intimidating on what the future holds

                                                                    Author Christine from Vienna, Austria
Image: The moon as clear as it gets (here)

Reflecting on:  
'what if the moon disappeared tomorrow?' 

shocking waves of wonder 

intimidating on what the future holds

fears swirling across all asunder

as wide as the universe to unfold

can man on the moon find a transit

an abode to smile from and muse

where will the owl pine all of his wit

a let down on young lovers of such abuse

perhaps a lot of seriousness on others

targeting other planets to quench the thirst

a race to colonize Mars the first bother

to perfect time travel a reality first

Magaly's at Real Toad's 
- weekend-mini-challenge

his train of thoughts whined in helplessness

                                                                                                Author: Tom Pumford
Image: Regret (here)

Inspired by the quotation:
“The circle of an empty day is brutal and at 
night it tightens around your neck like a noose.”
-   Elena Ferrante (The Days of Abandonment)

the 10 of 12 given words:
train turning move wild blocks
brickwork sent blue framed dusk 

his train of thoughts whined in helplessness
without turning no moves devoid of mobility
sedentary and languishing in self-pity

wild ideas knocked within a confused state

akin to blocks of brickwork thrown hard
he held back his tears until blue in the face
the mind framed in confines of nothingness

that was the picture seen right until dusk
brutal by all accounts crying for a respite

by nightfall, it got blatantly worse with
a tightening stranglehold choking his senses

on reflection, he swore not to ever do it again
the penance was swift severe and immediate
Providence would want him not to repeat the wrong
to love and never ever curse at your own mother

Michael's at MLMM's Tale Weaver #210 - using a quote 
MMT's Sunday's Whirligig #201
Sumana's at PU's Midweek Motif  -  love

frequent rally works machine

                                                                                                Author: Dietmar Rabich
Image: A BMW Mini (here)

the 10 of 12 given words:
dusk misgiving 
strangleweed (the dodder,a plant in the morning glory family)
grimalkin (an old female cat: an ill-tempered woman)
augur (to conjecture from signs or omens)
cabal (a small group of secret plotters)
ether (the rarefied element formerly believed to fill up space)
tattered dripping curse

Note: The Mini Cooper S won the Monte Carlo
Rally on three occasions, in 1964, 1965 and 1967.

from dusk to dawn
without misgivings
of high performance
with turbocharged engine

frequent rally winner works machine
where those others could just dream
a strangleweed like a grimalkin
augurs well on its own steam

not necessary for cabal connections
but in ether notions fleeting
extending awe with excitement
not tattered but dripping

with entertainment glory
devoid of curses but appreciation
winner in Monte Carlo Rally
in its heyday on a few occasions

MLMM's Wordle #120
Sanaa's at Real Toad's - the tuesday platform

to chart a path of expectations and convenience

                                                                       Photo Credit: Subramanya Bhat
Image: Symbolic of travels and
trade through the waterways  (here)

the 12 given words:
apart chance barter 
credence (belief as to the truth)
star fly sly shoot shy mar chart
cadence (rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words)

apart from a chance of barter
sea-faring days of traders are numbered

credence to this claim is the better
of Amazon's place as the star
performer of an online business model

to fly high and nothing sly
nor of having to shoot
from the hip shy of murder
nothing to mar a peek into the future
in the manner of the exchange
of wares for money

they managed to chart a path
of expectations and convenience
for the man on the street
for which the cadence of the song
and structure helps smoothen the flow

Susan's Sunday Photo Fiction - february
Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #390
Sherry's at PU's Poetry Pantry #439

the prodigal son had been away too long

                                                                                              Author Diego Delso
Image: Alone Facing the Onslaughts (here)
(one of the "Monks of the Pacana"
huge rock formations created by the
erosion of the wind and located near
the Salar de Aguas, northern Chile)

To include the following
in a personification poem:
The long road to his home was a 
twisting snake with no visible end

standing behind a tall oak tree musing
having waved its many leaves bidding a welcome
opening up its cool shade helping
to appease threats from an angry hot sun

far from family and friends
the long road to his home 
was a twisting snake with no visible end
looking into his palms he moaned

the prodigal son had been too long away
searched his conscience to pinpoint
his diary helped opening up to his dismay
a  good five years of aimless jaunts

would he be readily accepted?
would in vengeance the door remained shut
avoid sensation with no regrets
his heart opened up whispering 'have the guts'

Weejars at MLMM - ‘Saturday Mix’,
 #Unique Personality.
Marian's at Real Toads -  sensation

Pick the best brains forever be grateful - a Rubaiyat

                                                                                   Attribution: Welcome Collections
           Image: In Serious Discussions (here)

Sentiments unraveled that of the bold

            What had just happened was considered sold

            Men of substance seen wildly in a rant

            Seeking to verify what they were told

            Tired of details folded in a bent

            Infirmed and the sick not considered spent

            Dreams of happy hours where they belong

            To long and to hold a cup full of wine

            Sense of being merry in part with songs

            Presence of old friends was not out of turn

            Discard the feel simmering in the air

            Daring to pitch for some likely reforms

           

            Matters to resolve swirling in the air

            Discussions let it seem to be most fair

            Pick the best brains forever be grateful

            Seek the truth the outcome for those who dare

           Note: The 10-syllable count is maintained
           throughout. The Rhyme-scheme is AABA

           Grace at d'Verse  Poetry Forms  -  the Rubaiyat

more fun and laughter

                                                                           Artist: Robert Henri  (1865–1929)
Image: A Happy Younger Brother (here)

the 12 given words:
beautiful brother sing dare kitchen 
well how laughter table eat say darker 

such a beautiful time
extending the mercy of a child
just alone with a younger brother

to sing and dance
a dare for all to see
in the kitchen

a rallying point well taken
how to have more fun and laughter
dancing on the kitchen table

there's food in the larder
say it loud
to eat and be merry

there is no darker side
but just having a little fun
mum and dad are not at home

Apologies: This is not a Rubaiyat 
and is not to be considered

MMT's Sunday Whirligig 200
Grace at d'Verse's OLN #237

it is awesome and frightful

                                                                                            Photo Credit: C.E. Ayr
Image: A Monster in its Own Right (here)

the 10 of 12 given words:
chill inhibit tough shy hints 
sitting night file swipe signal

it gives the chills
inhibits the initiative
of wanting to be tough

to relay a message
from the heart but shy
of showing too much liberty
hints are acceptable

sitting pretty day and night
it gets boring seeing curious
humanoids file past
a swipe of the teeny end of the tail
will signal the end

it is awesome and frightful
perhaps the reason
it is made to be extinct

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #389-2
Sherry's at PU's Poetry Pantry #438

percussion band of raw talents

                                                              Author State Library of New South Wales collection
Image:  Percussion Band Talents
Waiting to be Discovered (here)

setting the mood
for an archaic orchestra of merry-makers
symbolic clanging of cymbals
drumming of drums in little hands
the fun of music makers of old
the percussion band in the early years

laughter spiced to the euphoria
of dancing little feet
tapping in patterned movements
noisily in semblance
of musical experiments
of simple instruments
the percussion band of early years

may nurture future keyboard kingpins
or cellist with double bass leanings
perhaps a flutist with flaming flare-ups
a trumpeter and trombone full blown
never can tell musically inclined
keeping God's gifts under wraps
the percussion band of hidden talents

Kim's at Real Toad's Weekend
Mini Challenge

Returning to the Now

                                                                                                    Author W. Bulach
Image:  The scenic Fitzroy River with
limestone walls up to 100 meters high (here)


The Haiku

Returning to now

Not to upset the order

Slow movements in tow 

The Troiku

Returning to now

Perhaps stepping on some toes

Must have good defence

Not to upset the order

Civil attitude

Highly regarded

Not a dull moment

Self-financing for the wall?

Status quo maintained

Chevrefeuilles' Carpe Diem.weekend-meditation #69.

Grace at d'Verse OLN #236

words of deception on the rise

                                                                                       Attribution Susan Spalding
Image: Caught by Surprise (here)

the 12 given words:
lonely walk trees pebbles despair calls 
wild love air knees repenting world 

a lonely walk among trees
upon pebbles treading in despair
calls of the wild pleading incessantly
for love is in the air

on bended knees repenting
a world of difference it makes
to a damsel by nature is caring
vulnerable to pleadings of fakes

unwittingly caught by surprise
tugging relentlessly at her conscience
words of deception on the rise
to be more careful as a consequence

Susan's Sunday Photo Fiction
Sherry at PU's Poetry Pantry #436

Talents make for strong support

Image: The Resolve to Overcome (here)

the 10 of 12 given words:
rat, message, shadows waving bowl 
shredded, stick, text, candles, gone 

Rats! the message is clear
Shadows waving incessantly
One gets bowled over
Shredded and abandoned early

Stick to the text
Candles don't work in the cold
Beethoven's wonder can take effect
To stave off hecklers from the fold

Gone the worry so play it cool
Talents make for strong support
It may be cold on the stool
But never discard the gallant efforts

The resolve to succeed
With a winning hand
Will always outlast the limits
To bask in popularity enhanced

MMT's Sunday's Whirligig #197
Carrie's Sunday Muse #38
Sanaa's at Real Toad's -  the tuesday platform

not contending to exert authority

                                                                                              Author Zeynel Cebeci
Image: Despite in hues of black
and white but still beautiful (here)

To include the line:
'the skyscraper kissed the sky'
in a play of personification

not contending to exert authority
as a show off among the high and mighty
the skyscraper kissed the sky
belittling others sprouting up high

not unlike the flashy peacock's stance
in colors, regalia decked and fully enhanced
some are thrust with such blessings
not their intention to go with slight teasings

beautiful butterflies symmetrically designed
pinned to the wall amidst soundless whines
did not ask to be unceremoniously displayed
crying out loud shying away left to their fate

MLMM's Saturday Mix
Grace at d'Verse's OLN's #235

of a people staring at hunger

                                                                                        Attribution: Nekneeraj
Image: Pangs of Hunger
Beginning to be Felt (here)

the 10 chosen words:              
percussion deep morning heat January  
snow slightly ache pensive  obvious deep                                                                 

deep in the morning
in the heat of the receding January snow
in the percussion of life's misgivings

what gives?

slightly sporting an ache in the head
pensive and staring into space
pretty obvious of the deep-seated
disappointment, despair, and despondency
of a people staring at hunger

the will to look for bread
the will to just taste the luxury
of not being hungry
the will to survive

what stops one from
foraging
from stealing
from the deceit and from deceiving others

just to let a child have bread
when all around are the machinations of war
devised and perpetrated by fellow men
to prevent other fellow men women and child
from wanting and getting their bread

why the weak are made to suffer
for the strong to grab everything
are they blind to the fact that
it is a zero-sum game
for whatever one takes
the other has to sacrifice

what gives?

Nekneeraj's at MLMM's Photo Challenge #245
Sanaa's at Real Toad's Get Listed January

they finally arrived at the border

                                                                         Attribution: Mr_Kasser
Image: Arrival in the Wee Hours
of the Morning (here)

the 11 of 12 given words:
border seek joy flood hope risk 
poor welcome open tired hypocrisy 

they finally arrived at the border
to seek for the joys incumbent in
the land of milk and honey which
used to bid for their presence

but things had changed drastically
there used to be a flood of hopefuls
who risked their limbs and lives
who sneaked across and back again

but now markedly apparent was
barely a trickle of the poor souls
who had exceeded their welcome
shutout with no open passage

the authorities were not just tired
of the influx but more to see to the
pledge of an as yet an unfulfilled
election platform

the hypocrisy of a politician who
unwittingly laid bare of the difficulty
of having the construction physically
done - a wall

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #384
Carrie's at Sunday Muse#36 
Sanaa's at Real Toad's  -  the tuesday platform                           

not shaken by the enormity

                                                                                                         Attribution: Tota

Image:  Talents abound (here)

the 12 given words: 

morning shadow spent stop string treat 

brew shaken dogs view notes ship       

of an early morning ritual

never a shadow of a doubt 

of time well spent

not to stop the strains of sounds

of a string instrument for ages

that accompanied masters

what a treat!

at an early age providing a brew

of Beethoven's compositions 

not shaken by the enormity

that dogged many a young heart

to view it as just another recital

notes upon notes to digest

but a plaything of a child prodigy

who had shipped off all negative thoughts

but to provide an outlet for his talents

God-given of a chosen few 

Carrie's Sunday's Muse #35

Brenda's Sunday's Whirl Wordle #383
willow's-stitches Pat's at Real Toad's
tuesday's last platform

a city kaleidoscopically engulfed in lights

Attribution: James G. Howes

Image: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
(a 75 ft (23m) high Norway Spruce
decorated with 18,000 lights).

the 10 of 12 given words:
city bare cut foliage look letter refuse 
spires (a tapering structure on the top of a building)
Christmas boughs 

a city kaleidoscopically engulfed in lights
nothing bare, but cut out into a concrete jungle
foliage not just green but varied and bright
a look perfect to the letter nothing abysmal

atop a giant spruce tree regally standing
painstakingly transported without fanfare
taking its place surrounded by tall buildings
refusal to be dwarfed by spires amidst the glare

transformed into a giant Christmas tree
its boughs decked with flickering lights
at Rockefeller Center annually since 1933
national tradition ushering cheers of yuletide

Merry Christmas, everyone!

MMT at Sunday's Whirligig #193

the enigmatic smile so proclaimed

                                                                                        Attribution: Reddit.com
Image:  Modern Day Mona Lisa   (here)

the enigmatic smile so proclaimed
so captivatingly to many for centuries
the fascination of a kind so sustained
extending it to the male species 

yearnings for all the pleasures to find
what could be so specific to accentuate
a hold on the natural inquisitive mind
that a Mona wannabe could equate

all the thoughts of times erstwhile
such was the magic of da Vinci
that one succumbed just to a smile
to showcase a mortal's ingenuity
   
Nekneeraj's at MLMM's Photo Challenge #243
Vivian's at Real Toad's -  the tuesday platform

Being Symmetrical seen in Perspective - a Haibun

                                                                             Attribution: Allana
Image: A Symmetrical Image
seen in Perspective (here)

symmetrical
symmetrical if it has at least 
one line of symmetry, i.e. it 
can be divided in such a way 
that its two halves perfectly 
match each other
perspective
drawing of parallel lines as 
converging in order to give the 
illusion of depth and distance

The Prose
A beautiful image that embodies
both a classic example of being
symmetrical with its own reflection
in the water. It simultaneously is
represented in perspective to accord
depth and distance.

Awareness of both principles can
render an artistic impression most
eloquently as seen here

The Haiku
brought back to those times
of the first lessons in art
of those bygone days

Carrie's at The Sunday Muse #34
Mary's at PU's Poetry Pantry #433

it was a spin of a kind

                                                                                Author Official U.S. Navy Page
Image: Howls of Laughter (here)

the 12 given words:
drop howl hundred train touch spin 
plan shop wind lucky neck play

he dropped a bombshell
it could have ended
with howls of laughter
if not for the big break

a hundred to one chance
his train of thoughts
were not in touch with reality

it was a spin of a kind
unplanned for the most part

a countdown to disaster

he should have shopped around
for life was ripe for the picking
and he was in a position to cause
a wind of change

at break-neck speed, he acted
how lucky it turned out to be

whew!
it was close he thought!
he gloated over his  good fortune
he played his cards well

Brenda's The Sunday's Whirl #382
Magaly's at Real Toad's Week-end
Mini Challenge -  life is ripe

out in the cold a winter's blast

                                                           Attribution: Adam Ward / An Icy Blast / CC BY-SA 2.0
Image: An Icy Blast (here)

the 12 given words:
bones keep play end valley stars 
find cold winter dome  love limber 

make no bones about it
keep it in play strive to no end
in the valley of stars do they meet
easy partners they hope to find

out in the cold a winter's blast
the year to end nothing left undone
the strong and lively made to outlast
the tough with strength enhanced

dome of love set to limber and dance
to provoke and harness many movements
appearing brightly opaque in a glance
to spread out wide as healthy elements

MMT's Sunday's Whirligig #192
Grace at d'Verse's OLN #234

she stood her grounds uninterrupted

                                                                                               Attribution: Jade Lizzie
Image: Balanced of Mind Despite
not being so in Appearance (here)

the 12  given words:
nuanced (a quality of something that is not easy to notice)
uninterrupted, carrion (dead or decaying flesh) wrestling 
effusive (expressing welcome or approval with strong feelings)
magical impact dominant regulate input 
chiromancer  (n.) able to predict by interpreting the lines on the palms)
trial

her insistence in challenging vagaries
of the violent weather nuanced in her
confidence evident of any elements
of panic or haste

she stood her grounds uninterrupted
in a show of balance none of a carrion
soul still-born in thinking but wrestling
in her mind without any show of effusive
tendencies but of  a stable nature

such is the hold and strength
of the magical yin and yang that
impact on a dominant part of self
to regulate the unobtrusive inputs
marring an even sight

she is no chiromancer bent on  trial
and error but very measured in her
dealings with honest intentions

can she be faulted being so?

Carrie's at Sunday Muse #33
Sanaa's at Real Toad's - the tuesday platform 

alone in all seriousness

                                                                                    Photographer: Julien Lamour
Image: Lost in Thoughts (here)

lost in thoughts
alone in all seriousness
leaning aimlessly by the wall
not certain as to directions
will it come to this far

-  might of loneliness tugging -

set in motion
searching for company
seething at the mouth
bent with emotions
regret is a known realization

Marian at Real Toad's -
fussy little forms - puente

serene nights of wonder

                                                                                                   Author: Mike Cline
Image:   Yellowstone Park -  The Meadows
Below Midway Geyser Basin on the Firehole River  (here)

placid crystal clear
pleasantly calm and peaceful
warmness of embrace
locked tight in earnest, surprised
at night's blessings of wonder

Susan's at PU's Midweek Motif  -  surprise
Chèvrefeuille's  Carpe Diem #1561 - a tanka
Yellowstone National Park  - a love theme at the meadows

a penchant for the personal touch

                                                                            Author: Catrin Welz-Stein
Image: If Only he Responds (here)

the 12 given words:
personal wild candle buffet torpedo
melancholy (a gloomy state of mind a feeling of pensive sadness)
cantankerous (difficult or irritating to deal with)
badmash ((n.) a hooligan)
ruler pertinent lighthouse oily

a penchant for the personal touch
a little on the wild side perhaps
or the sought after candle-light dinner
or even a plain buffet
either way, lauded

but torpedoed without reasons
utterly unreasonable
from a melancholy baby
cantankerous when he chose to
not unlike a badmash
who acted as a ruler of his domain
comprising like bad hats
pertinent only to themselves

still hoping for a savior
a  beneficent lighthouse
flashing encouraging signs
across the expanse
of crystal clear waters
with nothing of any oily patches
of polluted contaminants

Carrie's The Sunday Muse #32
weejar's at MLMM's Wordle #212-2
Sanaa's at Real Toad's -  the tuesday platform

ready to blaze the trail

                                                                                             Author: Beals
Image: Jessie Tarbox Beals (here)
America's first female photojournalist c. 1904

an impassioned plea
a determined look in the eyes
never to question
one who had decided to break new grounds

a confident look
clear enough
astute in the challenge
fully equipped
ready to blaze the trail
for other females

being the first was earth-shattering
to the male chauvinist

women had a place in the calling
(55 words)

Kerry at Real Toad's - camera flash 55
Mary at PU's Poetry Pantry #431

a coming of age of a teenager

                                                                                      Author: Michael J. Bennett

                                                                                                 
Image: A Special Treat -  Beef prime
 rib dinner plate (here)

Same Same But Different -  to take the five challenge
words and NOT use them in a poem but their synonyms

switch -  reversal shift substitution swap
floor - ground deck stage mat
polish - gloss brilliance sparkle luster
fabric  - textile fibre
water - drink rain tears Adam's ale shower

a reversal of a fortune
a shift to manhood to a higher order
a swap of a kind
a coming of age for a teenager
from the ground up onto a higher deck
the stage is set

the brilliance providing a sparkle
the gloss of a luster
isn't it fun to be considered an adult
doing adult things?

fat chance! without fibre but a conjecture
hoping to mirror an adult is not just yet

this is a special birthday dinner for you
you've just turned 18, an adult legally yes!
but in my eyes as a parent
you're still a child, my child.

no drinks for you, just Adam's ale
you may have tears in your eyes
but you're showered with love as a substitute
you're wondering why?

well, we need someone sober
to drive us home!

weejar's at MLMM's Saturday Mix
Mish's at d'Verse's OLN #233

saddled with the morning after

                                                                                             Author: Christopher Michel  
Image: Sick in Bed the Morning After (here)

the 12 given words:
awesome test missing acrobat apron kiss 
goodbye  play chord aim afraid admire

awesome, a test of strength
mind over matter
life can be bland
saddled with the morning after

boys' night out but done in, in the mornings
lots of fun when it lasted
but upon waking up something's missing
except for a heavy head all busted

life is acrobatic with time for fun
but there is a need to don the apron strings
time to kiss goodbye  when the point comes
where responsibilities cut in

play the chords right is the aim
to keep the house in order
not to be afraid of losing friends
there are wonderful ones in place to admire

MMT's Sunday's Whirligig #190
Sumana's at PU's Midweek Motif ~ morning poem

deja vu of the ultimate sacrifice

                                                                                           Attribution: Google images
Image: To Fall to Temptation (here)

10 of 12 given words:
frost twist between chill dread 
wish shock lift mend fill

frost free and devoid of vegetation
a yearning for greenery of paradise
a twist of the act of temptation
deja vu of the ultimate sacrifice

between chills a dread invoked
the offer of the apple in reverse
a wish the shock be not provoked
that to lift the flower be rehearsed

as a prelude to mend the mistake
to fill the desire expected to unfurl
back to the joys of Heaven's gate
redemption of a now troubled world

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle#379
Carrie's Sunday Muse #31
willow-switches' at Real Toad's the tuesday platform

some people are blessed

                                                                                       Attribution: Willem van Herp

Image: Eating and Drinking (here)

the 12 given words:

cheers free flow ease drift regret
binge (unrestrained and often excessive indulgence)
fringe sail news stream
sting (an elaborate confidence game to trap criminals)

'Cheers' a free flow with ease
what a drift with no regrets
binge drinking with the regulars

fringe benefits of a live-wire
man of the party
will often sail through

news of a good reputation
precedes his presence

talents running in a clear stream
gushing at right moments
some people are blessed
without really trying

a sting to stifle his progress
in life has been frustrated
many a time

it has been said those
with good intentions are
known to be protected
by unseen hands

Brenda's the Sunday Whirl #378
Sherry's at PU's Poetry Pantry #430