A Kangaroo Crossing - MF

Image: Courtesy of Grandma's Goulash

Humans are not fair
Provided a 'roo crossing
but it is dangerous.
We yearn for one with
gates like a rail crossing
Is it too much to ask?

(140 Characters)


Linda at Grandma's Goulash, Succinctly Yours week
#159 challenged us to write a Micro Fiction of not exceeding
140 characters and to include the word - yearn

Slowness as a fighter

                                                                                   Attribution: Tulane PR
Image : Microscope use

We Wordle #13:
35 words used out of 36 words given

embryonic, borrowed, turtle toothpicks,
fighter, hatching, jagged, ripples,
unwrapping, fatness earlobes microscope,
almonds,stockings, shame, songs, color,
snapshots marshmallows, pine, sap, dissecting,
snakes, coastal, leaf, record, books, homing
emaralds,roots,unseen, lemon,aura,lame, birds

Embryonic in his thinking
He  borrowed from the turtle

Slowness as a fighter
Hatching strategies jagged in nature
And unwrapping a fatness of earlobes
with ripples of songs and color

He retained snapshots of items

such as toothpicks,marshmallows,

stockings,almonds,emeralds,roots

and lemons

Those subject to dissecting under

the microscope like snakes and birds

would need a homing device unseen

to attract them

Perhaps a pine sap from coastal regions

could offer some help

A leaf off the record books

An aura lame as it were

What a shame!

For Irene's hosting at We Wordle #13

Diamonds in the Sky!

                                                                          Attribution: Brian0918
Image: Diamond Animation (here)

Sunday Whirl Wordle #155

The Words are:

barrier diamond detail power tough swing 

pleat strap tough waterfall zip suspend unit

A barrier to thinking of diamonds in the sky

It is a bother with a detail of power analysis  

It is a tough decision making process

To swing a pleat of straps is far simpler for

a feedback than a waterfall cascading of ideas

That can zip any sane thinking mind

Suspend the unit for the moment!

For Brenda's hosting at Sunday Whirl 

The Cat!

Image: Hank's  grandson, Nabil together with his
mother Qaty. This pic was taken when he read one of
the poems during Hank's book launch last year (here)

Note: Hank's grandson came over to the house and saw
Hank working on a poem. Nabil started to hum something
Hank then encouraged him to continue and he ended with
one all by himself: (including his parting note) Took him
about 20 mins

Upon completion he said, 'I want it to be a little funny'. I think
he has the makings of a witty poet - all at the age of 9 years!

One day,

A sunny one,

I went to play

With my water gun.

I shot a cat,

It got mad.

It chased me after that,

I screamed for my dad.

Below Nabil's philosophy as a parting note:

Note from Nabil: To make a poem I say take it from imagination or reality. In reality, you might face a situation that rhymes. In imagination, make it up for example, my poem. I use imagination. What about you? 

For Kerry's hosting at Real Toad's Open Link Monday

Cute Little Fella

Image: A Slow Loris (here)

A to Z Challenge: # 5  E for Endangered species

NaPoWriMo: Day # 4

Endangered species slowest

growth rates among mammals similar

to its size

Akin to lemur

Being small makes it very

acceptable as pets

Typical slow movements

Will remain still most times

cute little fella

For NaPoWriMo To write a lune (American haiku)
of a 3-5-3 word stanza
A to Z Challenge

A Good Drive

                                                                           Hank's Acrylic Painting
Image: The Stance for Addressing the Ball before the Drive

A to Z Challenge # 4 -  D for Drive 

Comes the day of determination

One is often advised of the claim

Of prospects of reconstruction

If absent for too long from the game

When one is talking golf

So says the Golf Pro

The Drive should not be off

The Golf Pro should know

The first shot as evidenced

The beauty of a good Drive

Will boost the golfer’s confidence

That keeps the game alive

Expensive Drivers  make a difference?

No, nothing in that direction

Just  avoid lay off for too long

That should be a better option

For A to Z Challenge shared with PPF week 4

Charmingly Happy!

Image:1 Adura, Shadah and Hafidz in front of the General Electric's Attraction

Image: 2  Hafidz posing with the Epcot 'Golf Ball' in the background

NaPoWriMo:  Day # 3  -  Charm

Sunny Florida

Here we are!

Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center

It can't be better

It is going to be fun

An enjoyable one!

Note: Today Elizabeth wants a rhyming charm. Hank
created a simple one above together with a Free Verse below

Sunny Florida and it was all enthusiasm

Way back many years ago

Hank was driving the rented car

Hank’s loving wife Shadah sitting in front

Our King’s pair, Adura and Hafidz

Sitting at the back

Nothing could stop the excitement

They had charmingly got both their

parents ( Hank and Mrs) to

head southwards

They were charmingly happy!

We had lodged at Kissimmee upon

arrival the evening before

That morning we were headed

towards Disney World barely a few

kilometers away
hooray!

Then it happened!

The car behind was having its lights on

not flashing  but on

it seemed odd

When it got nearer the passenger

on the right flashed out a card

It was a signal for Hank to stop

It was a Police Car!

I was not speeding

never breached 55 mph

I had followed faithfully

the traffic signs

What could be wrong?

An Officer came to the side

Hank unwound the car windows

He started writing for what looked

like a ticket

Then looking stern but with a tinge

of a smile he asked

 A rental car?

Yes

This is a ticket!

Why officer?

No not for you. It’s for the rental

Company. They would have to fix

up the tail lights. The signal was

not flashing when you were taking

the turn just now!

Thanks officer

Phew! What a relief!

And the officer was charmingly polite!

For Elizabeth's hosting at NaPoWriMo and
Mary's at Poets United's Poetry Pantry 

Twisting and Turning!

                                                                                                        User: Cropbot

Image: She Looking Directly at her Feet (here)

A to Z Challenge # 3 :  C  for Contortionist

She came on like you and I naturally
walking the catwalk every bit a model of stature
She stood upright looked around

She smiled as you and I but a lingering smile

Was there something sinister to happen

She stood still, still smiling

Then it happened slowly..very slowly

The right hand came round from the back

from just above her rump and she pulled her left hand back

and both shoulder joints seemed to bulge

and there were gasps

A quick twist around and she was herself again

She raised her right leg above directly over her head

Then both hands around it which was still acceptable

as most ballerinas could do the same

Then she came down slowly on one leg

She turned around laid supine

Then twist back again and raised both legs

and brought them down 

until the toes touched the floor in front of her head

There were gasps again!

So it went on with different kinds of posture

her supple body lithe and alluring

twisting and entwined into knots

that one just could not imagine could

happen on stage

She twisting and turning quite relaxed

While the audience were gasping with their

hearts thumbing and hands to the mouth

most times

It was an enjoyable evening!

Note: Claudia wants emotions to be conveyed
but not directly saying!

Written for A to Z Challenge and shared with Claudia's
hosting at d'Verse MTB; Emotions in Poetry

exhibit of choice

                                                        Attribution: News International Newspaper
Image: Current UK Newspaper (here)

Oulipost # 2

Pretext of life time
Prolific feeble trivia
Felt a trite cheaper

Warped uproar forward
Verbal exhibit of choice
Cordial cavalier

Replete with rapport
Prim proper embroiled with love
Waiting for whim

Note: A lipogram is a text that excludes
one or more letters of the alphabet.

To write a lipogram to exclude the title of one’s newspaper
The chosen newspaper is  -  the Sun

Submitted for Oulipost # 2 Lipogram  (Newspaper Titles)

Betobeto-san

                                                                                                    Author: epSosde

Image: Cool of the Night  (here)

A to Z Challenge # 2 -  B for Betobeto-san

NaPoWriMo: Day # 2

Putrid air tugged at

his nose scathing and pungent

Stillness in the night

Rustling leaves in slight

breeze swaying lightly in the

cool  air of the dark

Melodious crickets

a consolation at most

But still he felt scared

He had taken the

last bus and now he could hear

Betobeto-san

Betobeto-san – in Japanese mythology it

is an invisible spirit which follows people at

night, making the sound of footsteps

For MJ Joachim's hosting at A to Z Challenge and shared
with NoPoWriMo Day Two to write on a myth

Hope they get it right!

                                                                             Photo: Carlos Lemes

Image: 'Hope they get it right'! 

so says the wise owl  (here)

You know what?
I think that it sure felt like it was
It's a process that they're looking at

And what we were looking at?

We're still trying to figure out
I had a pretty good idea

We just hope they get it right

It's kind of weird going out there.

Hey I didn't see it good 
What did you have?

You don't want to rub it in
He was in fair territory

I just wanted to be sure

Then I'm just waiting to get a signal
It probably works out better this way.
That's the bottom line!

Note: A Cento, the original article sourced
from the San Francisco Gate (here)

For Margo's Oulipoem:1    April 1 -  Quote: Cento

The language of love

                                                                               Attribution: Luisisthebeast

Image: A Loving Couple (here)

NaPOWriMo:  Day #1

The words:

language learn teeth future soil

truly magic find cracked sorcerer

The language of love

One needs to learn though gritted teeth

And the future holds some truth

It is soiled otherwise

But truly it’s magic

If one can find

A sorcerer

To have it cracked open

For Elizabeth's NaPoWriMo Prompt 1 Day 1

A Masterpiece

                                                         Artist : JB Simeon Chardin
Image: Still Life (here)

A to Z Challenge #1  -  A for Art
kaykuala # 1457 in the list

Art in all of its domain

Intrinsic but more visually pleasing

Splash of colors to ignite the imagination

Of what should be

Is it an ideology or an illustration

Of a landscape, still life and portrait

Or is it an abstract and deviant art

That calls it into question

That can be

Art in all its intensity

To whet the appetite
of the curiosity

In its immediate vicinity

In all of the brilliance

of colors that be

Transfixed in the mind

Of various shades and hues

Serene or torrid

As what the artist proposes

it to be

Submitted for Nicole's hosting at A to Z Challenge #1 - A

winds lashed hard...

                                                                                                                           Artist:  Jan Porcellis
Image: Strong Winds at Sea  (here)

All of the 33 words:

me you mockingbird tea cake says window morning
road rain melting wind churches sky bread stars read
rabbit woods smile tease life swearing thin again
water canal south palm madness neck out blue

You, me ‘to kill a mockingbird’

What a thriller over cake and tea

So says he!

Through the window in the morning

Across the road rain and melting winds

lashed hard

The sky groaned the churches'

steeples shook precariously

Bread and butter issues and to think
the stars read well!

A rabbit in the woods daintily

skipping to tease a smile at life

and swearing thin again

Questioning why water at the canal

south of the palm trees should shriek

with madness

Sticking its neck out for no reason

It later turned blue in the face with

embarrassment!

For Miskey's We Write Poems with Wordle #12

trips of conscience..

                                                                                Attribution: Evelyn Simak
Image: Oriental Poppy, Bane of the Drug Scene (here)

Guardedly moving
Explore realms of nature for
The trip of conscience

Careful not to trip
Or smell of gutter and mud
At tip of the nose

Mode of current craze
High on a trip to nowhere
Wisdom came too late

For Haiku Horizons #6 with - trip and shared with
Kerry's hosting at Real Toad's Open Link Mondays 

Healing Hurt Feelings

Image: Courtesy of Sunday Whirl #154

burst growl heaven heal mending

pack plan root rows shivering time

Burst in with a growl onto the scene

Heaven knows what had transpired

Hoping to heal his hurt feelings

Not in the mood she is not inspired

Mending a broken heart with nothing

But looking for something more tangible

What has been smashed to smithereens

Needs a plan not easy to handle

He is to pick them up where they lie

All are to be swallowed up slowly

How they experimented with mice

Turned out to be a success eventually

Feathers of the wack-wack made into glue

Can't be helped it is that expensive

Swallowed slowly after some dues

Little at a time as a strong adhesive

The broken patches are now functioning

Rows of pills no match to mend

Other medicines may cause a shivering

But good for the mice is good for man

Note: The Wack Wack Golf and Country Club
in the Philippines is named after the bird. The name
is chosen here as it sounds exotic

For Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #154

What was it?

                                                                                Hank's Pastel Sketch
Image: This sketch was done over a
week-end when Hank started this poetry
blog.

I thought I had a glimpse of you
A fleeting moment across the window
Your brother I met a week ago
He told me you might be home
It was going to be semester break
There was likelihood you would be back

It took a toll on me
Even though our campus were
not too far apart
We did not get to meet
We did not get to talk
I was sad thinking about it

You said you had had enough
It was taking too much of your time
I thought at least we could talk over it
We kept at it for that long
What was it, 3 years?

I remembered the one about the cat
The fur fluffy and white
I said I could not see it that well
There was not much of a cat
And you said it blended with
the background which was white
and we had a good laugh
It was fun!

And remember your eyes?
I thought I could see the twinkle
I thought it was a good portrait
But you said I made it look too good
And it was not realistic
Again we had a good laugh

It was a fortnightly affair
And quite regularly
You said you were tired
You had to concentrate on your studies
You had no time to indulge in it
I had to accept it

You had wanted to forget it all
And to destroy everything

I remembered that day
When we both decided
What was it, 30 years ago?

Now we met again after all these years
Yesterday was memorable
Your grandchildren were lovely
Both the little girls were cute

And I was so happy when you told me
You still had them with you
You did not have the heart to do it
And I was glad I too did not do it
as well!

There are things we kept a secret after all….

Note: This is part fact part fiction. Hank used
to exchange through the post little sketches
and paintings with a talented neighbor during
college days

For Claudia's hosting at d'Verse's OpenLinkNight, shared with
Kerry's at Real Toad's  -  where the phrase 'There are things we 
kept secret after' is to be included and Mary's at Poets United's
Poetry Pantry #195

The Language of Tulips

                                                                              Attribution: John O'Neill
Image: Red signifies True Love and Fame  (here)

Tulips have a strange fascination
Stands straight sturdy of softness
Yet delicate of beautiful colors abound
Happily in rows of likely oneness

Growth stemmed of early preparedness
Planting to start in the cold as year ends
To break ground in Spring’s freshness
Ready for market in much of later months

Belie but much of general acceptance
Variety of colors speak of stated norms
Of color Red signifies true love and fame
Orange of fascination happiness and warmth

Pink a color of confidence and caring
White of worthiness and forgiveness combined
While purple of royalty and regal bearing
Yellow of cheerful thoughts and sunshine

Meant to represent wedding’s 11th anniversary
A tulip is the emblem of the Netherlands
So also the national flower of Iran and Turkey
But representing beautiful eyes are those striped ones

Remember one time it was on everyone’s lips
The search for the ultimate choice of all people
A lot went into getting one of a Black tulip
But it failed and the nearest is one of deep purple

For Marge's hosting at Real Toads with - Artistic
Interpretations of Flowers

Creature of the Deep

                                                                                              Hank's Acrylic Painting

Image:  An untitled abstract that Hank's loving
wife Shadah remarked to be like a sea creature

There has been sightings of a sea creature
of substantial size as big as that of a whale
but elongated and supple as a Queen Bee.
It can trace its beginnings apparently
to prehistoric times very much like that

of the platypus that uniquely grace
the landscape Down Under.

Elusive and slippery as an eel
it is not so much being coy to human
presence unlike that of household pets
but rather its habitat is found
further down at the sea-bed.

It has developed a system of survival
that allows it to move as freely as a busy bee
without any danger to itself.
Thanks to a tail-like structure that can twist
and turn like an octopus' tentacle.
This appendage is also multi-functional,
capable of pushing its weight forward
with motions of an oar or wriggles
to act as a rudder of a boat or better yet
to smack at any other smaller creatures
ambitious enough to be too close

Of voracious appetite it is rumored
to require the food equivalent to its weight daily.
For that reason it is a loner hunting alone
so that food resources need not be
shared among many mouths.

Similar to a whale it gives birth to its young.
It has an uncanny biological strategy
to ‘get into heat’ like a love struck canine

the moment it meets one of its kind.
When that happens they conveniently
adjust their sex like some kind of amoeba
so that one will be male and the other a female.
They will not allow a chance meeting
of a same sex pair to pass as they
might not get to meet that often.
To 'bump' into each other
is like winning at a lottery draw.
They are opportunists in that sense

but in a good sense 

One can never imagine that there is a high
level of harmony like young lovers together.
Life goes on  in the deep down
below very peacefully.
It is a stark difference from conflicts
and killings, cheats and connivance
up on land at the surface of the oceans.

Note: This is Hank's 3rd effort (3rd Friday) to PPF
which calls for weekly submission of one's own painting.
Good strategy for there is a chance to at least ensure
52 paintings to be done in a year

Tony at d'Verse hosting at Meeting the Bar : Rhythm and Blank Verse,
and shared with PPF hosted by Kristin and EVA

Paths full of Colors

                                                                                                 Attribution: xlibber

Image: Rows of Colors (here)

A 5-7-5-7-7 Tanka

Believer's yearnings 

For solace and salvation

Flowers show the way

Lighting paths full of colors
Towards fulfillment of faith

For Chev's CARPE DIEM #431 - Negoro-ji and Yashima-ji

Stay Cool!

                                                                                           Attribution: User Churnett

Image: Cool and Collected Fox (here)

3WW words are:  

cunning degenerate emaciated

Can one be faulted

For being cunning like a fox

So much fun

in a home run

Not likely

To make it a reality

Can one be faulted

For oneself to easily berate

and degenerate

Not likely

Unwise obviously

Can one be faulted
To risk being emaciated

Self gets withered

Do not bother

That’s an order

Stay cool

Be less a fool!

Written for Thomg's 3WW

Colorfully Garbed in All Gaiety

                                                                                                                                Hank's snapshot
Blue skies above clear and brightly
Fluffs of white clouds moving leisurely

In a taxi we were heading southerly
Dashboard knobs dangling precariously
by its wires red and blue precisely
against the brown panels plain to see
A taxi that had seen better days obviously
Passing through a quiet road slowly

Secondary jungles on both sides gaily
waving with all the greenery so breezy
To  those passing through briefly
With gestures so friendly
With such feelings of serenity
                                                                 
Then in front spied suddenly
A  vehicle moving at a speed so safely
Full of ladies dressed in all gaiety
Very unlike one expected in a lorry

Blue and turquoise on the left fittingly
Orange, loud red on the right splashily
In between mild yellow snug outwardly
Huddled together garbed beautifully

When from the taxi driver upon enquiry
The reason for the dressing so uncanny
Normally of workers at the back of a lorry
Dressed unkempt so unpleasantly

He replied in a manner nonchalantly
In a country of deprivation they happily
Thumbed a lift at the backs of lorries
To partake in celebrations at a wedding party

Note: Hank was in Banda Aceh Indonesia
sometime ago when the above picture was taken

For Abhra's hosting at d"Verse with  -  a Color Festival

in sorrows of whispers...

                                                                                        Attribution: RayNata
Image: Tears (here)

The 43 words chosen out of 45:
arms failed bones clouds leaping fog teacup
broken history calm devotion drowned air
whispers you stumbles splintered roots
sleep frozen gutters stare rushes  harvest
unusable planet dust wicker swan
Cities petals breaths quiet store time alive
Tunes used bells gentle bosom alone slate

He was up in arms make no bones about it
Up in the clouds and they failed to appease

Groping in the fog leaping up a teacup
Broken history of calm devotion drowned
in sorrows of whispers

Putting on airs was a way out but 'you stumbled
on splintered roots all because of lack of sleep!'

Frozen gutters stared him in the face as blood
rushed to his head harvesting his mind blank
and unusable

Was there any in the planet where dust in quiet
breaths got stored in wicker baskets?

They should  remain gracefully alive gliding like
a swan in motion! Were there any?

Time would tell in the gentle bosom  of petals where
City Lights with ringing bells were used to nostalgic
tunes all alone on a given slate

For Miskey's hosting at We Write Poems Wordle #11 and
Kerry's Open Link Mondays at Real Toads

Way of the Underworld

                                                                Attribution: Ta2man Kieth Killingsworth
Image:Gangster Tattoo

The words are:

addition blunt broken course grind job natural

plenty quartet response rival sting warning

Some new measures were introduced

Blunt addition to the usual activities

Broken only by some dissenting voices

But bulldozed through amid hostilities

Brought the usual jobs to grind to a halt

The course of action was a natural tendency

Plenty of response from rival hoodlums the result

A sting was planned to stamp authority

But a quartet of trouble-makers still persist

Should heed the warning of such occurrence

Being lesser beings in the hierarchy was a risk

Way of the underworld was an abhorrence

Choice of getting bumped off if they insist

Their ‘absence’ would hardly be noticed

For Brenda’s Sunday Whirl Wordle #153 shared with
Mary's hosting at Poets United's Poetry Pantry #194

Shadowing the Sheep

                                                                                               Attribution:  Xlibber
Image: Sheep Shadows (here)

Say, what’s eating  them
An early morning protest
It certainly looks like one
Menacingly they detest

Shadowing their inner feel
The sun also in connivance
Casting long shadows at will
Observing it all in silence

The cat is now out of the bag
And they are just indignant
How they hate it, it’s a drag
They just dislike shearing time

For Gemma's hosting at Shadow Shot Sunday 2 all about -  shadows

Lonely Lighthouse Keeper

                                                                               Hank's Acrylic Painting
Image: The Twilight Zone

The impending dark
Preceding a gap of relative calm
Twilight soothes the heart
When mother birds come
home to roost
The cool breeze succumbs
To  a lonely being in a lighthouse

One of a dedication
Taking a responsibility
Not very often
Accepted by others willingly

None had been said
Of a keeper with a wife?

(55 words)

Written for PPF and G-man's Flash 55

Team of Progressive Employees

                                                                                       Attribution: Michael Surran
Image: Young Employees (here)

Newly-recruited management trainees

Of raw-experienced sedentary-existence

Where familiarity of social-media liberal-tendencies

Made them sluggish-driven rabble-rousers given to

Ravenous-notions of raucous-attitudes

Were now put through a pace-setting

Program of group dynamics verdict-directed

Tussle-free of exemplary-administrative ability

With hopes of creating a star-studded team of

Target-setting and stellar performance-potentials

No more shambles-strewn slick-characters

Vertigo-afflicted lacking verdant-viewpoints

Of squint-eyed obnoxious-blended individuals

That required porous micro-managing

Prowess led pivotal in nature a repercussions-free

Team of progressive-employees the ultimate aim

For Bjorn's hosting at d'Verse with kenning: Metaphor of Skalds

We have been blessed!

                                                                                                Attribution: Lucipara
Image: Admittedly We Are Intimidating

3WW : authentic enlist phobia
Poetry Jam:  owls

Sure, we are seldom seen
That’s understandable
As we are nocturnal
We hunt in the dark
But we don’t depend on luck

We have been blessed
We may not have the looks
But we are authentic
For we have adapted ourselves
Coloration of our feathers are dull
That make us almost invisible
Serrated edges of our wings can muffle
its sound that our flight is silent

Invariably our strategy
is stealth and surprise
We don’t enlist support from others
We are supposed to be wise, remember?
We can accomplish it all with flying colors
(pardon the pun)

Besides we are made
to be a lethal killing machine
Don’t get us wrong
It is no phobia
We need to survive like everyone else

Our talons are powerful
Our beaks sharp
We can crush the skulls of rabbits
And swallow whole
For we have been blessed

Written for Thomg's hosting  at 3WW and alan's at Poetry Jam

Orchid’s Tantalizing Aroma

                                                                             Attribution: Derek Ramsay

Image: Mesmerizing Orchids (here)

Willow leaves that swayed

in tandem with the slight breeze

Soothing to the eye

Wintry nights broken

by sounds of barking dogs too

many to bother

Orchid’s aroma

Subdued enough to welcome

tired visitors

Anger discarded

Tiff forgotten friends made-up

To start a new day

For Chev's CARPE DIEM #424  -  Unpen-ji

Give Peace a Chance!

                                                                                     Artist:  Sunita Khedekar

Image: Acrylics by Artist Sunita (here)

Sauntering aimlessly

Three white doves

Hovering in the sky

It was pathetic

Did we allow it

Yes we did

Unwittingly

Unashamedly

They were left without directions

How could it be

They were to bring peace!

So there was no olive branch

In their beaks

But then they were still

Doves of peace

The sky was peaceful

All blue and bright

Vibrant with colors

Dwellings below all quiet

No conflagration

Nor bombs or drones

But the same could not

Be said of areas of conflicts

Around the globe

Why?

There was no political will

Nor a concerted effort

Or a conscience

Nor a desire

To give peace a chance!

Grace is hosting Poetics at d'Verse and introducing Artist Sunita