in case these words do not appeal to you

Or use the theme and/or words in any other manner you like.”

I have chosen the words: “wavelength“; “trance” & “hypnosis“. Below lies my contribution to the prompt, hope ye enjoy the read! 🤞🙏😁📖

ON A DIFFERENT WAVELENGTH

I came into the sitting room
And turned on the radio
I then adjusted the dial
Till it arrived at my favourite station
(That played hits from the 70’s & 80’s)
It was smack bang in the middle of
Video Killed the Radio Star
Blasting out over the stereo
With it’s own thumping hypnotic beat
If was infectious
Or at least I thought so anyways.
It just left my daughter
In a turned off; trance like state
She sighed
That bored; uninterested sigh
Mumbled “this is rubbish”
Under her breath
And turned off the radio
“Hey” I said
But it was too late
By this stage she had
Plugged her headphones into her I-phone
And turned up the volume
Then again,
We never were on the same wavelength
Were we love?

Should you wish to participate in the prompt then you can access it through the following link below: 👇👇😁😁

https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2023/03/16/reenas-xploration-challenge-272/

MOUNT DUBIOUS: Moonwashed Weekly Prompt (Dubious) #134

For this week’s Moonwashed Weekly Prompt, Eugi has provided us with the word: DUBIOUS for our literary inspiration. Below lies my contribution to the prompt, hope ye enjoy the read! 🤞🙏😁📖

MOUNT DUBIOUS

Even though he jokes and jests
I don’t know about this guy
His intentions seem questionable
His motives, dubious
at best
Downright untrustworthy at worst
Can’t quite place my finger on it
This could end up being a mess
Erupting like Vesuvius
Molten hot lava
Of worst fears realised
Flowing down the mountain
Of misplaced trust
Burning everything in it’s path
Far from *salubrious
It’s why you’re better off
To have a select few friends
People that you can turn to,
Who form the nucleus
Of folk in whom you have
Complete confidence
Who’ll be there through
When the going gets tough
When you’re heart breaks
Over loved ones passed
Or other “friends” forsake
Save you from being *lugubrious

*lugubrious means excessively mournful
*salubrious means favourable to health of mind or body

Should you wish to participate in the prompt then you can access it through the following link below: 👇👇😁😁

https://amanpan.blog/2023/03/14/moonwashed-weekly-prompt-134-3-14-23-dubious/

CALMNESS BESEECHES; WAITING FOR WORDS TO DROP d’Verse Poetics Prompt

For this week’s d’Verse Poetics Prompt, Ingrid (In her final d’Verse Prompt 🙁) has encouraged us to reflect on place & space, what/where our favourite one is, and compose a poem in response in: Poetry of Place & Space. Below lies my contribution to the prompt, hope ye enjoy the read! 🤞🙏😁📖

CALMNESS BESEECHES; WAITING FOR WORDS TO DROP

My favourite place/space is…

The corner seat of a coffee shop
Is just grand.
Sipping on a mocha, hot
Pen in hand,
Waiting for some words to drop

Running down an empty street
Under moonlight
With my always restless feet.
It’s where I fight
My demons… untill I defeat

Reclining on the leather couch
Observing them interact.
As they play; squeal & shout
I find contentment that
Scatters my worries south.

Long walks on sandy beaches
Listening to sea waves crash
Soothing the farthest reaches
Of your mind, becoming unattached
From the world. Calmness beseeches

Should you wish to participate in the prompt then you can access it through the following link below: 👇👇😁😁

https://dversepoets.com/2023/03/14/poetics-poetry-of-place-and-space/