PEPPER-ONI MANNERS: d’Verse Quadrille (Pass the Pepper please!)

For this week’s d’Verse Quadrille Prompt, Punam has invited us to spice things up a little by adding a little “Pepper” to our poetry & compose a Quadrille (44 word poem) based around said word. Below lies my contribution to the prompt, hope ye enjoy the read: 👇👇😁😁

PEPPER-ONI MANNERS

With his colorful speech
And coarse behaviour
Being regularly peppered
With some salty language
And spicy aggressive agitations
His company wasn’t to everyone’s taste
But to everyone’s surprise,
When he sat down to eat
A pepperoni pizza with some wedges,
His demeanour changed completely

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

https://dversepoets.com/2023/05/29/quadrillepass-the-pepper-please/

BREATHING SPACE FROM MY EMOTIONAL DEBRIS: Twiglets; Ragtag Daily Prompt

For today’s poetic offering I’m selecting yesterday’s Ragtag Daily Prompt (Debris) & this week’s Twiglets Prompt (Breathing Space) as my sources of inspiration. Below lies my contribution to the prompt: 👇👇😁😁 Hope ye enjoy the read! 🤞🙏😁📖

BREATHING SPACE FROM MY EMOTIONAL DEBRIS

All I need is a little breathing space
Some alone time to think,
To pick through the dusty debris
And emotional wreckage
of my former life
From the bombsite of my broken heart
Just give me that much at least
Fraught with danger, yes.
And potential for getting caught
In the crossfire
But a necessary risk nonetheless
For sometimes
You need to move backwards
In order to move forwards.

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

https://thetwiglets.wordpress.com/2023/05/30/twiglet-327/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/05/29/ragtag-daily-prompt-debris/

LIGHTING UP THE PLAYFUL NIGHT SKY Sadje’s #WhatDoYouSee #WDYS Image Prompt

For this week’s #WDYS #WHATDOYOUSEE Prompt, Sadje has provided us with the image above which “shows a person holding a bright lamp in their right hand, standing alone facing a sky lit with the light of the setting sun. The night sky is making its presence known too.” Below lies my contribution to the prompt: 👇👇😁😁

LIGHTING UP THE PLAYFUL NIGHT SK

Neath the setting sun
And a playful; starlit sky
Stands one man & his lantern
Lighting up the winter’s night.

With only trees for company
And patches of melted snow
Surrounding him each side
With the warm glow of the lamp

He just stands there & waits
For what?! For when or whom?!
We’re not quite sure as yet
But something big is on it’s way

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

https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2023/05/29/what-do-you-see-188-may-29-2023/

TIRELESS ENTHUSIASM: Ragtag Daily Prompt Tuesday & Thursday

For my latest poetic offering I’ve decided to respond to Tuesday’s & Thursday’s Ragtag Daily Prompts: INDEFATIGABLE & DRIVEN . Below lies my contribution to the prompt, hope ye enjoy the read! 🤞🙏😁📖

TIRELESS ENTHUSIASM

Nobody could question her
Tireless; indefatigable
Commitment to the cause
Helen was driven
By a higher; unseen power
Guided by the divine laws
Her enthusiasm was infectious
She just kept on going
Without stopping to pause
She did it to make their lives better
Not for any personal attention
Acclaim or applause
The homeless found shelter,
The hungry were fed
The wounded healed because
Of her compassion & conviction
To saving the poor; the underdog
From the very jaws
Of despair

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

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/05/23/rdp-tuesday-indefatigable/

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/05/26/rdp-friday-driven/

THE FORLORN LOOKING POOCH: Sadje’s #WhatDoYouSee #WDYS Poetry Image Prompt

Image credit; Grin @ Unsplash

For the week’s #WDYS #WHATDOYOUSEE Poetry Image Prompt, Sadje has provided us with the image above which shows a Frenchie dog sitting and posing while wearing a fanny pack. Below lies my contribution to the prompt: 👇👇😁😁

THE FORLORN LOOKING POOCH

This pooch woke up early in the morn
His sagging jowls made him look so forlorn
His day seemed like a drag
So he packed up his bag
And left. Now his owner does mourn

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

https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2023/05/22/what-do-you-see-187-may-22-2023/

IMPRISONED POETS WITH CRIMINALLY GOOD POETRY d’Verse Poetics Prompt (Uncaging The Poet)

For this week’s d’Verse Poetics Prompt hosted my Grace & guest hosted by Paul of Parralax. The latter of whom encourages us to remember fellow scribes & poets who don’t have the same freedoms most of us writers would take for granted, who sit imprisoned and locked away for the sake of their craft. Let’s uncage our words in their honour and remember them today. Below lies my contribution to the prompt: 👇👇😁😁

IMPRISONED POETS WITH CRIMINALLY GOOD POETRY

Imprisoned scribes
Put behind bars
For daring to write
Words down on paper
And reach for the stars
With language that stirs
The emotions,
Challenges & inspires
Us to rise above the status quo
And to rail against injustice
So they burn their books
And set them on fire.
Collaborate & conspire
Out of fear.
For…
The pen is mightier
Than the sword
Giving poetry
A power all of it’s own
It’s the ultimate form
Of freedom,
Of self-expression
So making poetry a crime
And the poet a criminal
Is a crime in itself
An act of repression.
Against the art of rhyme
Against the art of the written word
The art of speaking your mind

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

https://dversepoets.com/2023/05/16/poetics-uncaging-the-poet/

THE SILENT DESPERATION OF SOUND PROOFED WORDS: Twiglets (thin silence)

For this week’s Twiglets prompt, Misky has provided us the the following description: “thin silence” as our source of creative inspiration. Below lies my contribution to the prompt:👇👇 Hope that ye enjoy the read! 🤞🙏😁📖

THE SILENT DESPERATION OF SOUND PROOFED WORDS

The thin silence
Of words unspoken
Barely contained
Desperate to be said
Hovering on the tip
Of your tongue
Banging loudly
On the sound proofed wall
Of your imprisoned thoughts
Screaming to be heard
Yet never making it past
Your pursed lips

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

https://thetwiglets.wordpress.com/2023/05/16/twiglet-325/

A REFLECTION OF UNREALISED BEAUTY: d’Verse Quadrille Prompt (Mirror)

For this week’s d’Verse Quadrille Prompt, merrilldsmith has encouraged us to look into the “mirror” and write a Quadrille (44 word poem) based on what you see. Below lies my contribution to the prompt: 👇👇😁😁

A REFLECTION OF UNREALISED BEAUTY

Scared to look into the mirror
For fear of what you might see
Will it reflect
Who you are
Or who you want to be
The ugliness you feel
Or some unrealised beauty?!
Will it crack under the pressure
That we place on it?

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

https://dversepoets.com/2023/05/15/quadrille-mirror-mirror-on-the-wall/

LITTLE MAN WITH A BIG HEART: Sadje’s #WhatDoYouSee #WDYS Poetry Image Prompt

Image credit; Alisa Dyson @ Pixaby

For this week’s #WDYS #WHATDOYOUSEE Poetry Image Prompt, Sadje has provided us with the image above, which shows a young boy holding the face of a woman in his small hands and smiling affectionately at her. Below lies my contribution to the prompt! 👇👇😁😁

LITTLE MAN WITH A BIG HEART

The little boy could see
That his mum was feeling down
Wishing he could set her free
He stopped & turned around
Slowly he walked over to her
As she stooped low to greet
Old emotions began to stir
With his gesture so sweet
He cupped her cheeks in his hands
And smiled a smile so wide
His sensitive spirit was so pure
That she could have cried
“Listen mum, I can see you’re sad
And feeling down sometimes
I know that you still miss him. Dad
Well, he was one of a kind”
“I miss him too, if you must know
And the way we used to play
Together. And how he used to show
Me how to kick a ball and the way
To ride a bike on my own
Without the help of anyone
And carried me on his shoulders
When I was too tired to run!”
“But, I’m still here ya know?!
I’m the new man of the house
I’ll pick you up when you’re feeling low
Or be quite as a mouse
If you need some time to yourself
To think or have a little cry”
Her aching heart begin to melt
Swelling up with pride
She knew she’d never be alone
Would always have her little man
By her side or on the phone
Everything will turn out just grand

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

https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2023/05/15/what-do-you-see-186-may-15-2023-mothers-day /

PAPER AEROPLANES POSTAL SERVICE: d’Verse Poetics (Slipping Into Surrealism)

For this week’s d’Verse Poetics Prompt, Mish, over at d’Verse Poets Pub, has encouraged us to get in touch with the artistic surrealist in ourselves by choosing a photo from Swedish photographer: Erik Johansson and writing a poem about it.

Image can be selected from the d’Verse Poetics page or at Erik Johansson’s website: https://www.erikjo.com/work I chose the image above on which to base my piece.

PAPER AEROPLANES POSTAL SERVICE

Tired of your post getting damaged or lost in transit
Fed up with it not getting there on time
I’ve got the solution to your dilemma
If you’d take a few moments to read this rhyme.

I remember flying paper aeroplanes
In class, when I was just a little kid
The joy and mischievous nature of it all
Passing on information the way we did

Like all kids did, I had my dreams
I longed to take to the sky
But didn’t have the head for engines
Had to come with another way to try

To spread my wings and spread my love
Of old-fashioned written words
to far & distant lands
Then the thought to me occurred

Why not create a giant aeroplane
Without the need for gadgets or for fuel
Made out of paper; ink & trees
Now, wouldn’t that be cool?!

Then I would take to the sky
On a papyrus plane full of words
Piloting letters to their destination
While flying all over the world!

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

https://dversepoets.com/2023/05/09/poetics-slipping-into-surrealism-with-erik-johansson/

You can find the link to the picture here:

https://www.erikjo.com/news/office-escape