An Island Paradise

The Sunday Whirl

The given words:

Bear,bend,bird,bridge,fallen,heaven,island

lane,meadow,retreat,rock,unstable,wild

Bear in mind that

A bend of the road

Or a fallen bridge

May not be such

An obstacle

A meadow in heaven’s

Likeness is a savior in a

Lane of peace a likely

Retreat from

Birds of prey

It may not rock the

Unstable nature of a

Wild imagination but

Can well be a catalyst

An island paradise

Is still within reach!

Written for Brenda's hosting of Sunday Whirl Wordle #115 and Poets United's : Poetry Pantry #156

Don't Play Mickey with me !

 Image:1 In front of the Disney Castle. Azhar, Hafidz and Azlin

Image:2 At the Shark Encounter Azhar and my Loving Wife Shadah

 Image: 3 Azlin at Back from the Future

Image:4 Azhar at the Peter Pan attraction
Location: All images at the Anaheim Disneyland, LA from Hank's Collections

Was originally christened by Walt
as Mortimer Mouse
But his wife Lilian thought
Mickey was more appropriate
Following his visit however
to Warner Brothers studios
Mickey Rooney claimed
Walt had named it after him

Mickey Mouse was not alone
He had friends around
There’s Minnie Mouse
his girlfriend, Pluto
his dog Donald Duck and Goofy
And he is an official mascot
since 1955 of Disney

A runaway success Mickey
received nine Academy
nominations. What’s more on
his 50th anniversary
in 1978 he even had a star dedicated
to him at the Hollywood Walk of Fame

A life with cartoons is such a joy
and one with Mickey is so therapeutic
What if there was no Mickey
And there is no Disney
Youngsters will not be saying
‘Don’t play Mickey with me!’

Written for Mary's hosting at d"Verse Poetics - It All Started with a Mouse

The Dusk in Rain

                                                                                        Attribution: Julian Herzog
Image: Sunset over Bavaria
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Fading shades of light

Darkened in the distance in

colors of brilliance

The dusk in light rain

advanced faster leaving the

birds chirping alone

The heavens engulfed

Shadowy signs of life made

a graceful exit

The horizon did

accept the setting sun to

retire the night

Written for Chev’s CARPE DIEM special #44with prompt  -  the dusk in rain

What happened to the Dinosaurs?

                                                                                   Attribution: Claire H
Image: Dinosaur Mounts
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

What happened to the carefree days

    when time stood still and childhood
    innocence governed ways of laughter
    but disappeared even before it started

What happened to the environment

    now long polluted choking the

    waterways and the green-house effects

    spelled danger above

What happened to the neighborhood

    unsafe except for gangland packs

    roving the streets made easy for them

    and law enforcement rendered ineffective

What happened to the growing up years of

    physical activities for sporting
    prowess now acquiesced taken over
    by FB and on-line preferences indoors

What happened to all the grown-ups

    embattled to survive in trying times

    of economic hardships and exploitation

    perpetrated by big business

What happened to the ever mystifying question

   left unanswered on the whys and wherefores

   of disappearance of dinosaurs which could

   have been an unending supply chain (chuckles) of meat

What happened, people?

Note: Wonder if this has semblance of an anaphora
Written for Victoria's hosting at d'Verse, Listen to this - anaphora

Piercing Night Calls

                                                                  Attribution: Jodelet Lepinay
Image: A Cicada Leaving its Moult
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

That sacred moment

Melts the quiet of twilight

Sudden piercing highs

As suddenly it

turns melodious, layered

lingering but firm

Oblivious of the

encroaching dark, an eerie

ensemble beckons

Loudest insect cry

Mating game or distress call

All sounding the same

An orchestra for

the long haul throughout the night

Morbid in nature

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #232 with prompt - cicada

A Face of Innocence

Image: Face of a Child

Source: Courtesy of Peggy Goetz

It’s all about face

An image so sacred

A portrait of one

Where there are no takers

To others on earth

Even identical twins are different

In physical looks

A person is one and only

No two persons resemble another

How so unique

How so sublime

The wonder of nature

Providence has a hand

But let nature take its course

The individual

Is unto himself

It’s his domain

It’s him to savor

It’s him to take cognizance

A look in the mirror

The portrait of a mother’s pride

And no one to dispute!

Written for Peggy's hosting at Real Toad's with prompt -  About Face

Chirpings of a Male Chaffinch

                                                                          Attribution: AnemoneProjectors
Image: Male Chaffinch whose Chirping Grew Louder
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Darkness bids good-bye

The stillness of the evening

is slowly transformed

It comes as whispers

In tandem with increasing

lights, it progresses

A sudden build up

A crescendo of chirping

Madness in welcome

Written for Leo’s Haiku Heights #259 with prompt – crescendo 

The Slick and Sly

                                                                   Attribution: Richard Holcomb
Image: Modern Day Street Hustlers
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Slick and sly, smiling

to himself confidently

He stood unobserved

Sizing up the crowd

with a cursory glance he

worked out his move

Seeing a likely

dope he was quick to react

with his weapons drawn

Ensnared the poor thing

did not have a chance. Victim

of  the smooth talker

Note: Following grapeling's comments this is what
Wiki had to say of senryu:

"Senryū tend to be about human foibles
while haiku tend to be about nature,
and senryū are often cynical or darkly
humorous while haiku are more serious."

Very fine difference but I'll remember it, thanks grapeling!

Written haiku set for Mrsupole's hosting at Theme Thursday with prompt – smooth 
and shared with d’Verse OpenLinkNight week #102

A Maid's Concern - MF

Image: Courtesy of Grandma's

Madam left her purse and she
was going shopping.She would
not be happy without her card
Numbed with fear the maid
rushed out just in time

(140 characters)

Grandma aka Linda at Grandma's Goulash, Succinctly Yours week #118
challenged us to write a Micro Fiction in not more than 140 characters with
the image above and to include the word - numb

Needling the Conscience

The given words are:

mess,forest,tracks,complex,lie,pale,answers,class,files,edge,gas,still

It was all in a mess, He was trying hard to reach for

answers at the scene of the crime

He stepped on the gas. He diligently traced his tracks at the
edge of the forest where it was most foul. He was trying
his best to garner evidences relating to the files on the case

Not wanting to succumb to the lies propagated by the

body of people siding with the witnesses he moved on

Complex in its make-up a pale comparison to

those in its class but just as amazing he checked

on the hard facts

He tried to put forth assumptions goading them on till

blue in the face but acceptance was still difficult to assail

Holding on to good principles he hoped for the
break through to wrap up the loose ends. He searched
himself till he could not anymore

He had to give way to his conscience!

Written for Brenda's Sunday Whirl with wordle #114

Hustling

                                Stanley Kubrick for Look Magazine,1949

Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

The others are now nicely paired off

Alone on dance night is not an option

Check! Adopt an approach that is soft

That’s how to win over a fair lady’s attention

Plain unlucky for my regular date is not here

But just as well, for it’s time now to put to test

Have I lost my touch and how do I appear

What’s the best approach to test my prowess

Alone by any chance? No! I’m with someone else

Say, can I join you?  No!  I’m not disintegrating

I must create sympathy, appear deprived and helpless

You have a light? Yes! That’s  a classic opening!

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #174, shared with Poets United's Poetry Pantry #155 and Marian's hosting at Real Toad's Open Link Monday

Idioms

                                                        Attribution: D Sharon Pruitt
Image: Feeling Blue
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Racking one's brains on just what to do

Taking more than what one can chew

One gets bogged down

Not without a frown

Bitter pill to swallow makes one feel blue

She was innocently and totally in the dark

When all the while hubby was on the lark

Bitter pill to swallow

When she got to know

For the kids' sake it was swept under the rug

Kelvin is hosting for Poetics at d'Verse with 'to bring in the idioms in poetry'

Rainy Season

                                                                                  Attribution: Andre Karwath
Image: Primulas
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons (here)
Note: The image may not jive with my offering but it looks cool!

Apologies: On the road for the weekend. Will return comments in time

the rainy season
a paper lantern in hand
I walk along the veranda

of opportunity lost
never so lonely

         **

the rainy season
a paper lantern in hand
I walk along the veranda

thinking of good times before
how I crave for more

         **

the rainy season
a paper lantern in hand
I walk along the veranda

knowing I captured her heart
am walking on air

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM The Tan Renga Challenge #3

The Haze

                                                                                          Attribution: SpLot
Image: The downtown Singapore skyline in haze
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Apologies: On the road for the weekend. Will return comments in time

Getting on with it

Things had been on a roll with

harmonious happenings

Same cannot be said

of  local haze position

Threw everything off tangent

Outdoor events were

cancelled. Visibility 

was bad. Health hazard warnings

Note: The haze situation had worsen. In Malaysia some schools given option

to remain closed for a few days. Some sporting events were cancelled. In
Singapore there were flight delays. Forest fires in Sumatra had contributed
to this. It led to a spat between government officials of Singapore and Indonesia  (here)

Written for d’Verse Form for All:  The Princess' poem for her Secret Love,
where Sam is hosting with a new form, the sedoka. It has a 5-7-7 syllable count

Yearnings

                                                                                 Attribution:  Challiyan
Image: A Kingfisher
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)
Note: Its colors rock and that caught my eye

A moment ago we were in warm embrace

We thought we would have struck an ace

With great anticipation

We rocked our passion

Sadly it turned out to be somewhat misplaced

Somehow I had only eyes for her

Had to draw on what I could muster

Did my big sway

Every which way

It worked me out to be quite a rocker

I wound not be overly excited

I tried it before and had it flaunted

It rocked for a while

And then it went wild

And it got everyone so flustered

Written for Peggy's hosting at Poetry Jam with prompt - rock

Fireworks

Image:1 Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Florida. My loving wife, Shadah, daughter 

Azlin and son Hafidz. Youngest son Azhar, still a tiny tot then in the pram

Image:2 Disney World's Epcot Center, Florida. My son Hafidz with Epcot's 'Golf Ball' in the background

                                                                            Attribution: Benjamin D Esham
Image:3 Fireworks at Epcot Center, Disney World
Source for image 3:  from Wikimedia Commons (here)

A sudden boom momentarily, a quiet and darkness

Then the skies lighted up, an umbrella of colors engulfed the night

Just as sudden a few more followed sprinkling myriads of goodness

Evoking effects of noise, smoke, floating materials and light

Rocketed upwards flames and sparks of euphoria

Into the air to explode in variety of sizes, shapes and flavor

Accompanied with whoops of joy and shouts of hysteria

A family fare in all innocence to rally around together

Sophistication in fireworks management was not obscure

Aerial fireworks launched with compressed air rather than gunpowder

The display shell exploded in the air using an electronic timer

Put to good use in the Disney’s Epcot night time spectacular

Compressed air launch was logical and a better alternative

Ensured greater accuracy in height and timing of activities

Disney the largest consumer of fireworks in US perspectives

The fireworks were used to accompany their many festivities

All well and good to be able to enjoy such offerings

Injuries and accidental fires occurred, even premature explosions

For both ground or aerial fireworks came with risks of sufferings

Remember the San Diego botched display that went up in 15 seconds!

Besides the noise what about environmental pollution

Potential health risks, hazardous by-products, debris and acid rain

We are still lucky fireworks are not done on a daily occurrence

Nor are fireworks factories accidentally obliterated and flattened!

Written for Tony's hosting at d’Verse OpenLinkNight week 101

A Flower

                                                                                                  Attribution: Laitche

Image: Shoobu, a Japanese iris

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Breath-taking landscape

Stable of wonders in land

of the Rising Sun

Shoobu offerings

Tenacity to survive

on its own spirits

Japanese iris

Bright summer mornings exude

brilliance of colors

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #224 with prompt - shoobu

Hasu (Lotus)

                                                                                           Attribution: John Perry

Image: Lotus Flower

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Revered by billions

The National flower of

The Sub-continent

Endearing, regal

Beautiful ambiance, serene

natural setting

All encompassing

Brand names, places, music a

popular icon

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #223 with prompt - Lotus and shared with Real Toad's Open Link Monday

Jazz

                                                                         Attribution: WTS Photographer

Image: Louis Armstrong 

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Sunday Whirl: The words given are:

anything,crazy, cave,chattering,cut,giggle,load
moonshine,scoop,sense,shatters,splits,wake

Man and his plaything
Have trumpet will travel

A cut above the rest

A legend in his time

A frog in his throat

The shattering boom of his voice

Splits the air, just crazy

Hello Dolly! Oh, Hello Dolly!

The roof caved in
And the giggle faintly audible

The chattering stopped

The moonshine boys took a breather

They stopped loading their barrels
in the wake of his mesmerizing tunes

A musical scoop, an extravaganza

Anything and everything

Sock it to them, Satchmo

They sensed a heavenly evening

Written for Brenda's Sunday Whirl : Wordle #113

Beauty in Danger

                                                                         Attribution: Kabelleger/David Gubler
Image: A freight train plowing through snow drift, Norway
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Undulating terrain

Of pure white as far as the eyes could see

In the cool mist of the morning

Blanketing the countryside

But hardened on the tracks

Not burdened lately

By vibrations of the Iron Horse

Now menaced with abundance of snowfall

For the week that was

Of beauty in tranquility

A lone freight train

Plowing through the snow-drift

Speeding and pitting its strength

Through slush and nature’s goodness

A penchant to madness

Volatile in consequence

Imminent danger thrown to the wind

But still insisting on arriving in time

Of ferrying its weight

To reach its destination

Of beauty in responsibility

Risks taken against nature’s rights

Testing man’s prowess in his fight

Of wanting to keep to his schedule

Was it not beautiful?

Written for Fred's  hosting at d’Verse's Poetics: Beauty is Everywhere

Morning Glory

                                                              Attribution: F J Gualtiery-Kaldari
Image: A Morning Glory
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Creeper of a kind

Climbing tenaciously of

parasitic sway

Morning dew sprinkles

on purple charms faithfully

with brilliant sparkles

Not cultivated

But a survivor no less

Holding out its own

Written for Chev's haiku at CARPE DIEM #42 with prompt - morning glory

Thanks and Good-bye!

                                                                                  Attribution: Ben Coombs
Image: Going Away for a Journey by Sea
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Most saddening to be seeing

An inspiration to me

Now no more bidding of being

Just a last hurrah to keep in memory

Time to Say Goodbye!

Thanks Keith for overseeing

I may not have been frequent

But enjoyed moments connecting

It was fun thanks a million!

Carry on Tuesday #210 ably managed by Keith announced its

last run datelined June 09, 2013 with a fitting prompt - Time to Say Goodbye!

Cowboy Country - Limericks

Image:1 Cowboy Boots and Stirrups

Tough life through the nights till morn

Open country and but don’t get us wrong

Quick on the draw

Not really folklore

Many find it tiring and sleep with their boots on

Image:2 A Lariat

A lariat is all I need to avoid hunger

A  life line in all activities around here

Many reasons

For its presence

Such as bringing them calves down is no bother

Image:3 Branding

You ain’t goin’ anywhere pesky critter

Hah! Got you now runnin’ helter skelter

Brandin’ sure is fun

Lassoing on the run

Gonna press them hot irons on your rear

Image:4 A Cowgirl

Hey baby, rarely one sees a cowgirl around here

Come over here, gonna join us men for some beer

Ain’t you somethin’ ?

Pretty lass in jeans

We men appreciate your company, do you hear?

Marge Bednar is hosting at Real Toads to write on Cowboy Poetry with pics

courtesy from Merri Melde of Equestrian Vagabond

Ripples

                                                                                   Attribution: xlibber
Image: Ripples in the Lake
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Rippling muscles seek
comfort in heady picture
of male perfection

But rippling muscle
disease is a crippling,
muscle affliction

Better yet, rippling
water surface enhances
serene river gait

Written for Leo's Haiku Heights with prompt - ripples

A Rondelet

                                                                        Attribution: Christof Berger
Image: The Glacier Perito Moreno, Argentina
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Go blaze the trail

The young are bent on getting there

Go blaze the trail

No stopping when young hearts declare

Struck with a challenge seems all fair

Yes! It is more than just a dare

Go blaze the trail

Go blaze the trail

Go blast your way for all you care

Go blaze the trail

Sure! Fault the saying ‘it is there!’

Just go provoke a tiger’s lair

Feeling great as you are aware

Go blaze the trail

Note: I've chosen to make a double so I can continue dancing the 
tune twice instead of stopping at 7 lines.

Written for Tony’s hosting at d’Verse Forms For All  -  a rondelet

Hotaru (Firefly)

                                                                      Attribution: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Image:1 Luminous Galaxies glow like Fireflies in the Night

                                                                           Attribution: @yb_woodstock
Image:2 A firefly
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here) and (here)

Winged beetles, never
ending flickers fill the cool
sea-side swamp areas

Rare phenomena
Glowworm lavae becomes a
firefly as adult

Locally known as
kelip-kelip, a night time
tourist attraction

A sly mating game
or to hoodwink a likely
unsuspecting prey?

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #221

Taue (Rice-planting)

                                                                                    Attribution: IRRI Images

Image: Padi stalks ready for harvesting

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Most widely consumed

Second highest to maize in

world-wide production

Maize meant for other

purposes but rice is for

human consumption

Culture and regions

spawn dishes, wines and

desserts of all kinds

Obesity  is

serious concern though but rice

reigns as staple food

Written for Chev’s CARPE DIEM #220 with prompt Taue (Rice-Planting)

The Prince

                                                                                            Attribution:  Cary Bass
Image: A Cuban tree frog
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Chuckles! I have reached this far

That was quite a long climb

But this pesky flower is in the way

Despite making it in record time

It is a pretty flower, a beauty indeed

But my desire is stunted I am left flustered

I must get across for I have a date to keep.

The evil is afflicting me hard and I’m all frustrated       

I have been through a serrated existence

Time is fast moving and my chances in deep abyss

Fading by the minute the curse is an irritant

A flower between me and that all important kiss

Shared  with 3WW with words chuckles, evil and serrated and Poetry Jam
all about flowers

The Sound Barrier

                                                                         Attribution: Ensign John Gay US Navy
Image: An FA-18 Breaking the Sound Barrier
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Jets in formation
Magical spectacle and
sonic booms thundered

A crack of the whip and a noticeable sound
Is it a breaking of the sound barrier?
It is! A loop near the tip of the whip causes
the sound but not the tip of the whip though

In aerodynamics parlance this occurs when an object
moves from a transonic to a supersonic speed

Thus we have unwittingly been breaking the sound
barrier all along. But Yeager did it big time then with
his rocket powered plane over the Mojave
way back in 1947
.
Like the jets in formation, he did it with a thundering boom!

Written for d'Verse OpenLinkNight  week#100

Destination

                                                                                                Attribution: Rodeine

Image: Land Iguana

Source Wikimedia Commons (here)

A lineage traceable

To the times long gone

Of the age when planet

Earth was the playground

Of creatures of gigantic

Size now extinct

A distant cousin of the era

Of the dinosaurs still persisting

To survive in modern times

An anachronism of history

Carrying the likes of similar

Looks of the fearsome

Others had changed, adapted
and carried the evolution process
through. Look at primates and
just see where are we now...

......so just where is your destination?

Written for Theme Thursday with prompt - destination and shared with  Real Toads Open Link Monday 

Secured

                                                                             Charleston Farmhouse Door

Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Rustlers were again on the prowl

Gone was his coveted prized cow

Left in the corral it was safe it seemed

Sadly in the morning it went missing

Won Mother of the Year blue ribbons

The envy of other settlers around

Could have fetched a little fortune

And life would have taken a good turn

His prized bull was luckily not taken

Safe and secured when it happened

It was in the farmhouse to be fattened

Blessed with the hand of Providence

He would have to start all over again

A process that takes quite some time

But now he  must always remember

He could do it with a locked farm door

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #172 and shared with Real Toads Open Link Monday

Micro Fiction - Sunflower

Image: Courtesy of Grandma's

We follow the movement

of the sun all day. I sport 
sunglasses on the hub of my 
nose for style and protection. 
So, anyone here to object?

(139 Characters)

Grandma’s Goulash at Succinctly Yours week# 116 challenged us to 
write a MicroFiction in not more than 140 characters based on the picture above

and to include the word - hub

Volcanic Eruption

                                                                                                 Attribution: gnuckx

Image: Mount Etna Eruption

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

The Wordle words given were: spewing,jet,page,steps,park

rest,thunder,spill,status,curb,yards,shimmering

Note: The word ‘spewing’ gave the impression of lava

ash spurting out from a crater. The recent Pavlov volcano

eruption in the Aleutian peninsula inspired this wordle

A rumbling to life was felt blowing

Across the northern lights shimmering

An eruption plume was seen in the distance

Jets of hot lava were spewing in abundance

All out from a fiery hot crater

Accompanied then with a thunderous roar

That well shook the ground yards below

Where satellite images showed a lava flow
Reminiscent from a page in history
Of impending destruction of previous many

Spilling out down the northern side  

Threateningly towards a park astride

A small stream resting in all innocence

Where at 15,000 feet above sea level an ash plume

Was hovering and steps were taken to alert pilots of hazardous

Conditions in the area to curb crazy maneuvers

Residents from afar observed an incandescent glow so bright

With a dash of beautiful colors at the summit during the night.

The long stretch of heightened activity remained

On orange alert status for many days thence

Written for Brenda's Sunday Wordle #112 Shared with One Single Impression #276 with prompt - dash 
and Mary's hosting at Poets United's Poetry Pantry #153

Seeing Double

                                                                                                Attribution : Copyleft
Image: 1 Double Yolks Egg

                                                                             Attribution: Erin Silversmith
Image: 2 Cup Mushroom Doubled
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here) and (here)

Pleasant experience
of seeing double, persons
who appear alike

But  two separate
individuals with their
idiosyncrasies

Twins share wonderful
times. But are there silly fights
and disagreements?

Or share similar
pain, love and emotions when
even far apart.

Written for Karin's hosting of Entwined Poetics at d'Verse where twins are the focus

Of Moral Fiber

                                                                                    Attribution: J J Harrison
Image: Spout after water droplet caused by surface tension
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)
(Picture of the Day)
Note: The image is reminiscent of the saying, 'nila setitik rosak susu sebelanga'
(translation: a drop of color taints the purity of a jar of milk) which is relevant in moral matters

Of exemplary

moral fiber, epitome

of honor for Man

A guiding light in

pursuit of a good cause as

expected in Man

Sadly the same is

not true of those immoral

with shady dealings

Written for Leo’s Haiku Heights # 254 with prompt - moral

Stormy Encounter

                                                                                          Attribution:  C E Price
Image: Stormy Weather, Dark Clouds
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)
Process Note: A press report of a storm warning was used as the base text.
I had it truncated, 'cut up' and re-arranged. It turned out to be disjointed before
words were inserted in between to make it presentable.

His resolve was expected to weaken

into a hurricane of emotions

It could spawn in his heart tornadoes

of feel to cause flooding of tears of despair

outwardly seen as a storm surge  

before it lost its strength

They were in effect leading to a

confrontation for a large section of his soul

He was in control however despite storm warnings

haggling for his love amid storm conditions

expected somewhere close to his insides

It was a resurgent of the area of disaster

within a clear-headed self in a day and a half.   

Rains and winds swept northward into his head

Seeking refuge on the shelf of safety and

were not expected to lose steam

  

It closed the road to any redundant reconciliation

that yanked at sympathetic ears and the mind that

frequently were flooded with denial during

heavy uplifts of stormy encounters  

Soaked unsparingly in part and skidding along

swirling waters damaging  to his reputation

he reluctantly moved on!

Charles is hosting at d’VerseForms For All : Dada poems with Scissors. 
We are to select a text and get it cut up and rearranged to form a poem.