Spectacular sights - the Northern Lights

                                                                     Author: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Image: The aurora borealis - a beautiful display
over Bear Lake, Alaska (here)

Is something amiss
With aurora borealis?
Spectacular sights
Heavens be blessed when angels
drop by for a rare visit!

Chev's Carpe Diem  #1264 Borealis (Northern Lights)

it devoured with relish

                                                                                                   Author: unknown
Image: With its 'meal' unmoving in its belly (here)

to use both sets of homophones in a poem:
straight – not crooked ; straits – narrow waterway
discussed – talked about ; disgust – sickening

barely a few minutes ago
it devoured with relish
nothing ever the need to discuss
with a lengthy python
now bloated with disgust
with a dead goat in its belly
- satisfied and fast asleep

it got across the narrow  'straits'
surreptitiously when it did
'food' bleating in the distance
locked its 'sights' straight ahead
was handsomely rewarded thus!

MLMM's Saturday Mix - Double Take
of  given homophones
Frank's at d'Verse MTB  -  sleep

ever present which is most comforting

                                                                          Attribution: Andrew Shiva CC BY-SA 4.0
Image: Social Grooming Behavior (here)

the 12 given words:
drum pounding carnivals rattling secret allowed 
silver comforting sticks imaginary gardens parrot 
,
to the accompaniment of drums pounding
very much a carnival-like form of rattling
when in flies a contending secret message
which fortunately is allowed in with grace

bless be tendencies of a silver lining
ever present which is most comforting
decidedly sticks to a normal procedure
rising above all else for all to endure

it is accomplished not without imaginary
as in peaceful gardens full of greenery
the insistence to parrot a stand already taken
only to realize the makings of a big problem

MMT's Sunday's Whirligig#131
Sumana's at PU's Midweek Motif  -  rising above

Much hidden from view

                                                                  Author:Detroit Publishing Company

Image: Old French Courtyard (here)

Much hidden from view
Access  was possible though
Where art thou Romeo?

Chev's Carpe Diem #1262  -  courtyard blues

let it not be said one finds life uninteresting

                                                                              Artist: Edward Ardizzone  (1900–1979)
Image: Laughing at a Great Joke (here)

spice of humor adds spice to life
let it not be said one finds life
uninteresting and boring with
overbearing seriousness impacting

touch a raw nerve and it triggers off an
argument but touch a funny-bone and
all will be laughing like old friends
(44 words)

Mish at d'Verse's  Quadrille #41
- to include the word  -  spice

Pen few wise words to appeal to their good sense

                                                                                                          Attribution: Drow_male

Image  Avoiding Good Company (here)

the 12 given words:
chain crossroads chase brace

faux (artificial, imitation, fake)

lock rebels
ding (to strike with force; hit)
bottom quake pen hope 

a chain of events brought them to the crossroads

not to chase any weird ideas he so cautioned

he just needed to brace himself but not to gloat 

just a show of righteous fury to faux indignation

that should keep everyone locked, in their place
no rebels nor rebellion should be allowed leeway
no one should be dinged though but to give face
only then would they appreciate the fair play

Necessary to knock at the bottom of their defence
The tendency of a quake to be nipped in the bud
Pen few wise words to appeal to their good sense
Hopefully, they reverted back before being chided

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #318
Sanaa's at Real Toad's  - the tuesday platform

She was there staring straight at me

                                                                         Artist: Ernest Hébert  (1817–1908)
Image: A Far and Blank Look (here)

She was there staring straight at me
An arrow targeting its prey unobtrusively
Unsmiling nary a wink unperturbed squarely
A young lady still, just to my fancy

But on a boat, what a pity
No way was there to make the first move
Feet rooted like a big oak tree
Could I give my frame a shove?

She was still looking at me, only me ,blandly
Even when I stepped off at the next stop unhappily
I felt flattered but lo and behold, luckily
A friend intimated later she was a little lacking, mentally

Fireblossom's Friday at Real Toad's   -  distorted lens
Mary's at PU's Poetry Pantry#372

What were they hoping to engage

                                                                                                 Attribution: Pixabay
Image: A Blank Look exudes Confidence (here)

Why were there concerned souls
The stones were all safely in place
Messing around the vicinity so bold
What were they hoping to engage

It was for my own good they reasoned
None from my quarters made a request
Uninvited intruders were not welcomed
Deficiencies yes, but at my own behest

No better not even dressed for the kill
Credibility suspect they had no access
Trust was lacking they should well instill
A prior relationship to smell of success

Note: A situation where the person to be rescued is reluctant.
They don’t want to be rescued, they like it where they might be

MLMM's Tale Weaver/Fairy Tale 138-2
 -  the reluctant princess
Gayle's at d'Verse's OLN #204

Peace is a rare commodity

                                                                                               Attribution: Allyn
Image: Light of Peace on a Shawl (here)

Having peace of mind is not a fancy
Individuals wrought by lots of worries
Wanting to prove
One may just goof
Convincing others will not be easy

Peace is a rare commodity
It impinges on everybody
On a macro scale
Not easily availed
Clamorings heard from many

Susan's at PU's Midweek Motif  -  peace

Do not answer a question.....

                   Author: Liftarn

Image: A Bold GNU Head with a question mark (here)

Why is it difficult to get an answer?
Is there a need?
Is there a reason not to blabber?
Is that all you seek?

Yes, but why must it be under wraps?
Is it inappropriate that I don't budge?
Yes, but why are you holding back?
Is it necessary that I should be pre-judged?

Yes, don't you think you are being difficult?
Do we have to go through all these again?
Don't you think it might lead to an argument?
What then is the solution?

Don't you think it is better
not to answer a question with a question?

Bjorn at d'Verse's Poetics -  the answer is 42
(a poem comprising only of questions)

This was what they saw

                                                                                                    Author:Mark Harless
Image: Keep Trying! (here)

the 11 of 12 given words:
mollycoddle (a pampered person)
goose-neck lamp (a desk lamp having a flexible shaft)
rowboat 
jejune (naive, simplistic, and superficial uninteresting)
angst (an acute but nonspecific sense of anxiety or remorse)
dementia
vexatious (causing or tending to cause annoyance, frustration, or worry)
vermilion lipstick (vermilion: a brilliant red pigment)
pernicious (having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way)
monkey wrench (something that interferes with functioning; an obstacle)
dust bunny (tangled ball of dust found under a low piece of furniture)

I'm no mollycoddle
No one's gonna see me as goose-neck lamp like
Sure I might find myself on a slowboat to China
A rowboat at that but I'm no browbeat

Honest to goodness I'm a good gal
Jejune perhaps but still a good girl
Angst at times certainly not in the throes of dementia
Nor vexatious and trying hard to avoid undue anxiety

Perhaps the vermilion lipstick was the culprit
A false impression most pernicious in intentions
A monkey wrench thrown into the works
A dust bunny unwittingly revealed
This was perception at its worst
This was what they saw

How do I wash this off?
Whew!

MLMM's Wordle#172
Nekneeraj's at MLMM's Photo Challenge#181
Marian's at Real Toad's -  the tuesday platform

we could not imagine the strange logic

                                                                                         Author: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas
Image: A Mahout's Power Over a Big Fella (here)

the 12 given words:

plague imagine no swing word thump tap

spry (active; nimble; agile; energetic)

forget spray tub sucks  

it plagued our wise ones to no end
we could not imagine the strange logic
big trees could be uprooted
no big deal

a swing of our big trunks could kill a big lion
my word, we could just thump them over the head
in fact just a little tap would do

but instead spry and strong we were made to work
by little fellas who sat across our shoulders
shouted at, poked our ears, dug their heels
into our hides (we did not feel it)
we moved as we felt insulted by these mahouts
wee guys who wielded so much power over us

we would not forget easily
we could shoot a big spray to knock them over
this we could do when let out in the 'tub'

it isn't fair, it sucks!

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle 317
Brendan's at Real Toad's Weekend Mini-Challenge
  -  juice (to write about power)

a measure of psychedelic forms

                                                                              Attribution: Google labelled for re-use 
Image: 1080p - Opening (here)
(1080p (1920x1080 px; also known as full
HD or FHD and BT.709) is a set of  HDTV high
-definition video modes characterized by 1080
horizontal lines of vertical resolutions (here)

the 12 given words:

measure skirt clutch reverse loop socket
arabesque (foliage and figures represented in a fancifully combined pattern)
simmer (in a state of subdued or restrained activity)
granny knot (a binding knot to secure a rope or around an object)
dawdle (to waste time)
pistil (the female reproductive part of a flower)
stamen (the male reproductive part of a flower that produces the pollen)

a measure of psychedelic forms
skirting the imagination extending
an arabesque kind of presentation
in a state of suspension simmering

very fluid with no granny knot
to interfere or to clutch onto tightly
a reversed loop might be sought
without having to dawdle unwittingly

such images may test the visuals
where pistils and stamens are set
to be fused in patterns very unusual
but safely into wide opening sockets

MLMM's Wordle #171
MLMM's image at Tale Weaver # 137– 14/9/17 – opening
Sanaa's at Real Toad's  -  of muse and me

reunions of strange bedfellows

                                                                    Author: Federico Andreotti (1847-1930)
Image: Looks Like Someone Famous (here)

the 12  given words:
long look writing see you tell flat think
enormous, drawing elsewhere jacket

time to take a long hard look
the writing is right on the wall
some may see it as a fluke
but you can tell they're having a ball

flat out it attracts enormous
drawing power but elsewhere
a shade of someone famous
to think it looks all like a dare

reunions of strange bedfellows
in evening dress or leather jackets
or whatever that they can show
trying to look like young starlets

MMT's Sunday's Whirligig #129
Susan's at PU's Midweek Motif  -  reunions

nature awakened with harrowing scenes

                                                     Author: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Image: Fury of the Angry Oceans (here)
(satellite sourced)

the 3 given words:
rain, reign rein 

nature awakened with harrowing scenes
it had happened before but not as worrying
caused concern then but in more localized routines
recent ones affected many countries with lots of  ruins

rain-lashed coastlines by forceful hurricanes
floods and tornadoes brought misery inland
the heavens disturbed and for a few days reigned
in their uncontrolled and unimpeded domains

how to rein-in the madness from occurring again
divine help to appease Mother Nature was obvious
unwittingly slighted confidence was to be regained
Providence pointed out the wrongs in our choices

Lillian's at d'Verse's  -  rein them in

Directions set never straying

                                                                    Photo by Michael Maggs, Wikimedia Commons
Image: A Twosome in Flight (here)

Outright purpose with freedom to choose
Pairing convenience is given a boost
Some movements of overhead flights
Set in motion at accepted heights

Directions were set never straying
Flying behavior naturally by instinct

V-formation arrow-head pointed
Birding migration of seasons expected
Follow the leader and never doubted

(44 words)

De at d'Verse's Quadrille Monday #40

-  to include the word - freedom
Sanaa's at Real Toad's  -  the tuesday platform

An artistic impression

                                                                                                Attribution: Jackie Ley
Image: New Forest (here)

Vibrant new forest
Juxtaposed against jagged
intrusions of old
Turned out to be beautiful
An artistic impression

juxtapose (to place close together or side by side,
especially for comparison or contrast)

Chev's Carpe Diem 1252  - 
imagination without limits

in the wake of the impending cold

                                                                                           Author: Gerardo Noriega

Image: A Mexican gray squirrel  (here)

the 12 given words:

shelter map path sweep ground push 

beach funnel power surge wake spin

a sheltered life

she needs to map a path

as all mothers do

for a sweep of the battle ground

to push from a beachhead 

in a funnel formation

powered by sheer determination

to survive the winter

a surge of elements

in the wake of the impending cold

where a spin of strategies

relevant to little animals

in their hibernation prospects

are to be adopted

Brenda's Sunday's Whirl Wordle #316
Mary's at PU's Poetry Pantry #370

what a Book of Words invoked

                                                                                           Author: Томасина
Image: Just conveniently blessed (here)

9 of 10 given words:
cool dachshund testament
cherubim ( a member of the second order of angels)
serendipity (good fortune; luck:)
infinitesimal (indefinitely or exceedingly small)
mimicry (the act or art of copying or imitating closely)
heretic convenient

cool dachshund
cherubim little fella
testament of serendipity in life
when good fortune struck

infinitesimal it might appear
but still mimicry of warm blessings
what a Book of Words invoked

nothing unruly nor heretic
nothing religiously inclined
nor surreptitiously concealed
just conveniently blessed

expected good returns
it usually worked that way
to one with a good heart
devoid of bad intentions
(60 words)

Mama Zen at Real Toads's  -  words count with MZ
Grace's at d'Verse's OLN #203

poppies are now tolerated with dread

                                                                                                    Attribution: MLMM
Image: Poppy Panaver Plant (here)

What I want are memories of old
None annoying even remotely interfering
Not segregated or isolated but bold
Unlike a jury sequestered before reaching
a verdict who are strictly seen as free
from influence and interference
That is how a poppy is deemed to be
But not what it is at the moment

Poppy Day memories with a proud disposition
Where replica red flowers were pinned
at the breast pocket in remembrance
of fallen heroes who had left us since

Instead poppies are now tolerated with dread
Associated with drug lords of vicious atrocities
Living it up with a price on their heads
While in its wake the helpless junkies

Strewn in a 'drunken' stupor in back alleys
Condemned as living skeletons for all to see

MLMM's Tale Weaver #136 -  what I want
Sumana's at PU's Midweek Motif -  memories

pursued by city folks

                                                                                    Author: Kyle Bonallo
Image: Autumn Colors (here)

rustic abode
unspoiled hideaway
remote dream-like
pursued by city folks
idyllic tranquility

golden brown
season's exotic shades
swept by cool winds

rustic (adj. relating to, or living in the country, rural)

Note: a tanka and haiku in experimental micro-poetry
(not restricted by the conventional syllabic count of tanka's
5-7-5-7-7 or haiku's 5-7-5)

Chev's Carpe Diem #1250  -  autumn colors

set to face the firing squad at dawn

                                                                                        Attribution: Maksym Kozlenko
Image: Jailhouse Accommodation Hostel (here)

the given words:
firing squad dawn dungeon starlight sibling rivalry goldfish
rock opera (that had elements of storytelling in the tradition of opera)
dealings compose clamor smelter raspberry jam toast

set to face the firing squad at dawn
on the morrow, the dark night seemed
saddened at harboring a condemned
soul in a dungeon far below

as a consolation, though moonless,
it was blessed with the starlight's
brilliance over the snow crystals that
glistened in the shadows

the vanquished in a sibling rivalry
now reduced to a goldfish in a bowl
awaiting justice

it would fit a rock opera of how their
dealings went asunder even though
composed of near perfect awards of ideas

to clamor for an answer was futile even
after having to smelter the arguments
into acceptable justifications

he was content with just a simple raspberry
jam toast as the last meal

MLMM's Wordle #170
Marian's at Real Toad's  -  the tuesday platform

Sins of the father - a Tanka

                                                                   Author: Barnard, Frederick, 1846-1896
Image: The Moment of Truth (here)

The moment of truth
Sadly on reflection, why?
Sins of the father
Squarely borne by a sibling
Who took over the burden

Chev's Carpe Diem #1249 - despair

innocent teenager out on his first fling

                                                                                      Author: Globetrotter19
Image: A Young Couple (here)

the 13 given words:
tactics energy alliance attack fire ardor tenderness 
capture scheme treachery neglected art war 

from a page secured of the tactics of old
innocent teenager out on his first fling
energy at its fullest who sought let it be told
an alliance with a sweet-young-thing

targeting an attack at the trio of beauties
three in his line of fire ensured good balance
the ardor of tenderness a measure of reality
to capture the heart of any one of them

in the scheme of things a treachery, a curse
to be avoided, faithfulness not to be neglected
the art of war one very much to deserve
an affirmation of those who had just started

Kerry's at Real Toad's  -  Play it again Toads (get listed)
Sherry's at PU's Poetry Pantry #369

Even lowly animals fared better

                                                                               Author: Antony Stanley
Image: Mother and baby (here)

Mothers showered love naturally
Offering mental and physical support
Their lives and souls at others' whims
Highest of sacrifices without question
Exceptions though turned them into monstrous beings
Remember Cinderella (step-mother no doubt)
Little boy neglected at home by his own mother, undernourished
swirling in muck and slime for she was at her workplace
Yet she was just admonished and freed by the court

Love denied in other cases, a few maimed even death ensued
Other than in the house where else could solace and salvation be expected
Very unlikely elsewhere though
Even lowly animals fared better

Frank's at d'Verse's MTB  - acrostic
Kerry's at Real Toad's  -  skyflower friday  - monster