say a prayer for it is a freedom

                                                                                  Author: John Robert McPherson
Image: Scenic greenery again! (here)

Z for Zooming Out of Here

the 12 given words:
boys helmet run door splash seeing forgive spiral
glimmering (shining faintly with a wavering light)
moments prayer world

Well boys, put on your helmets
run out of the door with or without a splash
it does not matter for it is a fulfillment

seeing it like it is
for it is a spectacle to see,
to forgive and to let go
let it spiral even if having to shine
under glimmering lights

moments awaited for!

say a prayer for it is a freedom
to seek out the world
zooming out of here
to fulfill the yearnings
it is just overwhelming

no more the restraining order
no more the frustrations
and no more the boring days

no more out of the woods fully yet
but still out of the lockdown in stages
it is exhilarating!

MMT's Sunday's Whirl #264
A to Z Challenge - Z
Kim's at d'Verse OLN

Splendor of a Parisian Landscape

                                                                   Attribution: Hank's Collections
Image: Hank with eldest
Daughter Adura

Y for Yerteryear Travels

Splendor of Parisian landscape
To start with perfect sunrise
Sustains throughout the day so nice

Ideal ambience for escapades
Effiel Tower awe inspiring
Sets the mood for gallivanting

Choices of visits to be made
Historical ones aplenty

Great tourist sights are there to see

Absolute musts, notable greats
Venus, Caesar, Mona Lisa
At the Louvre that is where they are

Given  time Versailles is safe bet
Musee d’ Orsay, Notre Dame
Seine River ride and the Sorbonne

Splendor of Parisian landscape
Ideal ambience for escapades
Choices of visits to be made
Absolute musts, notable greats
Given  time Versailles is safe bet

Lillian at d'Verse Poetics
A to Z Challenge - Y

The strains of a xylophone

                                                                          Author Lance Cpl. Glen Santy
Image:  At a Marines Rehearsal
for the 2012 Christmas Concert (here)

X for Xylophone


The Prose
The strains of a xylophone would
have been a wonderful accompaniment
for any of the Bard's or Basho's works

An ancient masterpiece of a sonnet
or haiku read over with a background
music of that special tone that could
unmistakably come from a typical
xylophone sound would be much desired

It would be reminiscent of the Bard's
Romances and Basho's Travels to lead
us back to those times of cultural richness

The Haiku
never can be two
masters found far apart, a
genius for all times

Frank's at d'Verse's Haibun Monday - two Masters
A to Z Challenge - X

Wooing a Lady of Choice

                                                                                Author: Andrea Lawardi
Image: Coy in accepting (here)

W for Wooing a Lady
 .

10 of 12 given words:

smooth 

bluster (to talk or act with noisy threats)
chronaxie (the least amount of time the brain
must send a signal to actually take action)
romance time break highway steel spoon indigo 

wooing a lady of choice seems a drag
a smooth talker but he blusters and brag
more so with empty threats so ineffectively
perhaps lacking in chronaxie ability

romance in time and good looks his forte
and given to frequent breaks on the highway
just so to maintain a steely demeanor
to spoon feed a desire hungry for more

when the bright hot day turns indigo
that he accords time for his bruised ego
often before dark on a certain good day
a respite to recover its right way

a hard call but he learnt it the hard way

MLMM's Wordle #187-2
A to Z Challenge - W

has it been the privilege in life to be favored ?

                                                                                 Painting by Samy Charnine
Image: "The Sea Inside"   (here)

V for Vicissitudes
(vicissitudes - to a situation not favorable)

where has it been required
that vicissitudes accruing be
all nice and easy to savor

never has it been the privilege
in life to be favored with goodness

is it a test accorded to gauge
the patience and tenacity of nerves
that belies the weakness of mortals
or just plain misfortune

typically creatures swimming
leisurely could be daunting to one
enclosed and imprisoned with
no measure of freedom visible

Carrie's The Sunday Muse #105

Untiring efforts to honest living

                                                                                                          Author: Ermell
Image: Knocking off Some Sweat
to Feed the Family (here)

U for Untiring Efforts

First Line Friday To include the line below
Was that a knock?

In addition, other instances of 'knock'
knocking off a bank (to rob)
knocking off someone else's ideas (to copy or imitate)
knock it off (to refrain) 
knock out (to render unconscious)
takes a knock (to be damaged because of a bad experience)

Was that a knock?
The context of situation determine
that crazy ideas abound in times of crisis
not so much out of mischief
but more of survival.

Knocking off a bank would seem fun
pitting the expertise of the perpetrator
to that of the bank's tight security
but it would be more on how to outwit the system
than to really hope to gain ready cash

Knocking off from some known publications
would help with making short-cuts to genuine efforts
but plagiarism would not be the right way
There could even be criminal transgressions

Just knock it off!
A knock out blow against evil intentions
would be the likely attitude to adopt

One's credibility and integrity
would take a knock otherwise
Play it safe and stay indoors!

Dylan's at MMT's  - First Line Friday
A to Z Challenge - U

stirs an opinion

                                                                                                                         Author: Prosthetic Head
Image: Anything and Everything
can be Uttered (here)

T for Take with a Grain of Salt 
- not to take what someone says too seriously

the 11 of 12 given words:
garbage, field, everything stirs, leaves,
wish,need, stop, dancers, bees,light

the garbage one meets
can be seen anywhere in the field
of social media

anything and everything
stirs an opinion that invariably leaves
a wish that reasoning and motives
may need to be taken with
a grain of salt

just stop to think as dancers
would or the busy bees who
must be expected to be light
on their movements and mobility
so as to accentuate the grace
and elegance of an artist in motion

Bjorn's at d'Verse's  - MTB
- Hank takes the second option of 
random words in a free verse
A to Z Challenge - T

walking slowly confident and steadfast

                                                                                       Author::EmilySuran
Image: Slowly but Surely (here)

R for Ready for Resilience

walking slowly confident and steadfast
not really aware of the surroundings

flushed with a feeling of magnanimity
gleefully ready for resilience joy and satisfaction

knowing fully well the struggle
long hours of sweat and tears

is now over, victory in hand
on commencement day

(44 words)

Mish's at d'Verse  Quadeille #102
A to Z Challenge - R

it happened sudden and tragic

                                                             Author National Institute of Standards and Technology

Image: The Sky-lift Fell Short (here)

Q for Quench
to quench is to extinguish (a fire)

the 11 of 12 given words:
light tiny shy torn fire shock 
lift mourn stories dream truth 

it happened sudden and tragic
it was light enough initially
tiny barely moving appeared static
shy of threatening bodily injury

torn between safety and risk
the firefighters tried to quench the fire
shockingly it fell short of the sky-lift
if not for the offending electric wires

a bright future unashamedly shattered
mournfully dogged by a minor difficulty
with stories of ill luck and dreams left tattered
often by truths of questionable integrity

A to Z Challenge - Q

a page from the past

                                                                                          Artist: Rembrandt
Image: Rembrandt's Man
with Curly Hair (here)

O for Oldie but Goodie 
Oldie but Goodie (A person who is advanced
in years but is very likable, reliable, helpful)

a page from the past
remembered it very well
as new employee
and was put 'next to Nellie'
a helpful seasoned oldie

A to Z Challenge - O

mortals meant to socialize

                                                                                                           Author::Photwik
Image: Being friends, no
social distancing (here)

N for New Day Tomorrow

A Tanka
what do I long for
to be free not sanctioned for
new day tomorrow
gregarious animals we
mortals meant to socialize

A to Z Challenge  - N

the dilemma of the new normal

                                                                                       Author Brad Flickinger
Image: Engrossed during
the Lockdown  (here)

M for Melodious Cockerel

All through the night tossing and turning
A relief with morning appearance of the sun's rays
Melodious cockerel soothingly every morning
For all to draw on their resources to fill their day

From then on order had seen a change lately
No more rushing in early morning traffic
Unlike the birds that ventured forth freely
Mortals in the house stayed unmoved transfixed

Such is the dilemma of the new normal
Threw order out the window in consternation
Unwittingly acting in unison around the world
Not in living memory of such devastation

A to Z Challenge - M
Lillian's at d'Verse's OLN

for it is a rediscovery in fact

                                                                                                           Author :pathlost
Image: They Finally are Together (here)

L for Love in Present Day Blogging 


it is a discovery
a pleasant one considering the circumstances
it is a faint feeling of wanting
to accomplish under dire straits
it is an awareness
after being blind taking things for granted
notwithstanding the stress and and boredom
it involuntarily opens up the mind

only when one is under duress
that wisdom comes too late
that it comes in spurts
it comes with an urging of emptiness
but still it creates a sudden desire
to make amends with that tinge of regret

it matters not though
for it is a rediscovery in fact
of love and affections of old
that overwhelm all and sundry
in the strict confines of the house
love to be shared within the family
all over again!

Jayden's at A to Z Challenge  - L

one feels privileged for having discovered blogging

                                                                                       Author Martin Falbisoner
Image: Rows of Empty Seats (here)
(the regulars are staying home)

K for Keeping the Tradition

keeping the tradition of wanting to communicate
it does not come in a rumble nor using a lone pigeon
but rather a continuous effort through the years
the beauty of not having to physically uproot oneself
from the comforts of one's own domain yet connecting

nor laughing at the same joke at the same time together
as does a TV addict but still alone, feeling lonely
blogging is healthy not outwardly stressed or pressured
but browsing and surfing at one's own pace and leisure

one feels privileged for having discovered blogging
and of enjoying each other's company just as before
a welcomed tool for filling the time of an otherwise
frustrating and boring situation imposed by the lockdown

A to Z Challenge - K

Jacaranda flowers bloom twice a year

                           

                                                                                                                  Author Illusive255             

Image: Purple Canopy lining the Street (here)

J for Jacaranda

blessed with attractive
and long-lasting
purple flowers valued
for their intense flower displays.

they lined the avenues and streets
but are also common in parks
.
the flowers bloom twice a year
the first blooming
is welcomed as a sign of spring.

the subsequent blooming
in late spring and early summer
is dubbed as purple panic by students
for they had better take to swotting in earnest
as it signals that the final exams are near

A to Z Challenge - J

No Idiot Box but to the computer screen

                                                                                        Author:Deb Nystrom
Image: An Empty Chair not for Long (here) 

I for In the Moment   

Looking around the confines
Walking about the veranda and garden
Not allowing boredom to dampen the mind
Suddenly an urge enhanced the realization

It invoked a faint enthusiasm initially
Surging in unison with challenge of sorts
Creativity cannot be abandoned that easy
Blogging an open book to fill the void

Thoughtful for a while with much to glean
A lucky lot in rare moments of  emptiness
No Idiot Box but to the computer screen
A savior in many ways for all goodness

A to Z Challenge : I

Nothing wrong in talking to the wall

                                                                           Author Luigi Bazzani
Image: The Corner is a good spot (here)

H for Here and Now

Nothing wrong in talking to the wall
Indoors here and now doing our best
Doing same thing all day big and small
Would you need to stop and take a rest?
No! you get a little tired but not much less
How then to stop would there be a cue
Yes, stop when the wall talks back to you

Note: Rather challenging to maintain
sanity in the present situation.

Frank's at d'Verse MTB
-  to write a stanza of a seven-line poem

A to Z Challenge : H

transformed into a dream

                                                                                             Author: vastateparksstaff
Image: "Opting outside for fresh air and positive vibes
with family, friends and furry friends! Good times!" (here)

G for Good Vibes
(Good vibes is a slang phrase
for the positive feelings given
off by a person, place, or situation).

the 12 given words
breathe, transformed, dream, find, waiting, 
part, fly, winds, shake, butterfly, story, wings

breathe easy transformed into a dream
to find the sought-after spot in the woods
waiting to be discovered unto good feelings
to part from the city's confusion should

the need arise to fly off into the wilderness
with guarded anticipation to enjoy the winds
of change to shake off irritations and harness
nature's benevolence of serene living less the din

of traffic's blaring horns that drive us crazy
to bask in the sun very much like the butterfly
story freely flapping their wings among the greenery
all too wonderful to pass off but with all smiles

A to Z Challenge - G
MMT's The Whirligig Wordle #261

with deep sleep seemed far-fetched

                                                                                Attribution Christopher Hilton

Image: Socially distance shopping (here)

F for Feasibility

we are all fated not so much 

by any voluntary insistence 

but by order of the day

we are still shadowed

by the horrors seen on

social media

nonchalantly depicted

body bags strewn on the floor

haphazardly arranged and disarrayed

the front-liners were stressed out

exhausted and plainly 'out cold'

unsung heroes who themselves were

also haphazardly found
on the floor, couch,chairs
dozed off trying 

to catch some sleep

the desire for a respite 

left to one's own initiative

the feasibility of  being rewarded

with deep sleep seemed far-fetched

A to Z April Challenge  F

The Eagle's Nest

                                                                                              Author: Florian S.

Image:1 The Eagle's Nest (here)

                                                                          Author U.S. Army soldier 

Image: 2 The Entrance from the Bottom. It shows the 

Tunnel to go up the Elevator that goes thru solid rock.(here)

E for Eagle's Nest

The Eagle's Nest atop the summit of the Kehistein Used 

exclusively by the Nazi Party for government and social meetings.

Visited on 14 documented instances by Hitler.Today it is a 

restaurant,beer garden, and tourist site

A Tanka

seems Hitler not too 

happy with its location

rarefied mountain

air and the tunnel entrance

was an abhorrence to him

A to Z April Challenge E for Eagle's Nest

Much to be thankful for!

                                                                                            Author: Khairat Ibrahim
Image: Happiness in the Open (here)

D for Delightful

Much to be thankful for
Being safe within confines
Of one's own home knowing
All those who matter are home

Delightfully together
Feeling good none too well
To be waiting anxiously
For the day to be out there
To do what is conjured in mind

With much gusto
Anticipating to give all
What sedentary living
Had fed much ideas
In one's mind an arsenal
Of productive living

A to Z April Challenge  D for Delightful

We are as yet to be relevant

                                                                                            Author:Simon Burchell
Image: Social distancing Upon
completion of Purchases  (here)

C for Communications                            

We are as yet to be spared
We are as yet to be given leeway
We are as yet to be relevant

No way to be given the normal
No way to be acknowledged like before
Even abruptly face to face on the grocery hunt
Yes, communicating unlike before
Social distancing whoever heard of it

It was something like it
But that was in 1918

Now it is the new awareness in fashion
One just can't fathom all of its contending difficulties
More of inconvenience which is accepted
Unless one chooses to look death in the face
An unlikely choice of an alternative
So it is!
Unfriendly as it appears
But very necessary
Not overly in communication but still communicating!

A to Z Challenge C for Communications
Grace's at d'Verse OLN #263

Way back to 2014 and later the Theme that Rocks

                                                       Author:Демяненко Юлиана Александровна
Image: Beginnings of a Love Story (here)

B for Beginnings

It was way back to 2014
That was the Beginning
not of Hank's blogging but
of Hank's participation
in the A to Z April Challenge

Nothing spectacular
Submissions were made
like everybody else
through out the year

But the following year in 2015
The unexpected happened
Hank's theme, The Modern Day Explorer
earned Alex's coveted title of the Theme that Rocks
conferred in May 2016 
with an Interview (here) 
and a Badge at the side-bar 
on your right!

Take a peek at some of the postings:
YH#1(here) , YH#2(here)  YH#3(here)
YH#7(here),  YH#10 (here) YH#11 (here)

Hank is humbled and thrilled
and had since continued
for every year right up till 2019
2020 being the 7th glorious year
Thanks everyone for the wonderful company!

A to Z April Challenge # 2 'B' for Beginnings

A time to reflect on remembrances

                                                                                             Author ForestWander
Image: Fishing in the Shades (here)

A for Anamnesis :Remembrance and reminiscences

A time to reflect on remembrances and reminiscences
We used to be free when young, I remember all those days
Barely into our teens we used to make disappearing acts
To be with all of our buddies with time on our side

Out in the morning to be with all the neighborhood kids
Whoever were free most of them were all eager to join in
Cycling around or under a shady tree with the line and tackle
With some luck there would be some catch to be shared

Then back home for lunch our absence not felt or missed
We did our own thing literally, we fashioned our own playthings
A cart with the wheels of a discarded perambulator for one
There was no end to the ingenuity of a deprived lot

It is not foreign to be stuck within the four walls of home
Improvise and time to catch up on those that had been put off
Family members now surprised at having completed many things
It has been that number of days all locked up in a lockdown

A to Z April Challenge for 'A'