Credibility was a potent ally

                                                             Author: User:Dando Dangerslice, User:Stannered

Image:  Illustration of Plato's
definition of knowledge (here)

the 12 given words:
boil lost ditch middle light rumors 
vine nothing tell mighty seams sliver  

It had finally come to a boil
Lost in the woods
ditched in the middle
of nowhere

Not wanting to make light
of rumors garnered through
the grape-vine nothing was
more frustrating than to
hear tell it was the truth

The might of the mighty
could be seared at the seams
just through sliver thin
confirmation of unsolicited
information

Credibility was a potent ally

Brenda's Sunday Whirl 
Wordle #332
Mary's at PU's Poetry Pantry #384

What would I desire?

                                                                                                       Attribution: Joi
Image:Golden Bracelets for the Picking (here)

What would I desire?
It would be telling on what I aspire
Would I need more
More than before?

No, I have enough to come by
Though there were occasions I would cry
My wants might be limited
Confined to those I had needed

More I would need to spend
Suffice to survive on a limited stipend
It would come a long way if able
I would desire to be more comfortable

Besides it would be something luxurious
Having more resources but not hilarious
But just able to give back to society
Not to the point of pockets being empty

Marian's at Real Toads -  aspire

red poppy emerged a curse

                                                                              Attribution: Alberto Salguero from es
Image: Nice to look at (here)

white poppy
it must have bloomed
from a wintry shower                      © Basho

red poppy emerged a curse

scourge of the unfulfilled young      © Hank

Chev's Carpe Diem #1337

Tan Renga Challenge - in the fields

Uneasy approach to a dark lane

                                                                                                 Author: David Kennedy
Image: Dark Lane on
a Cold Night (here)

10 of 12 given words:
approach lane lights pin spare 
release wonder split star gutter

Uneasy approach to a dark lane
Street lights only at strategic places
Just enough to side-step the gain
To pin hopes for a safe passage

Not to take unnecessary risks
Sieze the privilege of an upper hand
Spare oneself of unwarranted grief
Secure a  release in any event

One need not have to wonder
Just split easy to get unstuck
Stars above will help to ensure
Avoid the gutter it's tough luck

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #331
Magaly's at Real Toad's  - the tuesday platform

Good heart begets the real thing

                                                                                              Author :Jorge Barrios
Image: An Imagined Toy but
a Reality one Day (here)

Deprived orphan's dreams
In not too distant future
Two-wheeler no less
Perhaps sharing sandals now
Good heart begets the real thing

Chev's Carpe-Diem-#1333 -
joses-sandals

To come armed with presents

                                                                                           Author: Visitor 7
Image: Merry Christmas (here)

Two sets of homophones to be
used - can be poetry or prose.

presence – the state of being present
presents – gifts

holey – perforated, with holes
holy – with religious significance
wholly – fully, completely

A presence of mind occasioned
To come armed with presents
Not of holey elements
But of holy significance
Tagged wholly as a celebration

MLMM's Double Take Dec 23

Time is uncontrolled

                                                                                       Author: Mehedi Hasan Shohag
Image: Measuring 'wastes'
in time (here)

Wanders limitless
Slips through unguarded fingers
Finds its own level

Left to its bidding
Most disciplined element
Time is uncontrolled

Chev's Carpe Diem #1332 - no time to waste

gifts awaited for made it less stressful

                                                                                     Author: Malene Thyssen
Image: A Familiar Sight (here)

13 of the 14 given words:
biting snowfall fire gifts stress  rice porridge 
cinnamon cloves oranges candles ornaments family 

biting cold outside all too familiar
snowfall no let up what a weather
the fire-place not adequately helpful
gifts awaited for made it less stressful

hot and steaming in the kitchen
grandma's rice porridge already beckoned
cinnamon and cloves part of the ingredients
favoring us all with her Asian connection

oranges, candles, ornaments strewn about
all part of the fruit basket being created
a family in familiar pre-Christmas jitters
working together amid friendly banters

MLMM's Bonus Wordle  -  holidays
Sanaa's at Real Toad's  - the tuesday platform

Time when running on grass was easy

                                                                                                          Author: Lamiot

Image: Hazardous waste in
Dispersed Quantity.(here)

the 11 of 12 given words:
broken shock chain  runners shoe slippery time grass lock screen
shard (piece of broken ceramic, metal or glass, having sharp edges)

Broken shards strewn in the open
In shock at the chain of events
Why must it be allowed to happen
'Hazardous waste' inviting torments

Road runners running in unsafe environs
Ordinary shoes offered scant protection
Slippery surfaces compounded the situation
Awareness of danger dastardly nonchalant

Time when running on grass was easy
Now such privileges were just rarities
Locked in development a modern day tragedy
Available space screened by the authorities

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #330
Mary's at PU's Poetry Pantry #383

Fire and ice found in contrast

                                                                            Author: Eborutta at German Wikipedia
Image: Present a Challenge and it
Would Live up to it's Name  (here)

Fire and ice found in contrast
Black and white and what a blast
Not a game but a serious matter
Provoked just to make them scatter

Present a choice it would linger
Challenges would tickle the bore
To make a bid to show off skills
With all the thrills without the frills

Spectators would enjoy all the spills
Include the chills but not to overkill

Kerry's at Real Toad's for a Micro Poetry
of not more than 10 lines ~ Fire and Ice

No one will expect to gain

                                                                               Author William Stadtwald Demchick
Image: Peaceful protest march
in New Zealand in August 2014 (here)

the 12 given words: 
bones, simple clear  ripple, heap knows 
earth gain knees,bask gigantic throes

PU's Midweek Motif  -  celebration

Make no bones about it

It is simple and clear
Not just ripples but heaps
Should have known better

For 2018 is already showing signs
Mother Earth due for a depression
No one will expect to gain
Economists had made it all known

Now compounded by the protracted 'recognition'
Previous Presidents had been very tactful
Peace not to be gambled by politicians
May be brought to its knees if not careful

Madness may be basking in silly grandeur
But gigantic conflagration when both equally belligerent
Previous intifadas confined around Gaza area
Now in many parts of the world may be in throes of violence

Cut out all the intended celebrations
Peace not to be won by unilateral decisions

MMT's Sunday's Whirligig #142

Sumana's at PU's Midweek Motif  -  celebration
Bjorn's at d'Verse's OLN  -  breaking for holidays

Friends were expected to lend a helping hand

                                                                                        Author:DieTierfreunde 371
Image: Not to Abandon Ship (here)

The feeling was great and the occasion made
Set to be settled not in a meek way unsolicited
When it was an enduring faith to right a mistake
But why must there be a quaint feeling of hurt

Abandoned in a groove of failed assertions
Lamenting luckless nights dodging with his skills
Out of the rut for a reasonably stable outcome
Determined to clamber back onto an even keel

To extend support aligned to their knowledge
Friends were expected to lend a helping hand
But not the best of times to be so privileged
Karma was having a field day to exact payment

Lillian's at d'Verse's Tuesday Poetics :
How Are You Feeling Today? - groove

How long had it been, 30 years? - a Haibun

                                                Attribution: Jorge Royan / http://www.royan.com.ar / CC BY-SA 3.0
Image: Young Innocents Coyly
Sizing up each Other (here)

The Prose
I was in a hurry. I was late for an appointment. It was not my
nature to be late for anything. "It is better to be early by 30
minutes than late by 3 minutes" that I had often been told.
Brisk walking along the block not hurrying, not wanting to be
sweaty upon arrival, I should be there in 15 minutes so I reasoned

I took a turn around the block and, lo and behold, there she was
facing me. We were pleasantly surprised, taken aback in fact.

We stood still quietly looking at each other. Only the pavement
had the clatter of movements of people. Not a word from either
of us for that brief few seconds.

Then simultaneously we both lurched forward involuntarily and
hugged each other tightly just as it had been decades ago. The
utter shock of a chance meeting again was overwhelming. To
think it was a street corner but it did not matter. Tears flowed
freely. I had not remembered crying lately but it just happened

How long had it been, 30 years? And she was just as sweet
and beautiful as before.

So much to catch up on -  the appointment could wait!
(200 words)

The Haiku
rekindled moments
of young innocents at play
seemed like yesterday

Frank at d'Verse's Haibun Monday
theme -  pleasantly surprised

he set about to sail the vastness of oceans

                                                                                                         Author:kees torn
Image: Vast Oceans of Opportunity (here)

the 12 given words:
fall deep seat last nudge assault 
run sail afford bar case puppet

fall from grace staring into
deep-seated feelings of helplessness

embedded from a series of failed
ventures it seemed lucky he was accorded
the last nudge of a face-saving device

it was to relay an assault on his
conscience and he was determined
to make amends

to run for cover with brave efforts
he set about to sail the vastness of oceans
with cost-saving measures

he could afford the privilege of
cautiousness as the only way
to go was up

it would certainly bar the guilt
feelings from muddling his choices

it would be a case of fine play of a
puppet on a string with measured
strokes minus the recklessness

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #329

How to Draw Them on, How to Shake Them off?

                                                                                        Author :The Photographer
Image: Come and Get it  (here)

Going into opposites with:
– exit and entrance
– major and minor

Standing in line gingerly aware
there were elements desiring a morsel

How would then to draw them on
and how then to shake them off?

They were bound to cause mischief
Very unlike their nature to pass off
the opportunity to pull a fast one

It would be safer to evaporate and
disappear from their sphere of influence

The idea was to make a
quick entrance and a quick exit
a hit and run so to speak

No shreds of incriminating
evidence to contend with
A potentially major upheaval
could be averted

To hold the head high and keep
one's wits about ready to restore
It would then be transformed into
a whimper the likes of a minor irritation

Mary's at PU's Poetry Pantry #382

Will it be a cold encounter?

                                                                                                    Author Suhaknoke
Image: Unlucky Visit (here)

the 11 of 12 given words:
final, homecoming, cold rain fingers 
traces past black block visit crams

A final homecoming
Would it be a cold encounter?

In the blistering rain
and with fingers crossed
traces of the past were
imposing black memories

Could unpleasantness remain
at the back burner?

Loving one's own self over others
Narcissism at its most vulnerable
Any sense in blocking it?

Perhaps it should be considered it visit
Unpleasantness would then be avoided

In not extending a welcome
it would seem a reasonable option

Cram all the embarrassment
for just one occasion
and to still remain friends

Susan's at Poets United Midweek Motif
 ~ narcissus (Vanity/Narcissism)
MMT's Sunday's Whirligig #141

Why should they give way fuming!

                                                                                        Attribution: Brooke Shaden
Image: Dark Days of Times Gone By (here)

Tell me is it a futile proposition
To fall back to those undying moments
Nudging  the conscience
Pending a rightful return
To the three loves much so blatant

Why should they give way fuming
Betrayal concocted through play-acting
Didn't they see it coming?
Perhaps blind to good feelings
To suffer rejection of  irresponsible beings

Nekneeraj's at MLMM's Photo Challenge#191
Sanaa's at Real Toad's - the tuesday platform

What a crunch to be caught napping - a Quadrille

                                                                                  Author: Eric Kilby
Image: Caught by the Tail  (here)

What a crunch to be caught napping
No way the sun and moon are to blame
Catch it by the tail to give a swing
To allow luxury of 2 minutes of fame

Set to wonder how it ends
Perhaps arguments to no end
(44 words)

De at d'Verse's Quadrille Monday #46 and
to include the word  -  crunch

the will to survive pushes the risks

                                    Attribution: Jessie Eastland - uploaded by Pocketthis at en.wikipedia                           
Image: A thirsty jackrabbit risks danger
to drink from a dog's water bowl (here)

the 11 of 12 given words:
pushes escapes thirsty drive sound 
thank if exist party song wishes

the will to survive pushes the risks
it escapes limits of impending dangers

a thirsty throat drives caution
to the winds
no sound judgement better than
a full stomach

thank its lucky stars if food and
water exist close by

it may not be a big party of wine
and songs but just a lowly
water bowl to meet simple wishes

Brenda's The Sunday Whirl Wordle #328
Mary's at PU's Poetry Pantry #381

Liberating the sadness that touched the heart

                                                                                                     Author: Manojiritty
Image: Is this What to Expect come 2018? (here)

Liberating the sadness that touched the heart
Extending a friendly hand not overly confident
How to accept a negative response with guts
Always a caution reserved for the gallant

Goodbyes were easy for those who were blunt
Without batting an eyelid and with just a grunt
It tugged at the conscience for the crudely decent
Would avoid where possible a negative affront

Bidding farewell to 2017 could be quite buoyant
Signs were not encouraging to detect a difference

Kerry's at Real Toad's Skyflower Friday  -  goodbye

If carefully nurtured to care for the fears

                                                                                             Attribution: malini-math.blogspot.com

Image: Sunflowers - intelligent                       

design in nature  (here)

the 12 given words:
steps, afternoon, twigs, wild, heart, fires,
wanting, fires living curl fasten three
starlight (the light emitted by the stars)

Taking cautionary steps on a lazy afternoon
Careful to avoid twigs and thorns all strewn
Just easy nothing wild and not to take to heart
No negative comments expected in the mud

Wanting an assurance of an impression
Would  not be lighting fires without reasons
Rather living the fast lane that of a stuntman
To curl up if caught in tight situations

'Fasten the seat belts' a good escape clause
Three reasons to feel reassured to a cause
No starlight shooting stars likely to appear
If carefully nurtured to care for the fears

MMT's at Sundays Whirligig #140
Magaly's at Real Toad's - the tuesday platform

Nothing is static as it is all relative

                                                                                   Author: Toddatkins
Image: Stages of Change  (here)

Nothing is static as it is all relative
Remaining unchanged and inactive
will not mean remaining unaffected
It is regressing when others move forward

To change is to keep pace not to falter
To innovate is to change for the better

Logically progress should be accepted
It will have to be seen as readily adhered
For resistance to change is a natural
As the comfort zone is being meddled

Paul's at d'Verse's  Poetic Tuesdays -  change

Time constraints may not be the reason.

                                                                                            Author: Black dory
Image: Empty Boat akin to
Being Short on Ideas (here)

Dark nights rocking in the boat. Nary a thought for what
was in store for the morrow. One felt the concern even the
guilt for not coming back with a decent one. Was it with full
abandon to just raise both hands and prepare to give up.

Many had walked this path. Many were familiar with the
underlying frustrations of not being satisfied with the ones
done lately. Time constraints could not be the reason. It was
perhaps to throw everything to the winds and to see what
was giving way. Building walls around one's being would
not get the desired results. It stifled growth and that was
not good at all!

Take it by the horns
Wisdom comes too late
When set to fester

Toni at d'Verse's Haibun Monday
-  what are your plans

A conflict in his mind to unravel

                                                                                                Attribution: Al Forbes
Image: A Beam of Comfort (here)

the 11 of 12 given words: 
wish simple stand puzzle still stream stolen
amble (walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace)
trim twist prize

How he had wished to turn the clock back
It appeared to be such a simple matter
It stood around a puzzle
He distinctly remembered it still
A stream of events contributed to the melee
A conflict in his mind to unravel
His reasoning was stolen
He could only amble along
disappointment written all over

He tried to limit it down to a few episodes
To trim it within a semblance of relevance
He just could not overcome
when emotions came into the equation

Running away from home was the choice
A twist of fate found him stranded at a lighthouse
It would not win a prize to guess his next move
Forget the troubles of the world
He picked the tab
An apprentice initially and later a full-fledged 'keeper
(131 words)

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #327
Sunday Photo Fiction
Mary at PU's Poetry Pantry #380

Came the big day to be jazzing across the surface walls

                                                                                     Author: Grendelkhan
Image: Rock-climbing (here)

Two sets of homophones to be used in a poem.
The first set is:
bolder – more courageous
boulder – large rock

The second set is:
flew – past tense of fly
flu – short for influenza
flue – chimney pipe

Having gone through the works
A few times the steep walls
Under the watchful eyes
of the famed rock-climber
He got to be bolder now
Mindful of loose boulders he was
appropriately warned though

Came the big day
to be jazzing across the surface walls
It should be more challenging than down the flue
Should be humming some jazz tunes
What fun it should be!

He flew into a rage when the day came
The others came back with stories of excitement
Having made their maiden climb of a lifetime
He could only listen with disgust
having to stay home
What a time to be down with the pesky flu

MLMM's Saturday Mix  -  double take
Bjorn with Amaya's at d'Verse's MTB - jazz poetry

Give it a name if it is so nameless

                                                                                                Attribution: Yashitame
Image: Beautiful Bloom in Light Hues (here)

the 12 given words:
smell softening easy spring already act
fool gloomy ache promise give cargo

Midweek Motif's - the flower Rose

The fragrance of the evening
Pleasant 'smell' so overpowering
The softening of a link-up
As easy as having a wrap-up
Of a spring morning's coolness
Already exhibiting show of alertness

Not to act a fool then as a reference
Be it gloomy in the worst of situations
An aching heart sees such promise
A flower of love that so exists
Give it a name if it is so nameless
A cargo of blooms a joy, it so manifests

MMT's Sunday's Whirligig #139
Sumana's ae PU's Midweek Motif -  the flower Rose

the ingenuity of survival

                                                                                                   Author: Charlesjsharp

Image: A Giant Kingfisher with a Tilapia
( a composite of four images).(here)  Left to right:

   1. kingfisher returns to perch with fish.

   2. she smashes it against the post to break its spine.

   3. job done.

   4. and here's the blood to prove it.

the 11 of 12 given words:

shimmy (a jazz dance characterized by a shaking of the body)

moon monkey crime fly strap sword chop sting kiss relish 

the wonder of natural instinct
the ingenuity of survival
perfected through time

a shimmy routine for a giant kingfisher

happened on a bright moonlit night
no monkey business neither a crime
just fly in with sword drawn
out from the strap

she swooped in and emerged
with a live tilapia in between her beaks

a prized possession to be readied
bashed off with a dull chop
a stinging smash
a loving kiss and with such relish
dinner was served

Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #326
Sanaa's at Real Toad's  - the tuesday platform 

dark nights rocking to a beat - a Quadrille

                                                                                  Attribution:  Carlos Quevedo
Image: Something's burning! (here)

dark nights rocking to a beat
looking for a way out of the heat
clamoring for attention
by many in contention
the bane of a targeted meat

not to worry the night is still young
slip out of it and cut out the fun
(44 words)

Nekneeraj's at MLMM's
Photo Challenge #189
Mish's at d'Verse's Quadrille #45
and to include the word 'rock'

Life's gamble so true!

Image: Straying Away from Home (here)

A Shadorma with a syllabic
count of (3/5/3/3/7/5)

Far from home
What got into him
Look-see, check!
Things to learn
May seem the same but not so
Life's gamble so true!

MLMM's Sunday Mix Lucky Dip - a shadorma
Sunday Photo Fiction
Mary's at PU's Poetry Pantry #379

I'm a zebra. I feel out of place

                                                                                                              Author: anon
Image: A Pow-wow of Sorts (here)

the 10 of 12 given words:
light hinge iron song worm 
air blow order clangs over

Say buddy, what's up?
I'm a zebra. I feel out of place
But we are one of a kind, horses
I know but you are of varied colors
We can still be friends
But I'm striped and there's no other way for a zebra 
It is light and easy over minor matters
We are hinged on iron-clad songs
We are not wormed out nor are we putting on airs
Blow for blow we are matched to order

We are wondering though
We don't need a bell that clangs to keep in line
We don't mean that
What then is bothering you?
Your stripes!
My stripes?

Yes, the proverbial question left unanswered,
'is it white stripes over a black background
or black over a white background?'

(prompt -  consider the possibility 
of two unlikely characters meeting up and the 
conversation they might have with each other)

MMT's Sunday's Whirligig #138
MLMM's Tale Weaver #145
- unlikely conversations  
Toni's at d'Verse's OLN - happy birthday