Hello, beautiful readers! I just wanted to pop in quickly and share with you that I've written a Christmas poem for the #RRBC Books & Budz Holiday Pop-Up Bookshop 2024. This is a free event for everyone to enjoy! I'd love for you to stop by and check out my poem. I hope to see you there! :-)
Friday, December 20, 2024
#RRBC Books & Buds Holiday Pop-Up Bookshop 2024! #freebooks #booksales #readingcommunity #authorreadings #games #Christmaslists #holiday #BooksBudzPopUp @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! It's that time of year - the #RRBC 7th Annual Holiday Books & Budz Holiday Pop-Up Bookshop 2024! If you love the holidays and reading, this is the perfect place for you. Fabulous RRBC authors are sharing their stories, with many of them on sale. There are games to play, books to buy, and authors to listen to as they read from their stories. There is also a blog with a different post every day from the various authors of RRBC. I've provided links to various parts of the event below. I hope to you see you around the site!
Reading Room - Come listen to authors read excerpts of their stories!
Shop 'Till You Drop - Check out the books available! They are sorted by author, genre, and price.
It's Game Time! - Have some fun playing a few games with us!
Grown Up Christmas Lists - Check out the wishes for the world!
Come Party With Us! - It's always a good time in our party lounge! Meet authors and make connections!
New Blog Daily - Read inspiring holiday blogs during the season!
This is an event you will not want to miss, and it's free for all! Enjoy! :-)
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Sunflower Tanka: An Anthology of Tanka, Tanka Prose, & Experimental Tanka #NewRelease #poetry #tanka #tankapoems #poetrycommunity #poetryanthology @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! I am thrilled to share with you today this beautiful collection of poetry! Sunflower Tanka: An Anthology of Tanka, Tanka Prose, and Experimental Tanka is an incredible collection of various tanka poems. It truly is a delightful read. Here is the book blurb:
Our theme, "Into the Light," draws inspiration from the way a young sunflower bud constantly turns to face the sun. Poets delved into the realms of death, love, and the natural world, capturing their human experiences in the timeless form of syllabic poetry.
Contributors to the first edition of the Sunflower Tanka: Suzanne Brace, Yvette M Calleiro, Kay Castenada, Luanne Castle, Robbie Cheadle, Colleen M. Chesebro, E.A. Colquitt, Melissa Davilio, Destiny, Tamiko Dooley, Lisa Fox, Cindy Georgakas, Chris Hall, Franci Hoffman, Marsha Ingrao, Jude Itakali, JulesPaige, Kenneth, MJ Mallon, Brenda Marie, Selma Martin, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Lisa Nelson, D. Wallace Peach, Freya Pickard, Dawn Pisturino, Gwen M. Plano, Jennifer Russo, Aishwarya Saby, Reena Saxena, Merril D. Smith, Nicole Smith, Ivor Steven, Ben Tonkin, Trilce Marsh Vazquez, Cheryl Wood.
Three of my experimental tanka poems are included, and I am honored to have been a part of such a great collection of poetry. This is the second poetry anthology in which my poems have been published. If you enjoy reading poems, I highly recommend this collection.
Plus, the cover is just beautiful! With the holidays right around the corner, this would make the perfect gift for a loved one. 😉
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #AmericanCinquain #grounding #tarotcards #oraclecards @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! For this week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge, poet Colleen Chesebro invites us to become inspired from three Oracle cards she chose from Judy Mastrangelo's Oracle deck. Here are the three cards she chose:
While all of them are beautiful, I was instantly drawn to the first one, Love of the Earth. I feel a great connection to nature and enjoy being surrounded by it. It's one of the reasons I love going to the beach and camping.
I chose to write an American cinquain. This poem form has five lines with a 2-4-6-8-2 syllabic pattern. The lines should build up in drama, with the fifth line being a pivot line. I'm not sure I brought much drama, but this is what came to me.
(courtesy of @congerdesign on Pixabay)
grounding
dig feet in sand
release bad energy
absorb Earth's gift of great healing
live well
Would you like to choose a card and write a poem? Join us here.
Monday, December 16, 2024
A Christmas Homecoming #NewRelease #ChristmasStory #shortstory #holidays #bookgift #readingcommunity #comingofage #adoption #findingbirthparents @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! I am excited to share with you my newest short story, A Christmas Homecoming! I started writing this story for a holiday blog tour, but when the word count exceeded the limits for the blog, I decided to turn it into its own book. It's a heartwarming story about a girl searching for her birth parents during the holidays. Here is the book blurb:
Mary always knew she was adopted. When she turned seventeen, her loving parents died in a car crash. After a year of living with an uncaring grandmother, Mary received her inheritance, including the address of her birth parents. With nothing left to lose, she hopped on a plane right before Christmas to search for them. Would they accept her into their lives, or would she find herself utterly alone on Christmas?
A Christmas Homecoming is now available on Amazon here.
You can also find this story on Smashwords by clicking here.
Happy reading! :-)
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Smashwords 2024 End of Year Sale! #smashwords #EOYsale24 #booksales #freebooks #YAbooks #paranormal @YvetteMCalleiro
If you are interested in downloading one of my books on sale, click here. Below, I've given you a little more information about each of the books.
Valerie is eager to learn the skills needed to become a Diasodz warrior, but when she meets her new trainer, all she can think about is him.
Nolan is a master trainer who has taught thousands of fledglings throughout his life. He has never had a relationship with a student nor does he plan to.
When Nolan and Valerie are thrust together on a routine mission, nothing goes as planned. If they want to survive, they will need to trust each other. But how do you trust someone who has rejected you? Nolan and Valerie must find a way or lose each other forever.
Note: This short story is related to the Chronicles of the Diasodz series. It takes place in the early 1600s and sets the stage for a major conflict in the series. It can be read alone, but if you enjoy it, I encourage you to read the series.
What if the fairy tale kiss that always awakens the damsel in distress takes a sinister turn? What if prince charming’s kiss no longer produces a happily ever after?
Silena’s infatuation with William hits a speed bump when he rejects her. After all, she is just a maid, and he is a young, rich aristocrat in the 1920s. Why would he have any desire to waste his time with the help?
On one particularly lonely day, Silena calls upon her magic to transform into a sexy flapper for the night. Her dream to enjoy one night with William is finally in her grasp, but her magic comes with consequences that neither William nor Silena could ever imagine.
BONUS! This short story is followed by a preview of a book written by the author.
Cici’s junior year in high school is going to be the best year ever. Popular co-captain of the varsity cheerleading team, she’s dating the starting quarterback. Even her jealous co-captain’s attempts to steal her boyfriend can’t curb her enthusiasm.
When her mom moves in with her fiancé, a handsome, wealthy man, only one small detail threatens Cici’s perfect life. The school’s social pariah is about to become her stepsister, and Cici wants nothing to do with her.
Everything changes when someone Cici cares about throws her life into a tailspin, and the one person Cici couldn’t stand becomes her only ally.
Warning: This story contains scenes of sexual assault.
How do you choose when both options have dire consequences?
Sofia is a 17 year old girl who is quite content with her life. She has a caring boyfriend who also just happens to be her best friend since birth. She has a loving mother. She is successfully completing her last year of high school and enjoys her part-time job. She can’t imagine wanting more from her life…until Ar’ch (pronounced Ar-rick) enters her dreams, sparking a burning flame inside of her that she can’t seem to extinguish nor does she want to.
Ar’ch is a Diasodz (Die-ah-sodz), a species created by the Goddess back when God created humans. Diasodz were made to heal and protect humans, but when the Diasodz turned their backs on helping humans and left Earth to live in their own world, the Goddess abandoned them. Since then, their powers and their very lives have been fading. A prophecy foretold that a young girl born on Earth would be the Diasodz’s savior. Ar’ch and his brother, Angel, travel to Earth to retrieve her and bring her back to their world before her death day in order to save their kind. Ar’ch knows the drill: find the target, capture her, and safely bring her home. But what happens when the target captures his dormant heart?
Choices create action. Actions have consequences. When faced with the truth, what choice will Sofia make? Will she be able to accept the consequences that follow?
Please share with your friends! Happy shopping! :-)
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #tankaprose #Ekphrastic #Ekphrasticpoetry #cats @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! For this week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge, poet Lisa Smith Nelson encouraged us to write a poem based on the picture she provided (see below).
I decided to write a tanka prose, which is a paragraph followed by a tanka poem. For those new to poetry, a tanka poem has five lines with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. Tanka proses are titled.
Queens of Yore
Eons ago, my kind was worshipped. Considered magical, pharaohs revered us as conduits to the gods and goddesses. Even in our passing, we were treated with respect and dignity. Then, society began to fear us. People ran away when they saw us, frightened we would cast a spell upon them. Insignificant humans perceived us to carry evil omens and house the devil within us. Little did they know their perception of us was simply a reflection of their own souls.
once a prized heirloom
centerpiece of living rooms
cast aside with time
ignored and broken, worthless
discarded for new treasures
Would you like to write a poem about this picture? Join us here.
Friday, December 6, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #Sekarageng #VietnamWar #Cherries @pdoggbiker.bsky.social @pdoggbiker @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! For this week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge, poet David Bogomony, aka ben Alexander, invited us to write a Javanese form called sekar ageng. This poetry form consists of a quatrain (4 lines) with 17 syllables each. Each line has three sections of 4 syllables, 6 syllables, and 7 syllables.
This month, I have been reading a book by a Vietnam War veteran and fellow RRBC author, John Podlaski. In his book, called Cherries, he shares his experiences while overseas during this horrific war. I have not finished reading it yet, but his retelling of those painful moments linger with me. So, I decided to write my Sekar ageng about his journey.
unwanted war ~ horrors seen by young men ~ many never to come home
bounded brothers ~ joined by circumstances ~ protected one another
earth's humid hell ~ trekking through booby traps ~ surrounded by enemy
jungle of death ~ war's end brought no relief ~ survivors burdened with grief
Would you like to try to write this poetry form? Join us here.
Sunday, December 1, 2024
November Book Reviews #bookreview #books #amreading #readingcommunity #paranormal @SusanneLeist @dlfinnauthor @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! I cannot believe I haven't posted a book review since August. Actually, I can believe it. This school year has been extremely busy. I think I'm just now starting to find a routine I can keep. I did read a book in August/September, but I had a hard time enjoying the story, so that review will not be posted here. This space is to share books I enjoy.
Genre: Romantic Fantasy, Supernatural Mysteries
Pages: 253 pages
Book Blurb:
Elizabeth Reading and Scarlett Harding travel from New York City to Blue Harbor, Maine, hoping to purchase a bed-and-breakfast in a peaceful town, but what they discover is much more sinister.
After settling into an apartment building and unpacking, Elizabeth and Scarlett visit a local ice cream parlor. As they approach the counter to order, a man rushes through the doorway, clutching his throat and dying in a pool of blood at Elizabeth's feet. When the police arrive, Elizabeth stares at the dashing, blue-eyed David throwing questions at her, stunned that she agreed to a date with him a few hours ago.
When they return to the apartment and Elizabeth begins to pack her bags to leave Blue Harbor, Scarlett pleads with her to keep the appointment at the inn. The next day, they fall in love with the quaint inn and eventually sign the papers, despite Elizabeth's misgivings about the death a day earlier.
After they move into the bed-and-breakfast, they hear of residents dying under unusual circumstances and rumors of a curse placed by the Penobscot Indians on the descendants of the town's original settlers. On their first weekend as innkeepers, a violent storm hits, and two guests are slashed to death in their beds. Then the lights go out.
Will Elizabeth and Scarlett sell the inn or stay and fight the curse alongside their new friends as bodies fall around them?
My Review:
The book is packed with action. In fact, I don't know if the characters ever had a moment to rest. Lol! Both main characters had distinct personalities, and I could feel the strong friendship between them. They both found themselves quickly into relationships that I had a hard time getting into. That could also be because for the longest time, they were part of the suspect list. Speaking of suspects, the author did a great job keeping the murderers' identities under lock and key, and I loved that!
The curse wasn't always clear to me. I got the anger between the original settlers and the descendants, but how they identified the cursed ones and had to kill them, no questions asked, was a bit unsettling. And then, I couldn't understand why the curse continued. I have a feeling some of it was left a mystery for a second book. Still, the characters and the action kept me turning the pages. If you enjoy paranormal mystery, I think you'd enjoy this book.
Genre: Holiday Fiction
Pages: 153 pages
Book Blurb:
Miracles and Ghosts: A Christmas Collection’s eight tales bring light in the darkest of circumstances. In the novelette, A Perfect Ghostly Christmas, Julie has survived the foster care system and finally comes home. She now owns her grandparents’ house and has received an offer that appears too good to be true. On top of that, the family she felt had abandoned her during her difficult times has reentered her life. But it’s the otherworldly experiences that lead her to something her grandparents left behind. This discovery changes everything and opens a door to danger. The seven short stories explore fractured families, a widower's loneliness, a mall shooting, financial struggles, strained relationships, woodland kittens, and a woman haunted by a red truck. Whether it’s a ghost, an angel, or Santa, some unseen force is there to provide help when needed. A reminder in the busy holiday season or anytime we are never alone, and miracles are possible.
My Review:
I absolutely loved this book! It starts off with a longer short story about a girl who returns to her grandmother's house after many years to figure out what to do with the house. Memories resurface about how her grandparents died while others bring danger to her doorstep. It's a story that sucks you in and keeps you turning the pages until the end.
The rest of the book is filled with short stories, each one focused on the holiday season. The author takes tragic moments and sprinkles each one with the Christmas spirit so beautifully. My favorites include Christmas Reunion, A Man and His Cat, and The Christmas Eve Walk. This is a wonderful collection of stories to read, and it would make a great gift for others.:-)
Have you read any good books lately? I'd love to hear from you. :-)
Thursday, November 28, 2024
Grateful #HappyThanksgiving #Thanksgiving #Gratitude @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! On this Thanksgiving Day, I want to give thanks to you. I am grateful that you visit my blog and interact with me. I appreciate you for reading my poems and stories and for sharing them with others. Truly, I am blessed to have each of you in my life. Thank you! 💗
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #silverlinings #tanka @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! This week, it's my turn to create a prompt for the #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge. As we are so close to America's Thanksgiving holiday, I chose to go with the idea of silver linings, concentrating on our blessings instead of our struggles.
Most of you know I have an anxiety disorder. I was diagnosed back in 2016 when my doctor asked me to see a psychologist because she was worried my stress would literally kill me. After being diagnosed, I began neurofeedback therapy and attended one-on-one therapy sessions. I also did a deep dive into how to rid myself of anxiety without being dependent on drugs.
In that dive, I found meditation, mindfulness, emotional frequency tapping, and Dr. Rick Hanson. Dr. Rick Hanson really spoke to the intellect in me. He has these weekly emails he sends where he explains why we respond the way we do and how we can change our behavior to lower our stress. He calls them Just One Thing. He also has free weekly meditations as well.
In one of his Just One Thing newsletters, he shared how our brains have been trained to focus on negative stimuli more strongly than positive stimuli. He says, "The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences, but Teflon for positive ones." He then explains how we can begin to change what our brain focuses on. You can read two of these newsletters here and here.
During COVID, I was obsessed with John Krasinski's Some Good News videos. I needed something to remind me of all the good in the world during a time when fear held a grip on most people, including me. I wish that program still existed.
So, for this week, I wanted to remind everyone to focus on the good. See the light amid the darkness, and give your energy to moments of happiness and joy. I chose to write a tanka poem, which is a five-lined poem with a syllabication pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. The third line is usually the pivot line.
(courtesy of @RezaAskarii on Pixabay)
dense blanket of night
world cloaked in utter darkness
sliver of moonlight
illumination of stars
silvery beauty shines through
Would you like to create your own poem on this theme? Join us here!
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Where in the world am I? #socialmedia #followme #Bluesky #Twitter #Facebook #Threads #supportand promote @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! I recently learned about a new social media platform that people are using to promote their stories, so I've decided to join. If you have also joined Bluesky, please find and follow me. I'd love to connect with you there. You can find me at @yvettemcalleiro.bsky.social.
Like many, I've heard of the toxicity at Twitter/X. I have chosen not to close my account there yet. I have too many author/poet friends who are on there, and I want to continue to support them and promote their books and poetry. Plus, I would like to continue to share my stories there as well. I truly do not use the account for anything else. My life is too busy to spend time scrolling and looking at content. So, if you prefer to follow me there, you can! My handle is @YvetteMCalleiro.
You can also follow me on Facebook (yvettemcalleiro), though I don't post there as regularly as I probably should. It's all about finding the time.
I've also recently opened up a Threads account. You can find me with the same handle (yvettemcalleiro).
Once you follow me, I'll know you are on that platform, and I will follow you as well to continue to support and promote your works on each platform.
Let's continue to spread love and light wherever we can! :-)
Saturday, November 23, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #Shadorma #awardwinning #karma #shortstory #KarmaDoesntKill @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! This week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge was brought to us by Cheryl (Rugby843). She encouraged us to write a Shadorma, which is a poetry form that consists of six lines with a 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllabic format. The topic was ours to choose.
Recently, I was informed that my newest short story, Karma Doesn't Kill, was the winner of the 2024 RRBC 90-Day Alpha/Omega Short Story Contest. This is a special honor for me because this story loosely follows the life of someone for whom I care deeply. If this story helps even one person think through his/her choices and avoid negative consequences, then my heart will be full. So, in honor of this recognition, I chose to write a poem about karma.
Karma
choose wisely
actions decide path
contemplate
aftermath
before consequences come
life's transactional
Would you like to try to write a Shadorma? Join us here.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #music #musicalinspiration #tanka @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! For this week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge, poet Willow Willers challenges us to use music or a song as inspiration. When I was younger, I was very much into music. I grew up in the late 70s, 80s, and 90s, and I absolutely loved the music of my generation. I knew all the lyrics and would sing along every time. I remember recording the music from the radio onto my cassette tapes and getting frustration when the radio station would cut into the song to plug in a promo for the sole purpose of ruining my recording. Ah, those were the days! 😂
Nowadays, music tends to be background noise for me. I still sing along to some songs, but for the most part, I am lost in my own thoughts while the radio plays in the car (the only place I really listen to music). When Willow gave us this prompt, one song immediately came to mind, and I knew I would write with that song in my heart.
When I got divorced in 2009, Black Eyed Peas released I Gotta Feeling. I was in a very low place in my life. I was dealing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and raising a three-year old as a single mom. This song came on the radio and filled me with happiness, energy, and hope. It became a mantra for me. I would sing every word in the car. Eventually, my son started singing the chorus with me, and it became our song. In fact, it's how he learned the days of the week. Lol! To this day, whenever the song comes on, he and I will sing it.
I chose to write a tanka, which is a poem with five lines in it. It has a syllabication pattern of 5-7-5-7-7, where the third line is the pivot line. Tanka poems are untitled.
stress overwhelms me
heaviness drains my essence
music changes mood
soul and sight focus on light
all's right with the world again
Would you like to write a poem with us this week? Join us here.
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #womensrights #abortion #kimo @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! This week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge was hosted by the poet Lisa. Her challenge this week was to write a poem using synonyms for the words promise and comfort. I have bolded and italicized my synonyms in my poem below.
I chose to write a kimo, which is a three-line poem with a 10/7/6 syllabic pattern. Kimos focus on a single frozen image. Here in America, our elections took place last night. Not only were there elections for the presidency, but most states had local elections as well. In my state, we had an amendment to repeal the six-week abortion ban that our governor imposed on us. Sadly, in our state, an amendment needs 60% of the votes to pass. The amendment only reached 57%. The majority of our state does not want a six-week abortion ban, but it doesn't matter.
My heart is broken for the daughters, nieces, sisters, and granddaughters that no longer have the rights I had growing up. It hurts for the children who will be born into neglectful and abusive families. It aches for the babies who will be born to drug addicts and alcoholics and will most likely have a drug dependency or some kind of disability because of it. It cries for the babies who will be born with a life-ending disease and will suffer for the hours/days that they live before dying. It screams for the pregnant women who will be forced to carry those babies to term or will have their lives put in danger because something goes wrong with their pregnancy and the doctors won't help them because they fear losing their licenses.
This is not pro-life; this is pro-power. The bible clearly states that God gives His children free will. Actions have consequences, and each person will atone for those choices when he/she has his/her judgment day. This abortion ban takes away a woman's free will to make her own choices for her body. This ban is not pro-life. If it were, it would consider all the lives that will be negatively affected by this ban. It does not. Already, other bans in our country are showing a higher infant mortality rate. They are showing women dying because they were not give the care they needed in the midst of a miscarriage because doctors were afraid to help them. Families are being left heartbroken. Children are losing their mothers. This is not pro-life. 😔
her autonomy obliterated
health care assurances - gone
no solace in darkness
If you'd like to join us in writing a poem this week, click here.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #etheree #Halloween #witchesbrew @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! Happy Halloween to all my followers who celebrate! For this week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge, Colleen Chesebro invites us to get into the spirit of Halloween by creating a poem that encompasses a witch's brew. She encouraged us to create a chant or incantation and to try to incorporate humor and rhyming words.
I chose to write an reversed Etheree, which is a poem form that has a syllabic structure of 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. I also decided to add rhyme to these descending lines (AABBCCDDEE). I hope you like it!
Thursday, October 24, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #kimo #dunes #waves #rejuvenation @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! For this week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge, poet JadeLi invited us to choose three (or more) words from a word garden and create a syllabic poem with those words. Certain words immediately stood out to me: dune, wave, and woman. The winds were so strong this past weekend, preventing me from getting my beach fix. It makes sense I would be drawn to those words. Hopefully, this weekend will be beautiful.
I decided to write a kimo. A kimo poem consists of three lines with a syllabic pattern of 10-7-6. It focuses on a single frozen image. It does not rhyme and is untitled.
(courtesy of @juliearens on Pixabay)
dunes separate serenity, chaos
waves lap calmly on the shore
woman rests and renews
Would you like to join us in the fun? Click here.
Sunday, October 20, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #stopthehate #tanka #politicssuck @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! This week's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge was hosted by the beautiful poet, Selma. Our challenge this week was to write a tanka poem using synonyms for mindless and humdrum. A tanka poem contains five lines with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. The third line tends to be a pivot within the poem.
In America, we are just weeks away from electing a new president. Without getting too deep into the politics, I'll say it's been both stressful and saddening for me. Watching our news media and elected officials spin half-truths or complete lies and listening to elective officials and candidates pit American citizens against one another while spreading fear and hate has really weighed on my soul. So, when thinking of a poem to write this week, these two chosen words led me down this path. My two synonyms are bolded and italicized.
fed by routine vitriol
crack of light enters
heart opens to brighter thoughts
compassion, acceptance reigns
Would you like to join the challenge? Click here.
Friday, October 11, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #tankapuente #bestandworstmoments #chronicfatiguesyndrom #anxiety #holistichealing @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! Last week was the first week of our new #TankaTuesday challenges, but life was so busy that I did not have time to even check the site. So, I decided to write a poem for that challenge today. Poet and author Robbie Cheadle provided us with our first challenge. She encourage us to write a Tanka Puente, which consists of two tanka poems separated by a line in between. She chose the theme of best and worst moments.
One of the worst moments in my life was when I lived with active Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for eight years. At the time, doctors were just beginning to identify it, and it took my doctor a long time to not only diagnose me but try a treatment. Unfortunately, although his treatment began to bring back my energy, it created a debilitating anxiety disorder. I stopped the medicine and sought holistic healers. Thankfully, they have brought me peace and energy. A side benefit was discovering mindfulness, meditation, and emotional frequency tapping. I still have anxiety, but I manage it well. I feel healthy and whole today. So, here is my poem...
(courtesy of @K3IST on Pixabay)
Road to Health
constant lethargy
heaviness inhibits me
long search for answers
remedy experiments
meds create anxiety
~change your thoughts and you change your world~*
body, mind struggle
start holistic therapy
mindfulness brings peace
focus on inner healing
strength and energy return
* This quote is by Norman Vincent Peale.
Would you like to try writing a Tanka Puente? Check it out here.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #specifictheme #divorce #insecurity #resilience @YvetteMCalleiro
Hello, beautiful readers! We have entered a new season of #TankaTuesday poetry challenges. Each week, a different poet from our poetry community will host Colleen Chesebro's page and share a challenge. This week's challenge is being presented by Sadje.
This week, Sadje challenges us to write a syllabic poem about something that brought a big change in our lives. The biggest, most transformative change in my life was giving birth to my son, but I decided to write about my divorce. I've written a tanka prose, which involves a paragraph of prose and a tanka poem.
(courtesy of @Fotorech on Pixabay)
For as far back as I can remember, insecurity has felt like a second skin. I hide it well, but it resides in the most fragile part of my soul. Growing up, my parents told me I had to get a degree so if I ever married a jerk, I could support myself and my children. And so I did - three degrees, in fact. Still, confidence and I weren't friends. I married and gave birth to my little miracle. Shortly thereafter, I realized my husband was not healthy for me, mentally or emotionally. Fear gripped me as I began again with a toddler and a mountain of debt threatening to bury me.
marriage falls apart
self-fulfilling prophecy
miss independent
builds confidence step by step
excels more than expected
Do you have a big moment in your life that you'd like to express through poetry? Join us here.
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