#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge #ThemePrompt @ColleenChesebro #Shadorma #useful #poem #poems #poetrycommunity @TappingSolution #emotionalfrequencytapping

Hello, beautiful readers! It's #TankaTuesday time! This week, Colleen Chesebro invited Kerfe to choose a theme. So, our theme for this week is "useful." 

During COVID, my anxiety reached a peak, so I researched more ways I could get a handle on it. I was already seeing a therapist virtually and meditating, and they were helping, but I am always seeking new knowledge. 

I came across The Tapping Solution. They were having a free conference to educate people on the benefits of emotional frequency tapping, and I immediately signed up. Every tap seemed to resonate with my core, and I was hooked. I downloaded the app and now tap almost every day. At first, it was to alleviate my anxiety, but I found taps on releasing self-doubt, on grieving, on falling asleep faster, and on an array of instant boosts that were positive in nature. Now, I find myself calmer, more positive, and more at peace every day. (Disclaimer: I am not getting paid to promote this organization. I'm sharing because I find it valuable.)

So, I decided to write my poem about this. I chose a Shadorma, which has six lines with the syllabication pattern of 3-5-3-3-7-5. You can learn more about it here.

Tapping

breathe and tap

release your worries

tell your mind

you are fine

you think it's a waste of time

it's useful to me

Have you ever tried emotional frequency tapping? I'd love to hear from you.

#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge #PhotoPrompt #EkphrasticPoem #DoubleNonnet @ColleenChesebro #poetry #writingcommunity #poetrycommunity #poems #death #mourning

Hello, beautiful readers! This week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge provides us with a photo prompt to write an ekphrastic poem. The talented David, from the Skeptic's Kaddish, chose the photo for this week. 

This is a photo of his father who has since passed on. The goal isn't to describe the picture but to use the photo as inspiration. As I looked at this beautiful picture, I saw a man who was living in the moment and appreciating the beauty around him, and I saw the love of a son who cherishes this memory of his dad. 

Recently, I've read several posts from authors who are grieving the loss of a loved one. And with the recent shootings here in America, I empathize with those who have lost a part of their hearts with these meaningless deaths. So, I let my heart follow its path from grieving to healing.

I chose to use a double nonet. A nonet has nine lines following the syllabic pattern of 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. A double nonet would then add another stanza in reverse syllabic order. You can read more about this and other forms here. I chose this form because it looks like an hour glass, which reminds me of just how little time one feels they were given before their loved one leaves them. 

Love's Loss

a loved one's death starts with emptiness

heavy hearts, waterfalls of tears

memories cannot be hugged

a song or a picture

reminds us of loss

but we're still here

without them

we must

live

climb

above

loneliness

breathe in fresh air

release all the pain

take one step at a time

find beauty in life again

capture their spirit through love's lens

their essence will surround you always

 

It's #poetry time! @bakeandwrite #poems #poetrycommunity #poetrylovers #writingcommunity #HYPE

Hello, beautiful readers! Treasuring Poetry 2022 by Robbie Cheadle is sharing its space with me today. Please take a moment to visit and leave a comment. Here is the link. Thanks!

#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge #SpecificForm #ButterflyCinquain @ColleenChesebro #poetry #writingcommunity #poetrycommunity #poems #diversity #travel #explore #spices

Hello, beautiful readers! Colleen's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge focused on writing a specific form of poetry this week. Colleen asked Sally Cronin to choose a form, and she chose the Butterfly Cinquain.

Last week, I wrote a Butterfly Cinquain for the #TastetheRainbow challenge. For those of you who missed it, this form is a nine-line poem with a syllabic pattern of 2-4-6-8-2-8-6-4-2. Colleen explains to us that it is technically not a cinquain but rather borrows the Crapsey Cinquain form and then reverses it. Since its form looks like a butterfly's wings, it was given the name Butterfly Cinquain.

This week, I've struggled a bit with how single-minded, closed-minded, selfish, and high-and-mighty some people in our world are and how they don't care how their words and actions affect others. It's made my soul feel heavy, and I've spent many a moment meditating on it.

As an Army brat, I was privileged to live in different countries on various continents because of my father's assignments. I experienced vastly unique cultures and loved them all. I met people from all walks of life, and each setting taught me something new and helped me grow as a person. Even within the USA, each state is unique and beautiful with its different food, music, accents, and landscapes.

Because of my experiences, I've made it my mission to take my son on road trips to every state in our country so that he, too, can understand and appreciate the beauty, wonder, and richness of each place. I want him to realize that people have different viewpoints and experiences which shape them into the people they are. I want him to understand and accept that there is no "one way" that fits all people.

So, when I started contemplating this week's poem, I started off with indignation, but I took a few cleansing breaths and chose to focus on spreading a message of diversity and wonder. Once I changed my mindset, two poems came to me. So, I hope you enjoy them both.

(courtesy of @MimmiDieLesemaus on Pixabay)

Cultural Expressions

spices

tasty rainbow

some sweet, some savory

each region tantalizes tongues

cuisine

as eccentric as the country

soulful, vibrant, sundry

delicious blends

flourish

(courtesy of @JoshuaWoroniecki on Pixabay)

Wanderlust

wander

to the unknown

see life through new lenses

it's time to add spice to your life

travel

learn from cultures around the world

embrace diversity

open your mind

explore

 

I'd love to hear about some of your travels and what you've learned from them. Share in the comments below. :-)

Join me at Valentina Expressions today! @ValentinaDesign #spring #books #beauty

 

Hello, beautiful readers! Today, I'm being featured as part of Valentina Cirasola's Spring, Beauty, and Books series! While you're there, check out her beautiful site. I'd love it if you could leave a comment and show her (and me) some support. Thanks! :-)

#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge #TastetheRainbow #ButterflyCinquain @ColleenChesebro #poetry #writingcommunity #poetrycommunity #poems

G'morning, beautiful readers! For this week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge, Colleen Chesebro has asked us to choose a color to emulate in our poem. She encouraged us to think of the symbolism and psychology behind the colors' meanings. One of her links contained this:

I felt a smile form as images of my childhood decorated my mind, and I knew I had to write about this color. As I scrolled through the various poetry forms on Colleen's poetry cheat sheet, the Butterfly Cinquain called to me. I mean, what better way to relish one's youth than with butterflies! For those who are not familiar with this form, it consists of nine lines using a syllabic pattern of 2-4-6-8-2-8-6-4-2. So, here is what I wrote:

(courtesy of @Shlomaster on Pixabay)

hopscotch

merry-go-round

fly a kite in the wind

squeeze juice from a salted orange

and smile

remember the joy from your youth

release stress and relish

the simple things

today

What childhood memories make you smile? How can you incorporate that happiness into your life today?