when they were young.

                                                                          Author: Pedro Ribeiro Simões

Image:  A Loving Couple (here)

the 12 given Wordle words:

cheek new apple journey mouth touch 

grief dreams hunger pain melt burden

dancing cheek to cheek 

with a new apple of the eye 

to embark on a journey, 

uncertain but for a taste of life

there were mouth watering 

episodes for every likely touch,

when they were young.

but there were grief, sorrow or joys 

for dreams that couldn't last.

hunger for love was the incentive

though pain may linger or melt

a reminder that broken hearts 

did carry burdens for 

those inexperienced

Mish at d'Verse OLN  #340/

MMT at  The Sunday's Whirligig Wordle #425

was just horsing around

                                                                                  Author: Photo by Karl Kuntz

Image: Wild Party  (here)

the youngsters being wild
on the dance floor
were just horsing around
thinking it was easy to dance
aping with leaps and jumps
bugging the wits of old couples
who still held on to the grace
of holding hands and dancing
close together
but eventually and unwittingly 
hounding them off the floor

they on their own did not 
cause a scene but wormed 
themselves slowly away 
from all the din of present day 
wild dancing moves

Let them enjoy themselves
after all we were also young

once ourselves so they reasoned

Sarah at d'Verse  acting-like-animals/

a gentle kick

                                                                                              Author: Nikodem Nijaki

Image: Hot and Colourful  (here)

to awaken the taste buds,

sprinkled lightly,

transforming dishes, 

hot peppers and spice

a gentle kick,

symphony of peppery delight,

a flavour's trick.

peppering adds zest, 

a culinary take

enhancing meals, 

a pinch, a sprinkle, 

a burst of surprise

peppering, 

the chef's secret dice

(44 words)

Punam's at d'Verse : Quadrille

pass-the-pepper-please/

glowing in the night

                                                                                                   Artist : Diggie Vitt 

Image:  Burning Love (Muse #198) (here)

a burning bouquet 

glowing in the night
akin to love that ignites 

but with this fire 

comes a price

for a burning love 

a flaming episode

is causing more pain 

in the inside

strangely though

knowingly embraced 

this searing heat 

is a treasured welcome

in many instances

for the love 

that eternally burns 

without a doubt

Carrie in The Sunday Muse #261

Cubism

                                                                               Artist: Thorvald Hellesen

Image: Suitor. Figure with Bouquet” 

painted in 1917-1918 (here)

The world of art unveils its grand design,
There appears a visionary, a maestro of the 

canvas, Thorvald Hellesen

The world presented in fragments 

an innovative form, in Cubism

Breaking boundaries, defying the norm,

In allowing for Thorvald's insistence

for the past and present to fuse 

into each other 

it creates an interplay to get 

the viewer to indulge 

in moments of puzzle-solving

Faces appear in fragmented glory,
Each angle tells a different story.

For the rave of the day then

a branch of abstract art 

emerges for acceptance

Lillian at d'Verse  an-artist-gets-his-due/

The Relics of a Recent Past

                                                                                                         Author: anon

Image: Hung in a Row (here)

Leather bell strap, worn and weathered by time
You've witnessed tales of bravery, and tales of woe,

Through deserts, mountains, and valleys you did go

.
In rugged lands you ventured out , tied to a steed,
With each stride, a melody, a rhythm in the air,
Guiding weary travelers with a jingle everywhere

Cowboys riding in the country you followed
A faithful companion, a guardian from the start
Symbol of connection, bridging worlds far apart

weejars at Mindlove Misery's Menagerie photo-challenge-465/

still a big question!

                                                                                        Author: Ankita15dombe

Image: A Loving Couple  (here)

There she was standing forlornly with looks of expectations and concerns written all over. Waiting for a friend she later confessed shyly.

Amidst the bustling corridors and lecture rooms, our paths met. I remember the fluttering heartbeat, the nervous glances, that preceded the first approach. She, the freshie lost in her thoughts and I the senior ever hoping for a 'victim'.

Those carefree days, when time was often a neglected luxury the world outside seemed distant and irrelevant. We indulged in the simplicity of playful banter, oblivious to the responsibilities that awaited beyond the campus gates. 

When college life drew to a close, warmth of courtship transformed to uncertainties, It served as a reminder of the impending options and choices open before us. But it strengthened the transformative power of young love into something bigger. So we thought!

This memory stays with me, like a treasured relic from a bygone era. But sadly whispers of innocence of fleeting moments and possibilities fizzled into nothingness. Time may have carried us on separate paths, but the memory of our courtship in college shall forever be a cherished treasure. Just wondering what the intricacies of life would have been on the road not taken!

Emotions nurtured
Blessed feelings when it lasted

But life could be cruel

Frank at d'Verse Haibun Monday-memory/

whispers through the haze

                                                                                                   Author: Colin Kinnear 

Image: A Misty Morning  (here)

the 10 of 12 given Wordle words:

only yearning surrounded submissive 

heat  parched misty chill unending past 

In the realm of poetic verse to create,

Only words woven with care and grace,

Yearning whispers through the haze

Surrounded by mysteries, within the mist,

Each word a guiding star lighting our way,

With submissive heat where secrets held sway.

Poetry offering solace we shall never forget

Let the parched misty chill be far away

In the unending past not bothering in any way

Brenda's at The Sunday Whirl wordle#606/

dawn of a new day

                                                                                                Author: Tim Marchant 

Image: A New Day  (here)

A Starter with:

"She peeked back over her shoulder to check that the coast was clear"

She peeked back over her shoulder to check
that the coast was clear,
her eyes darting given to fear

As she stepped forward, determined 
her heart raced at an unsteady pace,
concerned of the coming days

Her footsteps gingerly progressed forward
echoes fading into a  deep abyss,

but just a glimmer, a moment of bliss.

She peeked back again to check,
and found the courage to forge her own way,

stepping into the dawn of a new day

weejars at MLMM story-starter-saturday-mix

A Cowgirl on the Plains

                                                                                                             Author: anon

Image: Cowgirl and Horse (here)

On the wild plains where the warm wind blows,
Beneath the wide-brimmed hat, a weathered face,
A spent cowgirl, but still with her feminine grace.

With saddle and stirrups, she mounts her steed,
Through rugged country and prairies she'll roam,
In search of freedom, a place to call her own.

She finds solace in the untamed wilderness,
Roaming her bids in unchartered territory
With lots of imprints bound to memory

Carrie's at: The Sunday Muse#260.html

unjustly confined

                                                                                              Author Diego Delso  (1974–)                                    Image: Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (here)

In the realm of courage, where dissent presides
A spirit arose, ascending undaunted in flight
Tran Duc Thach, a voice with unwavering might,
A poet, a scholar unperturbed, a beacon of light.

With his pen as a sword, he battled the pains
Fueled by a vision of will that justice sustains.
He dared to challenge the powers that be,
In pursuit of a land where all could be free.

Behind bars and walls, he was unjustly confined,
Even though his spirits may still be ill-defined

But for a poet's voice it is not easily suppressed,
It transcends the confines, it cannot be oppressed.

Paul at d'Verse Poetics-uncaging-the-poet/

whims that cloud our tomorrow

                                                               Photo by Adam Jones adamjones.freeservers.com

Image: Summer Rain Showers Moscow (here)

the 12 given Wordle words:
bitter, taste, wine, jaded, live, cup, sip, 

whims, swear, pluck, thorns, flowers

In a world of bitter moments and tastes,

We sip the wine, souls jaded as chastised

We live our lives in a cup of despair,

Lost in the whirlwind tour sadly unaware.

With each sip, we drown in our sorrows

Deserted by whims that cloud our tomorrow

We swear by promises, fragile and frail,

Yet reality's success never cease to fail

Despite the darkness, we pluck at our hopes

Unwittingly allowing the lazy thorns to gloat

For life, though bitter, still offers its flowers,

Fleeting moments, like rain in summer showers.

Bjorn at d'Verse : OLN#339-may-live-edition/

MMT at the Whirligig with Wordle #423.html

Two Kangaroos Down Under

                                                                                             Author: anon

Image: Mother and Joey (here)

In Down Under where eucalyptus trees sway,
Mother and Joey, frolicking in their own way.

Mother kangaroo, very bold and wise,
Guided her Joey with love in her eyes.
In the wilderness, they traversed with grace,
Her pouch a sanctuary, a warm embrace.

The Joey, full of curiosity and delight,
Eager to learn stationed himself by her side, 
They hopped and jumped a synchronized dance,
A symbol of unity, their bond enhanced.

Weejars at MLMM's photo-challenge#464/

Facing the looking glass

                                                               Artist William Merritt Chase  (1849–1916) 

Image: "who's the fairest of them all? " (here)

Facing the looking glass, reflections speak,

A lifeline for both the strong and the weak

Reflecting truths despite masks we wear

Post-Covid the empty gaze, a silent stare.

Seek not safe reaction but embrace what's true,

For beauty lies within, mirrored in you.

(44 words)

Merril at d'Verse  Quadrille - mirror-mirror-on-the-wall

Sunset of Hope

                                                                                           Author: Villy Fink Isaksen

Image: The Vanishing Brightness (here)

10 of 12 given Wordle words:

singe sunset shallows trickle beside demon reside 

cerulean  (deep blue in colour)

glimmer hint

Singe of their touch leaves a mark,
Reminder of their burning ways,
A never-ending, painful phase.

As the shade of sunset fades away,
The shallows of the mind do trickle,
A torrent of fear, fright and fickle.

Beside the demon's lair, they reside,
But the demons within their minds
Are a force that's hard to unwind.

The cerulean glimmer of brightness
Gives a hint of light in the dark
A beacon of hope with some luck

Brenda at Sunday Whirl.Wordle#605

Gliding in the Sky

                                                              Author:  Kamila Kansy of Vanilla Sky Gallery

Image: To be Free (here)

Special Note to Carrie,

It has been a wonderful encounter all these years

Thanks to you Ma'am, to Chrissa and Shay. Had 

always looked forward to seeing you all in the 

Muse. Will miss all of you dearly!  -  from Hank

A bird soaring high, and carefree

No cage, no chain can hold its wings

As it spreads them wide and sings

Songs to carry it as it glides by

Nature's instinct as its guide

A symphony of music, its pride

We live our lives too, never to deny

The opportunities that come our way

To soar higher, day by day

With strength, and a hopeful eye

Being free like a bird in the sky

Is a gift to cherish, as we try

Carrie at The Sunday Muse #259.html

Adorable Tulips

                                                                                     Author:  John O'Neill

Image:  Standing tall (here)

the 11 of 12 given Wordle words: 

tulips. ten, common spot wax, bulwark, 

poet, innocent, hawk, sleep, wrong

The tulips swayed dancing beautifully

Their ten petals were open to scrutiny

A common sight, were always adored,

A spot of colour as nature had offered

The wax of their petals, smooth and pure,

A bulwark to maintain for all good cures

Their fragrance a poet's delight,

A source of inspiration in the night.

But even in their innocent peek and grace,

Tulips could be a hawk's target at any place

Unaware of the unexpected attraction

Awkwardly located not meant to be wrong

Linda at d'Verse OLN - #338-summer-is-coming/

MMT at The Whirligig#422

Surreal Photography of Erik Johansson.

                                                                         Author: Erik Johansson www.erikjo.com

Image: Scanning the Night Sky  (here)

To reach for the stars to see what lies beyond,
The distance makes it hard to tell
The universe is vast and free,
All of its wonders are hard to see

A telescope needed to train on a distant star,

And ponder all that may have been.

The orbiting planets in their orderly hurtles

To marvel at the cosmic spectacle

To turn the gaze back down again to reality

With a glimpse of what's on the ground
A satisfaction at all the sights up high,

When telescoping the fascinating night sky.

Mish at d'Verse Poetics

-slipping-into-surrealism-with-erik-johansson/

Time Stood Still

                                                                       Author: A.Savin, WikiCommons

Image: Gazing into nothing (here)

Note: to include the line:
"on this day without a date, 

on a back street, dusky” – Charles Simic, from ‘My Friend Someone’

On this day without a date, time came to a stop. The world stood still. In a quiet room, on a back street, dusky and dimly lit, a lone figure, gazed up at the sky. Darkness ruled, he was lost in thoughts.

Time appeared to have lost all meaning. The world around him had faded into a blur of indistinct shapes and sounds. He was lost in his own thoughts, grappling with the mysteries of life. 

On this day, he found solace however in the silence of the night, where the only sound was the beating of his own heart.

As the hours ticked by, the world around him remained unchanged, but yet he learned. The revelations experienced in the quiet moments had him in deep thoughts.  He found a sense of purpose and meaning that extended across the boundaries of time and space.

(144 words) 

Lisa at d'Verse - Prosery charles-simic-finding-our-pack/

It's Fascinating!

                             Author:  Julie de Waroquier

Image:  Fascination  (here)

It stirs our soul and feeds our mind
And helps us see that we've been blind

The way you make us crave for more
For fascination that we adore

So we bask in the strength of your power
And let our hearts take flight wanting more

To a world of wonder that's meant to be.
For fascination is the key

Carrie at The Sunday Muse -258.html

Starting the day

                                                                                  Author: Vyacheslav Argenberg

Image: In the morning light (here)

the 11 of 12 given Wordle words:

rush, whistle, kitchen coffee face sun 

shower, singing love, modesty doorknob

In the rush of early the next morning

A whistle from the kettle sings out light

I stumble to the kitchen just wondering

And I reach for the coffee for a bite

Still heavy with sleep and dreams,

I pour the hot liquid into my cup,

My mind clears with rise of the steam

As I take a sip propping me up.

Sun shines through the windowpane,

I love its soothing feel on my skin,

A shower to wash off the night's stains,

And I step into the warm water's spin

The singing of the birds outside,

Fills the air with a melody of fun,

As I dry myself and step aside,

My modesty, for the day is done.

Turning the doorknob to step outside,

I'm ready to face the world again,

With a grateful heart and a slow stride,

I embrace the day with all the gains

Laura at d'Verse  a four-line-alternate-rhyme-scheme

MMT at Sundays Whirligig - whirligig Wordle #421

Real animal architecture

                                                                                                         Author: Bchoga

Image: Specially and intricately 

woven and architectured in style  (here)

Note: These are the unique nests of the Tempua birds

found up high attached to the coconut leaves that sway

precariously in the winds but never find the reason to drop.

We see much less of them now as coconut trees are cultured

and dwarfed to be below 15 feet high now

In nests, dens, and burrows deep,
Animals lay their heads to sleep.
From rabbits low and eagles high 
All are provided homes under the sky

The eagle builds a lofty nest,
A sturdy home where eggs can rest.
High up on cliffs or in a tree,
It's where they raise their family.

The fox digs dens within the ground,
A secret place where cubs are found.
A cozy home to stay safe and secure,
And to keep them warm to endure

The rabbit burrows in the earth,
A cozy place since days of birth
A home to hide and feel secure,
As predators might just appear

The owl finds homes in hollow of trees,
A sheltered place from wind and breeze.
A place to rest and watch the night,
Until the dawn brings morning light.

From nests to dens to burrows deep,
Animals find their own homes for keeps.
A place of safety, warmth, and rest,

Being on their own without guests

Kim at d'Verse  animal-architecture/

Lonely Journey

                                                                                                   Author:  anon

Image: The lighted highway  (here)

A highway lit up by bright headlights
stretching far into the night. The hum 

of engines and the rush of wind 

create a symphony of motion and sound

The lighted highway never sleeps
It's always bustling with life with the flow 

of cars and trucks all through the night

But amidst the chaos and the noise there's 

a sense of serenity too as the headlights 

illuminate the way

With its twists and turns and bends 

the lighted highway invariably leads  us to  our 

journey's end.

weejars at MLMM photo-challenge#462-2/

Magaly at Poets and Storytellers United  friday-writings#76

Mapping out a Poem

                                                                                                      Author: Pakeha

Image: Adventure ill-defined within  (here)

A map unfurls its folds 
and lays a world of secrets 
Paths that twist 

with mountains tall 

and rivers wind

With compass, we set our course,
guided by its magnetic force.
It is more than ink and lines but 

a promise of adventure ill-defined

(44 words)

De at d'Verse Quadrille Monday-175

-mapping-out-our-poems/

Children's Book Week

                                                                                Author: Garth Williams

Image: Book Week Of Old (here)

the 11 of 12  given Wordle Words

children nonfiction fairytales fantasy characters 

freedom engage individual spark library literacy 

Children's Book Week, a time to indicate

The joy of reading, it's never too late,

With books as our guides, we travel afar,

To lands filled with magic, or space and stars.

Some prefer nonfiction, facts and figures 

While others adore fairytales and legends 

Fantasy worlds with dragons and unicorns,

Characters like they've been reborn.

Reading gives us freedom, a world of our own,

Where we can engage and let our minds roam,

Each individual's journey, unique and true,

With every page turn, a spark ignites anew.

The library's a haven, a place of sanctuary,

Where the love of literacy is for the community

A treasure trove of tales, waiting to be found,

A place where imagination knows no bound.

MLMM at Wordle-320/